University of Tennessee Athletics
Bailey Qualifies for Rio Olympics In Discus
July 08, 2016 | Track & Field
Women's Long Jump - Tianna Bartoletta (VFL, formerly Tianna Madison)
Women's 100m - Tianna Bartoletta
Men's 100m - Justin Gatlin
Men's Discus - Tavis Bailey
Women's 200m - Kali Davis-White
EUGENE, Ore. -- Tavis Bailey punched his ticket to the 2016 Rio Olympics on Friday, finishing second in the men's discus to earn a spot on Team USA.
Bailey threw 61.57 meters (202-0) to earn silver at the U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials at Hayward Field and become the 28th former Tennessee track and field student-athlete (20th Tennessee man) to represent the United States at the Olympics. Bailey hit 61.57 meters on his first throw of Friday's final and that mark made him second only to Mason Finley, who won with a throw of 63.42 meters (208-1).
Bailey, who starred at UT from 2012-15 after transferring from Lenoir-Rhyne, is the fourth Tennessee star to earn a spot at the Rio Olympics. He joins VFLs Justin Gatlin (men's 100 meters) and Tianna Bartoletta (women's long jump, women's 100 meters) on Team USA. UT rising senior Kali Davis-White will represent Jamaica in the women's 200 meters.
Bailey is the third Vol to represent the U.S. in a throwing event in the Olympics, joining Phil Olsen (javelin in 1976) and Leigh Smith (javelin in 2008). He is the first Tennessee man to qualify for the Olympics in the discus and joins VFLs Jane Haist (discus for Canada in 1976) and Patricia Walsh (discus for Ireland in 1984) as the only three UT Olympic representatives in the event.
Fellow VFLs Aries Merritt and Justin Gatlin stood out on Friday at the U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials as well. Merritt, who earned gold in the event at the 2012 London Olympics, made his 2016 trials debut in the men's 110-meter hurdles first round and advanced to Saturday's semifinals with the sixth-fastest time of 13.64 (-1.2). He took third in a fast first heat. Gatlin clocked the fifth-best time of the men's 200-meter final at 20.23 (-1.1) to advance to Saturday's final.
VFL Felicia Brown made her 2016 U.S. Trials debut in the women's 200 meters and finished 23rd in the first round with a time of 23.37 (-0.3). She placed fifth in the second heat. Brown, the 2016 USTFCCCA South Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year for both the indoor and outdoor seasons, enjoyed an outstanding senior year, emerging as one of the nation's elite sprinters. She earned 2016 USTFCCCA Indoor Track & Field First Team All-American honors for the 200m and the 4x400m relay and Second Team All-American recognition for the 60m. She was the 2016 NCAA national champion and SEC Champion in the women's 200m. Brown also ran the anchor leg of UT's SEC Indoor Champion 4x400m relay. She was the 2016 SEC Women's Outdoor Runner of the Year and the SEC Outdoor champion in the 200 meters. Brown earned 2016 USTFCCCA Outdoor Track & Field First Team All-American honors with a sixth-place finish at the national championships. She ran a Tennessee-record 22.26 in the 200 meters at SEC Championships to tie for the second-fastest time in the world at the time. Last month, she was honored as the by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame as its 2016 Female Amateur Athlete of the Year.
Merritt and Gatlin will be the only two VFLs in action on Saturday. Merritt will compete in the men's 110-meter hurdles semifinals at 4:25 p.m. PT/7:25 p.m. ET with the top eight advancing to the final at 5:52 p.m. PT/8:52 p.m. ET. Gatlin will run in the men's 200-meter final at 5:42 p.m. PT/8:42 p.m. ET.
