PEERLESS PROGNOSTICATIONS by Dave Johnson
as of May 22
TEAM USA for September’s World Championships in Tokyo will be chosen at the later-than-usual USATF Championships (Eugene, July 31–August 03). Collegiate athletes will face a long break between the NCAA and the USATF meets.
From the exceedingly tenuous vantage point of 11 weeks out, here’s our Top 10 charting for each men’s event at USATF. The listing of an athlete in a discipline doesn’t guarantee he’ll contest that event (or events).
Athletes who have met the Tokyo qualifying standard are noted with an asterisk. Achieving a Q isn’t mandatory for making the team, as WA will fill out about half the fields in each event from its world rankings.
The U.S. will have 4 Wild Card slots (meaning 4 can qualify instead of the standard 3), given to reigning WC gold medalists: Noah Lyles (100 & 200), Grant Holloway (110H) & Ryan Crouser (SP).
Here’s our Top 10s (the number in the right-hand column represents the athlete’s placing in last year’s U.S. Rankings as compiled by T&FN):
| 100 METERS | |||
| 1 | *Noah Lyles | (adidas) | 1 |
| 2 | *Kenny Bednarek | (Nike) | 4 |
| 3 | *Courtney Lindsey | (Nike) | 6 |
| 4 | *Fred Kerley | (SHARKS) | 3 |
| 5 | *Christian Coleman | (Nike) | 2 |
| 6 | *Jordan Anthony | (Arkansas) | nr |
| 7 | *Brandon Hicklin | (Nike) | 7 |
| 8 | Christian Miller | (Puma) | 5 |
| 9 | Ronnie Baker | (adidas) | 10 |
| 10 | Jelani Watkins | (LSU) | nr |
| 200 METERS | |||
| 1 | *Noah Lyles | (adidas) | 2 |
| 2 | *Kenny Bednarek | (Nike) | 1 |
| 3 | *Erriyon Knighton | (adidas) | 3 |
| 4 | *Fred Kerley | (SHARKS) | 5 |
| 5 | *Courtney Lindsey | (Nike) | 4 |
| 6 | *Jordan Anthony | (Arkansas) | nr |
| 7 | *Garrett Kaalund | (USC) | nr |
| 8 | *Cameron Miller | (Purdue) | nr |
| 9 | Kyree King | (Nike) | 6 |
| 10 | Robert Gregory | (unattached) | 8 |
| 400 METERS | |||
| 1 | *Quincy Hall | (adidas) | 1 |
| 2 | *Jacory Patterson | (Cique E) | nr |
| 3 | *Chris Bailey | (Tracksmith) | 4 |
| 4 | *Michael Norman | (Nike) | 3 |
| 5 | *Vernon Norwood | (New Balance) | 2 |
| 6 | *Bryce Deadmon | (Nike) | 5 |
| 7 | *Chris Robinson | (unattached) | nr |
| 8 | Khaleb McRae | (D4) | 8 |
| 9 | *Micahi Danzy | (Florida State) | nr |
| 10 | *Auhmad Robinson | (Texas A&M) | nr |
| 800 METERS | |||
| 1 | *Josh Hoey | (adidas) | 4 |
| 2 | *Bryce Hoppel | (adidas) | 1 |
| 3 | *Brandon Miller | (Brooks Beasts) | 3 |
| 4 | Jonah Koech | (Under Armour) | 5 |
| 5 | *Hobbs Kessler | (adidas) | 2 |
| 6 | Wes Ferguson | (unattached) | nr |
| 7 | Tinoda Matsatsa | (Georgetown) | nr |
| 8 | Will Sumner | (adidas) | nr |
| 9 | Isaiah Jewett | (Nike) | 8 |
| 10 | Sam Whitmarsh | (Texas… | |
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