Allyson Felix moves on to 200-meter final

OR wide receiver Devon Allen advanced to the final of the 110-meter hurdles Saturday at the U.S. Track and Field Trials.

“I couldn’t see through my race”, said Nia Ali, who got safely through the semifinal, then finished third in the final, too, to make the Olympics.

Mason Finley is headed to the Olympics for the first time.

World record holder Aries Merritt appeared a bit off stride, hitting four hurdles in qualifying sixth-fastest in the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.64 seconds. “I knew the rain was coming so I figured I might as well get after it on my first throw”. I’ve won Olympic games, broken the world record.

“I’m out of words”, she said.

“I didn’t really bog myself down with what does everything mean”, said Finley, who added that his coach, “told me you just have to do the technique, and whatever happens, happens”.

QUALIFICATION ALERT: Oregon wide receiver Devon Allen won the 110-meter hurdles at the U.S. Track and Field Trials to earn a spot on the Olympic Team. “It’s always more competitive because everybody’s trying to bring out their A-games and make sure they are doing what they need to to make this team”. Merritt earlier won the 400 and Gatlin the 100. The 400-meter specialist ran the year’s best time at 200 meters in Friday’s semifinals.

Olympic silver medallist Will Claye overtook London triple jump gold medallist Christian Taylor with a big fifth-place jump of 17.65 metres as both advanced to Rio.

Joining Lagat at 5,000 meters are Hassan Mead and Paul Chelimo.

Galen Rupp held the lead late but faded over the last 800 meters and finished ninth. Rupp has already qualified for the marathon and the 10,000.

Other events on the day – including the men’s 110-meter hurdles semifinals and the women’s 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200-meter race heptathlon events – will not be broadcast but results will be available at the official USA Track and Field website here.

She will race Sunday to try to secure her spot in the 200, which would give her a chance for the 200-400 double in Rio.

Chase finished comfortably in third ahead of Sarah Wells (56.45) in fourth place, while Jennifer Cotton (57.30), Taysia Radoslav (57.63), Kelsey Balkwill (58.07) and Fawn Dorr (1:01.85) rounded out the finalists. The second-place finisher did not have the Olympic standard.

Ohio State graduate Christina Manning was fourth in her heat in the women’s 100 semifinals and did not qualify for the finals.

OR wide receiver Devon Allen advanced to the final of the 110-meter hurdles Saturday at the U.S. Track and Field Trials.

On a cool and rainy day in Eugene, none of the other 12 competitors were able to come within six feet of that toss, earning Finley his first American discus title.

Such is life in track and field – and everything is amplified in the no-excuses world of U.S. Olympic qualifying, where the top three finishers make it and no exceptions are made for injuries, past performances – or weather.