U.S. Olympic Trials: What Happened on Day 6

DeAnna Price reacts after her third-place finish in the women's hammer throw. (Photo by Dillon Vibes)

DeAnna Price reacts after her third-place finish in the women’s hammer throw, which put the 2016 NCAA champ in the Olympics. Photo by Dillon Vibes


For many of the athletes, Wednesday was designated for rest. For our bureau of track reporters, however, it was just another day. The hammer throw was the main attraction, and only event, on Day Six, and for the first time ever it was contested on the infield at Hayward Field, rather than on the practice field known as the “Back 40.”

Check out some of our coverage for the day.

In the first event of the day, the women opened several track fans’ eyes to the hammer throw and how exciting it can be. In a spectacular display of events, Amber Campbell, Gwen Berry and DeAnna Price took turns capturing the top spot. Within a span of 15 minutes, each thrower also set a new meet record, only to be outdone by the next competitor. Campbell ended up on top, but the three of them will go to Rio. Hannah Bonnie has the story.

In the men’s hammer competition, Emma Decker wrote for DyeStat.com and Romaine Soh wrote for SOJC Track about Rudy Winkler, the first college athlete to win with since 1956, a milestone he achieved with a PR of 251 feet, 10 inches. However, Neither nor the second- and third-place finishers, Kibwe Johnson and Conor McCullough, have hit the Olympic standard, so they will not automatically qualify for the Rio Olympics. Should the field not fill up, there is a still a chance that the Americans could be extended an invitation to compete, but as of now it is in question.

Winner of the 2016 NCAA championshipsin the hammer throw, DeAnna Price, was one of the women to qualify for the Olympics on Wednesday. Zac Neel, writing for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, talked to her about the long road she traveled to get here, and how she went back on her vow to never pick up a hammer again after her freshman year in high school.

Kylee O’Connor wrote for the Tribune Chronicle in Warren, Ohio, covering Matthias Tayala, who surpassed many expectations by finishing sixth in the hammer throw. Tayala was pleased with his performance and is certain his future in the sport is bright.

Keeler McJunkin wrote about the concerns surrounding the Zika virus, and how athletes plan to cope with this threat while staying in Rio during the Olympics. While several athletes from around the world have announced that they will be boycotting the Olympic Games this year due to the danger, many track and field athletes say that the concerns won’t stop them from competing.

Zac Neel

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