EUGENE, Ore. -- USA Track and Field decided to make hammer throw the main event on Wednesday at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials, giving the sport a spotlight it rarely receives.Entrance fees were waived, the pit was brought to center field and the stands were engaged with interested -- and curious -- track fans. Before nearly every thrower, fans started a slow clap and, when personal bests were hit, the crowd erupted.And with that kind of attention, the women did not disappoint. All three top finishers broke the U.S. Olympic trials meet record, with two-time Olympian Amber Campbell picking up the win with a toss of 74.03 meters on her final attempt.We dont get to feel that kind of magic being out in the back field, Campbell said of Hayward Fields environment. So to be able to compete in the center, at Hayward, in the middle of the day with an amazing crowd -- theres nothing like it.Gwen Berry and Deanna Price rounded out the Olympic roster in the hammer throw with throws of 73.09 meters. Price, who won the NCAA title the last time she was at Hayward, said the atmosphere within the stadium was unlike any meet in which she had ever competed.Amazing, it was insane, Price said. People were doing the clap and I was like, Woah, wow, this has never happened before. And its likely that on the other side, fans were thinking the same thing. But when the women were crushing records and improving their world standing, there were plenty of reasons to cheer.A legend retires ... probablyAfter the competitors had cleared off the track Wednesday, only one thing was left: A.G. Krugers shoes in the middle of the hammer circle.A giant -- in both the physical and metaphorical sense -- leaving behind a piece of his athletic career at the place that probably saw the final event of his career.The 13-time USATF national champion and three-time Olympian had failed to make the top three. On top of that, no American had thrown the Olympic A standard, threatening an Olympic hammer throw showing without an American.It has been an amazing ride to do something like this, to represent the country, Kruger said through tears. I thought Id chance this dream one more time, but I fell a little short. It sucks right now. A lot of emotions right now. At some point it has to come to an end. This is where its at.With 10 open spots at the Olympics in the hammer throw, the IAAF could still pick up to 10 competitors to attend the games. Krugers fourth-place showing at trials isnt a huge boost to his résumé, but he still holds the second-best throw by an American in 2016.Previewing Thursdays finalsThree finals are on Thursdays schedule, all on the womens side -- shot put, triple jump and the 3,000-meter steeplechase.Two collegians are set to return to Hayward to defend their NCAA titles -- Georgias Keturah Orji in the triple jump and Mississippis Raven Saunders in the shot put.Orji is favored in her event, having set the best mark of American jumpers in 2016 -- 47 feet, 8 inches, which she set at the NCAA Track & Field Championships in June. She had the best jump in the prelims, but probably will see tighter competition from Andrea Geubelle, Christina Epps and Imani Oliver.I was really excited about competing for USA at World Indoors, Orji said. It was my first meet against pros and everything. I was really happy with the way I did, and Im looking forward to improving even more.Saunders is defending both the 2015 and 2016 NCAA titles in the shot put, but two-time Olympian Michelle Carter continues to set the bar in the event. Her throw of 20.21 meters (66 feet, 3? inches) is the farthest by an American woman in 2016.The day will conclude with the 3,000 steeplechase, featuring Emma Coburn and Shalaya Kipp, veterans who were both a part of the 2012 Olympic team. But newbies such as Leah OConnor and Colleen Quigley, both 2015 college graduates who are racing in their first trials, are working to make their first Olympic roster.OConnor recently wrote about the journey from collegian to Olympic hopeful on her personal blog. She explained that even though she has the second-fastest time by an American woman in 2016, the question Are you going to Rio? is actually a very loaded one.Making an Olympic team is NOT based on a point system in the United States. We have one day in early July to make it happen, OConnor wrote. Nobody is guaranteed a spot. It takes so much hard work, focus, balance ... and a lot of luck. So to answer the question again: yes, home-dogs ... I am training for the Olympic Trials. I am doing everything in my power and working with my incredible coach to give myself the best shot on that one day in July.Its what everyone has been working toward. So far, 60 Americans have punched their tickets to Rio. But for OConnor and several others competing in finals Thursday, July 7 is finally here. cheap nfl jerseys authentic . The 18-year-old American had five birdies in her bogey-free round for a 17-under total of 196. Lee held the overnight lead but mixed three birdies with two bogeys for a 70. cheap nba jerseys . Dusautoir, the former World Player of the Year, sustained a torn bicep playing for Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. The flanker, who has played 65 times for France, is expected to be out for up to four months. http://www.cheapnbajerseyssale.com/ . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. nba jerseys from china . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. cheap jerseys from china . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. Great Britains Jason Kenny, Phil Hindes and Callum Skinner have won the gold medal in the mens team sprint at the Rio Olympics.Britains three-man, three-lap team sprint squad have a habit of peaking every four years and did so again as Kenny claimed his fourth Olympic gold.Britain have not won a world title in the discipline since 2005, but have now won gold at the 2008, 2012 and now 2016 Olympics.The British trio clocked 42.440 seconds, an Olympic record, to claim gold, just five months after finishing sixth in the world at the Track World Championships in London.Kenny said: It was all a bit of a surprise really. Weve been going quite well in training so we had a rough idea of what we could do but we surpassed that in that first ride when we set that Olympic record.At that point I thought we could run away with it like London but then New Zealand came back at us and set the benchmark. We just went into the final with nothing to lose.The team event is always the best no doubt about it. You get to win it with your mates and I remember that with Chris and Jamie in Beijing and then again in London. Its good to share it with your mates -- it can get a bit lonely winning on your own.We made it a priority to make sure Callum was on the back of us so we could protect him as much as possible. We knew he had it in him so Im not surprised that hes stepped up to be the best in the world. It all came together and were really chuffed. Today was pretty special and it was a good first day in the velodrome for all of us.Hindes added: It felt like a home Olympics with all the GB flags here and a bit like London. As a team weve come together in the last three months and have been working so hard since the World Championships. We were just desperate to win the gold medal. Weve misssed out on so many World Championships so to win the Olympics again is just amazing.ddddddddddddew Zealands Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster and Ed Dawkins, the world champions, had to settle for silver in 42.542 seconds, just 0.102 behind.Bronze went to France in 43.143 seconds.The performance of the team sprint squad was something of a surprise.They came from nowhere to triumph four years ago in London, as Sir Chris Hoy claimed the fifth of his six Olympic golds, and repeated the trick in Rio after finishing a lowly sixth at Marchs Track World Championships in the English capital.Hindes, Kenny -- champions with Hoy four years ago -- and Skinner set an Olympic record in qualifying, but the standard was overtaken by New Zealand, who finished their first round in 42.535 seconds.However, the British trio won the duel for gold. Hindes was narrowly behind after his lap, but Kenny pushed the team in front and Skinner held on.It was the days only medal event, but there was further good news for Britain.Sir Bradley Wiggins, Ed Clancy, Steven Burke and Owain Doull qualified fastest in the four-man, four-kilometres team pursuit. They finished in 3:51.943. The world record, set in winning gold at London 2012, is 3:51.659.The first round and final take place on Fridays second day of action, where Wiggins is sure to be the focus.He had a dispute with commissaires on Thursday ahead of the qualification ride, when officials summoned him to measure his height.In the corresponding womens event, which resumes and concludes on Saturday, Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell Shand, Elinor Barker and Katie Archibald advanced in a world record time, clocking 4:13.260. ' ' '