Bryce Hoppel headed again to Olympics due to 800m victory

Bryce Hoppel will be heading to the Olympics for the second time after winning the men’s 800-meter on Sunday at the U.S. Olympic track & field trials in Eugene, Ore.

Hoppel set an Olympic trials record by running a 1:42.77 to beat Hobbs Kessler (1:43.64) and Brandon Miller (1:43.97), who finished in second and third, respectively. Both Kessler and Miller will be joining Hoppel at the Paris Games.

“I wanted to take it,” Hoppel told NBC. “I wanted to make it fast. I was even saying 1:42 before (the race), and I’m just glad to come out here, blessed to have all these people behind me. It’s not me out there. My family and everyone behind me is the one that makes me do it, so I’m incredibly blessed.”

When he went to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — which were held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic — Hoppel placed 16th in the 800m.

Grant Fisher was also in Tokyo, and he punched his ticket to Paris with a victory in the men’s 5000m on Sunday. His 13:08.85 was enough to top second-place finisher Abdihamid Nur’s 13:09.01 and third-place finisher Parker Wolfe’s 13:10.75.

Eleven finals were contested on Sunday — the final day of trials. Both 400m hurdles races were held, with Rai Benjamin winning for the men with a 46.46 and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone prevailing amongst the women with a 50.65.

In the women’s 100m hurdles, Masai Russell came out on top thanks to a 12.25, just getting by Alaysha Johnson (12.31), who came in second.

Daniel Haugh won the men’s hammer throw, Bridget Williams took the women’s pole vault, Shelby McEwen was victorious in the men’s high jump and Salif Mane finished atop the leaderboard in the men’s triple jump.

Other winners Sunday included Maggie Malone Hardin (women’s javelin throw) and Nikki Hiltz (women’s 1500m).

–Field Level Media