The Latest: Brixey protests, will run in 110 hurdles semi

Jun 25, 2021, 3:24 AM | Updated: 5:57 pm

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — The Latest on the U.S. track and field Olympic trials (all times local):

5:40 p.m.

Washington State’s Sam Brixey won an appeal of his disqualification in Friday’s final heat of the men’s 110-meter hurdles at the Olympic trials.

Brixey will compete in the semifinals on Saturday night. He was the only runner disqualified for a false start in a heat that was marred by four re-starts.

Brixey immediately lodged a protest and it was granted before the end of the day’s events. He said after the race he was not too upset because he knew he’d get through.

“I just had confidence right away. After that, I was like, OK, I think we can get back in, because that didn’t really make a lot of sense,” he said.

Hanna Green also filed a successful protest in the 800 and will run in Sunday’s final. Green and Sage Hurta bumped during the race and Hurta fell.

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5:11 p.m.

Hillary Bor made his second Olympic team with a victory in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Bor’s strong kick on the final lap got him over the line in 8 minutes, 21.34 seconds. He will be joined in Tokyo by Benard Keter, who finished second in 8:21.81, and Mason Ferlic, who finished third in 8:22.05.

“I was going to sit and wait and wait, and then make a move in the last 250 to try to go for the win,” said Bor, who finished seventh in the event at the 2016 Olympics.

Donn Cabral, the 31-year-old looking to make his third Olympic team, led for much of the race but faded with two laps to go.

Evan Jager, who took the silver medal in Brazil, did not compete after battling a series of injuries dating to 2018.

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5 p.m.

Mason Finley used a big throw late in the competition to secure the discus title and earn his second straight Olympic appearance.

The 30-year-old Finley had a toss of 206 feet, 11 inches (63.07 meters) on his fifth of six throws to all but wrap up the competition. Reggie Jagers was second at 205-5 (62.61) on his final attempt and Sam Mattis took third to round out the U.S. men’s discus team heading to the Tokyo Games.

Finley was the bronze medalist at the 2017 world championships.

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4:20 p.m.

The Lyles brothers are through to the 200-meter semifinals at the U.S. Olympic trials.

Noah Lyles, the gold medalist in the 200 at the 2019 world championships, ran the distance in 20.19 seconds Friday in the opening round of the event at Hayward Field. The semifinals are set for Saturday.

His younger brother, Josephus, ran in 20:39, the fifth-best time in the round. Josephus has struggled with injuries and health issues in recent years.

“Oh, it’s so nice to see him healthy. You know, we’ve been waiting for years for this,” Noah Lyles said. “Now he’s been healthy enough to come out of the trials, run PR and to be honest, just be in a position where I know he can compete. And it’s been interesting, it’s probably been the hardest year for both of us, just mental and training, and watching him grow, especially in these last months, has been extraordinary.”

The Lyles are the sons of former sprinter Kevin Lyles and Seton Hall standout Keisha Caine.

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3:15 p.m.

USA Track and Field announced the transfer of allegiance application for distance runner Weini Kelati has been approved and she can compete in the women’s 10,000 meters.

Kelati was born in Eritrea and later competed for Heritage High School in Leesburg, Virginia. She ran at the University of New Mexico, where she was the Mountain West Conference female athlete of the year in 2019-20. She was the NCAA national champion at 10,000 meters in 2019.

The final for the women’s 10,000 meters is Saturday.

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