This Week In Track & Field: LA28’s Tough Standards Have Been Revealed, Beijing 2027 Schedule Thoughts + Agnes Ngetich’s In / Yomif Kejelcha Out For Valencia Marathon

The road to LA28 just got faster. This week, Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia break down the new Olympic qualifying standards and what happens when more of the field is expected to get in through the world rankings. Which meets will matter most? How will NCAA athletes navigate the qualifying window? And what happens when an athlete qualifies through the rankings but their federation asks for more?

Discussed in this episode:

- Agnes Ngetich’s marathon debut in Valencia — What her speed over 10K and the half marathon suggests about her potential over 26.2 miles; how her aggressive racing style might translate & whether she could threaten the world record on debut.

- The Noah Kibet mix-up — How the world indoor 800m silver medalist was mistakenly identified in a Kenyan anti-doping notice, and why including World Athletics athlete IDs could help prevent another mix-up.

- Donavan Brazier’s coaching move — The 2019 world 800m champion’s return to Pete Julian and what the reunion could mean heading into 2027.

- The Beijing 2027 World Championships schedule — Which finals U.S. fans can catch in the morning, which event doubles are realistic, and how the mixed relays fit around the individual events.

- The LA28 Olympic qualifying standards — How much faster the marks have gotten, why more athletes are expected to qualify through world rankings, and which events will have smaller fields.

- What Olympic qualifying means for NCAA athletes — Which college meets can produce qualifying marks and how the qualifying window affects when athletes need to race.

- Where to earn ranking points — Why continental championships and meets such as the Pan American Games can matter as much as faster races on the international circuit.

- How federations select their Olympic teams — Why earning a place through the world rankings can still leave athletes subject to stricter selection criteria at home, with Great Britain and Sweden as examples.

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