Oregon wide receiver Devon Allen kept his Olympic dream alive Friday at the U.S. Olympic Trials, advancing to Saturday's semifinals by winning his first-round heat in the 110-meter hurdles event with a time of 13.44 seconds.
"It's a lot of fun, the fans are great," Allen told NBC Sports Network. "We're having the trials here at my home track (in Eugene, Oregon), it's the best thing I could have asked for."
Allen's time of 13.44 was the third-fastest of all heats, behind Ronnie Ash (13.39) and Jason Richardson (13.41). The top three finishers in each of four heats, plus the next six fastest times among all heats, advanced to semifinal competition.
On Saturday, eight of 18 competitors will advance to the finals: the top two finishers in each of three heats, plus the next two fastest times. The semifinals are scheduled to be run at 7:25 p.m. ET, while the finals are set to run at 8:52 p.m. ET. Up to three athletes with the Olympic standard time of 13.47 in the 110-meter hurdles can qualify for next month's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Allen qualified for the trials after winning the NCAA title in the 110 hurdles with a time of 13.50 last month.
He was a big contributor for the Oregon football team in 2014, catching 41 passes for 684 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns until he tore the ACL in his right knee while returning the opening kickoff in a College Football Playoff semifinal against Florida State in the Rose Bowl. He missed the 2015 track season to rehabilitate the knee and struggled in his return to football, catching just nine passes last season.
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