2x NCAA XC Champion Graham Blanks Turns Pro & Signs With New Balance, Reflecting On His Career At Harvard And Running 12:59.89 For 5000m

Last one, fast one?! The final day of the Olympic Trials was one for the history books. In every. single. event. that took place on the tracks yesterday afternoon, the Olympic Trials meet record was broken. In multiple events, simply qualifying for Team USA meant you had to produce a performance that ranked in the U.S. top-10 of all time. 12.37 in the 100m hurdles, 3:56.75 in the women’s 1500m, and 1:44.12 in the men’s 800m were only good enough for fourth place. The mantra of “iron sharpens iron” normally applies to training groups, but it certainly also applies to American track and field right now. When being top 10 in the world is not a guarantee of being top 3 in the U.S., the choice is simple: you elevate your game or you go home. The afternoon began with the 5000m final, where last year’s U.S. champ Abdi Nur and this year’s 10,000m champ Grant Fisher treated the fans to an epic duel over the final few laps. It took a sub-4 1600m to break the rest of the field, and in the final strides, Fisher was able to re-pass Nur and get his second title of the week, the first time he’s completed the 10/5 double. Behind them, it was a similar battle for third between collegians Parker Wolfe and Graham Blanks, and it’s still not clear whether Wolfe or Blanks will end up on Team USA. Wolfe needs a few scratches in the world rankings ahead of him, and Blanks has the auto standard. In the men’s 800m, Bryce Hoppel won his sixth straight U.S. title (counting indoors), but he did it in the fastest time of his career, a 1:42.77. His training partner Hobbs Kessler snagged third and qualifies for both the 800m and 1500m, the first time an American man has done that since 1976. In the women’s 100m hurdles, you could throw a blanket over the whole field with two hurdles remaining, but it was Masai Russell who closed the best and clocked a 12.25, the good for #4 on the world all-time list. Rai Benjamin did Rai Benjamin things in the men’s 400m hurdles, cruising to a 46.47 world lead and meet record well ahead of the competition. The women’s 1500m was an absolute battle — more on that below. And then we closed the weekend with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. McLaughlin-Levrone is used to being the star of the show, and honestly her biggest competition is usually the shadow of her past self. In the 400m hurdles final she had the benefit of a fast-starting Anna Cockrell on her outside, who stayed even with the Olympic champ for the first three hurdles and kept the pressure on early. But the real difference was that, coming around the final turn, McLaughlin-Levrone didn’t shut it down like she normally does through the rounds, instead powering down the homestretch to an incredible new world record 50.65. For those keeping score at home, that’s the fifth time McLaughlin-Levrone has lowered the world record. When she started, the world record she was breaking was Dalilah Muhammad’s 52.16 from 2019, and now it’s an incredible 1.51 seconds faster. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. ⁠⁠⁠NewBalance.co⁠⁠⁠m/Running

