World Champ Trey Hardee Says Trials Shouldn't Determine Decathlon Team

Before tomorrow's Olympic Trials decathlon begins, Trey Hardee reminisced about Leo Manzano's 1500m silver medal which inspired him to win silver in the 2012 Olympic decathlon. 

"If he doesn't do that, and I don't see him do it with my own eyes, then I don't have the confidence and pride [to win silver]," Hardee told FloTrack a week before the start of the championships. "It's like a piece of yourself that's out there winning when other Longhorns are out there doing it."

He also dished out his hot takes on the U.S. Olympic Trials system, saying, "You try not to think how silly it is to select a decathlon team like that. I haven't really made a big stance about that, or leaned one way or the other, but it's unfortunate that we don't have any kind of discretionary pick. We didn't learn anything from 1992 when Dan [O'Brien] no-heighted. That was a travesty. He should be a two-time Olympic gold medalist, but because of the way we pick our decathlon team, he wasn't afforded that opportunity. That kind of stinks, but it's been the way it's been for a long time...Really, there's no reason to check the points until before the 1500m, to know what you gotta run and who you gotta beat."

Hardee is coming back from a foot injury, and knows this meet will be a gauntlet. 

"Every event is gonna be a test. Both physically and mentally, it's going to be the hardest meet of my life," Hardee said. 

The decathlon begins today with the 100m at 9:45 a.m. PT.