HBCU Olympic hopeful not picked for Paris despite silver at trials

Caleb Snowden, an HBCU high jumper at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff will have to wait another four years to become an Olympian after he was not selected to travel to the Paris Olympics despite his second-place finish at the US Olympic trials.

Traditionally, the top three finishers at the trials automatically make the Olympic team. But Snowden and others had not met the Olympic standard jump of 2.33 meters, even though he finished second in the trials.  

Shelby McEwen, the only jumper to beat Snowden at the Olympic Trials won gold by clearing 2.30 meters. He had previously cleared the Olympic standard height during a meet in the Czech Republic, so his first-place finish secured him a spot in Paris.

The rest of the team could not be officially selected until the world rankings were updated. JuVaughn Harrison was ranked third and was the only American besides McEwen to have met the Olympic standard. He cleared 2.36 meters during a meet in Budapest, Hungary.

Vernon Turner claimed the final spot on the USA high jump team for the Paris Olympics by being the highest-ranked American after the two automatic qualifiers. Turner, ranked 20th, did not reach the finals at the US Olympic trials, but his performances throughout the season earned him enough points in the world ranking system to make the trip to Paris.

Caleb Snowden is the first track & field athlete in UAPB history to advance to the US Olympic Team Trial Finals.

“It feels good competing against the best in the country in the Olympic Trial to represent the USA Team in Paris, said Snowden to the school’s media department.  “My training had been going well, and it’s an honor to be among the top 12 to compete in Sunday finals”.

Snowden made history earlier this year at the NCAA Indoor Championships by becoming the first high jumper from an HBCU to secure a top-three position in both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the same year.