1 Juli 20241h 23min

A fitting theme for the penultimate day of competition at the 2024 Olympic Trials: it ain’t over ‘til it’s over. Just ask Monae’ Nichols, who sat in fourth place in the final of the long jump competition. Nichols has a 6.97m personal best from 2022, but heading into Trials she was one centimeter shy of the Olympic qualifying standard with a 6.85m season’s best. In her last jump of the competition, Nichols came up clutch in multiple ways, jumping her way from 5th into 3rd and improving her season’s best to the 6.86m auto-qualifier. The long jump was full of drama, with eventual champion Tara Davis-Woodhall needing a mark in the third round just to keep jumping and eventually pulling out a 7.00m leap in the fifth round to defend her national title. And three different women held the third position in the final round of competition, with Lex Brown starting the round in third at 6.77m, then Quanesha Burks landing a 6.80m jump, and finally Nichols taking the critical final spot with her final effort. There’s plenty of discourse around what role field events should play in the sport, and the women’s long jump final was a perfect example of why the stakes, drama, and rivalries of the field half of the sport deserve a bigger spotlight. At the top of the ticket, the 200m finals went largely according to form with Gabby Thomas and Noah Lyles defending their U.S. titles in speedy times — 21.81 and 19.53. Both Thomas and Lyles finished third in Tokyo but head into Paris the favorite for gold. Behind Thomas, however, was a wild ride as #2 seed Sha’Carri Richardson was bested by 2019 World silver medalist Brittany Brown and NCAA champion McKenzie Long. Brown is an incredible gamer, making the team with a lifetime best of 21.90, and Long bounced back well after missing the final in the 100m. The 10,000m drama isn’t just late-breaking; it may continue after the Trials end as Trials champ Weini Kelati secured her spot but 2nd- and 3rd-placers Parker Valby and Karissa Schweizer will have to await the final world rankings to know if they have a spot on the Olympic starting line. In the women’s shot put, Tokyo silver medalist Raven Saunders set their third season’s best in the competition after improving from 19.17m to 19.54m in the qualifying round, throwing 19.88m in the first round of the final and 19.90m on the last throw to finish 2nd and secure another spot on Team USA. Trials champ (and 2x World champ) Chase Jackson took home another U.S. title, but it also took her a little extra time and effort as she sat in fourth place halfway through the competition and only secured her Olympic spot with a 20.10m throw in the fourth round. Even when the eventual outcome is the top seed comes out victorious, a lot of anxiety, drama, and excitement can emerge along the way. The beauty of watching any track and field competition from start to finish is being able to take the roller coaster ride along with the athletes, and to feel the rush they feel when the script gets flipped in the final moments. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. ⁠⁠NewBalance.co⁠⁠m/Running

30 Juni 20241h 8min

“The expectation was we want to chase this and put her on the line in a way to be able to compete. Physically, I think things went really smooth. This is probably the best build she’s had in the eight years I’ve coached her. Mentally, it probably wasn't the best build. There were some battles that she faced and the race never tells the whole story. Being someone that saw what she overcame to make this team is what I think is going to make this one really special.”  Newly minted Olympian Courtney Wayment and Coach Diljeet Taylor join us live in Eugene after Courtney finished runner-up in the U.S. Olympic Trials steeplechase. Coach Taylor shares about Courtney’s ability to overcome challenges as she worked towards the Trials and what it’s been like coaching Courtney for the past eight years. Courtney shares about having “the best support system in the world” at BYU with past and present teammates, her training partners, and family. She also shares about her progression over the past few years that’s helped her rise to the world-class athlete that she’s become. Hear more from Courtney and Coach Taylor and what’s ahead for the coach-athlete duo in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Guests: Courtney Wayment | @courtsasport20 on Instagram + Diljeet Taylor | @diljeetdosanjhtaylor on Instagram _________ CITIUS MAG LIVE From Eugene! will bring you daily interviews with athletes, coaches and notable folks in town at noon PT each day. Our guests for Day 9 of the Olympic Trials include Valarie Allman, Zebulon Sion, Courtney Wayment, Diljeet Taylor, Patrick Tiernan, Emily Sisson, and Joseph Fahnbulleh. LIVE SHOWS Good Morning Track and Field will start your day with some takes and updates from Eugene hosted by Eric Jenkins, Mitch Dyer and Karen Lesiewicz at 8:30 a.m. PT. TRIALS TALK – our hit daily podcast series from 2021 – returns on The CITIUS MAG Podcast feed + streaming live immediately post-race to unpack all of the action immediately following the meet. LIVE MEET COVERAGE Stay updated on live results, mixed zone interviews and more on the CITIUS MAG Instagram, X and Threads pages while the meet is underway each evening. All interviews will be uploaded to our aforementioned YouTube channel. MORNING RUNS Also, CITIUS MAG Newsletter subscribers will be getting daily emails from the Trials as David Melly rounds up all of the biggest results, stories + our best interviews, photos and original content from Eugene. If you want to hook a friend, there’s no better time than the Trials so forward them the emails or encourage them to sign up today for FREE here: https://citiusmag.beehiiv.com/ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running

