U.S. roster for world track and field championships

By OlympicTalkSep 17, 2019, 7:50 AM EDT

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Veterans Allyson Felix and Justin Gatlin and rising stars Christian Colemaen, Noah Lyles and Michael Norman headline the U.S. roster for the world track and field championships that start next week.

While most athletes clinched spots at the USATF Outdoor Championships in July, the roster could not be completed until after the Diamond League season concluded two weeks ago. Diamond League Finals champions, in some cases, picked up extra roster spots for the U.S.

The U.S. has the fastest man in the 100m, 200m and 400m this year in Coleman, Lyles and Norman, plus the Diamond League 800m champion in Donavan Brazier.

Felix, coming back from November childbirth, will compete at a ninth worlds, breaking the U.S. record she shared with high jumper Amy Acuff. Felix was sixth in the 400m at nationals, putting her on the team for relays only.

Blake Leeper, the Paralympian who placed fifth in the men’s 400m, is not on the team. Leeper’s prosthetics have not been cleared by the IAAF for competition against able-bodied runners.

The full roster:

Men
100m
Christian Coleman
Mike Rodgers
Chris Belcher
Justin Gatlin
Cravon Gillespie (relay only)

200m
Noah Lyles
Christian Coleman
Rodney Rowe
Kenny Bednarek

400m
Fred Kerley
Michael Norman
Nathan Strother
Vernon Norwood
Michael Cherry (relay only)
Tyrell Richard (relay only)
Wil London (relay only)
Obichukwu Igbokwe (relay only)

800m
Donavan Brazier
Clayton Murphy
Bryce Hoppel
Brandon Kidder

1500m
Craig Engels
Matthew Centrowitz
Ben Blankenship

5000m
Paul Chelimo
Hassan Mead
Ben True

10,000m
Lopez Lomong
Shadrack Kipchirchir
Leonard Korir

110m Hurdles
Daniel Roberts
Grant Holloway
Devon Allen

400m Hurdles
Rai Benjamin
TJ Holmes
Amere Lattin

3000m Steeplechase
Hillary Bor
Stanley Kebenei
Andy Bayer

High Jump
Jeron Robinson
Shelby McEwen
Keenon Laine

Pole Vault
Sam Kendricks
Cole Walsh
KC Lightfoot
Zach Bradford

Long Jump
Trumaine Jefferson
Jeff Henderson
Steffin McCarter

Triple Jump
Donald Scott
Will Claye
Omar Craddock
Christian Taylor

Shot Put
Ryan Crouser
Joe Kovacs
Darrell Hill

Discus
Sam Mattis
Brian Williams
Mason Finley

Hammer
Conor McCullough
Rudy Winkler
Daniel Haugh

Javelin
Michael Shuey
Riley Dolezal

Decathlon
Devon Williams
Solomon Simmons
Harrison Williams

Women
100m
Teahna Daniels
English Gardner
Morolake Akinosun
Tori Bowie
Kiara Parker (relay only)
Caitland Smith (relay only)

200m
Dezerea Bryant
Brittany Brown
Angie Annelus

400m
Shakima Wimbley
Kendall Ellis
Wadeline Jonathas
Phyllis Francis
Courtney Okolo (relay only)
Jessica Beard (relay only)
Allyson Felix (relay only)
Jasmine Blocker (relay only)

800m
Ajee Wilson
Hanna Green
Raevyn Rogers
Ce’Aira Brown

1500m
Shelby Houlihan
Jenny Simpson
Nikki Hiltz

5000m
Karissa Schweizer
Elinor Purrier
Rachel Schneider

10,000m
Molly Huddle
Emily Sisson
Marielle Hall

100m Hurdles
Keni Harrison
Nia Ali
Brianna McNeal

400m Hurdles
Dalilah Muhammad
Sydney McLaughlin
Ashley Spencer
Kori Carter

3000m Steeplechase
Emma Coburn
Courtney Frerichs
Colleen Quigley
Allie Ostrander

High Jump
Vashti Cunningham
Inika McPherson
Tynita Butts

Pole Vault
Sandi Morris
Katie Nageotte
Jenn Suhr

Long Jump
Brittney Reese
Jasmine Todd
Shakeela Saunders
Tori Bowie

Triple Jump
Keturah Orji
Tori Franklin

Shot Put
Chase Ealey
Michelle Carter
Maggie Ewen

Discus
Valarie Allman
Kelsey Card
Laulauga Tausaga

Hammer
DeAnna Price
Gwen Berry
Brooke Andersen

Javelin
Ariana Ince
Kara Winger

20km Racewalk
Maria Michta Coffey

50km Racewalk
Katie Burnett

MORE: Jamaican runner whose heart stopped mid-race retires

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Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz set French Open semifinal showdown

