# 1981 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

The 1981 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships took place between June 20–21 at Hughes Stadium on the campus of Sacramento City College in Sacramento, California. The 20K racewalk was held May 3 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The decathlon was held at the University of California, Santa Barbara on June 27-8. The meet was organized by The Athletics Congress.
In addition to being the National Championship, it was the selection meet to international teams including the 1981 IAAF World Cup.
This meet was headlined by Carl Lewis, who would dominate the headlines in the sport for the next decade and a half.

## Results
### Men track events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 meters | Carl Lewis | 10.13 | Stanley Floyd | 10.21 | Mel Lattany | 10.21 |
| 200 meters | Jeff Phillips | 20.36 | Eric Brown | 20.38 | James Sanford | 20.53 |
| 400 meters | Cliff Wiley | 44.70 CR | Tony Darden | 45.01 | Willie Smith | 45.15 |
| 800 meters | James Robinson | 1.45.53 | Michael Boit Kenya Randy Wilson | 1.45.60 1.45.82 | David Mack | 1.46.03 |
| 1500 meters | Sydney Maree South Africa Steve Scott | 3.35.02 CR 3.35.51 | Todd Harbour | 3.36.94 | Jim Spivey | 3.37.24 |
| 5000 meters | Matt Centrowitz | 13.28.86 CR | Craig Virgin | 13.31.64 | Don Clary | 13.33.54 |
| 10000 meters | Alberto Salazar | 28.39.33 | Duncan MacDonald | 28.45.59 | Charles Spedding United Kingdom Mark Nenow | 28.49.85 29.04.5 |
| 5 miles walk | Ray Sharp | 30:47.2 | | | | |
| 20 KM Race Walk (May 6 Kenosha, WI) | Jim Heiring | 1.30.47 | Dan O'Connor | 1.32.20 | Marco Evoniuk | 1.34.25 |
| Marathon (42.195 km.) | Robert Johnson | 2.29.14.0 | James Driver | 2.39.57.5 | Frank Meares | 2.41.23.8 |
| 110 meters hurdles | Greg Foster | 13.39 | Larry Cowling | 13.66 | Tonie Campbell | 13.66 |
| 400 meters hurdles | Edwin Moses | 47.59 | Andre Phillips | 48.10 | David Lee | 48.53 |
| 3000 meters steeplechase | Henry Marsh | 8.30.7 | Amos Korir Kenya Solomon Chebor Kenya John Gregorek | 8.31.5 8.31.9 8.32.5 | Ken Martin | 8.34.3 |

### Men field events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| High Jump | Tyke Peacock | 2.25 m (7 ft 4+1⁄2 in) | Milton Goode | 2.25 m (7 ft 4+1⁄2 in) | Nat Page | 2.25 m (7 ft 4+1⁄2 in) |
| Pole Vault | Billy Olson | 5.55 m (18 ft 2+1⁄2 in) | Steve Smith | 5.45 m (17 ft 10+1⁄2 in) | Brad Pursley | 5.34 m (17 ft 6 in) |
| Long Jump | Carl Lewis | 8.62 m (28 ft 3+1⁄4 in) CR | Larry Myricks | 8.45 m (27 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | Mike McRae | 8.04 m (26 ft 4+1⁄2 in) |
| Triple Jump | Willie Banks | 17.56 m (57 ft 7+1⁄4 in) AR, CR | Mike Marlow | 17.17 m (56 ft 3+3⁄4 in) | Robert Cannon | 17.04 m (55 ft 10+3⁄4 in) |
| Shot Put | Dave Laut | 21.60 m (70 ft 10+1⁄4 in) | Michael Carter | 21.20 m (69 ft 6+1⁄2 in) | Brian Oldfield | 21.18 m (69 ft 5+3⁄4 in) |
| Discus Throw | Ben Plucknett | 69.01 m (226 ft 4 in) | Luis Mariano Delis Cuba David Voorhees | 65.53 m (214 ft 11 in) 65.40 m (214 ft 6 in) | John Powell | 64.67 m (212 ft 2 in) |
| Hammer Throw | Richard Olsen Norway Dave McKenzie | 71.88 m (235 ft 9 in) 71.07 m (233 ft 2 in) | Matt Mileham United Kingdom Andy Bessette | 70.43 m (231 ft 0 in) 69.90 m (229 ft 3 in) | Peter Farmer Australia John McArdle | 69.47 m (227 ft 11 in) 66.93 m (219 ft 7 in) |
| Javelin Throw | Bruce Kennedy | 84.33 m (276 ft 8 in) | Rod Ewaliko | 83.01 m (272 ft 4 in) | Duncan Atwood | 81.53 m (267 ft 5 in) |
| Decathlon | John Crist | 8005 | Tony Allen-Cooksey | 7972 | Jim Howell | 7787 |

