The meet had lower stakes with no Olympics or worlds this year, but Nikki Hiltz, Sha’Carri Richardson and Cooper Lutkenhaus all took advantage of the moment

In two years’ time, tens of thousands of fans will pack into the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – with tens of millions watching around the world – as the world’s fastest and strongest athletes compete at the 2028 Olympics.

But this vast audience ebbs and flows in the long years between Olympics. On the other side of the country, around 5,000 fans filed into New York’s Icahn Stadium this weekend for the USA Track & Field national outdoor championships.

The 17-year-old dreamed of playing for the Dallas Cowboys. Now he is America’s next big track star, with another chance for gold at this week’s US championships

George Lutkenhaus and his family were rushing to the airport. There was a plane to catch and traffic was bad. Inside the car was a tense silence. In the back, a teenager, minding his own business, AirPods in, seemingly oblivious. Wife Tricia turned to George. “Are you OK?” she said.

“No, I am not OK!” he replied. “What just happened there was not normal! And he’s just sitting there in the back … ”