Two of the most fascinating events at the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials will surely be the men’s and women’s 800m.

Why? Because both finals will end in heartbreak.

Dramatic? Maybe. But minus last year’s world championship blunder, at least one U.S. woman has made a global final in the 800m since 2011, and Nick Symmonds made four straight (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013) with a silver medal in Moscow.

Four 2012 Olympians will return, along with five 2013 world finalists. And all six 2015 qualifiers are hoping to redeem themselves from last year’s disappointments. Together, they set the stage for the uber-dramatic men’s and women’s 800m.

The Men: Will Experience Trump New Speed?

The men’s 800m field features three of the most high-profile athletes in the sport of track and field for a variety of reasons.

1. Donavan Brazier, the 19-year-old phenom who recently won the NCAA title in an American junior and NCAA record of 1:43.55

He just ran the third-fastest time int the world this year, turned professional, and entered himself in the Olympic Trials. You gotta figure he’s a lock, right?

Not so fast. Last year, Boris Berian (we’ll get to him) ran 1:43.86 in June (roughly a two-second PB at the time), then failed to make the U.S. final. Three rounds, people. Three rounds!

2. Now, onto Berian, the 2016 world indoor champion and fifth-fastest American all-time with a 1:43.34 PB

He’s improved loads since not making the U.S. final last year, but the world indoor championships lacked a large number of players that will be in Rio. And Berian needs to get by a handful of Americans he didn’t race in the indoor season, too.

Off the track, Berian was involved in a highly publicized lawsuit with Nike, who attempted to sue him for breach of contract. If that’s not a major distraction while prepping for the Olympic Trials, I don’t know what is! One good sign is Berian won the Prefontaine Classic 800m in 1:44.20 on Nike’s stomping grounds in May. We’ll just have to wait and see how Berian comes back from the emotional rollercoaster that was the #FreeBoris campaign.

Nike earned 30 billion in 2015. Berian was flipping burgers at McDonalds two years ago. Isn't one bully in American public life enough?

— Malcolm Gladwell (@Gladwell) June 7, 2016

3. Nick Symmonds won the last six out of eight U.S. outdoor titles in the 800m

Globally, he was sixth in ’09 and fifth in ’11; fifth at the London Olympics; and earned silver at the 2013 World Championships. He entered last year’s U.S. championships with a 1:46.37 season-best to his name, and came out a winner in 1:44.53. But since not signing the Statement of Conditions and being left off the U.S. team in Beijing, Symmonds has been a mystery.

He raced twice overseas (1:47.82 was his best) and has since scratched from several races. According to his Instagram, he's nursing an injured ankle.



Still, it’s hard to count out the man who led the resurgence of prominent American 800m runners on the world stage. Fact: No American man had made an 800m final from 1997-2008. Nick made four consecutive finals starting in 2009.

So, who the heck will make the team?

We haven’t even brought up four other gentlemen who are more than qualified to represent the U.S. in Rio.

Duane Solomon may have went into the twilight zone in 2015, but he's shown consistency other the years and has a 1:42 personal best. 1:42!

Clayton Murphy replaced Symmonds in Beijing last summer and made it to the world semifinal. He just signed with Nike and ran 3:36 twice in the 1500m (JUST off the Olympic standard!). With his focus now turned to the 800m, we cannot forget how dominant he was in the NCAA indoor final this March.

Erik Sowinski took home bronze at world indoors and also got himself into the semifinal in Beijing last August. His 1:45.80 season-best definitely makes him a contender.

Cas Loxsom finished third in the U.S. last year, but has looked off all season. With times like 1:48 and 3:57 (for 1500m), his fitness is a big question heading into Eugene.

FloTrack predicts Solomon will earn a spot on his second Olympic team, while new pros Murphy and Brazier earn the next two. But if we learned anything from Symmonds’ victory and Solomon’s downfall in 2015, getting through the three rounds is the most challenging part.

The Women: How Do You Only Pick Three Names?!

Caster Semenya, Francine Niyonsaba and other overseas competitors are completely owning the women’s 800m, and it’s hard to believe an American isn’t ranked among the top 10 in the world right now.

But with so much emphasis on getting sharper through each round and the fact that any of the eight finalists would make fine Olympians, we likely haven’t seen their best yet.

Ajee Wilson (1:59.72), Chrishuna Williams (1:59.89), Brenda Martinez (1:59.89) and Molly Ludlow (1:59.93) are the only Americans under 2:00 so far this season. But SO many more factors go into determining the top three. In no particular order, I’ll give quick blurbs on the contenders.

1. Wilson is rounding into form just before the Trials.

After taking silver at world indoors (only 0.2 behind Niyonsaba!) she finished 11th and seventh in her Diamond League competitions (her 2:03 in Rome was just bizarre), but won the adidas Boost Boston Games in 1:59.72—perfect timing.

2. Williams is a dark horse enjoying a breakout season.

After spending her first three years at Arkansas running the 400m, Williams brilliantly moved up to the 800m full time last spring. Her biggest obstacle will be making it to the final. Three rounds of 800m can be brutal, and this will be Williams’ biggest challenge yet.

3. Martinez earned bronze at the 2013 world championships and spent most of the indoor season focused on the 1500m.

She’s the strongest in the field with a 4:03 season-best, and is experienced through rounds. In 2012, she finished sixth in the 800m and came back to try and make the 1500m team. She finished 12th, but the fact that she made it to the final set her up for her medal-winning 2013 season.

4. Alysia Montano has dominated since 2010: five U.S. titles in six years, and fourth, fifth and fourth on the world stage.

If she hadn’t fallen in the prelims in Beijing, she would have likely been a force in the world final. She’s only raced twice since, but a 2:00 victory over a star-studded U.S. field at Pre and her experience are enough to indicate she's ready.

5. Kate Grace’s comeback from injury is happening at the perfect time.

She was runner-up at Pre behind Montano, and enjoyed 1500m victories under 4:06 and the Hoka MDC and Portland Track Festival. Her 2:00.05 in the pouring rain was also impressive. Her 1:59.47 PB comes from 2013, where she finished fourth at the U.S. Championships behind Montano, Wilson and Martinez. She's proving she can compete with anyone in 2016.

6. Laura Roesler is also enjoying success after injury.

She finished fourth at the 2016 World Indoor Championships and notched a big victory over Martinez at the Hoka MDC. She’s raced a ton this season, but made the U.S. final twice as an Oregon athlete. It won't be a shock to the system.

7. Ludlow finished fourth last year and advanced to Beijing when Wilson was injured.

Like Wilson, she’s rounding into form at the perfect time: 2:01 at Pre, 2:00 in Atlanta and 1:59 in Boston prove Ludlow is ready to finish in the top three.

8. Raevyn Rogers, the queen of the NCAA 800m with three consecutive individual titles, is an unknown quantity.

She broke 2:00 as an Oregon freshman, and might have been able to make it to Beijing last summer. Instead, she opted for U.S. Juniors, and easily won national and Pan-American titles. In her two races against pros, she did pretty darn well: fourth at Millrose (2:00) and third at Mt. SAC (2:02). Like Williams, this will be Rogers’ biggest challenge yet. The pressure of proving herself among the best in her country on her home track will make for a good show.



FloTrack predicts that Wilson, Montano and Martinez will prove experience trumps all.

But anything can happen over two laps.