29 Juni 202432min

“We are going into a new phase of track and field. And with that new phase, there has to be a new element. The standard is shifting, it’s only a matter of time that the world record is in danger. I’m not saying by who, but I’m just saying that if the standard keeps on going lower… it’s only a matter of time before 19.9 will get you sixth.”  2x Olympian Joseph Fahnbulleh joins us live in Eugene after competing at the African Championships this past week. Joe takes us through his questionable experience at the African Champs, his journey traveling from Africa to Eugene to catch the last half of the U.S. Trials, his analysis on some of the sprinters + events to watch for at the Olympics, his prediction for the future of the sprints, and lots more. Hear more from Joe in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast. Hosts: Katelyn Hutchison | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_kxnaomi on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Anderson Emerole | @atkoeme on Instagram  Guest: Joseph Fahnbulleh | @joefahn.xi on Instagram _________ CITIUS MAG LIVE From Eugene! will bring you daily interviews with athletes, coaches and notable folks in town at noon PT each day. Our guests for Day 9 of the Olympic Trials include Valarie Allman, Zebulon Sion, Courtney Wayment, Diljeet Taylor, Patrick Tiernan, Emily Sisson, and Joseph Fahnbulleh. LIVE SHOWS Good Morning Track and Field will start your day with some takes and updates from Eugene hosted by Eric Jenkins, Mitch Dyer and Karen Lesiewicz at 8:30 a.m. PT. TRIALS TALK – our hit daily podcast series from 2021 – returns on The CITIUS MAG Podcast feed + streaming live immediately post-race to unpack all of the action immediately following the meet. LIVE MEET COVERAGE Stay updated on live results, mixed zone interviews and more on the CITIUS MAG Instagram, X and Threads pages while the meet is underway each evening. All interviews will be uploaded to our aforementioned YouTube channel. MORNING RUNS Also, CITIUS MAG Newsletter subscribers will be getting daily emails from the Trials as David Melly rounds up all of the biggest results, stories + our best interviews, photos and original content from Eugene. If you want to hook a friend, there’s no better time than the Trials so forward them the emails or encourage them to sign up today for FREE here: https://citiusmag.beehiiv.com/ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running

29 Juni 202437min

“I’ve spent a lot of my career getting outkicked in the last 400… The marathon is something people always wanted me to do, it was just a matter of when I was actually ready to do it. It’s a long way to run.” 3x Olympian for Australia and 2:07:45 marathoner Patrick Tiernan joins us live in Eugene. Pat breaks down his previous Olympic experiences, weighs in on the U.S. Trials qualifying system, why he chooses to base his training in the U.S. instead of Australia, his thoughts on the top Australian track and field athletes, why he decided to transition to the marathon + how his training changed, and more. Hear more from Pat in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast. Hosts: Eric Jenkins | @_ericjenkins on Instagram + Mitch Dyer | @metchosketch on Instagram  Guest: Patrick Tiernan | @tiernan_pat on Instagram _________ CITIUS MAG LIVE From Eugene! will bring you daily interviews with athletes, coaches and notable folks in town at noon PT each day. Our guests for Day 9 of the Olympic Trials include Valarie Allman, Zebulon Sion, Courtney Wayment, Diljeet Taylor, Patrick Tiernan, Emily Sisson, and Joseph Fahnbulleh. LIVE SHOWS Good Morning Track and Field will start your day with some takes and updates from Eugene hosted by Eric Jenkins, Mitch Dyer and Karen Lesiewicz at 8:30 a.m. PT. TRIALS TALK – our hit daily podcast series from 2021 – returns on The CITIUS MAG Podcast feed + streaming live immediately post-race to unpack all of the action immediately following the meet. LIVE MEET COVERAGE Stay updated on live results, mixed zone interviews and more on the CITIUS MAG Instagram, X and Threads pages while the meet is underway each evening. All interviews will be uploaded to our aforementioned YouTube channel. MORNING RUNS Also, CITIUS MAG Newsletter subscribers will be getting daily emails from the Trials as David Melly rounds up all of the biggest results, stories + our best interviews, photos and original content from Eugene. If you want to hook a friend, there’s no better time than the Trials so forward them the emails or encourage them to sign up today for FREE here: https://citiusmag.beehiiv.com/ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running

