Nyck Harbor in South Carolina skips the Olympic trials. Here’s what we know

Nyck Harbor is back in football mode.

Although the two-sport athlete and track star from South Carolina posted a qualifying time for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200-meter dash, a school spokesperson confirmed that Harbor will not be at the trials this weekend in Eugene, Oregon.

Steve Fink, a USC spokesman, told The State that Harbor and South Carolina track and field head coach Tim Hall reached a mutual decision that Harbor would forgo the trials and a chance to represent his country in the Olympics 2024 in Paris, because his chances of qualifying were a ‘long shot’.

The news was first reported by the Post and Courier earlier Monday.

“He and Coach Hall sat down and looked at his times compared to other guys,” Fink said Tuesday. “Those are the NCAA competitors he ran against two weeks ago, but also professional athletes. The thought was that, at best, he would reach the semi-finals. … The chances of him making it to the finals and making the team were slim.”

Harbor, who transitioned directly from his freshman football season to the indoor and then outdoor track and field seasons last fall, will now get a chance to rest ahead of his sophomore season with the Gamecocks.

“This was to protect his best interests and allow him to rest and recover prior to football season,” Fink said of Harbor. “He’s been working on it for a while.”

Harbor will now focus solely on football heading into 2024 fall camp with Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks. Had he qualified for the Olympic team, Harbor would have missed about two weeks of USC’s month-long fall camp schedule leading up to the season.

Harbor, a former five-star recruit who played defensive end and tight end in high school, plays wide receiver for South Carolina. Last year he appeared in all 12 games, started the last five and caught 12 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown.

This is a developing story and will be updated.