During the Toyota USA athletic championships, which take place from Thursday to Sunday, third place can be almost as sweet as first place for many athletes.
In most events, the first three make the September world championship team in Tokyo.
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Many of the biggest stars already have byes in the world team as the defending world champions of 2023 – like Noah Lyles, Grant Holloway, Ryan Crouser, Sha’Carri Richardson and Katie Moon. In its events, the United States will have four entries in Worlds.
The most intriguing events of this week can therefore be those where competition for third place is more convincing than for pure and simple victory. The depth counts.
USA outdoor athletics championships
2025 Toyota Usatf Outdoor and Para National Championships: how to look, plan, preview
The national champions and the members of the world championship team will be determined in Eugene, Oregon.
That in mind, here are five remarkable events to look at competition in Eugene, Oregon:
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Women’s long jump – Thursday final
2024 Olympic tests: Tara Davis-Woodhall, Jasmine Moore, Monae ‘Nichols
2025 American classification: Tara Davis-Woodhall, Lex Brown, Claire Bryant
The United States has four of the eight of the best women in the world this year (inside and outside). The Olympic gold medalist Davis-Woodhall has won its 13 competitions since the beginning of 2024. It has the two best jumps of an American in 2025 (7.07 and 7.05 meters) on only three departures in total. It is closely followed by Brown, which since the beginning of 2024 has improved its best by more than two feet. Bryant won the world -class world title in March after finishing 10th at the Olympic tests. The former former Gator of Florida Jasmine Moore, who won the Olympic bronze during the long jump and the triple jump, again entered the two events this week.
Female 400m – Saturday final
2024 Olympic tests: Kendall Ellis (not entered), Aaliyah Butler, Alexis Holmes
2025 American rankings: Aaliyah Butler, Gabby Thomas (not entered), Bella Whittaker, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
McLaughlin-Levrone opted for the 400m flat instead of the hedges of the 400m at the national championships, although he broke the world record six times in the latter. Although McLaughlin -Levrone is head of third by the best 400m in 2025, she is in fact the fastest second American in history – thanks to her 48.74 of 2023. Dominican Republic (48.81)?
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is flat 400m at the outdoor athletics championships
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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone should play an event at the USATF outdoor championships from July 31 to August. 3 in Eugene, Oregon.
200m for women – Sunday final
2024 Olympic tests – Gabby Thomas, Brittany Brown, McKenzie Long
2025 American classification – McKenzie Long, Gabby Thomas, Jameesia Ford
Eight of the 10 fastest women in the world this year are American. Thomas won the Tokyo Olympic tests, was injured (and sixth) in 2022, then won in 2023 and 2024 (on the way to Paris Gold). Brown is the Olympic bronze medalist. Sha’Carri Richardson, world bronze medalist 2023, finished fourth in the Olympic trials. She has a bye in the worlds at the 100m and declared on July 4 that she planned to run the 200m at the national championships.
200m male – Sunday final
2024 Olympic tests: Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, Erriyon Knighton
2025 American rankings: T’Mars McCallum, Kenny Bednarek, Garrett Kaalund (not entered)
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Lyles said he was planning to make the three cycles of the 200m at the national championships, even if he has Bye. He will bid for a fifth record title of the 200m for American men. Lyles is the fourth to the best time by the best moment of this year (19.88), but it is misleading because he missed the meetings due to an injury and has since returned with respectable results. Bednarek, the double medalist in Olympic silver, went 6-0 in the Grand Colam 100m and 200m of races. He has not contributed since June 1 – to withdraw from the classic preontaine of July 5 due to the waterproofing of adductors – and posted on July 19 that he was back to high -speed training. Bednarek has a 2-12 sheet against Lyles in 200m, according to Tilastopaja.info, but the two in his favor were the last two Olympic finals. McCallum, a growing senior from the University of Tennessee, has the best time in the world this year (19.73) after starting the season with a personal record of 20.33.
800m for men – Sunday final
2024 Olympic tests: Bryce Hoppel, Hobbs Kessler, Brandon Miller
2025 American classification: Josh Hoey, Bryce Hoppel, Donavan Brazier
Hoppel (fourth at the Paris Olympic Games), Hoey (fourth at the 2024 Olympic trials) and Brazier (2019 world champion) are the three fastest Americans in history. Hoey was a revelation in winter, leading the fastest second 800m interior in the world of history, then winning the world in the room. Brazier, the 2019 outdoor world champion, was the story of the end of spring and early summer, returning to relevance after spending almost three years without running after four surgeries at the height.