Georgia track star Matthew Boling’s Olympic dreams are on hold after he narrowly missed qualifying for the finals of the 200 meters on Saturday night at the U.S. Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Ore.
Boling ran his 200-meter semifinal race in 20.27 seconds to finish sixth in his heat and ninth overall, just .04 short of qualifying for the finals.
With a time of 19.74 seconds, Noah Lyles won the 200 meters Sunday evening. Also qualifying for Tokyo were Kenny Bednarek, who finished in a personal best 19.78, and 17-year-old Erriyon Knighton, who was third in 19.84.
Boling failed to qualify in the 100 meters last weekend.
Georgia track & field will, however, still be very well represented at the Tokyo Games (July 23-Aug. 8) as yet another former Bulldog locked into an Olympic spot.
Former UGA pole vaulter Morgann Leleux recorded a personal-best 15 feet, 5-inches vault to finish second and earn a spot on Team USA. Leleux, from New Iberia, La., is a former three-time SEC champion.
There are four current or former Georgia track athletes who have already punched their tickets for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics:
- Kenturah Orji, triple jump
- Garrett Scantling, decathlon
- Jasmine Moore, triple jump
- Elija Godwin, relays
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