Terrance Laird to run just the 200m at US Olympic Trials

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Terrance Laird of LSU after winning the 200m at the 2021 Texas Relays

LSU sprinter Terrance Laird has decided to only compete in the 200 meters at the US Olympic Trials after a long and demanding collegiate season. The junior was initially declared to run both the 100m and 200m but was scratched from the short sprint in the latest status of entries posted on the usatf.org website.

Laird entered the US Olympic Trials as the world leader in the 200m, following his personal best clocking of 19.81 seconds at the 2021 Texas Relays in Austin on April 24. The SEC outdoor championships winner also posted a sizzling time of 19.82s when winning the conference title last month.

With such a demanding season which included 15 races over the 200m and seven appearances in the 100m, it is understandable to think that Laird was beginning to feel the effect of such a long campaign and decided to maximize his chances of making the Olympic team by competing in just one event.

Laird’s decision to run just the 200m is really not a surprise, though, given that this has been his better event all season. Yes, he’s clocked a 9.80s for the 100m, but this was heavily assisted by a +3.2m/s wind at the SEC outdoor championships.

Besides that performance, the 22-year-old has broken 10-seconds in legal wind with his personal best sitting at 10.05s, set when winning the NCAA national title in Eugene, last week.

Given that the 100m field is loaded with sub-10 seconds runners, headed by world leader Trayvon Bromell, I think Laird has made the right decision to only focus on running the 200m.

Extended Rest For Laird

With just the 200m on his schedule in the next few weeks, Laird has strategically managed to extend his rest period between the NCAA and Olympic Trials as the first round of the men’s half-lap is not slated to take place until Friday, June 25.

Had he opted to do the double, the LSU standout would have had to return to action as early as Saturday’s second day of competition.

Was it a smart choice to concentrate on just the 200m?

I think so.

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Gary Smith || World-Track Content Manager and Lead Reporter

Gary Smith is one of the leading writers for World-Track.org. He has over 20 years of running experience, as well as 12 years of coaching while covering several events, from the international to college level. Smith, who has covered events for publications such as Caribbean Net News, European Athletics, Cayman Net News, AFP, and Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), is also a frequent contributor of SportingAlert.com and TrackAlerts.com. Smith holds a degree in Communication and Journalism. Twitter | LinkedIn | News Break Writer