### Women track events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 meters | Evelyn Ashford | 11.07 | Jeanette Bolden | 11.27 | Alice Brown | 11.28 |
| 200 meters | Evelyn Ashford | 22.30 | Florence Griffith | 23.09 | Jacqueline Pusey Jamaica Chandra Cheeseborough | 23.14 23.17 |
| 400 meters | Denean Howard | 51.79 | Rosalyn Bryant | 52.53 | Lorna Forde Barbados Arlise Emerson | 52.87 53.37 |
| 800 meters | Madeline Manning | 1.58.50 | Leann Warren | 2.00.08 | Robin Campbell | 2.01.02 |
| 1500 meters | Janice Merrill | 4.14.62 | Cindy Bremser | 4.15.34 | Kate Keyes | 4.15.84 |
| 3000 meters | Brenda Webb | 9.04.54 | Joan Hansen | 9.07.57 | Carol Urish | 9.19.50 |
| 10000 meters | Joan Benoit | 33.37.5 | Patsy Sharples South Africa Julie Shea | 34.10.2 34.30.6 | Glynis Quick New Zealand Kim Schnurpfeil | 34.34.8 34.39.3 |
| Marathon Ottawa, Canada | Nancy Conz | 2.36.45.9 | Joan Benoit | 2.37.25 | Julie Isphording | 2.38.25.9 |
| 100 meters hurdles | Stephanie Hightower | 13.09 | Benita Fitzgerald | 13.10 | Jackie Washington | 13.18 |
| 400 meters hurdles | Sandy Myers | 56.43 | Tammy Etienne | 57.14 | Edna Brown | 57.82 |
| 10,000 m walk | Sue Liers-Westerfield | 49:54.2 | | | | |

### Women field events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| High Jump | Pam Spencer | 1.95 m (6 ft 4+3⁄4 in) | Louise Ritter | 1.92 m (6 ft 3+1⁄2 in) | Colleen Reinstra | 1.92 m (6 ft 3+1⁄2 in) |
| Long Jump | Jodi Anderson | 6.71 m (22 ft 0 in) | Kathy McMillan | 6.59 m (21 ft 7+1⁄4 in) | Carol Lewis | 6.54 m (21 ft 5+1⁄4 in)w |
| Shot Put | Denise Wood | 16.91 m (55 ft 5+1⁄2 in) | Lorna Griffin | 16.26 m (53 ft 4 in) | Sandy Burke | 15.99 m (52 ft 5+1⁄2 in) |
| Discus Throw | Leslie Deniz | 55.70 m (182 ft 8 in) | Denise Wood | 55.40 m (181 ft 9 in) | Mariette van Heerden South Africa Lorna Griffin | 54.79 m (179 ft 9 in) 54.68 m (179 ft 4 in) |
| Javelin Throw | Karin Smith | 63.45 m (208 ft 2 in) | Kathy Schmidt | 60.78 m (199 ft 4 in) | Lynda Hughes | 53.64 m (175 ft 11 in) |
| Heptathlon | Jane Frederick | 6011w | Jackie Joyner | 5827w | Patsy Walker | 5704w |