# 1920 United States Olympic trials (track and field)

The 1920 United States Olympic trials for track and field were held from 9 to 17 July 1920 and decided the United States team for the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. As women's athletics was not added to the Olympic programme until 1928, only a men's trials was held. Most of the finals took place 16–17 July in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Harvard Stadium, except for the steeplechase and decathlon in Travers Island, New York and the decathlon in New York City.
The meeting also served as the 1920 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, unlike future editions which were held separately. It was the first U.S. track and field trials that consisted of only one final per event to make the team, except for the marathon trials which took place over four races.
A maximum of four athletes could be named to the team per event, unlike the three-athlete-limit of future Olympics. Also unlike future Olympic trials, the 1920 trials results were not completely determinative of the team; in several cases athletes who finished outside of the top 4 were selected based on consistency of previous results.
The marathon team was said to have been chosen based on results from marathons in Brooklyn, Detroit, Boston, and New York, although in practice only athletes that ran the Detroit, Boston, or New York marathons were selected. The top Americans at each of these races (Charles Mellor, 2:30:04 for 1st in Detroit; Arthur Roth, 2:30:21 for 2nd in Boston; Joseph Organ, 2:51:06.2 for 2nd in New York) were named to the team, along with Carl Linder who was the 2nd American finisher in Boston (2:23:32 for 3rd overall).

## Results

| Event | First | First | Second | Second | Third | Third | Fourth | Fourth |
| 100 yards | Loren Murchison | 10.0 | Jackson Scholz | 10.1 e | Charles Paddock | 10.2 e | Morris Kirksey | 10.2 e |
| 220 yards straight | Charles Paddock | 21.4 | Morris Kirksey | 21.6 e | Loren Murchison | 21.6 e | George Massengale | 22.0 e |
| 440 yards | Frank Shea | 49.0 | Ted Meredith | 49.4 e | Robert Emery | 49.7 e | George Bretnall | 50.0 e |
| 880 yards | Earl Eby | 1:54.2 | Donald Scott | 1:55.0 e | Thomas Campbell | 1:55.3 e | Bryan Sprott | 1:55.4 e |
| 1 mile | Joseph Ray | 4:16.2 | Edward Curtis | 4:19.0 e | Lawrence Shields | 4:19.2 e | James Connolly | 4:20 e |
| 5000 m | Hal Brown | 15:26.0 | Clifford Furnas | 15:29.0 e | John Simmons | 15:30.0 e | Ivan Dresser | |
| 10,000 m | Frederick Faller | 32:15.0 | Earl Johnson | 32:18.0 e | George Cornetta | | Max Bohland | |
| 120 yards hurdles | Harold Barron | 15.2 | William Yount | | Walker Smith | | Frederick Murray | |
| 440 yards hurdles | Frank Loomis | 55.0 | John Norton | 55.2 e | August Desch | | Charles Daggs | |
| 3000 m steeplechase | Patrick Flynn | 9:58.2 | Michael Devaney | 10:06 e | Albert Hulsebosch | 10:08 e | Ray Watson | |
| High jump | John Murphy | 1.93 m | Richmond Landon | 1.92 m | Harold Muller | 1.92 m | Christopher Krogness | 1.89 m |
| High jump | John Murphy | 1.93 m | Richmond Landon | 1.92 m | Harold Muller | 1.92 m | Egon Erickson | 1.89 m |
| High jump | John Murphy | 1.93 m | Richmond Landon | 1.92 m | Harold Muller | 1.92 m | Oliver Corey | 1.89 m |
| High jump | John Murphy | 1.93 m | Richmond Landon | 1.92 m | Harold Muller | 1.92 m | Walter Whalen | 1.89 m |
| Pole vault | Frank Foss | 3.99 m | Edwin Myers | 3.99 m | Edward Knourek | 3.91 m | Eldon Jenne | 3.91 m |
| Long jump | Solomon Butler | 7.52 m | Sherman Landers | 7.14 m | Dink Templeton | 6.91 m | Jack Merchant | 6.82 m |
| Triple jump | Sherman Landers | 14.83 m | Daniel Ahearn | 14.55 m | Kaufman Geist | 14.03 m | Clarence Jaquith | 13.95 m |
| Shot put | Patrick McDonald | 14.33 m | Harry Liversedge | 14.05 m | George Bihlman | 13.78 m | Howard Cann | 13.56 m |
| Discus throw | Augustus Pope | 44.63 m | William Bartlett | 43.22 m | Roy Evans | 41.13 m | Merle Husted | 41.03 m |
| Hammer throw | Patrick James Ryan | 51.62 m | Matthew McGrath | 50.68 m | James McEachern | 47.76 m | Basil Bennett | 46.74 m |
| Javelin throw | Milton Angier | 58.79 m | James Lincoln | 57.07 m | Kenneth Wilson | 52.56 m | Flint Hanner | 52.55 m |
| Decathlon | Brutus Hamilton | 7022.9815 pts | Everett Bradley | 6965.1180 pts | Robert LeGendre | 6578.7885 pts | Harry Goelitz | 6461.5310 pts |
| 3000 m walk | Willie Plant | 13:08.0 | | | | |
| Pentathlon | Brutus Hamilton | 17 pts | | | | |
| Weight throw for distance | Patrick McDonald | 11.56 m | | | | |