From Donavan Brazier's comeback 800m win to Dalilah Muhammad's victory in her farewell season, the US world trials did not disappoint

Every single season the USATF Outdoor Championships produces a myriad of captivating moments and always captures the imagination.

This year's edition was no exception and the crowd at Hayward Field were treated to sensational performances, dramatic shocks and off-track theatre.

The format of the championships – only the top three in each event (if they have the world qualification standard) booked their tickets to Tokyo – lends itself to unpredictability, making the US trials a must-watch spectacle.

So here are our top 10 moments from this season's USATF Outdoor Championships.

Donavan Brazier turns back the clock over 800m 

When Donavan Brazier became the first American in history to secure the world 800m title in Doha six years ago, he did so by running 1:42.34 in the Qatari capital.

Not only was it a championships record but Brazier had broken Johnny Gray's long-standing national 800m mark of 1:42.60 from 1985.

Given Brazier had also gone joint-ninth on the world 800m all-time list – alongside Kenya's Wilfred Bungei – the expectation was that Doha would be the platform that'd see him dominate over two laps globally in the long-term.

The reality was however quite different. With his excellent 2019 form continuing into 2020 – Brazier had a season's best of 1:43.15 in Monaco that year – there's no doubt that he would've been one of the heavy favourites for the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. But COVID-19 pushed the Games back a year and, at the 2021 Olympic trials, Brazier broke his left tibia in the 800m final.

Although Brazier competed at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, he failed to get out of his heat and clocked 1:46.72. The US athlete ended up having three surgeries for Haglund’s deformity in his right heel (where the Achilles tendon attaches).

Brazier didn't compete throughout the whole of 2023 and 2024, only returning to the track this season. Before the US trials for Tokyo, he had a season's best of 1:43.08 at the London Diamond League.

So perhaps it isn't surprising that he bettered his personal best from 2019 to win the 800m at the US Tokyo trials with 1:42.16. The world of 800m running has moved on since 2019 – Brazier's 1:42.34 would now put him joint-21st on the world all-time list – but don't discount the American in the Japanese capital.

Cooper Lutkenhaus lives out a teenage dream

It's not often an athlete who finishes second grabs the headlines over the winner of a race but the men's 800m at the USATF Outdoor Championships was a rare exception.

Cooper Lutkenhaus, at the age of just 16, didn't just make the US 800m team as a teenager but he did so by running 1:42.27.

Not only did he slice over three seconds off his own world age 16 record (1:45.45) but he also improved Ethiopian Mohammed Aman’s world age 17 record of 1:43.37, as well as Emmanuel Wanyonyi’s world age 18 record of 1:43.27.

Lutkenhaus has also bettered Michael Granville’s 29-year-old US high school record (1:46.65) by more than four seconds this season.

READ MORE: Lutkenhaus evokes memories of Jim Ryun

Not to mention he is now fourth on the US all-time list behind only Bryce Hoppel, Brazier and Josh Hoey.

It'll be fascinating to see how he gets on in Tokyo because Lutkenhaus will be the youngest ever US athlete to compete at a World Athletics Championships (Mary Cain was 17 years and three months old at Moscow 2013).

Noah Lyles v Kenny Bednarek in the 200m

There is no doubting that one of the races of the USATF Outdoor Championships was the men's 200m, with Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek going head-to-head over half a lap for the first time since the Paris Olympics.

Even though Lyles only opened up his outdoor season last month – he clocked 19.88 (-0.8) at the Monaco Diamond League – the triple world 200m champion beat his domestic rival, with the duo running 19.63 (0.2) and 19.67 respectively.

As they crossed the line, Lyles, knowing that he'd secured the victory, stared down Bednarek, resulting in the double Olympic silver medallist putting two arms on the back of his compatriot.

Lyles then, back-peddling, reached out his arms in the air before the pair eventually shook hands. However, their argument continued into the post-race interview with Bednarek stating "like I’ve said before, Noah’s going be Noah" and “I tell ya, if you’ve got a problem, I expect a call".

The duo are almost certain to make up half of the US 4x100m relay team in Tokyo, although expect Bednarek and Lyles have historically been on the second and anchor legs respectively.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone focusing on the 400m in Tokyo 

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone dominated the women's 400m in Oregon and clocked 48.90 to secure the victory. The world 400m hurdles record-holder had targeted breaking Sanya Richards-Ross’ 19-year-old US 400m record of 48.70 but fell just short.

After the final, McLaughlin-Levrone confirmed that she will just focus on the flat 400m in the Tokyo. With her mark of 48.90, the US athlete is currently third on this year's standings over one lap, behind Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino (48.81) and silver medallist Salwa Eid Naser (48.67).

Both Paulino and Naser will go in as strong favourites in the 400m but never, ever count out McLaughlin-Levrone in this sport.

