In Eugene, Oregon, Georgia sophomore sprinter Aaliyah Butler achieved a remarkable feat on the third day of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. Coming out of lane five, the Fort Lauderdale native secured her place on Team USA in the 400-meter dash by topping her own school record. Butler clocked 49.71 seconds, surpassing her previous mark of 49.79 set at this year’s Southeastern Conference Championships. She finished second in the final behind professionals Kendall Ellis (49.46) and alongside Alexis Holmes (49.71), completing Team USA’s 400m squad.
Additionally, former Georgia athlete Keturah Orji, who competed from 2015-2018, achieved a notable result in the triple jump, securing her spot on Team USA for the upcoming Olympics with a strong performance on Saturday. Orji, a fourth-place finisher in the triple jump at the 2016 Games and seventh in Tokyo 2021, traveled the second-longest distance of the meet on her sixth attempt.
The Bulldogs also advanced a former NCAA sprint champion to the finals.
Six current Bulldogs and nine former Georgia standouts are participating in their country’s Trials, taking place from June 21-30. The trials are hosted on the University of Oregon campus, where recently, the Bulldog men and women finished ninth and tenth, respectively, at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships held from June 5-8. Athletes who finish in the top three in their events at the Trials will qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris (August 1-11), provided they meet the required standard mark or time.
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