Men's 100m
Justin Gatlin (Nike) - No. 1 qualifying mark - 9.77
Christian Coleman (Tennessee) - No. 14 qualifying mark - 10.03
First Round (Saturday, July 2): 2. Christian Coleman, 9.96 (+2.4)Q; 6. Justin Gatlin, 10.03 (+1.8)Q
Semifinals (Sunday, July 3): 1. Justin Gatlin, 9.83 (+1.7)Q; 3. Christian Coleman, 9.95 (+1.7)Q
Final (Sunday, July 3): 1. Justin Gatlin, 9.80 (+1.6) -- EARNS A SPOT ON TEAM USA; 6. Christian Coleman, 10.06 (+1.6)
Men's 200m
Justin Gatlin (Nike) - No. 1 qualifying mark - 19.74
Christian Coleman (Tennessee) - No. 20 qualifying mark - 20.26
First Round (Thursday, July 7): 8. Justin Gatlin, 20.32 (+0.9); Christian Coleman - scratch
Semifinals (Friday, July 8): 5. Justin Gatlin, 20.23 (-1.1)Q
Final: Saturday, July 9, at 5:42 p.m. PT/8:42 p.m. ET
Men's 400m
Nathan Strother (Tennessee) - No. 8 qualifying mark - 45.07
First Round (Friday, July 1): 23. Nathan Strother, 46.36
Men's 110m Hurdles
Aries Merritt (Nike) - No. 5 qualifying mark - 13.24
First Round (Friday, July 8): 6. Aries Merritt, 13.64Q (-1.2)
Semifinals: Saturday, July 9, at 4:25 p.m. PT/7:25 p.m. ET
Final: Saturday, July 9, at 5:52 p.m. PT/8:52 p.m. ET
Men's Discus
Tavis Bailey - No. 4 qualifying mark - 65.82m
Qualifying (Thursday, July 7): 6. Tavis Bailey, 60.17m (197-5)
Final (Friday, July 8): 2. Tavis Bailey, 61.57m (202-0) - EARNS A SPOT ON TEAM USA
Men's Pole Vault
Jake Blankenship - No. 3 qualifying mark - 5.72m
Qualifying (Saturday, July 2): T1. Jake Blankenship, 5.55m (18-2.50)q
Final (Monday, July 4): 7. Jake Blankenship, 5.60m (18-4.50)
Women's 100m
Tianna Bartoletta (Nike) - No. 6 qualifying mark - 10.94
First Round (Saturday, July 2): 8. Tianna Bartoletta, 11.03 (+0.8)Q
Semifinals (Sunday, July 3): 3. Tianna Bartoletta, 10.79 (+2.5)Q
Final (Sunday, July 3): 2. Tianna Bartoletta, 10.78 (+1.0) -- EARNS A SPOT ON TEAM USA
Women's 200m
Felicia Brown - No. 8 qualifying mark - 22.26
First Round (Friday, July 8): 23. Felicia Brown, 23.37 (-0.3)
Women's 400m
DeeDee Trotter - No. 14 qualifying mark - 51.24
First Round (Friday, July 1): 10. DeeDee Trotter, 52.01Q
Semifinals (Saturday, July 2): 16. DeeDee Trotter, 54.01
Women's 800m
Chanelle Price (Nike) - No. 4 qualifying mark - 1:59.10
Phoebe Wright (Nike) - No. 13 qualifying mark - 2:00.61
First Round (Friday, July 1): 5. Chanelle Price, 2:01.13; 7. Phoebe Wright, 2:01.35
Semifinals (Saturday, July 2): 8. Phoebe Wright, 2:01.39q; 11. Chanelle Price, 2:01.94
Final: 6. Phoebe Wright, 2:02.55
Women's 1,500m
Sarah Brown (New Balance) - No. 3 qualifying mark - 4:03.20
First Round (Thursday, July 7): 25. Sarah Brown, 4:24.97
Women's 5,000m
Liz Costello (New Balance / New Balance Boston) - No. 23 qualifying mark - 15:28.88
First Round (Thursday, July 7): Liz Costello - Scratch
Women's 10,000m
Liz Costello (New Balance / New Balance Boston) - No. 6 qualifying mark - 31:43.79
Chelsea Blaase (Tennessee) - No. 17 qualifying mark - 32:08.39
Final (Saturday, July 2): 6. Liz Costello, 32:31.81; 16. Chelsea Blaase, 34:10.15
Women's 400m Hurdles
Ellen Wortham - No. 30 qualifying mark - 56.91
First Round (Thursday, July 7): 25. Ellen Wortham, 59.13
Women's Long Jump
Tianna Bartoletta (Nike) - No. 2 qualifying mark - 7.14m
Qualifying (Friday, July 1): 3. Tianna Bartoletta, 6.77m (22-2.50, +2.7)
Final (Saturday, July 2): 2. Tianna Bartoletta, 7.02m (23-0.50, +2.3) -- EARNS A SPOT ON TEAM USA
Women's Shot Put
Cassie Wertman (Tennessee) - No. 20 qualifying mark - 17.68m
Qualifying (Thursday, July 7): 15. Cassie Wertman, 17.07m (56-4)
CONGRATS #VFL Tavis Bailey on making @TeamUSA for the Rio @Olympics! @VoLThrower215 was 2nd in discus at 61.57m! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/oPr3bZV18l
-- UT Track & Field/XC (@Vol_Track) July 8, 2016
Victory Lap Hugs! #Olympian pic.twitter.com/Xq41Y9XiIw
-- UT Track & Field/XC (@Vol_Track) July 8, 2016
Proud Coach!! @coachjohnnewell @VoLThrower215 pic.twitter.com/GhqxxEL2l0
-- UT Track & Field/XC (@Vol_Track) July 8, 2016
Check out that medal! #Olympian pic.twitter.com/5wKcupZ653
-- UT Track & Field/XC (@Vol_Track) July 9, 2016