Dalilah Muhammad turns back the clock in her farewell year 

At the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow, Dalilah Muhammad placed second behind the Czech Republic's Zuzana Hejnová. Now 12 years on, the US athlete will represent her country for an incredible eighth time on the global stage (six Worlds and two Olympics).

Her record at them is rather good. Muhammed was crowned Olympic 400m hurdles champion at Rio 2016 and then picked up the world title three years later in Doha. She also has an Olympic silver and three world medals over the distance to her name. That's not even including Olympic and world 4x400m gold medals.

With McLaughlin-Levrone opting to run just the flat 400m in Tokyo, opportunity knocks for Muhammed, who will fancy her chances of standing on the world podium once again.

The 35-year-old won the US trials ahead of compatriot Anna Cockrell in 52.65 and has a season's best of 52.58 from the Monaco Diamond League. Only Femke Bol, McLaughlin-Levrone and Savannah Sutherland have gone quicker this season, so anything could be possible for Muhammed in Tokyo.

Joe Kovacs fails to qualify from US trials 

If Yared Nuguse (1500m) and Josh Hoey's (800m) failure to make the US team was a big shock, then Joe Kovacs' absence from Tokyo is gargantuan. The shot putter has secured three Olympic silvers and two world golds in the event and has qualified for every global championships since 2015.

Kovacs was in pole position to make the team in Tokyo and, courtesy of a 22.07m throw in the third round, led the competition at the half-way point. However, Tripp Piperi launched the shot put out to 22.29m one round later and then, in the final round, both Josh Awotunde and (22.47m) and Payton Otterdahl (22.35m) leapfrogged Kovacs in the standings. With a mark of 21.99m in the last round, Kovacs failed to improve and placed fourth overall.

Valarie Allman lays down another marker ahead of Tokyo 

With bronze from Eugene 2022 and silver at Budapest 2023, Valarie Allman needs a discus gold medal in Tokyo to complete the set. Given her current form, it could very well end up being a foregone conclusion.

Allman, who has taken her performance to another level this season, secured an extraordinary seventh national title in Oregon with a best throw of 71.45m. The double Olympic champion has only thrown further twice in her career – 71.46m from San Diego three years ago and her US record of 73.52m in windswept Ramona in April.

Even though Allman looks destined to top the podium in Tokyo, a word of caution. In Budapest two years ago, she was in a similar rich vein of form but when it mattered the most, Allman placed second to compatriot Laulauga Tausaga in the Hungarian capital.

Cole Hocker goes down the inside... again

A different event but the same story. Who can forget Cole Hocker bursting through the inside to secure the Olympic 1500m gold medal in Paris last summer? At the USATF Outdoor Championships, history repeated itself but this time it was over 5000m.

With just 100m left in the race, Hocker was behind both Nico Young and Grant Fisher, who have excelled over 12.5 laps this season. The Olympic 1500m champion never knew when to give in however and, with the track running out, unleashed his trademark kick, overtaking the duo on the inside to take the win.

This was even more incredible given Fisher (12:44.09) and Young (12:45.27) went into the championships first and third on the 5000m standings for 2025. This was a much slower and tactical race though, with Hocker securing the victory in 13:26.45. It will now be interesting to see if he doubles up in both the 15000m and 5000m in Tokyo.

Anna Hall continues her fine form 

Anna Hall cemented herself as the strong favourite for the heptathlon gold medal in Tokyo with another impressive tally at the USATF Outdoor Championships.

The double world heptathlon medallist – like Allman she secured bronze in Eugene and silver in Budapest – finished with a total of 6899 points this past weekend, with the highlights being a 15.02m PB in the shot put and 2:04.60 800m.

Back in May, Hall who went joint-second on the world all-time heptathlon rankings with 7032 points at the Hypo-Meeting in Götzis, with only world record-holder Jackie Joyner-Kersee (7291 points) now ahead of her in the standings.

Joyner-Kersee watched Hall at the national championships and after the competition ended, the pair embraced. You do wonder how close Hall can get to that 37-year-old mark during her career?

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden at the double

One of the standout athletes from the USATF Outdoor Championships was Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who recorded personal bests in both the 100m and 200m.

The Olympic 100m bronze medallist from Paris maintained her unbeaten run over the distance this season with a dominant performance, clocking 10.65 (0.4) to blow away the competition in Oregon.

Not only was it the fastest time by a female over 100m for two years but Jefferson-Wooden also went joint-fifth on the world all-time list, alongside Marion Jones, Shericka Jackson and Sha'Carri Richardson.

Jefferson-Wooden then returned to the track over 200m and produced an equally commanding win with 21.84 (0.5). Only Olympic 100m champion and 200m silver medallist Julien Alfred has gone quicker over half a lap this season, with 21.71 (-0.6) from the London Diamond League.