SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Michelle Collins' departure from the trials cleared the way for a trio of youngsters to shine in the women's 400 meters.
Sanya Richards, DeeDee Trotter and Monique Henderson - longtime collegiate rivals - easily moved through the qualifying rounds of the event Monday night.
"It's going to be us three for a long, long time," Henderson said. "We're young and we're running some of the best times in the world."
Richards, coming off the most disappointing race of her career, was the leading qualifier in a personal-best 50.22 seconds.
"I was just trying to control the race," Richards said, "and that time came with it, so I'm excited."
Richards' time was the second-best by an American this year. The best was Collins' 50.02.
Richards, who won the U.S. championship in the 400 last year at age 18, finished third in the NCAA Championships on her home track at the University of Texas. Trotter, running for Tennessee, won with Henderson of UCLA second.
A week after that finish, Richards announced she was leaving college to concentrate on her Olympic bid. Her performance in the qualifying round went against speculation that she was worn out from her collegiate season.
"I feel really good," Richards said. "I'm super motivated due to the NCAAs, so I'm going to go out and try to win every round."
Trotter qualified third for Thursday's semifinals in 50.52. Henderson was sixth among the 16 who advanced in 51.06.
Even the older competitors credited the youngsters for revving up the event.
"The collegians are running fast," said 28-year-old Monique Hennagan, the No. 2 qualifier in a personal-best 50.31. "It's good for the event because we were weak relative to the whole world up until recently. I think the younger girls have made everybody better."
BRITISH TEAM: Olympic heptathlon champion Denise Lewis and 200-meter silver medalist Darren Campbell were selected for Britain's Olympic team despite sustaining injuries at last weekend's trials.
Lewis aggravated a foot injury in the long jump Sunday in Manchester and was forced to withdraw. Campbell injured a rib when he fell in the 100-meter final Saturday. On Sunday, he withdrew from the 200. Lewis, Campbell and marathon world-record holder Paula Radcliffe are the biggest names on Britain's 47-member team.
American Malachi Davis, whose mother was born in London, was not selected. Davis finished fifth in the 400 meters at the trials and failed to earn an automatic berth. Davis needs to meet the Olympic qualifying time of 45.55 at a meet in Loughborough on Saturday. He'll race against Sean Baldock, who finished third in the trials but has yet to reach the qualifying standard.
