er Barry Pinches at Cardiffs Motorpoint Arena, the five-time world champion was on course

EUGENE, Ore. -- The defending Olympic pole vault champion warmed up, then cooled down, then ran through the whole process again, as the driving rain pelted the field Friday at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.The more time you have to think, the more youre like, Wow. This is how bad things happen, Jenn Suhr said.Suhr escaped the badness. Several other big-name athletes werent as lucky on a rain-drenched afternoon at Hayward Field.On a day that saw LaShawn Merritt lower his world-best mark at 200 meters to 19.74 seconds -- in a semifinal heat, no less -- and two high-school kids, Michael Norman and Noah Lyles, earn spots in the final, there was just as much buzz about those whose chances got washed away in the rain.First among them was hurdler Dawn Harper-Nelson, whose run at a third Olympic medal came to a stunning halt in the 100-meter semifinals, when she finished third -- not good enough to make the eight-woman final.Tears are going to come, she said. Right now, Im just in shock.Later, after the rain had stopped but the track was still slick, American-record holder Keni Harrison stumbled to a sixth-place finish and a spot on the couch next month. Brianna Rollins, the 2013 worlds gold medalist, won in 12.34 seconds, a comfortable .16 seconds ahead of Kristi Castlin, who was considered a bigger threat four years ago at the trials.Harrison was supposed to be the woman to beat this year.It happened so fast, she said, clearly holding back tears. Ill have to watch film. Its unfortunate, because my season was going so well. But this stuff happens.It also happened to Shamier Little. The worlds silver medalist in the 400-meter hurdles didnt make it out of her semifinal heat.Allyson Felix took to the track well before the rain hit and coasted through her 200-meter qualifying heat in 22.93 seconds. It was her first race in nearly a year at her favorite distance. She said nothings really changed with her aching right ankle, despite four days of rest.Just trying to see how it does on the curve, and all that, she said, as she moved ahead in her quest for the 200-400 double at the Rio Games.Shortly after Felixs race, the sky opened, and everybodys outlook changed. The discus and pole vault competitions were delayed. The 100-meter hurdle semifinals turned into even more of an adventure than usual.I couldnt see through my race, said Nia Ali, who got safely through the semifinal, then finished third in the final, too, to make the Olympics.Suhr, whose gold medal in London came in a windy rainstorm, only needed one jump to qualify for the final.Im thankful to make it, because you never take it for granted, she said.Also waiting out the rain was Tavis Bailey, who finished second in the discus -- one of the most competitive contests on the card.When raindrops are hitting the discus in your hand, that will get to you, said Bailey, who finished behind Mason Finley.Not so fortunate was defending national champion Jared Schuurmans, who finished fifth.Others with decent chances who didnt make the team included high jumpers Jesse Williams, the 2011 world champion, and Randall Cunningham, who was hoping to join his sister, Vashti, on the trip to Brazil.When you landed on the mat, you landed in puddles, said Cunningham, who does the bulk of his training in bone-dry Las Vegas. Your whole body was soaked.Such is life in track and field -- and everything is amplified in the no-excuses world of U.S. Olympic qualifying, where the top three finishers make it and no exceptions are made for injuries, past performances -- or weather.Nobody felt worse than Harper-Nelson, who burst onto the scene eight years ago at the Birds Nest in Beijing, crossing the line first after her more-ballyhooed teammate, Lolo Jones, tripped on the second-to-last barrier. That day, Harper-Nelson crossed the line and could be seen mouthing the words What? What?She was every bit as dumbfounded by this finish.Complete disbelief, she called it. Ive never been in a position where someone is pulling away and I wasnt able to react.Other happenings on Day 7 of track trials:? Rollins stepped ever so slightly into an adjacent lane late in the 100-meter hurdles race but didnt impede fourth-place finisher Queen Harrison, so there was no protest, and no change in the results.? Lost in the buzz over the high-schoolers making the 200-meter final was the fact that three longtime mainstays of the U.S. sprint team -- Mike Rodgers, Wallace Spearmon and Walter Dix -- all failed to advance. On the womens side, Jenna Prandini had the best 200 time, at 22.72 seconds.? Evan Jager won the mens steeplechase in 8:22.48. Hell be joined in Rio by Hillary Bor and Donn Cabral.? Defending Olympic champion Aries Merritt, less than a year removed from a kidney transplant, made it through his qualifying heat in 110-meter hurdles. Also making it were 2008 bronze medalist David Oliver and 2012 silver medalist Jason Richardson. Nike Air Max Saldi . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Scarpe Nike Air Max Outlet . Wall made the comment in a speech to a Regina business crowd that included Lesnar. The U.S. wrestler and retired mixed martial artist says he was visiting his brothers farm in Saskatchewan and decided he wanted to hear what the premier had to say. http://www.airmaxoutlet.it/ . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. Air Max Scontate . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Air Max Outlet Online Italia . The incident occurred at 19:56 of the second period of the Kings 4-2 road win over Edmonton on Sunday. Nolan punched Oilers forward Jesse Joensuu in the jaw in front of the Kings goal during a scrum.Ronnie OSullivan says he passed up the chance of a 147 at the Welsh Open, claiming the £10,000 prize money on offer was too cheap. In the final frame of his 4-1 win over Barry Pinches at Cardiffs Motorpoint Arena, the five-time world champion was on course for the 14th maximum of his career having potted 13 reds and blacks.Off the 14th red, though, he played a simple positional shot onto the pink despite having made several audacious shots earlier in the break to return to the black. He duly cleared up for the more unusual feat of a 146 break and an imposing, but beatable, marker for the tournament high-break prize.OSullivan left the arena with a broad grin and then told BBC Wales: I could have got on the black and possibly made a 147. OSullivan did not think the maximum-break prize money was sufficient I knew it was 10 grand and I just thought thats a bit too cheap really.dddddddddddd To make a maxi, its such a massive achievement and if theyre going to pay us 10 grand, I think its worth a bit more than that.Once the prize goes up a bit, Ill go for the 147. A 146 is just as good!The prize for a 147 is calculated on a rollover basis, with £5,000 added to the pot in each tournament. Neil Robertson made the most recent maximum in Decembers UK Championship final, winning £44,000 including the £4,000 prize for the tournament high break. Also See: Photos Bet ￡5 Get ￡20 free Get Sky Sports ' ' '