World champion Christian Coleman and Olympic medalists Fred Kerley, Rai Benjamin and Michael Norman meet at 200m at the USATF Golden Games at the Mt. SAC Relays on Saturday, live at 5 p.m. ET on CNBC, NBCSports.com/live and the NBC Sports app.
Coleman was the world’s fastest man in the 100m in the last Olympic cycle but missed the Tokyo Games due to a suspension for missing three drug tests (but never failing a test).
Kerley, a two-time national 400m champion, dropped down to the 100m last year and won Olympic silver behind Italian Marcell Jacobs.
Benjamin and Norman, training partners in California, normally race a full lap. Benjamin earned 400m hurdles silver in Tokyo, taking .53 of a second off the previous world record. He was runner-up to Norway’s Karsten Warholm, who shattered his world record.
Norman was the world’s fastest man at 400m in the last Olympic cycle, and that time came at the Mt. SAC Relays. In the Olympics, he was fifth and later earned 4x400m relay gold.
GOLDEN GAMES: Entry lists
All four men are preparing for the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, in two months, where the top three in most individual events qualify for the world championships in July, also in Eugene.
Coleman already has a spot on the team in the 100m as a reigning world champion, so he is expected to race the 200m at nationals.
Kerley could bid for a 100m-200m double at nationals. He missed the Olympic 200m team by one spot.
Norman is less likely to race the 200m at nationals since it overlaps with the 400m at worlds. Benjamin’s eggs are expected to be solely in the 400m hurdles basket this summer, though he could be called on for 4x400m duty.
The top three from the Olympic Trials 200m — Kenny Bednarek, Noah Lyles and Erriyon Knighton — finished second, third and fourth at the Olympics. None are entered in the Golden Games 200m. Bednarek is slated to race the 400m in a field including Michael Cherry, who was fourth in Tokyo.
Elsewhere Saturday, Olympic gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica headlines the women’s 100m, which also includes U.S. Olympians Teahna Daniels and Javianne Oliver. The 200m features bronze medalist Gabby Thomas and Olympic teammate Jenna Prandini.
Devon Allen, who last week signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, returns to the 110m hurdles to face Olympic teammate Daniel Roberts. Allen, who was fourth and fifth at the last two Olympics, is expected to race the hurdles through the world championships, assuming he makes the U.S. team, before heading to football training camp.
The 100m hurdles includes all three U.S. Olympians in Tokyo, led by silver medalist Keni Harrison.
Dalilah Muhammad, an Olympic gold and silver medalist in the 400m hurdles, runs the flat 400m against a field including 2017 World champion Phyllis Francis.
Evan Jager, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist since set back by injuries, will look to finish his first steeplechase since 2018.
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