by Dave Hunter
Jessica Ramsey lets the shot go! 20.12m! photo by Kevmofoto
Jessica Ramsey celebrates her huge throw! and the win! photo by Kevmofoto
Emma Coburn takes her 9th US steeplechase title, and 3rd Olympic Trials, photo by Kevmofoto
Emma Coburn does it, 3 in a row for Olympic Trials, 9 US titles! She’s an icon! photo by Kevmofoto
On Thursday, June 24, 2021, the two finals were women’s events. The women’s shot put and the women’s steeplechase were both thrilling testaments to how exciting women’s track & field is and how it needs much more recognition.
The Women’s shot put was about a gutty battle to add centimeters to their throws. The shot put is emotional, physical, and entertaining. The athletes put it all in the ring and beyond, they celebrate their big ones and when their competitors do well.
In the women’s steeplechase, Emma Coburn, 8 time US champion and 2 time Olympic Trials was challenged by Courtney Frerich, US record holder. The battle was on.
Dave Hunter focused on these two events today, in his story on Day 7. We hope that you enjoy his coverage and our team’s daily coverage of all events, as it is track & field, field & track!
USA Olympic Trials / Track & Field University of Oregon / Hayward Field Eugene, Oregon
Trials / Day Seven: Jessica Ramsey and Emma Coburn Shine
June 24, 2021
On a day when 8 of the 12 competitions were women‘s events, the ladies took center stage on Day Seven of the USA Track & Field Olympic Trials. And the women‘s shot put and the women‘s steeplechase – the only two finals of the day – provided plenty of excitement.
In the shot put, the preliminary round was without participation by Michelle Carter, the reigning Olympic gold medalist in this event. Carter had recently undergone surgery to remove a tumor on her left ankle which proved to be benign.
“It’s a little rough to watch the Olympic trials knowing that I will not be participating,” said Carter. “I was really excited to compete this year.”.
No major upsets took place in the early afternoon session as the top 12 performers, including the 8 athletes with the Olympic standard of 60‘81â„2“/18.50m, qualified for the finals. Nike athlete Raven Saunders was the top qualifier with a best mark of 62‘101â„2“/19.16m, followed by adidas‘s Jessica Ramsey (61‘9“/18.82m) and Nike‘s Maggie Ewen (61‘71â„2“/18.78m). All eight of the competitors who had reached the Olympic standard of 60‘81â„2//18.50m moved on to the final.
In the final – underway as dusk was beginning to descend – a spirited battle took place. Ramsey got the competition off with a bang on her opening throw: a mighty heave of 63’91â„4″/19.45m, the 2nd best in Trials history. Ramsey’s throw set the tone for the competition and gave her a significant opening-round lead. Ohio State’s Adelaide Aquilla opened with a throw of 62’21â„4″/18.95m to put her in 2nd with Nike’s Chase Ealey {60’1″/18.31m) in 3rd after Round One. In the 2 round, Maggie Ewen got the ball out 62’1″ to move into 3.
In the third round, it was time for Raven Saunders to step up. The preliminary round leader, sporting a Joker-themed pandemic mask which blended nicely with her kelly green buzz cut, unloaded a bomb – a throw of 65‘6“/19.96m. Her lifetime-best mark established a new Olympic Trials record, ranked her #2 on the world list [China‘s Lijiao Gong / 66‘73â„4“/20.31m], and gave her the lead.
Saunders’s early lead and the records that went with it were short-lived. In the 4th round, Ramsey responded with a missile of her own: a lifetime best put of 66‘1â„4″/20.12m to unseat Saunder‘s from the lead and gave Ramsey the #2 spot on the world list and the Trials meet record.
No further changes in the top three places occurred in the final two rounds. Ramsey, the winner, and Saunders, the runner-up, embraced as the event concluded. As the loudspeaker blared out a funky Bruno Mars tune, the delighted Saunders engaged in a flag-waving dance of joy.
Meanwhile, Aquilla – whose opening 3rd place throw was unthreatened by the other competitors – thrust her arms in the air after her final attempt. The NCAA indoor and outdoor shot put champion then ran to her coach Ashley Kovacs and her husband (world shot put champion Joe Kovacs) for a celebratory hug.
In the virtual mixed zone, Jessica Ramsey provided some insight on her mindset going into the final round. “I always tell myself that I’m number one in everything that I do,” revealed the new Trials champion. “I have a book, my coach just took it, and I write down numbers that I want to throw… I just stay focused. I focus on my own weaknesses and make them stronger.“
Day Seven concluded with the final of the women‘s 3000-meter steeplechase. The 14-athlete championship race featured two stand-outs: two-time reigning Olympic Trials champion Emma Coburn and American record holder (9:00.85) Courtney Frerichs. With the temperatures still quite high, the field was cautious as the race got underway. Alexina Wilson joined Frerichs in leading the tightly-bunched finalists while Coburn was content with her mid-pack position. With 4 laps to go in the 71â„2 lap race, the race tempo quickened as leader Frerichs was joined by Val Constien and Wilson with Coburn, Leah Fallon, and Marissa Howard covering that move. With 3 laps to go, Coburn, Frerichs, and Fallon were in the lead and creating separation from the field.
But shortly thereafter disaster struck. Just inside 2 laps remaining, Fallon landed awkwardly and took a nasty spill after clearing the barrier just past the finish line. While Coburn and Frerichs sailed onward, Fallon scrambled to her feet but now was joined by Constien and others. Suddenly there would be a spirited race for the final Olympic berth with less than 800 meters remaining. Coburn, the ‘17 world champion in this event, steadily increased her pace, moved away from Frerichs, and notched her 3rd Olympic Trials victory and her 9th consecutive US championship. Coburn‘s winning time of 9:09.41 broke the Trials record which she held. Frerichs, finished strongly in 9:11.79 for 2 . And Constien, grinning broadly coming down the home stretch, finished 3rd (9:19.34) to garner the final ticket to Tokyo.
Fallon, who put up a valiant but ultimately futile battle over the final two laps, saw her Olympic dreams slip away as she staggered in over the final 150 meters to finish a disconsolate 9th.
Afterward, Coburn, the reigning Olympic bronze medalist, offered her take on the state of the US women‘s steeplechase in general and her performance in particular. “I think that US women’s steeple is the deepest it’s been. It was knowing my strength and depth. I knew that I could push really hard the last two laps. Courtney started pushing in and it thinned out the pack, and I tried to stay behind her. I knew I had to really grind if I was to get some real estate between her,” said Coburn as she reflected on her 3 Trials wins in a row and her 9 consecutive years of national championship victories. “It’s a challenge that I like to rise up to. It’s a pressure I’m used to, and I’m grateful to be here and be a consistent athlete. It doesn’t get any easier, it gets harder. Every year I have to reanalyze to prepare well for this meet.” / Dave Hunter /
