1980 United States Olympic trials (track and field) explained

1980 United States Olympic track and field trials
Colour:	A9F5A9
Host City:	Eugene, Oregon, United States
Dates:	June 21–29
Stadium:	Hayward Field
Level:	Senior
Type:	Outdoor
Previous:	1976
Next:	1984

The 1980 United States Olympic trials for track and field were held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. These were the first such trials organized by the new national governing body for the sport of track and field, The Athletics Congress formed one year earlier as required by the Amateur Sports Act of 1978. Previous trials had been organized by the AAU. The eight-day competition lasted from June 21 until June 29.

Unlike any of the previous or subsequent years, the Olympic trials in 1980 did not select representatives to the 1980 Summer Olympics. By this point in the year, President Jimmy Carter had already announced the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and its flagrant human rights violations. This affected the competition. Some athletes did not compete or did not persevere through illness or injury as they might have if Olympic bids were on the line. Subsequently, some athletes, notably Tom Hintnaus^[1] and Gary Fanelli, chose to compete for other countries. Others like Franklin Jacobs retired.^[2]

The only qualifiers to another meet from this meet came from two women's exhibition events, the 400 m hurdles and 5000 meters, who were invited to the 1980 World Championships in Athletics. Many of the top 3 from this meet ran in the alternative to the Olympics, the Liberty Bell Classic, a few weeks later.

The trials for the men's and women's marathon were held May 24 in Buffalo, New York, and the trials for the men's 50 km race walk were held May 10 in Niagara Falls, New York.

Men's results

Key:.

Men track events

100 meters Wind 0.0		10.26	10.27	10.30
200 meters Wind -1.5		20.49	20.54	20.70
400 meters		45.85	45.97	46.06
800 meters		1:44.53	1:45.58	1:45.82
1500 meters		3.35.15	3.36.23	3.38.04
5000 meters		13.30.62	13.31.90	13.34.42
10,000 meters		27:45.61	28.03.14	28.10.42
110 m hurdles Wind +0.6		13.26	13.39	13.44
400 m hurdles		47.90	49.04	49.34^[3]
3000 m s'chase		8.15.68 NR	8.20.60	8.21.32
20K racewalk		1:27:12		1:29:05 ^[4]
50K racewalk		3:59:34	4:00:30	4:11:03
Marathon	Tony Sandoval	2:10:19	2:10:41	2:10:55

Men field events

High jump
Pole vault
Long jump	+1.7	w +2.6	+1.2
Triple jump
Shot put
Discus throw
Hammer throw
Javelin throw
Decathlon	8184	8159	8154

Notes

Women's results

Women track events

100 meters Wind -0.5	11.32	11.43	11.45
200 meters Wind +2.4	22.70w	23.04w	23.21w
400 meters	51.48	51.68	51.70
800 meters	1:58.30	2:00.96	2:01.23
1500 meters	4:04.91	4:07.13	4:15.16
5000 meters	15:44.12	16:07.50
10,000 meters	33:45.6
100 m hurdles Wind -0.1	12.90	13.11	13.30
400 m hurdles	57.46	58.56

Women field events

High jump
Long jump				w
Shot put
Discus throw
Javelin throw	192-0		187-9		185-3
Heptathlon	4697m/4651a ^[5]	4199m		4191m/4187a

External links

Men's 5000m Highlights
Heptathlon and women's shot put Highlights

Notes and References

Web site: Gomes da Silva lands Brazil on the international Pole vault map | NEWS | World Athletics.
News: Track and Field; High Jumper Resurfaces for Honor at Millrose. The New York Times. 13 February 1998. Litsky. Frank.
Note: Third place was judged a tie. TAC officials did not seek a tiebreaker because no Olympic team position was on the line.
Note: Heiring and O’Connor earlier qualified in the 50K race walk, Todd Scully and Larry Walker were elevated to the named Olympic Team
Note: Manual timed score and auto timed score calculated. Some athletes were properly auto-timed in the hurdles, but Marilyn King's heat was not, so all athletes had to be scored based on hand times. The scoring difference cost high schooler Marlene Harmon 3rd place and possibly second, depending on what King's auto time might have actually been.