Crowds watched as American track and field stars put their best foot forward to secure a seat at the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo. They sprinted, hurdled and kept up the momentum making their way as the first to cross the finish lines.  

Here are five young stars who broke records and shined bright for the U.S. on the track:    

Noah Lyles

Noah Lyles won the men's 200-meter on Sunday with the new world-leading time of 19.74, USA Today reported. After struggling earlier on in the trials, the 23-year-old Florida native made sure to finish the final trial race in domination.   

“I don’t think anybody can prepare you for the lion you have to slay at the Olympic trials,” Lyles said after qualifying for Tokyo. “This is the hardest team to make and everybody here shows it.”

The 2019 world 200 champion has run the four fastest 200s since 2016, according to Runner's World. 

This will be his first appearance at the Olympics representing Team USA.  

Sydney McLaughlin

Sprinter and hurdler Sydney McLaughlin made headlines, becoming the gold-medal favorite after crushing the women's 400 hurdles world record. The 21-year-old clocked 51.90, securing her Tokyo Olympic seat, NBC Sports reported. Her performance was the first to be run under 52 seconds.  

“I will cherish this for the rest of my life,” the New Jersey native said after the race Sunday night.

At the Rio Olympics in 2016, McLaughlin, who was 17 years old at the time, was the youngest American to compete in track and field since 1972, according to NBC Sports.

Erriyon Knighton

Erriyon Knighton, who towers at 6'3," has put himself on everyone's radar. At the beginning of June, he ran his personal best of 19.84 in the U18 200, dethroning Usain Bolt's long-standing record.

At only 17 years old, Knighton is now the youngest Olympic male runner since Jim Ryun who represented the U.S in 1964, Blavity previously reported.  

In high school, Knighton played on his football team as a wide receiver before joining the track squad, according to The Hill. 

“In track, the success of my career is fully in my hands and I know that I can do it," Knighton, who runs for Adidas, said.  

He's also friends with Lyles.

I’m so proud of this guy @ErriyonK Even up against the best in the world he stepped up pic.twitter.com/dJfwvPNo7j

— Noah Lyles, OLY (@LylesNoah) June 29, 2021

Gabby Thomas

In 2019, Gabby Thomas graduated from Harvard, now, she's an Olympian.

On Saturday, she became the second-fastest woman of all time, behind Florence Griffith-Joyner, to win the women’s 200 in 21.61 seconds, NBC Sports reported. 

Previously, Thomas said that American track star Allyson Felix, who's won Olympic medals since 2004, was her idol.  

"I remember sitting in my granny’s house, and my mom told me to turn on Olympic Trials because she saw someone who reminded her of me,” Thomas said of Felix after her win. 

In addition to breaking records, she's also studying for her master's in epidemiology at the University of Texas.

She hopes to land a future career in global health and health policy, according to On Her Turf. 

Athing Mu

Another New Jersey native made her dreams come true. After securing the second-fastest time by an American in the women's 800-meter Sunday night, Athing Mu will make her Olympic debut in Tokyo. 

The 19-year-old, who just finished her freshman year at Texas A&M, stunned the crowd as she left her competitors in the dust with a record-breaking time of 1:56.07.  

Born to Sudanese parents who emigrated to the U.S., Mu has assumed the role of an Olympic favorite, NBC Sports reported.  

Mu turned pro after signing a multi-year deal with sportswear giant Nike. 

“I’m always like, I want to be a professional athlete and I want to be an Olympian. Those are two things I would say. Now it’s a reality,” she said after her win. 

In June, she set a record with the fastest collegiate 400 by an American making her the fourth-fastest in the world. She also won the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 400 while representing her university. 

Athing MuErriyon KnightonGabby ThomasNoah LylesTokyo-Olympics