By OlympicTalkJun 6, 2023, 6:59 PM EDT

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will play in the French Open semifinals on Friday in the most anticipated match of the tournament.

Each man advanced with a quarterfinal win on Tuesday.

Djokovic, eyeing a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam men’s singles title, rallied past 11th-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-4. The Serb reached his 45th career major semifinal, one shy of Roger Federer‘s men’s record.

Later Tuesday, top seed Alcaraz crushed fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (5) to consolidate his status as the favorite in Friday’s showdown.

“This match, everyone wants to watch,” Alcaraz said. “I really wanted to play this match as well. I always say that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.”

FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men | Broadcast Schedule

Alcaraz, who at last year’s U.S. Open became the first male teen to win a major since Rafael Nadal in 2005, is at this event the youngest man to be the top seed at a major since Boris Becker at 1987 Wimbledon.

The Djokovic-Alcaraz semifinal will produce the clear favorite for Sunday’s final given left-handed 14-time French Open champion Nadal is out this year with a hip injury and No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev lost in the first round. Djokovic and Nadal share the record 22 men’s major titles.

Djokovic and Alcaraz met once, with Alcaraz winning last year on clay in Madrid 6-7 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5).

“[Alcaraz] brings a lot of intensity on the court,” Djokovic said, before breaking into a smile. “Reminds me of someone from his country that plays with a left hand.”

Alcaraz and Djokovic were set to be on opposite halves of the draw — and thus not able to meet until the final — until Medvedev won the last top-level clay event before the French Open to move ahead of Djokovic in the rankings. That meant Djokovic had a 50 percent chance to wind up in Alcaraz’s half, and that’s what the random draw spit out two weeks ago.

Earlier Tuesday in the first two women’s quarterfinals, No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and 43rd-ranked Czech Karolina Muchova advanced to face off in Thursday’s semifinals.

Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion, swept Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-4 to complete her set of semifinals in all four Grand Slams. Sabalenka will take the No. 1 ranking from Iga Swiatek if Swiatek loses before the final, or if Sabalenka makes the final and Swiatek does not win the title.

Svitolina, a former world No. 3, returned to competition in April from childbirth.

Muchova took out 2021 French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 7-5, 6-2, to make her second major semifinal after the 2021 Australian Open.

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2023 French Open men’s singles draw

By OlympicTalkJun 6, 2023, 5:16 PM EDT

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The French Open men’s singles draw is missing injured 14-time champion Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2004, leaving the Coupe des Mousquetaires ripe for the taking.

The tournament airs live on NBC Sports, Peacock and Tennis Channel through championship points in Paris.

Novak Djokovic is not only bidding for a third crown at Roland Garros, but also to lift a 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy to break his tie with Nadal for the most in men’s history.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Women’s Draw

But the No. 1 seed is Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who won last year’s U.S. Open to become, at 19, the youngest man to win a major since Nadal’s first French Open title in 2005.

Now Alcaraz looks to become the second-youngest man to win at Roland Garros since 1989, after Nadal of course.

Alcaraz missed the Australian Open in January due to a right leg injury, but since went 30-3 with four titles. Notably, he has not faced Djokovic this year. They meet in Friday’s semifinals.

Russian Daniil Medvedev, the No. 2 seed, was upset in the first round by 172nd-ranked Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild. It marked the first time a men’s top-two seed lost in the first round of any major since 2003 Wimbledon (Ivo Karlovic d. Lleyton Hewitt).

All of the American men lost before the fourth round. The last U.S. man to make the French Open quarterfinals was Andre Agassi in 2003.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

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2023 French Open Men’s Singles Draw

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