It was a long, but fruitful day for LSU track and field star JuVaughn Harrison.
After winning the high jump on Sunday afternoon with a clearance of 7-7¾ on the final day of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials, Harrison had to sit through a five-hour delay before he also won in the long jump with a personal best of 27-9½.
He will become the first man since Jim Thorpe in 1912 to compete at the Olympics in both the long and high jump. He also became the first collegiate athlete since John Thomas in 1960 to win the high jump at both the NCAA Outdoor Championships and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the same year.
Extreme heat at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field in Eugene caused the trials to be suspended at 5:15 p.m. CT when temperatures reached 105 degrees in the stadium. Events didn’t resume until 10:30 p.m. CT.
Former LSU sprinter Terrace Laird had to wait until 11:52 p.m. in the 200 meters finals. He didn’t qualify for the Olympic team, finishing sixth in a time of 20.15 seconds.
Sunday was the final day of the trials which spanned two weekends with four current and former LSU athletes winning spots on the U.S. Olympic team that will compete in the 2020 Summer Games (starting a year late) in Tokyo, Japan on June 23-August 8.
Also in the Jamaican Olympic trials, LSU senior Damion Thomas earned a spot on the Jamaican Olympic team when he finished second in the 110-meter hurdles. His time of 13.11 seconds breaks his previous LSU school record of 13.22, ranks as the sixth fastest time in world this year and is the fourth fastever ever by a collegiate hurdler.
The Tigers who are now 2021 U.S. track and field Olympians are:
(C) Denotes current LSU track and field member
(F) Denotes former LSU track and field member
Men’s
High and long jump: JuVaughn Harrison (C)
400 meters: Michael Cherry (F), Vernon Norwood (F) added into the 4×400 relay pool
WOMEN
100 meters: Sha’Carri Richardson (F)
SUNDAY’S SCHEDULE
MEN
HIGH JUMP FINALS
JuVaughn Harrison (C) placed first with a jump of 7-7¾ , qualified for the U.S. Olympic team
LONG JUMP FINALS
JuVaughn Harrison (C) placed first with a jump of 27-9½ ,qualified for the U.S. Olympic team.
200-METER FINALS
Terrance Laird (C) finished 6th overall in 20.15 and did not qualify for the U.S. Olympic team.
WOMEN
400-METER HURDLE FINALS
Cassandra Tate (F) finished in fifth in 56.51 seconds and did not qualify for the Olympic team
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