29 Juni 202428min

“I think it’s important to have confidence in the plan that you choose, just going into the race and standing on the starting line knowing you did everything you could. I'm going to focus on my strengths and know I'm at the top.” 2x Olympian and American record holder Emily Sisson joins us live in Eugene to catch us up on how training has been going since qualifying for the U.S. Marathon team in February. Emily shares her thoughts on the Paris Olympics marathon course, adjustments she’s made to her training to prepare for the Olympics, why she likes switching up the distances she races, and her plans for post-Olympics. Hear more from Emily and what’s ahead for her in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast. Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Eric Jenkins | @_ericjenkins on Instagram Guest: Emily Sisson | @em_sisson on Instagram _________ CITIUS MAG LIVE From Eugene! will bring you daily interviews with athletes, coaches and notable folks in town at noon PT each day. Our guests for Day 9 of the Olympic Trials include Valarie Allman, Zebulon Sion, Courtney Wayment, Diljeet Taylor, Patrick Tiernan, Emily Sisson, and Joseph Fahnbulleh. LIVE SHOWS Good Morning Track and Field will start your day with some takes and updates from Eugene hosted by Eric Jenkins, Mitch Dyer and Karen Lesiewicz at 8:30 a.m. PT. TRIALS TALK – our hit daily podcast series from 2021 – returns on The CITIUS MAG Podcast feed + streaming live immediately post-race to unpack all of the action immediately following the meet. LIVE MEET COVERAGE Stay updated on live results, mixed zone interviews and more on the CITIUS MAG Instagram, X and Threads pages while the meet is underway each evening. All interviews will be uploaded to our aforementioned YouTube channel. MORNING RUNS Also, CITIUS MAG Newsletter subscribers will be getting daily emails from the Trials as David Melly rounds up all of the biggest results, stories + our best interviews, photos and original content from Eugene. If you want to hook a friend, there’s no better time than the Trials so forward them the emails or encourage them to sign up today for FREE here: https://citiusmag.beehiiv.com/ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running

29 Juni 202416min

“As an athlete, you have those indicators that you look at, you track, you want to gain confidence from – and those have been going very well. But it’s also that belief that this is going to be a really good year. We’re going to accomplish our goals. We’re going to give it our best and feel proud of whatever that ends up being.”  Reigning Olympic Champion Val Allman and Coach Zebulon Sion join us live in Eugene after Val won the discus at the U.S. Olympics Trials and booked her ticket to Paris. Val breaks down the sequence of her throws at the Olympic Trials, shares about how she shifted her mindset after finishing second at the World Championships last summer, how she uses her competitors’ performances as motivation to elevate her own game, and what the next couple of weeks look like for her as she prepares for Paris.  Coach Zeb shares about how he helped Val reframe pressure as a positive, breaks down Val’s discus technique, and shares about the improvements Val’s been able to make in the weight room. Hear more from Val, one of the best field eventers in history, in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast. Host: Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Guests: Valarie Allman | @vallman123 on Instagram + Zebulon Sion | @zebulonsion on Instagram _________ CITIUS MAG LIVE From Eugene! will bring you daily interviews with athletes, coaches and notable folks in town at noon PT each day. Our guests for Day 9 of the Olympic Trials include Valarie Allman, Zebulon Sion, Courtney Wayment, Diljeet Taylor, Patrick Tiernan, Emily Sisson, and Joseph Fahnbulleh. LIVE SHOWS Good Morning Track and Field will start your day with some takes and updates from Eugene hosted by Eric Jenkins, Mitch Dyer and Karen Lesiewicz at 8:30 a.m. PT. TRIALS TALK – our hit daily podcast series from 2021 – returns on The CITIUS MAG Podcast feed + streaming live immediately post-race to unpack all of the action immediately following the meet. LIVE MEET COVERAGE Stay updated on live results, mixed zone interviews and more on the CITIUS MAG Instagram, X and Threads pages while the meet is underway each evening. All interviews will be uploaded to our aforementioned YouTube channel. MORNING RUNS Also, CITIUS MAG Newsletter subscribers will be getting daily emails from the Trials as David Melly rounds up all of the biggest results, stories + our best interviews, photos and original content from Eugene. If you want to hook a friend, there’s no better time than the Trials so forward them the emails or encourage them to sign up today for FREE here: https://citiusmag.beehiiv.com/ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running

