The quest to represent Team USA at the Paris Olympics begins this Friday, June 21st, with the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. This 10-day competition will see America's best athletes vying for a spot on the Olympic roster.
This year's Trials feature a unique twist: nine high school athletes have qualified, ranging from sophomores to recent graduates. The youngest are 16-year-olds Quincy Wilson and Elizabeth Leachman, both born in January 2008.
While uncommon, high schoolers making a splash at the Trials isn't unheard of. Track & Field fans may recall 16-year-old Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone stealing the show in 2016. She set a world junior record in the 400-meter hurdles and secured her ticket to the Rio Olympics. Similarly, Erriyon Knighton turned heads at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, placing fourth in the 200 meters at the tender age of 17.
Can these young talents follow in the footsteps of McLaughlin-Levrone and Knighton? The upcoming Trials will be a thrilling battle to watch, with established stars and rising phenoms vying for Olympic glory.
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