Women’s 800: The Epic Final Everyone Wanted Is All Set
by LetsRun.com
June 25, 2021
EUGENE, Ore. — It’s on. The final we all wanted to see in the women’s 800 at the 2020 US Olympic Track and Field Trials is all set – Athing Mu (2021 US leader at 400 and 800) vs Ajee Wilson (best US 800 m runner of the last decade) vs Raevyn Rogers (2019 Worlds Silver Medallist) vs Kate Grace (2016 Olympic finalist).
The 4 previously mentioned runners took the top 4 qualifying spots for Sunday’s final. They’ll be joined by former World Indoor Champ Chanelle Price, 2021 breakout star Allie Wilson, 2021 NCAA Champ Michaela Meyer, and 2 time NCAA runner-up Nia Akins.
Throw in Hanna Green, the 2019 USA Runner-up and Paris Diamond League champ, who was 4th in heat 1 (top 3 in each heat plus two times made the final) and initially was the first person out of the final by .10, but she got in after an appeal. With a little less than 100 meters remaining in heat one, the On Athletic Club’s Sage Hurta made contact with Green from behind. Hurta ended up going down hard on the track and would not finish. Green lost a little momentum and ultimately ended up missed being a time qualifier. An appeal was filed and she’s in the final.
We think it was the right call – she clearly is much more deserving of being placed in the final after an appeal than was Heather MacLean in the women’s 1500.
The good news Phil Knight planned for this. The new Hayward field is a 9-lane track so everyone will still be able to start in their own lane, which is critical for an elite 800.
The biggest name to not make the final was Green’s OTC teammate and former NCAA champ Sabrina Southerland also didn’t make it after running 2:05 in heat #2.
In heat 1 Athing Mu and Kate Grace separated from the field the final 100m with Price comfortably in the third auto spot with the Green and Hurta drama behind them. In heat 2, Allie Wilson did most of the leading but once Ajee’ Wilson went to the front she was comfortable to the finish. Raevyn Rogers moved up best the final 100m to get 2nd as Wilson easily got the 3rd auto spot and Meyere and Akins got the time qualifiers.
Quick Take: The final on Sunday should be epic
The 800 field at the Olympic Trials featured two of the three World Championship medalists in 2019 and a 19-year-old who just might be better than both of them in Athing Mu. Wilson, Rogers, and Mu have all looked great through the rounds, as have defending Trials champ Kate Grace and 2014 World Indoor champ Chanelle Price. Only three can make the team, which means track fans are in for quite a treat on Sunday afternoon.
Quick Take: Raevyn Rogers is rounding into form
Rogers made the decision to switch coaches to Pete Julian last year, and her first full campaign under him in 2021 has been challenging. Rogers wouldn’t elaborate on what, specifically, has been so tough, but she said that, mentally, the 2021 season has been “really rough for me.” She mentioned fasting at the beginning of the year because she felt that in the past, she had not made her relationship with God a priority. After a challenging season, Rogers said today’s race, in which she moved up well on the home straight to finish second behind Ajee’ Wilson, went perfectly and was a confidence booster going into Sunday’s final.
“When God has great things in store for you, the enemy tries even harder to knock you off,” Rogers said. “So that’s been the biggest reassurance for me throughout this whole year is that I know something great is coming, because the enemy is really playing with my mind.”
Ajee Wilson ready for final but admits her buildup has been less than ideal for undisclosed reasons
Ajee’ Wilson wouldn’t go into details but her buildup this year has been less than ideal. She said, “Definitely not exactly where I want to be, but I think in the last six weeks we’ve got some good work in. I’m super excited to make it through the Olympic team and have the last few weeks to get where i know I need to be.” When asked about the issues in further detail she said, “Just a bunch of random things to be honest, you couldn’t make up if you wanted to. I just want to make it through Trials, we’ve all had ups and downs through this. I’m just thankful I’ve had enough time to pull it all together.” She said after the Trials she’ll go into more details
We asked Ajee, who escaped a doping ban after it was accepted she ate tainted beef, if she had been following the case of Shelby Houlihan who was banned despite claiming she ate tainted pork. Ajee said, “It’s a super intense and traumatizing experience… having to walk down the path of reliving my own experience is something I’ve tried not to do.“
4th Olympic Trials for Chanelle Price, 1st Final
Chanelle Price first competed at the Olympic Trials as a high schooler in 2008. She’s back for her 4th try and the former world indoor champ is into her first final.
She kept the first heat at an honest pace intentionally and attributed some of her success to being less obsessed with track.
“I have a healthier relationship with the sport. There is a fine line between wanting something and being obsessed. I don’t run well that way. My faith allowed me to let all that go and run free. At the end of the day it’s my best. Track is what I do, it’s not who I am. It frees up all that mental stress.“
High schoolers bow out
High schooler Juliette Whittaker was 6th in heat 2 in 2:01.30, only .21 from making the final. Fellow high schooler Roisin Willis was 7th in heat #1 in 2:03.99. Their trials experience came to an end.
Kate Grace was asked about whether they should go pro if given the chance, “I think just having people that they trust to advise them, I can see both angles. Track is a fickle sport, there’s not a ton of money. I can see the argument for going for a contract, strike while you’re hot.”