海角大神

The U.S. Olympic track trials ended on a high note. Or, in this case, on a low number.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone lowered the world record once more in her signature event, the 400-meter hurdles. With her run of 50.65 seconds, she cemented herself with Noah Lyles and Sha鈥機arri Richardson among the fantastic bets to bring home a medal or two for the U.S. from the Paris Olympics.

鈥淪uper encouraging,鈥� Ms. McLaughlin-Levrone said of her record-setting run on a day where she didn鈥檛 really expect it. 鈥淜nowing there鈥檚 more there and there鈥檚 more to fix, just as a confidence booster.鈥�

June 30 marked only Ms. McLaughlin-Levrone鈥檚 fourth 400 hurdles race of the season, as she geared back up from a year of running sprints. She also has the best time in the world this year (48.75) in the regular 400, which does nothing to diminish the U.S. team鈥檚 already strong chances of winning the 4x400 relay at the end of the Olympic track meet.

Though the U.S. has won the most track and field medals at every Olympics since 1992, it took home a modest 26 from Tokyo. That was six fewer than its all-time high, four years earlier in Rio de Janeiro, though any hints of disappointment were largely stifled due to the difficulties of training for and competing in an Olympics that came a year late and without fans in the stands because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now that the U.S. team is largely locked in for Paris, here鈥檚 a look at where its medals might come from.

Sprints

Mr. Lyles鈥� status as the gold-medal favorite in the 100 took a slight ding when Jamaica鈥檚 Kishane Thompson ran 9.77 in his country鈥檚 national championship. Kenny Bednarek (100, 200), Erriyon Knighton (200), and Fred Kerley (100) all have legitimate chances to add in the sprints.

No one has run faster than Ms. Richardson at 100 meters this year, and even though she won鈥檛 race in the 200, the U.S. has a big name there in Gabby Thomas.

Best bet: Ms. Richardson in the women鈥檚 100. Don鈥檛 forget: Mr. Lyles. U.S. could get: 7 medals (2 gold).

Hurdles

Femke Bol of the Netherlands is in top form and isn鈥檛 just going to hand the gold medal to Ms. McLaughlin-Levrone. But she鈥檒l have her hands full.

Rai Benjamin (400) and Grant Holloway (110) should take home medals, it鈥檚 only a matter of which color. Mr. Benjamin must deal with world-record holder Karsten Warholm of Norway and Mr. Holloway, a three-time world champion, needs to bring that form to the Olympics, where he finished second last time.

Best bet: Ms. McLaughlin-Levrone. Don鈥檛 forget: Mr. Holloway. U.S. could get: 6 medals (2 gold).

Relays

Always tricky here because the depth of the U.S. team means, in theory, it should win all four 鈥� make that all five, counting the 4x400 mixed 鈥� relays almost every time.

But the Americans have a long history of baton troubles in the 4x100 鈥� the men bobbled it at the last Olympics and didn鈥檛 make the podium, but did win last year鈥檚 world championships. Mr. Lyles has run the anchor leg in the last two major-championship successes 鈥� in 2019 and 2023 鈥� and should do so again this year.

This could be the only chance for 800-meter specialist Athing Mu to win a medal. Quincy Wilson, the 16-year-old high school student from Maryland, is in the 4x400 relay pool.

Best bet: Women鈥檚 4x400. Don鈥檛 forget: Women鈥檚 4x100. U.S. could get: 4 medals (3 gold).

Middle distance and steeplechase

Ms. Mu crashing out at the trials and missing the chance to defend her Olympic 800-meter title was essentially the U.S. team giving away a medal. Nia Akins, the trials champion, could work her way into a podium finish.

Valerie Constien is a medal contender in the steeplechase and Cole Hocker in the 1,500 meters.

Best bet: Ms. Constien. Don鈥檛 forget: Nikki Hiltz and Elle St. Pierre. U.S. could get: 2 medals (0 gold).

Distance

Ms. St. Pierre qualified in the 1,500 and the 5,000 but her coach told the running website Citius she was leaning toward running only the 1,500. Grant Fisher also has two shots at a medal by qualifying in the 5,000 and 10,000.

In the marathon, the Americans won鈥檛 be favored because none of the qualifiers have a time inside the top 25 this season.

Best bet: Mr. Fisher. Don鈥檛 forget: Weini Kelati in the 10,000. U.S. could get: 1 medal (0 gold).

Throws

Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs have gone 1-2 at the last two Olympics. Mr. Crouser, the world-record holder, is recovering from an elbow ailment and a torn pectoral muscle. Mr. Kovacs has the top throw this season. On the women鈥檚 side, Raven Saunders is the reigning Olympic silver medalist while Chase Jackson is a two-time world champion.

Defending Olympic champion Valarie Allman will be a favorite once again in the discus, while Annette Echikunwoke and DeAnna Price could add medals in the hammer throw.

Best bets: Mr. Crouser and Mr. Kovacs. Don鈥檛 forget: Maggie Malone Hardin (javelin). U.S. could get: 6 medals (3 gold).

Jumps

Hard to imagine anyone topping Olympic champion and world-record holder Armand 鈥淢ondo鈥� Duplantis in the pole vault. But Chris Nilsen (silver in Tokyo) and Sam Kendricks (bronze in Rio) could find their way onto the podium.

Long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall is the most likely to win a jump event for the red, white, and blue. She has the second-longest leap this season. Pole vaulter Katie Moon will defend her Olympic title.

Best bets: Ms. Davis-Woodhall. Don鈥檛 forget: Jasmine Moore (long jump) and Rachel Glenn (high jump). U.S. could get: 5 medals (1 gold).

This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