The 1997 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships was organised by USA Track & Field and held from June 20 to 24 at the IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The four-day competition served as the national championships in track and field for the United States and also the trials for the 1997 World Championships in Athletics in Athens, Greece.

It was the third time that the stadium in Indianapolis had held the combined gender national track and field event. The USA Junior Championships were held in conjunction with the event.

Athletes that finished in the top three of their event and held the IAAF qualifying standard were eligible to represent the United States at the 1997 World Championships. The United States was able to send three athletes per event to the competition, provided they all met the A qualification standard. In addition, this was the first year to also allow the reigning world champions an automatic qualification separate from the national selection. That new rule was essentially created to allow Michael Johnson to qualify even though at the time of these championships he was unable to compete (and thus qualify) due to the injury he received in the Bailey–Johnson 150-metre race just two weeks earlier. Johnson did recover in time for the World Championships and did successfully defend his world championship. The World Championships national selection for the marathon and 50 kilometres walk were incorporated into the discrete national championship meets for those events. Selection for the relay races were made by committee.

Five Americans went on to win an individual gold medal at the 1997 World Championships; Johnson, Maurice Greene, Allen Johnson, John Godina and Marion Jones. In addition USA won the Women's 4 × 100 metres relay, and took silver in the 4 × 400 metres relay. The Men's 4 × 400 metres relay crossed the finish line in first, but was disqualified in 2009 following the admission of long term doping by Antonio Pettigrew.

Results Key:

Men track events 100 meters Wind +0.2Maurice Greene 9.90 CRTim Montgomery 9.92Michael Marsh 10.03 200 meters Wind +1.0Jon Drummond 20.23Kevin Little 20.27Gentry Bradley 20.49 400 metersAntonio Pettigrew 44.65Tyree Washington 44.79Jerome Young 44.83 800 metersMark Everett 1.44.37Brandon Rock 1.44.79Rich Kenah 1.44.87 1500 metersSeneca Lassiter 3.45.85Karl Paranya 3.46.78Jason Pyrah 3.46.94 5000 metersBob Kennedy 13.30.86Alan Culpepper 13.48.90Brian Baker 13.59.36 10,000 metersMike Mykytok 28.34.92Reuben Reina 28.34.93Pete Julian 28.35.65 110 m hurdles Wind +0.6Allen Johnson 13.25Reggie Torian 13.28Terry Reese 13.32 400 m hurdlesBryan Bronson 47.79Derrick Adkins 48.00Joey Woody 48.18 3000 m s'chaseMark Croghan 8.20.86Tom Nohilly 8.23.66Pascal Dobert 8.24.23 20 km walk Curt Clausen 1:27:12 Andrew Hermann 1:28:23 Tim Seaman 1:30:00

Men field events High jumpCharles Austin Randy Jenkins Brian Brown Pole vaultLawrence Johnson Dean Starkey Pat Manson Long jumpJoe Greene Erick Walder Kevin Dilworth Triple jumpKenny Harrison LaMark Carter≠ Robert Howard Shot putRandy Barnes John Godina C. J. Hunter Discus throwJohn Godina Andy Bloom Adam Setliff Hammer throwKevin McMahon Jud Logan David Popejoy Javelin throwTom Pukstys CREd Kaminski Breaux Greer DecathlonSteve Fritz 8604Chris Huffins 8458Shawn Wilbourn 8268

Women track events

100 metersWind -1.1Marion Jones 10.97 Chryste Gaines 11.19 Inger Miller 11.21 200 metersWind -0.1Inger Miller 22.62 Cheryl Taplin 22.90 Zundra Feagin-Alexander 23.06 400 metersJearl Miles Clark 49.40 CR Kim Graham 50.65 Maicel Malone 50.74 800 metersKathy Rounds 2:00.45 Joetta Clark Diggs 2:00.64 Jill McMullen 2:00.81 1500 metersRegina Jacobs 4:03.42 Suzy Favor Hamilton 4:04.36 Sarah Thorsett 4:07.34 5000 metersLibbie Hickman 15:37.73 Amy Rudolph 15:45.21 Melody Fairchild 15:45.54 10,000 metersLynn Jennings 32:26.41 Annette Peters 32:28.55 Deena Kastor 32:53.18 100 m hurdlesWind +0.0Melissa Morrison 12.61 Anjanette Kirkland 12.74 Dawn Bowles 12.74 400 m hurdlesKim Batten 52.97 CR Tonja Buford-Bailey 54.05 Ryan Tolbert 54.21 3000 m s'chase Note: not an official championship event this yearMelissa Teemant 10:30.90 Elizabeth Jackson 10:38.72 Gracie Padilla 10:44.12 10 km walkDebbi Lawrence 46:45.36 Sara Standley 46:53.07 Victoria Herazo 47:18.05

Women field events High jumpAmy Acuff Angela Spangler Erin Aldrich Pole vaultStacy Dragila Melissa Price Melissa Mueller Long jumpMarion Jones Jackie Joyner-Kersee w Sharon Jewell Triple jumpNiambi Dennis Shonda Swift Cynthea Rhodes Shot putConnie Price-Smith Valeyta Althouse Tressa Thompson Discus throwLacy Barnes-Mileham Suzy Powell Edie Boyer Hammer throwDawn Ellerbe CR Renetta Sailer Kiyomi Parish Javelin throwLynda Blutreich Erica Wheeler Nicole Carroll HeptathlonKelly Blair LaBounty 6465 DeDee Nathan 6317 Kym Carter 6289

World Championships qualification

Automatic byes A total of eight American athletes received automatic byes into the 1997 World Championships in Athletics as a result of their being the defending champions from the 1995 World Championships in Athletics.World Championships in Athletics. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-06-27. Michael Johnson qualified in two events and his injury situation largely created the bye rule in the first place. Johnson chose not to defend the 200 metres title, but was able to successfully defend his 400 metres title, a feat equalled by Allen Johnson and John Godina in their respective events. Dan O'Brien also did not defend his title.

Michael Johnson Men's 200 metres Michael Johnson Men's 400 metres Allen Johnson: Men's 110 m hurdles Derrick Adkins: Men's 400 m hurdles Gwen Torrence Women's 100 metres Gail Devers Women's 100 m hurdles Kim Batten Women's 400 m hurdles John Godina: Men's shot put Dan O'Brien: Men's decathlon

Non-top three selections Karl Paranya did not participate in the 1500m. Pascal Dobert did not participate in the steeplechase. Dan Middleman and 7th place Brad Barquist were the American representatives in the 10,000. Since Allen Johnson and Bryan Bronson received a bye, 4th place Mark Crear and Octavius Terry were allowed to compete in their respective hurdle races. LaMark Carter and no other American achieved the A standard in the triple jump. Breaux Greer didn't achieve the A standard. 4th place, naturalized British Olympian Roald Bradstock did and took the third position at the World Championships.

References

Results