Three Florida Gators with best shot of medaling in track and field at Paris Olympics
![Grant Holloway wins the men’s 110 meter hurdles during day eight of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials Friday, June 28, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Grant Holloway wins the men’s 110 meter hurdles during day eight of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials Friday, June 28, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3791,h_2132,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01j2hd4sa0xqhay16wcz.jpg)
The Olympic Trials are over and roster all over the world for the Paris Olympics have been finalized. In track and field, seven current and former Florida Gators will represent Team USA to go along with nine athletes who will be representing other countries.
The following are the three athletes who have the best shot of bringing home a medal while in Paris next month.
Grant Holloway (110 Meter Hurdles)
Three years ago Grant Holloway looked like a lock to win the gold medal in Tokyo. In the finals of the 110 meter hurdles, Holloway led by a comfortable margin halfway into the race. And even though he didn't hit any hurdles, his stride broke down and he was caught before the finish line to settle for silver.
The winning time in Tokyo that day was 13.04 seconds and Holloway just ran 12.86 seconds at the Olympic Trials. He will face stiff competition though from Freddie Crittenden and Daniel Roberts, who both also broke 13 seconds at the trials.
Hansle Parchment of Jamaica, the man who beat Holloway that day in Tokyo, should also be in the mix, though he has only run a season best of 13.19 seconds.
Anna Hall (Heptathlon)
The two-day, seven event heptathlon is one of the most brutal tests of all around athleticism in sports. Competitors must do the 100 meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meter dash, long jump, javelin throw, and the 800 meter run.
Anna Hall is still rounding into form after knee surgery, but she won the bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships and the silver medal at the 2023 World Championships. Her score of 6614 points at the Olympic Trials is short of the 6700 points she scored at both those World Championships, but expect Hall to be in the mix as she is ranked number one in the world in the event.
Reheem Hayles (Mixed 4 X 400)
One of the newer events in the Olympics, the mixed 4 x 400 has two men and two women running the event for each country. With Jamaica failing to qualify for the Olympics in the men's 4 x 400, it opened the door for Jamaica to put Zandrion Barnes, ranked top 30 in the world, on the mixed 4 x 400 to go along with Reheem Hayles.
Jamaica last earned a medal in this event at a world competition in 2019, but seem to have faith they will be in contention in Paris.
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