The Good, Bad & Ugly: USATF Wrap

^{August 4, 2025 | Edition #165}

👋 Hey, Speedsters!

4 action-packed days and 36 finals later, the USATF Outdoor Champs 2025 have wrapped up. And honestly, they gave us jaw-dropping moments! World leads, brutal falls, heated controversies, that’s just a little of what went down in Eugene since Thursday.

Over various editions, we tried to bring you every detail. But as we head towards wrapping our coverage, here is a special one. From the highs to the lows and the chaos, this edition has everything that made the Nationals unforgettable!

🌟 Track Stories

The Good!

The US Champs gave us many standout moments, but we are starting with a win that was long due....

Dream fulfilled: With her hands up in the air, Emily Infeld broke the tape in the women's 10K event in 31:43.56 on day 1. Not just picture-perfect, this was Emily's first national title at the age of 35. More than a decade as a pro, she finally ticked that off!

World leads: After the US Champs, many Americans are leading the world! On day 1, Tara Davis-Woodhall leaped to a world-leading 7.12m mark in her final attempt, placing herself comfortably at the top. Even Noah Lyles clocked a world lead on day 4. 19.63s, that's all it took for him to grab his fifth US title and dominate the 200m!

Historic win: Melissa Jefferson-Wooden walked out of Eugene with a big sweep! On day 2, she crossed the 100m finish in 10.65s to get crowned the national champion. Again on Sunday, she ran the 200m, not really her signature event, but still had the last word in it. In just 21.84s, Melissa took her second win and became the first athlete since 2003 to complete the 100-200 double. Wow, that’s 22 years!

Teen stars: Teens taking center stage at the US Champs was another highlight. One was Cooper Lutkenhaus. Still in high school, he ran a personal best 1:42.37 to take silver in the men's 800m. Lutkenhaus is now the U18 World Record holder and the youngest American to qualify for a World Champs! Watch the 16-year-old break the age world record!

Meanwhile, even 19-year-old Ja'kobe Tharp, entered the spotlight with his surprise win in the men's 110m hurdles. In 13.01 seconds, Tharp defeated pros like Trey Cunnigham, Cordell Tinch, and Dylan Beard, as though it was his everyday business!

First titles: Yes, Kenny Bednarek won his first-ever 100m national title in 9.79s. But, there's another maiden winner with an emotional victory. Jacory Patterson, started his year as a UPS worker. But, he'll be walking to Tokyo as a national champ after finishing first in the men’s 400m in 44.16s, even ahead of the World Indoor champ, Chris Bailey!

Congratulations champions. Thank you for the memories!

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📈 Trending News

The Bad!

Now, time for the moments that made us go, 'wait… what just happened?' 

Close Call: Eyebrows were raised when the reigning Olympic champ, Gabby Thomas nearly missed qualifying in her signature event. She was first defeated by Melissa in the semis. And then, her finals time, 22.20s tied with Brittany Brown and McKenize Long. Gabby only made it by a razor-thin, 0.001s. Or else, she was out of the Worlds squad having withdrawn from the 100m too. Watch how close Gabby was to losing her ticket!

Unexpected losses: The US Champs 2025 had many of these. It started with a shock in the men’s 400m semis. Rising star Quincy Wilson ran 45.39s to finish fourth and didn’t make the final. The same day, came another jolt in the women’s 800m semis when Athing Mu, despite running a season-best 1:59.79, missed the final.

Worlds miss: The men’s 1500m gave a shocker too. With Cole Hocker, the reigning Olympic champ, and Yared Nuguse, the Olympic bronze medalist, the win seemed predictable. But tables turned when Nuguse started fading in the last 120m. That opened the door for Jonah Koech to pull off a surprise win in 3:30.17. He not just won his first U.S. title, but stunned the world by restricting Hocker to third. Meanwhile Nuguse? Fifth in 3:31.34 and off the US team!

Even Joe Kovacs’ could not register a textbook win. In the shot put final, Kovacs surged ahead with a monstrous 22.06m in round 2. But Tripp Piperi surpassed that with a 22.39m throw in round 4. Also, the final round produced 2 surprise throwers, Josh Awotunde and Payton Otterdahl, who took gold and silver with 22.47m and 22.35m. While Kovacs dropped to the 4th place!

Sudden Hurdle: Things took a wild turn in the men’s 400m hurdles! In Round 1, Jarrett Gentles was running in the lane next to Trevor Bassitt. But he clipped over the last hurdle and fell in lane 7. A speeding Bassitt instinctively jumped over the fallen athlete. While Bassitt didn’t blame the fall, he finished last in 52.14s and missed out on the finals.

Watch: How Trevor Bassitt Averted a Disaster Collision!

📰 Top Stories of Today

🙃 Did this move save Gabby Thomas’ Worlds spot? - Full Story 

🤯 Dina Asher-Smith has made a big decision! - Full Story

🤔 Track fans call out Kenny Bednarek! - Full Story

🙌 Here is how Junelle Bromfield reacted after Lyles’ win! - Full Story

🤨 Noah Lyles’ coach had an order for him! - Full Story

See what else is trending in the world of track & field - Click Here

 🏃‍♀️ Wild Turn

And The Ugly!

Some moment at the US Champs, gave a feeling that things are getting messy!

Titans Clash: The men's 200m final brought serious tension to the US Champs, as things got heated between Lyles and Bednarek. When Noah crossed the 200m finish line 0.04s ahead, he gave Bednarek a cold stare! Lyles was probably stamping his authority. But the move didn’t sit well, and Bednarek responded by shoving Lyles from behind. Later, though they shook hands briefly, but Bednarek, made his feelings clear, "Its not good character right there.” Here, watch the heated moment!

Off-track tension: The US Champs started on a rocky note for Sha’Carri Richardson and her boyfriend, Christian Coleman. Just 3 days before the Nationals began, Sha’Carri had an altercation Coleman, at Seattle-Tacoma Airport. She was briefly detained on Sunday and released the next day. But the incident did cast a shadow on their performances!

Withdrawal drama: Amid her personal setbacks, Sha’Carri didn’t look like the World Champ we know of right from the start. On Day 1, she ran to a 11.07s finish in the 100m heats, placing 11th overall. And then pulled out of the 100m and the 200 events altogether! However, in an unexpected twist, she re-entered into the 200. But, again, came fourth behind McKenzie Long in 22.56s.

Meanwhile, Coleman competed as scheduled. Starting with the 100m, he clocked 9.86s in the final, but he couldn’t make the team. Also, Coleman’s 200m campaign didn’t pan out either. He finished sixth in the 200m final in 20.02s. Clearly, it was a tough event for both!

A brutal fall: This was a proper ‘oh-no’ moment. As the final lap in the women’s 1500m started, Riley Chamberlain tried moving up through a crowded pack. But her legs tangled with another runner, and she crashed…Things got wild when seconds later, Helen Schlachtenhaufen, who was running just behind, tumbled straight over Riley. Helen walked off with a bleeding lip and a shattered Worlds dream.

Watch: How The Athletes Had A Chaotic Fall!

📊 POLL OF THE DAY

Last Poll Result: We asked you, “Which Finals Are You Most Excited About?” and the results were close between the 200m races. However, with 47.37% votes, the men’s 200m was leading, and well, we now know that pick was absolutely right. The men's 200m race did serve us peak drama. From Noah Lyles' 19.63s world lead to his heated exchange with Kenny Bednarek, it was a thriller!

That’s it for today, folks! We’ll look to knock on your inbox soon with more interesting stories!

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