2024 American Track League: Holloway Pro Classic

Olympians Galore, Plus The Return Of Athing Mu At The Holloway Pro Classic

Olympians Galore, Plus The Return Of Athing Mu At The Holloway Pro Classic

The final chapter of the PUMA American Track League in 2024 will take place on Friday in Gainesville as a selection of U.S. Olympians take center stage.

Jul 17, 2024 by Cory Mull
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The PUMA American Track League's final chapter in 2024 will be a doozy, with stars lining up aplenty at the Holloway Pro Classic. 

The final installment will include various Olympians headed for Paris and likely even a few medal contenders, including the likes of Masai Russell, Erriyon Knighton and Anna Hall.

The action is set for the University of Florida's Pearcy Beard Track in Gainesville, Florida, and it will stream live on FloTrack, with content set to follow across our site, our YouTube channel and various social media platforms. 

Who are the biggest athletes set to feature and the top storylines heading our way? 

Below are a selection of just a few that we're watching. 

The Return Of Athing Mu 

The reigning Olympic champion's season is not over. 

On Friday, Athing Mu is scheduled for the women's 800m, where she will race against Addy Wiley, who's coming off a time of 1:58.67 at the Ed Murphey Classic last weekend in Memphis. 

Olivia Baker, Dorcus Ewoi and Sabrina Southerland will also be in the field. 

But Mu, 22, will be the story. 

After falling to the ground in the women's 800 meter final at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, the reigning Olympic champion did not qualify for the U.S. Olympic team. 

But the 22-year-old remains one of the world's top athletes at 800 meters, and her season will continue on. 

How did Mu respond the last time she experienced disappointment? After coming up short at the World Championships last year in Budapest, Mu followed a month later by setting the American record in the 800m at the Prefontaine Classic in 1:54.97. 

That may be an unrealistic expectation here. But the larger point is that Mu may have something to prove, and we're all here for it. 

The Jamaican Up-And-Comer Bryan Levell Versus Erriyon Knighton

Is Bryan Levell the next great Jamaican sprinter at 200 meters? 

We might get a glimpse of his talent on Friday when he's slotted against Erriyon Knighton.

This 200m matchup is oozing with potential as Knighton, the reigning World Championship silver medalist at 200 meters and the recently-minted third-place finisher at the U.S. Olympic Trials, will go up against Levell, who won the Jamaican National Championships in 19.97.

The field will also include Robert Gregory (20.08), Jeremiah Curry (20.31) and Josephus Lyles (20.44). 

But just how this Jamaica-U.S. duel turns out might be the overall attraction. 

Knighton was one of five U.S. men under 20 seconds at the Olympic Trials. Both Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek, who went 1-2, sparred in the 19.50s, clocking in at 19.53 and 19.59. 

But don't forget about the 20-year-old. Knighton, an Olympian in 2021 as a teenager, ran 19.75 in Budapest last year to come up second to Lyles. He has the potential to continue that progression. 

The Men's 400m Is Loaded With Star Power

Two Olympians are among those in the men's 400 meter field here, one being 27 and the other 16. 

So this might be a good opportunity for Quincy Wilson, 16, to get to know his teammate, Bryce Deadmon, 27, as both are slated to fly to Paris as part of the U.S's relay pool. 

Deadmon finished fifth in the U.S. final in 44.61, while Quincy was sixth in 44.94.

They'll line up on Friday among a group of nine and one other Olympian, Trevor Bassitt, who qualified for the U.S. team in the 400mH. Four men in total have personal best times under 45 seconds in the field. 

Among those notable include Matthew Boling, Jacory Patterson and Khaleb McRae. Both Boling and McRae made the U.S. 400m final.

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Tune-Ups For Potential Olympic Medal Threats Masai Russell And Grace Stark

The two-round women's 100mH could be spicy, with medal contenders Masai Russell and Grace Stark both entered to compete. 

For Russell, she'll enter as the World No. 1 in the discipline, having run 12.25 in the U.S. Olympic final in June. Stark, however, won't be far behind. 

The recent Florida grad and NCAA champion is currently ranked fifth in the world with her time of 12.31. Stark is scheduled for the first heat, along with Keni Harrison and Christian Clemons -- the Doritos-sponsored athlete coming off a win at the Ed Murphey Classic. 

Russell, meanwhile, will go up against Nigeria's Tobi Amusan, who ran 12.40 in May. 

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