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Champions were crowned at the 2026 USA Track and Field National Championships.
The U.S. track and field championships were held in New York City for the first time since 1991, at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island.
Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Tara Davis-Woodhall all competed during the four-day track and field competition.
The championships serve as the biggest track and field event in the country this year. Every American athlete is attempting to build momentum and confidence ahead of the 2027 World Track and Field Championships in Beijing and later the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
USA TODAY Sports analyzes the winners and losers from the 2026 USA Track and Field National Championships:
Winners
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden wins big in 200
The fastest woman in the country title still belongs to Jefferson-Wooden even though she decided not to run the 100.
Sunday was just another day in the office for Jefferson-Wooden as she easily won the women’s 200, crossing the finish line with a season-best time of 21.69.
Jefferson-Wooden won by a couple of meters. She was the only runner to run sub-22 seconds.
The reigning world champion in the 100 and 200 continues to show she’s currently the fastest woman in the world.
Sha’Carri Richardson victorious in 100
Richardson’s chief competitor,Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, didn’t compete in the women’s 100, but Richardson still deserves credit for crossing the finish line in first as the heavy favorite.
Richardson pulled even with the field around 40 meters, surged past the other sprinters and crossed the finish line comfortably in first.
Richardson is the second woman to win three U.S. 100m titles since 2000.
Noah Lyles wins 100, sustains minor injury in 200
Lyles typically shines when the lights are at their brightest.
Lyles ran a blistering and world-leading 9.79 to win his third national title in the men’s 100. The confident Lyles delivered a message to his fellow competitors after being crowned the fastest man in America once again.
However, the good vibes ended for Lyles as he tried to go for his sixth national title in the 200. The 29-year-old sprinter suffered a cramp as he rounded the turn. Lyles was able to finish the race, but he was well out of contention.
Lyles told NBC Sports that he was “fine” following his disappointing finish in the 200, which is good news for one of track and field’s biggest stars.
Teenager Cooper Lutkenhaus steals show in men’s 800
The 17-year-old prodigy ran away from the other distance runners in the men’s 800. Lutkenhaus was in third at the start of the second and final lap but separated from the runners with roughly 200 meters to go, posting a gold-medal winning time of 1:43.48. The win was Lutkenhaus’ first national title.
Christopher Robinson wins gold in 400 hurdles
A new national champion was crowned in the 400 hurdles.
Robinson ran a clean race and eventually separated himself from the other competitors down the backstretch to win the men’s 400 hurdles with a season-best time of 47.61.
The win was Robinson’s first national title. Robinson was an NCAA champ in the event in 2023.
Chase Jackson dominates women’s shot put
Jackson won the women’s shot put competition after her first throw of 67 feet, 2 ¾ inches. But the women’s shot put American record holder saved her best for last when she tossed 67, 5 ¼ inches on her final attempt.
Jackson won the shot put competition by more than 4 feet.
Nikki Hiltz wins fourth consecutive title in women’s 1,500
Hiltz was in second down the home stretch, but dug deep as she fought hard as she raced toward the finish line. She narrowly edged Addy Wiley and Emily Mackay to win her fourth national title in a row in the women’s 1,500.
Best for last
The four-day U.S championships saved its best race for last as the men’s 110 hurdles was decided in a photo finish.
Cordell Tinch was slow out of the blocks and had work hard to catch Bradley Franklin. Tinch build up enough momentum to catch Franklin at the final hurdle, and then he made an impressive lean at the line to just barely edge Franklin.
The two sprinters anxiously waited for a few moments until the photo finish confirmed Tinch was victorious at 13.00 (12.993) over Franklin’s 13.00 (12.997).
Track and field fans
Hayward Field at the University of Oregon hosted the U.S. Track and Field championships for the 14th time last year. It was refreshing to see the biggest track and field competition in the U.S. held at another location. The fact that the track meet was held in the largest media market in the country should also help with the sport’s exposure.
The NBC Sports cameras even showed New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani in attendance.
Losers
Justin Robinson disqualified after winning men’s 400
Robinson pulled off a huge upset by winning the 400, running a 44.31. Robinson, though, was later disqualified for a lane violation. Chris Bailey, who originally came in second with a time of 44.39, was named the winner.
Quincy Hall unable to get out of first round
Hall shocked the track and field world with a come-from-behind win in the men’s 400 at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He hasn’t had the same success since.
Hall didn’t qualify past the first round in the men’s 400. He ran a 46.47 and finished sixth in his opening round heat.
Hall ran 43.40 when he won gold at the Paris Games.
Christian Coleman just misses podium
Coleman was one of the favorites to win a medal in the men’s 100. He had a pretty solid start running out of lane four in the final but crossed the finish line in fourth (9.93), just missing out on a bronze medal.
Women’s long jump competition
Tara Davis-Woodhall lost her first long jump competition in nearly three years in dramatic fashion.
Davis-Woodhall leaped 23 feet, 6 inches on her final jump to claim first place over Alyssa Jones, who had jumped 22 feet, 10 inches. But upon review, it was determined that the reigning Olympic and world champion long jumper had fouled on her final jump and the gold medal was awarded to Jones.
Davis-Woodhall’s best legal jump of 22 feet, 7 ¾ inches was good enough for third place.
The disqualification was a tough way for Davis-Woodhall to lose a gold medal.
The silver lining is she did show off her versatility during the championships. Davis-Woodhall ran a 12.57 to finish third behind gold medalist Alia Armstrong (12.38) and silver medalist Alaysha Johnson (12.42) in the women’s 100 hurdles on Saturday.
The rest of the women’s discus, women’s high jump fields
The women’s discus had a predictable outcome because Valarie Sion has dominated the event for nearly a decade.
Sion threw 228 feet, 2 inches on her fourth attempt to win her eighth national title in the discus. The two-time Olympic gold medalist won by just over 7 feet. Cierra Jackson, the 2025 NCAA women’s discus champion, came in second with a throw of 221 feet, 1 inch.
The same can be said for the women’s high jump.
Vashti Cunningham cleared the bar at 6 feet, 3 ½ inches to win her eighth national championship in the event.
The women’s discus and women’s high jump at nationals has become a battle for second place until further notice.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
