Last week, we said Donavan Brazier’s story best illustrated the do-or-die nature of the trials. Five years ago, in 2016, Brazier won the N.C.A.A. 800-meter title in 1 minute 43.55 seconds, the second-fastest time in the world that year. A few weeks later, he failed to qualify for the Rio Games.
So he approached this year’s trials with the hope of changing that narrative. And he was expected to do so. The question wasn’t if Brazier would qualify — it was who would come in second and third place.
Instead, he suffered a devastating upset, leaving spectators, athletes and members of the news media in shock.