Written by Paul Myerberg at USAToday.com
As the dust cleared at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials last month, athletes who advanced through the trying qualifications turned their focus toward the Rio Games.
The times and performances put forward in advance of the trials already had placed the USA as the country to beat on the Rio medal table. The number of 2016 world-best times set during competition — nine, including in the men’s 100 meters and the men’s and women’s 400 — simply underline that point: The U.S. team is ready for August.
Beyond a sizable medal haul, what is to be expected from the U.S. team, a mix of old (41 years old) and young (16), Olympic veterans and newcomers (84 first-timers out of the 127-member team)?
Here are 10 things to watch at the Summer Games:
1. The men’s 100-meter team
U.S. sprinters hadn’t had a strong season in the 100 leading into the trials, with no American among the world’s top five. That changed in the semifinals and final, as 34-year-old Justin Gatlin first set and then reset the world season high in his final two sprints.
Gatlin ran a 9.83 in the semifinals and a 9.80 in the final to reach his third Olympic Games. He’s joined by two first-time Olympians, Trayvon Bromell, back in form after a recent Achilles injury, and Marvin Bracy. Bromell, who turned 21 on July 10, finished just behind Gatlin in the final (9.84). Bracy, 22, has a best of 9.93.
“It’s a new era of sprinters coming along,” Gatlin said of his young Olympic teammates.
Looming, of course: Usain Bolt and the Jamaicans.
2. LaShawn Merritt
Merritt, a 30-year-old gold medalist in the 400 in Beijing in 2008, ran a world-leading 43.97 to claim his fourth U.S. outdoor 400 title and reach his third Olympic Games.
The period between his gold in the 2009 world championships and last summer’s resurgence was rocky: Merritt was banned for 21 months in 2010 for a failed drug test and was bounced out of the 400 during the London Games after tweaking his hamstring.
But he returned to form last year, taking silver in the world championships and leading the USA to gold in the 4×400 relay, and he has been among the best in the world this season. He has spoken of the motivation that comes from flaming out during qualifying four years ago, perhaps part of the reason he is targeting a 200-400 double in Rio.
3. Vashti Cunningham looks to make more history
After finishing second to Chaunté Lowe in the women’s high jump, Cunningham, 18, briefly became the youngest U.S. track and field athlete to reach the Olympics since 1980 (until 16-year-old Sydney McLaughlin qualified a week later. More on McLaughlin below). Despite her youth, Cunningham’s loss to a four-time Olympian (and U.S. recordholder at 6-8 3/4) might be viewed as an upset — seeing as how Cunningham dominated the indoor season, winning U.S. and world titles and turning professional in March.
Rio will provide a higher level of competition and pressure, though genetics are in her favor: Cunningham’s father, Randall, spent 17 seasons in the NFL, and her brother, also named Randall, earned NCAA All-America honors in the event at Southern California.
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