Track’s Surprising New Stars

www.ozy.com [OZY]() Your World. Bold & Bright [Daily Dose]( Sponsored by [Honeycomb]( The newsletter to fuel — and thrill — your mind. Read for deep dives into the unmissable ideas and topics shaping our world. Aug 16, 2022 Today Women’s track and field has been grabbing the attention of sports fans worldwide as new athletes carve their own lanes. From shocking world record breakers to those making history for their countries, these fresh faces are tomorrow’s blazing stars. – with reporting by Julian Michael Caldwell from New York [TP That's Saving the Planet]( [HoneyComb]( Every 24 hours, 27,000 trees are cut down... just to make toilet paper. That felt like too many, so [honeycomb]( created 3-ply toilet tissue that feels just like traditional high-end toilet paper, but doesn’t harm trees. It’s made from bamboo, which grows 80x faster than trees - meaning we can leave the trees to do what they do best, without giving up comfort or harming the planet. OZY readers can [use code N21 to take $21 off]( their first shipment for the next 24 hours. [Try Bamboo]( Now you see them Amusan’s world record Nigerian hurdler Tobi Amusan shocked fans around the globe last month when she set a new world record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 12.12 seconds at the World Athletics Championships. Not only did she win [Nigeria’s first gold]( in this event, but her record time was [.08 seconds]( faster than the previous record, which is a huge margin — and a gigantic leap forward — for this event. It was so fast that some people, including legendary American sprinter [Michael Johnson](, questioned whether or not there were issues with the time clock or wind gauge. Four other runners also logged personal best times in the same heat. In the finals later that day, Amusan won gold with an even faster time, but that performance wasn't counted as a world record because the wind gauge detected a tailwind above the official permissible limit. Alfred making history for St. Lucia Julien Alfred is only the second St. Lucian to win an NCAA championship in the women’s 100-meter race, becoming the [outdoor champion]( in the 100 meters and 4x100-meter relay during her senior season at the University of Texas. She more recently earned silver at the Commonwealth Games this month, surpassed only by 5-time Olympic gold medalist [Elaine Thompson-Herah]( from Jamaica. It was redemption of sorts for Alfred, who a couple weeks earlier was [disqualified]( for a false start in the semifinals of the World Athletics Championships in Oregon. Alfred, 21, has yet to appear in the Olympics. But she seems on her way to winning St. Lucia its first Olympic medal in the [100-meter]( sprint. Bol puts Netherlands on the winners' podium For the past several years, American Sydney McLaughlin has dominated the 400-meter hurdles. But 22-year-old Femke Bol from the Netherlands is coming on strong. Bol earned bronze in the 400 meters at Tokyo last year, the [only time]( a woman from the Netherlands medaled in this event at the Olympic level. Bol, who took home silver at the World Athletics Championships last month, also holds the European record at [52.03 seconds](. And earlier this month, with no hurdles, she set a new Dutch record when she earned [gold]( in the 400 meters at a Diamond League event in Silesia, Poland. Phenoms in the 800 Athing Mu At 20 years old, Athing Mu is one of the brightest young track and field stars for the U.S. Just a year after graduating high school, she captured Olympic gold last year at the 4X400-meter relay. She also won an individual gold medal in the women's 800 meters, setting a U.S. record with a time of 1:55.21 and becoming the [first U.S. woman]( to win gold in that event since Madeline Manning in 1968. A few weeks later, Mu [broke her own record]( when she won gold at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic. And she earned gold again at the 2022 World Athletics Championships last month. Keely Hodgkinson Right behind Mu at the Tokyo Olympics was Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, who won silver in the 800 meters. Hodgkinson, now 20, won two more silver medals in the past month — at the World Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games. And back in February, she set a new British indoor 800-meter [record]( with a time of 1:57.20. Mary Moraa Mary Moraa of Kenya, meanwhile, was a [national champion]( in the 400 meters before making the switch to 800 meters. She failed to reach the 800-meter final at her first Olympic appearance last year, but she’s since put the world on notice. Moraa, now 22, earned bronze at the World Athletics Championships in July and then gold at the Commonwealth Games this month. WATCH CHAUNTÉ LOWE on [The Carlos Watson Show](! Strong + intersectional Filling a void in the field The retirement of 2016 Olympic gold medalist Michelle Carter earlier this year was seen as leaving a void in U.S. women’s shot put. However, a pair of athletes are stepping up. In July, Chase Ealey became the [first American woman]( to win shot put gold at a World Athletics Championship. The 28-year-old is rising fast, having also earned silver at the World Indoor Championships in March. It’s a huge turnaround for Ealey, who failed to qualify for last year's Olympics. Meanwhile, Raven Saunders captivated viewers with her intensity and silver medal finish in last year’s Olympic shot put, which was only the [third time]( that an American woman medaled in the event. She also grabbed worldwide attention for a podium gesture that sparked an investigation by the International Olympic Committee. No punishment was issued, however, after Saunders explained that locking her arms together above her head was meant to [represent]( “the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet.” Though Saunders has struggled this season after undergoing a [second hip surgery]( in less than three years, she also has a history of overcoming [adversity](. Steiner: The sprinter who runs it all Abby Steiner is one of the most versatile young sprinters on the scene. The 22-year-old won her [first]( national championship in the 200-meter event in June, with a time that was then the world's fastest this year. That same month, she wrapped up her career at the University of Kentucky by setting a [new collegiate record]( in the same event. At her World Athletics Championships debut last month, Steiner finished fifth individually in the 200 meters, but was part of both the 4x400 and 4x100 relay teams that each took home gold. Community Corner Which events will you be following through the 2024 Olympics? Share your thoughts with us at OzyCommunity@Ozy.com. ABOUT OZY OZY is a diverse, global and forward-looking media and entertainment company focused on “the New and the Next.” OZY creates space for fresh perspectives, and offers new takes on everything from news and culture to technology, business, learning and entertainment. [www.ozy.com]( / #OZY Curiosity. Enthusiasm. Action. That’s OZY! [TV]( | [PODCASTS]( | [NEWS]( | [FESTIVALS]( A Modern Media Company OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](