At the prestigious Hayward Field, where the Olympic track and field team trials are underway, Eric Holt and Shane Cohen were seen celebrating after securing their spots in the finals of the 800m event. Holt, a member of Empire Elite, clocked an impressive time of 1:45.05, one of the fastest of the meet. However, as Holt spoke to reporters following his race, his jubilation was abruptly cut short. He was informed of his disqualification, a ruling that shattered his Olympic dreams in an instant. Now, his only hope rests on a successful appeal.

In the accompanying Holt looked visibly confused in the mixed zone as he found out he was DQ’d. He seemed unable to give any explanation for why the judges might have made the decision, “I have to look at the tape, I have nothing else to say.” He was fourth in his heat and 7th overall in the charts for the 800m. Bryce Hoppel and Hobbs Kessler went 1st and 2nd in the qualifying heat. Hoppel crossed the line in 1:46.83 seconds and Kessler did at 1:46.85. However, apparently Holt is being cut for violating rule 163.5 which is stepping over the line on the first turn.

Eric Holt also could have stepped on the curb twice, violating rule 165.5. It’s unclear exactly why the decision was made since no official statement has been released yet. Earlier in the trials he came up short of making the 1500m team. Though he had a good start, he lagged behind in the last quarter of the fourth and final lap. Eventually finding himself 11th in the first heat and crossing the finish in 3:39.11. If the appeal does not go as planned, there are virtually no chances of Holt making it onto the 2024 Olympics team. 

Athletes take a stand against USATF policies 

Before Holt, another USATF decision shocked the track and field community. Athing Mu suffered a fall during the first lap of the 800m event causing her to finish over 20 seconds after Nia Akins who won the race. However, Mu and her coach Bob Kersee revealed that she was clipped in the backstretch by another runner, which caused her to veer left and fall. They filed an appeal regarding the same stating that Athing Mu had been illegally obstructed. But the authorities after reviewing the race footage for a long time deep into the evening on Monday, denied the appeal. 

But they did not provide any official statement. It’s speculated incidental contact is considered part of normal racing and there was no clear evidence of a runner obstructing another runner. Bob Kersee acknowledged the unforgiving nature of the selection system, which awards spots just for the top three finishers at the trials. Making no exceptions for past performances or Olympic champions. He said, “I’ve coached it, I’ve preached it, I’ve watched it. And here’s another indication that regardless of how good we are, we can leave some better athletes home than other countries have. It’s part of our American way.” But Mu is eligible for the relay pool as she was a part of the 2021 team that won gold in the 4x400m team.