With the U.S. Olympic trials in track and field occurring during the past week, the country has selected its top athletes to go to Paris and compete at the biggest stage the sport has to offer.
LSU had a total of 23 current and former athletes competing, including star sprinter and phenom Sha’Carri Richardson.
Richardson is officially going to the Olympics in the 100-meter sprint after finishing first in the event, and she could potentially be selected for the 4×100 relay, as well.
She finished with the top time at the trials in both the 100-meter and the 200-meter races.
However, she finished fourth in the 200-meter finals and failed to qualify for the Olympics in that event, despite her semifinal time being the second-fastest in the world this year.
Richardson is expected to be one of the U.S.’s top competitors in Paris, as she won gold at the World Championships last year in the 100-meter and the 4×100 relay.
Richardson competed for LSU in 2019 and was a three-time SEC champion, four-time All-American and a national champion in the 100-meter. After her freshman season, she left LSU to compete professionally.
Her path to this moment wasn’t easy, as she qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 only to be disappointingly disqualified for her use of cannabis.
Now, she’ll get the chance to redeem herself and lead the pack of talented LSU athletes that will be competing in Paris.
LSU alumnus JuVaughn Harrison will also be competing for the U.S. Olympic team in the high jump. Although he finished fourth in the event at the finals, he’s previously reached an Olympic-qualifying height.
Harrison won silver in the high jump at the 2023 World Championships.
LSU also has several former athletes who could be selected for U.S. relay teams after narrowly missing out on qualifying for their events’ finals.
Aleia Hobbs could make the 4×100 women’s relay team after her fifth-place finish in the 100-meter finals, while Brandon Hicklin could do the same on the men’s side after his seventh-place finish in that event.
Vernon Norwood also is in consideration for the 4×400 men’s relay team for his fourth-place finish in the 400-meter finals.
Also putting on a great performance at the trials was current Tiger Michaela Rose, who just missed out on qualifying when she finished fourth in the 800-meter race.
In addition, Tonea Marshall (fifth) and Alia Armstrong (ninth) each made it to the finals in the 400-meter hurdles, while Cassandra Tate (eighth) did the same in the 100-meter hurdles.
In other countries, LSU also has athletes who have qualified for the olympics.
Former LSU pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis will look to defend his world title from the 2020 Olympics as he competes for Sweden.
Former Tiger Natoya Goule, who last competed at LSU in 2013, will compete for Jamaica in the 800-meter race.
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, a 10-time All-American and a 2017 graduate of LSU, will be racing for Great Britain in the 4×100 relay.
Thelma Davies, who just finished her fifth and final year with LSU, will race in the 100-meter and 200-meter for Liberia.
Recent LSU graduate Claudio Romero will be competing in the discus throw for Chile.
Current LSU athlete Tima Godbless has qualified for Nigeria in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes.
Ella Onojuvwevwo, Favour Ofili, Godson Oghenebrume will also each compete for Nigeria in the 400-meter, 200-meter and 100-meter races, respectively. Ofili and Godbless will team up on the 4×100 relays for the country, while Onojuvwevwo will race in the 4×400 relays and Oghenebrume will be a part of the men’s 4×100 relay team.
Shakeem McKay, who just finished up his sophomore season at LSU, will race for Trinidad and Tobago in the 4×400 relays.
