Clayton Young and Conner Mantz are two of the best American long-distance sprinters and recently stated their dominance once again at the U. S Olympic Trials. The best friends/compatriots ran the fastest on February 3 in Orlando and claimed the top two positions to book their place for the Paris Olympics. Aiming to win medals in their maiden campaign, it won’t be easy for them as Great Britain enters with their best runner in their arsenal.

While Young had previously taken part in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2020, Mantz entered the competition for the first time, the last time he was competing in the NCAA. However, the Olympic stage is a similar experience for both, and a viable trump card in the form of a seasoned 31-year-old marathoner from GB may very well give them a hard time.

Great Britain poses a threat to track and field’s loving teammate duo

In a major announcement, British Athletics announced three athletes from its Olympic Marathon team. While it included the names of Charlie Purdue and Calli Rianne, the biggest concern for the American audience will be Philip Sesemann. He was the first British finisher at the 2021 London Marathon, that too on his debut, and recently clocked Two hours, eight minutes, and four seconds. With a dominant form on his side, the Briton could be a huge threat to Clayton Young and Conner Mantz.

Mantz finished first overall while Young finished runner-up falling only a second at 2:09:06 in the revered trials. While their timings are better than Sesemann’s personal best of 2:08:04, the 31-year-old has shown a lot of grit and potential over the last months and could cause some problems for the American brothers. While he may not be able to overtake both, how will the brothers fare when overtaking each other?

The brotherly rivalry or camaraderie between Clayton Young and Conner Mantz?

During the U. S Olympic Trials marathon race, Clayton Young let his BYU mate Connor Mantz pass him near the finish line. The episode drew several conspiracy theories on the internet, but the elder brother had a fascinating approach to this story. Young revealed that it was a tactical decision and an expression of camaraderie.

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“When we broke away with two miles to go and Conner said, ‘Take the lead,’ obviously that’s not my best tactical move to win. And I had to ask myself, ‘Do I wanna make this team with Conner? Do I want to help Conner and ultimately enjoy this?”, he revealed. Young ultimately let Mantz take the lead, and finished himself a second later. The two will race again as teammates at the Paris Olympics, and America hopes the camaraderie keeps rising high.

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