29 Juni 202419min

The track is HOT. Okay, it’s actually quite pleasant by Eugene-in-June standards, with temperatures in the high 70s and a pleasant breeze that always seems to be a tailwind in Hayward Field. But the performances laid down last night in Day 8 of the Olympic Trials sure heated up the stadium — even in events where we’re not on finals yet. For the first time in history, three men broke 13 seconds in the same 110m hurdles race as Grant Holloway picked up his second national title, made his second Olympic team, and clocked the fourth-fastest performance in history ahead of Freddie Crittenden and Daniel Roberts’s lifetime bests. Five men broke 20 seconds in the 200m semifinals led by Noah Lyles’s wind-aided 19.60, and another epic battle between Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson is set up in the women’s 200m final. While middle-distance rounds can sometimes get tactical, they sure didn’t tonight. It took 4:05.36 to make the final of the women’s 1500m, and the “heavy hitters” heat did not disappoint with Nikki Hiltz making a statement with a 4:01.40 win and five finishes at 4:02.14 or faster. The 1500m final will be absolutely stacked, and in the mixed zone competitors were suggesting that it may make times well under 4 minutes just to make the team. In the men’s 800m, it’s clear that qualifying for the Games in the 1500m has lifted a weight off Hobbs Kessler’s shoulders, as he seems to be absolutely elated in each round of racing and led all semifinal qualifiers with a huge personal best of 1:43.71. Kessler skipped the 1:44s entirely as his PB heading into this weekend was 1:45.07. It’s now officially the weekend and, bittersweetly, our final two days of action, so make sure you don’t miss any of these incredible competitions over the last few finals. If we’ve learned anything form the action we’ve seen so far, we’re in store for something very, very fast in multiple events. CITIUS MAG LIVE From Eugene! will bring you daily interviews with athletes, coaches and notable folks in town at noon PT each day. Our guests for day three of the Olympic Trials include Nico Young, Payton Otterdahl, Kendall Ellis, and Matthew Wilkinson.  LIVE SHOWS Good Morning Track and Field will start your day with some takes and updates from Eugene hosted by Eric Jenkins, Mitch Dyer and Karen Lesiewicz at 8:30 a.m. PT. TRIALS TALK – our hit daily podcast series from 2021 – ⁠returns on The CITIUS MAG Podcast feed⁠ + streaming live immediately post-race to unpack all of the action immediately following the meet. LIVE MEET COVERAGE Stay updated on live results, mixed zone interviews and more on the CITIUS MAG ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠X⁠ and ⁠Threads⁠ pages while the meet is underway each evening. All interviews will be uploaded to our aforementioned YouTube channel. MORNING RUNS CITIUS MAG and New Balance will be hosting group runs on Sunday, June 23rd at 8 a.m. ET; Tuesday, June 25th at 8 a.m. and Saturday, June 29th at 7:30 a.m. Come on by to our pop-up next to Prince Puckler’s Ice Cream shop to meet for some easy morning miles. All paces are welcome. We’ll be giving away shirts, hats and more. Plus, you’ll have an opportunity to try all of the latest and greatest from New Balance. We’ll also have Olipop, coffee, games and cold plunges to enjoy afterward. Also, CITIUS MAG Newsletter subscribers will be getting daily emails from the Trials as David Melly rounds up all of the biggest results, stories + our best interviews, photos and original content from Eugene. If you want to hook a friend, there’s no better time than the Trials so forward them the emails or encourage them to ⁠sign up today for FREE⁠ here: https://citiusmag.beehiiv.com/ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. ⁠NewBalance.co⁠m/Running

29 Juni 20241h 8min