It was a frustrating evening for Josh Awotunde and English Gardner at the U.S. Olympic Track Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
Awotunde, a 2-13 Delsea graduate, placed 5th in the shot put and came up 19 inches short of making the top three in the shot put.
Awotunde also placed 5th in the 2021 Olympic Trials. He was 3rd at 2022 U.S. Nationals and 3rd also at the World Championships with his lifetime-best 73-1 ½.
On Saturday, Awotunde got off to a slow start, with a 69-1 ¼, a foul, a 69-8 and two more fouls. By the time he walked into the ring for his final throw, Ryan Crouser [74-11 ½], Joe Kovacs [73-7 ¼] and Payton Otterdahl [73-0 ½] had set the bar very high for Awotunde, who needed to throw within an inch of his PR to make the U.S. team.
He did get off one of his best throws ever – a 71-5 ¼ – but came up short in his bid to make his first Olympic team.
Awotunde’s 71-5 ¼ is his 9th-best throw ever and his best since a 72-6 ¼ to place 2nd at last year’s U.S. Nationals. Seven of his nine-best throws have come at Hayward Field.
Gardner advanced to the semifinals on Friday with a season-best 11.17 in the 100 but ran an uncharacteristic 11.31 on Saturday, missing the final by 21-100ths of a second.
On Sunday, Florence’s Curtis Thonpson will bid for his 4th U.S. title and 2nd Olympic berth in the javelin final at 9 p.m.
All-Time Josh Awotunde 70-Foot Throws
73-1 ½ … World Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [5th throw] [3rd]
72-11 ½ … World Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [1st throw] [—]
72-10 ¾ … World Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [6th throw] [—]
72-6 ¼ … U.S. Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 9, 2023 [4th throw] [2nd]
71-3 ½ … Memorial Borisa Hanžekovića, Fountains, Zagreb [N/A/] [3rd]
71-2 ¼ … World Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [2nd throw] [—]
72-2 … Meeting Città di Padova, Stadio Colbachini, Padovad, Poland, Sept. 5, 2021 [N/A] [place]
71-8 … U.S. Olympic Trials, Eugene, Ore., June 18, 2021 [6th throw] [5th place]
71-5 ¼ … U.S. Olympic Trials, Eugene, Ore., June 22, 2024 [6th throw] [5th place]
71-2 ¼i … World Athletics Indoors, Belgrade, Serbia, March 19, 2022 [3rd throw] (5th)
71-2 ¼ … Gyulai István Memorial, Székesfehérvár, Hungary, July 6, 2021 [4th throw] (3rd)
71-1 ½ … Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., May 9, 2021 [6th throw] [2nd place]
70-11 ¾ … World Athletics Indoors, Belgrade, Serbia, March 19, 2022 [5th throw] [2nd]
70-11 ½ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [5th throw) [2nd]
70-10 ¾ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [4th throw) [—]
70-10 ¾ … Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Stadion Śląski, Chorzów, Poland, July 16, 2023 [5th]
70-7 ½ … Prefontaine Classic, Eugene, Ore., May 25, 2024 [3rd throw] [4th ]
70-7 … U.S. Championships, Eugene, Ore., June 27, 2022 [3rd throw] [3rd]
70-6 ½ … Gyulai István Memorial, Székesfehérvár, Hungary, July 6, 2021 [6th throw] [—]
70-6 ¼i … American Track League, Louisville, Ky., Feb. 12, 2022 [3rd throw] [1st]
70-3 ½ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [3rd throw] [—]
70-2 ½i … American Track League, Louisville, Ky., Feb. 12, 2022 [1st throw] [—]
70-2 ½ … Prefontaine Classic, Eugene, Ore., May 25, 2024 [5th throw] [—]
70-2 ¼ … USATF L.A. Grand Prix, Los Angeles, May 18, 2024 [1st throw] [4th]
70-1 ¾ … USATF L.A. Grand Prix, Los Angeles, May 18, 2024 [2nd throw] [-]
70-0 ½ … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Stadion Śląski, Chorzów [N/A] [3rd]
70-0 ¼ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [2nd throw] [—]
70-0 ¼ … World Athletics Indoors, Belgrade, Serbia, March 19, 2022 [2nd throw] [—]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 