Track & Field is the most highly anticipated event at the Olympics and is the signature sport every four years. Unlike, basketball and soccer, track and field at the Olympics is considered the pinnacle of the sport. It is breathtaking to see the world’s greatest athletes demonstrating power, strength, and remarkable speed to climb to the mountaintop and take the gold medal for their country. In this article, we preview the top 5 events to watch in the 2024 Track and Field Events.
1. Men’s 100m and 200m- Noah Lyles should enter the sprint double as the favorite for the events after winning the double gold medals last year at the World Championships in Budapest. Lyles is almost certain to win the 200 meters, his best event of the two sprints. Noah has the fastest time in 2024 after clocking 19.53 at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. His closest challenger will be compatriot, Kenneth Bednarek, who clocked 19.59 for second in that race. Botswana’s Letsile Tobogo has the third-fastest time this year and will be lurking if Lyles slips up. Noah will face a stiffer test in the 100m because the field will consist of Kishane Thompson, who ran a blistering 9.77m in the Jamaican Trials for the fastest time in 2024. The surprise challenger for Lyles will be Ferdinand Omanyala, who ran 9.79 at the Kenya Trials and for a country known for middle to long-distance running. Finally, Noah should not underestimate Marcell Jacobs of Italy, who missed last year’s Championship due to injury but is healthy as the reigning Olympic Champion.
Men’s 100-m final: Sunday, August 4, 9:50 p.m. in Paris, 3:50 p.m. E.T.
2. Men’s 200-m final: Thursday, August 8, 8:30 p.m. in Paris, 2:30 p.m. E.T.
Women 100m and 200m-it will be a battle of America vs Jamaica in both these events. Elaine Thompson won the double in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, but she will miss the Olympics after sustaining persistent injuries. Sha’Carri Richardson is the favorite for 100m after winning the title from lane 8 at last year’s World Championship. Richardson has the fastest time in 2024 with an incredible 10.71sec. The challengers to Richardson will be St. Lucian Julien Alfred, who ran 10.78 earlier this year and appears to be rounding into form. Lookout for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to sneak a bronze medal in her final individual events after the withdrawal of Shericka Jackson. Jackson took the strategic move of running the 200 meters only after niggling injuries in 2024. It is bad news for the field because Jackson is the favorite to win based on her recent dominance of the event on the world stage. Jackson will face another tough test from U.S.A.’s Gabby Thomas, who has run 21.78 for the fastest time in 2024. Julian Alfred has a nice shot of winning a medal in both events after running the third-fastest time in 20om earlier the year.
Women 100-m final: Saturday, August 3, 9:20 p.m. in Paris, 3:20 p.m. E.T.
Women 200-m final: Tuesday, August 6, 9:40 p.m. in Paris, 3:40 p.m. E.T.
3. 400-meters hurdles women-it is probably the most anticipated potential match-up of the Olympics when world champion Femke Bol of the Netherlands faces 24-year-old American, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who has dominated the event for the past three years. In the absence of Sydney in Budapest, Bol stormed to victory in the finals. However, McLaughlin-Levrone has dominated the head-to-head race against Bol with a bronze and silver finish in the 2021 Olympics and 2022 World Champs for the Dutch athlete. Bol enters the meet the fitter athlete with plenty of appearances this season, while Sydney’s form is a big question mark. Despite this, Sydney has the best time in 2024 ahead of Bol. History is on Bol’s side because no runner has successfully defended their Olympic title in this event, with silver medals for Deon Hemmings and Dalilah Muhammed the closest to achieving the mark.
Women’s 400-m hurdles final: Thursday, August 8, 9:25 p.m. in Paris, 3:25 p.m. E.T.
4. 400-meter hurdles for men- it is a golden era for the hurdles event because the men’s race is just as intriguing as the women’s race. The big question is whether American Rai Benjamin can finally defeat his nemesis Karsten Warholm. Warholm has swept the gold medals from the 2019 World Championships to the 2021 Olympics and last year’s World Championships in Budapest. Benjamin may feel this is the year he pulls off the upset because he defeated the Norwegian at the Monaco Diamond League in July. Adding to his case for the upset, Benjamin has the fastest time in 2024 ahead of Warholm, who is third on the list.
Men’s 400-m hurdles final: Friday, August 9, 9:45 p.m. in Paris, 3:45 p.m. E.T.
5. Men 1500m-the metric mile event has crept into our list because an intense rivalry is brewing between the two best athletes in the event- Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway and Josh Kerr of Great Britain. Jakob is the defending Olympic champion of the event, while Josh pulled off the upset in Budapest by passing the Norwegian in the last 200m. The athletes have sparked interest in the rivalry off the track, with Kerr calling Jakob a “high ego” who is surrounded by “yes men,” and “has some flaws in the manners realm.” Kerr has impressed this season by breaking Mo Farah’s indoor two-mile world record in New York in February. However, Ingebrigtsen was not impressed, stating, “I would have beaten him in that race, blindfolded.” Ouch! Sparks will fly on the track to settle this rivalry, and a photo finish is on the cards.
Men’s 1,500-m final: Tuesday, August 6, 8:50 p.m. in Paris, 3:50 p.m. E.T.