A total of 39 American athletes that participated in the Drake Relays presented by Xtream powered by Mediacom will represent the United States of America at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
 
Those 39 athletes qualified for one of the coveted spots on Team USA at last week's U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Many of those athletes began their journey to Tokyo this season at Drake Stadium as part of the 111th Drake Relays. Others have entertained the Drake Stadium crowds over recent years with regular visits to Des Moines.
 
"The U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials were especially exciting for Drake Relays fans this year as many of these Olympians began their season at Drake Stadium," said Blake Boldon, the Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays. "The local rooting interests were countless throughout the meet and the number of U.S. Olympians crowned with Drake Relays ties is a testament to the role the Drake Relays plays in the sport of track & field." 
 
During the opening weekend of the Trials, 17 Drake Relays participants punched their tickets to Tokyo.
 
Those early qualifiers were joined during the second weekend by 19 more as Drake Relays athletes will participate in a total of 26 individual events in Tokyo.
 
The Drake Relays will be well represented in the sprints as Trayvon Bromwell and Ronnie Baker vie for the title of world's fastest man in the 100 meters. Kenny Bednarek also qualified in the 200 meters. Bednarek blasted onto the radar of the track & field world with a Drake Relays title over a professional field in 2019 while competing for nearby Indian Hills Community College.
 
Allyson Felix, who competed as a collegian in the 2006 Drake Relays, made her fifth Olympic team in the 400 meters. In addition, the 2018 Drake Relays women's 100-meter champion, Anavia Battle, will make her first Olympic appearance in the 200 meters.
 
Clayton Murphy, a four-time Relays champion, had one of the most dramatic performances of the U.S. Olympic Trials. He chased down the leaders to best the field in the 800 meters and represent the USA in the Olympics for the second time after taking bronze in the event in 2016.
 
While all three women who qualified for the Olympics in the 100-meters hurdles are Relays alums, two of the three in the men's 110-meter hurdles are as well. The last two Drake Relays champions in the event, Devon Allen (2018) and Daniel Roberts (2019 & 2021), raced through to the Olympics.
 
A pair of Relays regulars are also in the red, white and blue in the men's 400-meter hurdles, with Kenny Selmon and David Kendziera earning spots on the team. Dalilah Muhammad, the women's Drake Relays champion in 2016 and 2018, travels to Tokyo as the defending Olympic gold medalist in the event.
 
In other running events, Urbandale, Iowa native Karissa Schweizer qualified for her second event as she earned a spot in the women's 10,000-meter field. Schweizer, who has competed on the Blue Oval as a high school, collegiate and professional athlete, had previously earned a spot on the team in the 5,000 meters.
 
Competitors in field events continued to earn spots on Team USA over the weekend, with Brittney Reese, a three-time Drake Relays champion, making her fourth Olympic team in the long jump. Five-time Drake Relays champion Sandi Morris also travels to Tokyo in the pole vault, as does Katie Nageotte, who finished second this past year to Morris at Drake Stadium.
 
The men's jumpers will also represent the Drake Relays well with Marquis Dendy making the squad.
 
In the throws, Kara Winger (javelin) and Gwendolyn Barry (hammer throw) travel to Tokyo, having tested their mettle at Drake Stadium. A trio of multi-event athletes will compete with Zach Ziemek in the decathlon and  Kendell Williams and Erica Bougard in the heptathlon. Williams won the long jump title at this year's Drake Relays.
 
A Drake Relays athlete will also compete on the streets of Tokyo as Abdi Abdirahman competes in the marathon as part of his fifth Olympic Games after competing at the Drake Relays as a collegian while at Arizona.
 
The members of Team USA and Drake Relays fans will see many other familiar faces in Tokyo as international athletes who have competed at Drake Stadium are expected to populate the Olympic teams for their respective nations.
 
During the 2016 Olympics, Drake Relays competitors won 20 Olympic medals, including 10 gold medals.
Drake Relays Athletes Heading To Tokyo – As of June 21
Men's 100 Meters
Trayvon Bromell *
Ronnie Baker


Men's 200 Meters
Kenny Bednarek *
 
Men's 400 Meters
Randolph Ross *
 
Men's 800 Meters
Clayton Murphy *
 
Men's 110-Meter Hurdles
Devon Allen *
Daniel Roberts *
 
Men's 400-Meter Hurdles
Kenny Selmon
David Kendziera *


Men's Shot Put
Ryan Crouser *
Payton Otterdahl *
 
Men's Long Jump
Marquis Dendy
 
Men's Triple Jump
Will Claye *
Donald Scott
Chris Benard
 
Men's Pole Vault
Chris Nilsen *
Sam Kendricks *
KC Lightfoot
  
Men's Javelin
Riley Dolezal *
 
Decathlon
Zach Ziemek
 
Women's 200 Meters
Anavia Battle *
 
Women's 400 Meters
Allyson Felix
 
Women's 5,000 Meters
Karissa Schweizer *
Rachel Schneider *
 
Women's 10,000 Meters
Karissa Schweizer

Women's 100-Meter Hurdles
Keni Harrison *
Brianna McNeal
Christina Clemmons
 
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles
Dalilah Muhammad
 
High Jump
Vashti Cunningham *
Inika McPherson *
 
Pole Vault
Katie Nagoette
Sandi Morris *
 
Long Jump
Brittney Reese *
 
Triple Jump
Tori Franklin *
 
Hammer Throw
Gwendolynn Berry *
 
Javelin
Kara Winger *
 
Heptathlon
Kendell Williams *
Erica Bougard

 
* Drake Relays Champion