EUGENE, Ore. _ If anyone needed a reminder of how capricious hurdles races can be, two-time Olympic 100-meter hurdles medalist Dawn Harper Nelson and American record holder Keni Harrison were eliminated in the semifinals of their event Friday at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.
Brianna Rollins won an Olympic berth to Rio by winning the final in 12.34 seconds, the second-fastest time in the world in 2016. She will be joined by Kristi Castlin (12.50) and by Nia Ali (12.55), who won the NCAA title for the University of Southern California in 2011.
Who missed the final was more surprising than the outcome. Harper Nelson was in shock after sloppy technique left her third in her heat with a time of 13.01, missing a chance to advance on time because Sharika Nelvis ran 13.00.
"You see it happen to others, but .01 is like, really? A dagger in the heart," said Harper, who won gold at Beijing in 2008 and silver at London in 2012. "I've been in stacked fields before. When you get to the Olympics, how stacked is that? You're amongst the best in the world. I was among some of the best in the world, and I'm supposed to step up and execute my race."
Rollins was overcome with joy after she won. "I look forward to competing with these ladies, and hopefully all three of us end up on the medal stand," she said.
