Athletics is one of the most popular sports at the Olympic Games. In Paris, most of the competitions are held in the Stade de France, on a purple track.
18.07.2024, 05:30
18.07.2024, 08:44
SDA
Fans can look forward to these highlights.
100 m:
Although the men's 100 m sprint has lost some of its appeal following Usain Bolt's retirement in August 2017, the question of who is the fastest man in the world continues to fascinate. The extroverted Noah Lyles attracts the most attention. The American won gold in the 100 and 200 m and the relay at last year's World Championships in Budapest after repeatedly struggling with depression. However, Lyles only ranks 4th in the season's best list with 9.83 seconds. The number 1 is the 23-year-old Jamaican Kishane Thompson (9.77), who is still hardly known. Three years ago in Tokyo, the Italian Marcell Jacobs surprisingly triumphed, this year setting a best time of 9.92.
American world champion Sha'Carri Richardson is the top favorite in the women's event. The 24-year-old impressed at the US Trials with a world best time of 10.71. 37-year-old Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.91) is competing in her fifth Olympic Games. Still ahead of her at number 10 in the annual world best list is Switzerland's Mujinga Kambundji (10.90).
400 m hurdles
At the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Karsten Warholm set a fabulous world record in the 400 m hurdles in 45.94 seconds. The Norwegian improved his own record by 76 hundredths. In this race, Rai Benjamin achieved the second-best time ever run on this distance with 46.17 seconds. The American is the fastest over 400 m hurdles this year with 46.46, ahead of the Brazilian Alison dos Santos (46.63) and Warholm (46.70). This trio should decide the medals among themselves and provide a spectacle.
In the women's 400 m hurdles, the American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone also set a world record of 51.46 seconds in Tokyo. She has since beaten this time three times, most recently at the US trials at the end of June with 50.65, the current world record. Last Sunday in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the Dutchwoman Femke Bol, trained by the Swiss Laurent Meuwly, stayed under 51 seconds (50.95) for the first time. A duel at the very highest level can be expected in Paris.
Men's pole vault
A lot would have to happen in the men's pole vault for the winner not to be Armand Duplantis. The Swede jumps in a category of his own. This is precisely why this discipline is one of the highlights in Paris. Because every time Duplantis competes, a world record literally hangs in the air. The outdoor record is 6.24 meters. It would not be surprising if the 24-year-old were to break the 6.30 m mark soon.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen
Jakob Ingebrigtsen is definitely one of the current figureheads in athletics. Despite being only 23 years old, the Norwegian is already an Olympic champion (in the 1500 m), two-time world champion and six-time European champion. In Paris, he is the favorite in the 1500 m and 5000 m. He missed out on this double at the last two World Championships, having to settle for silver twice in the 5000m. This time it should work out. The form is definitely right. Last Friday, Ingebrigtsen set a European record of 3:26.73 minutes in the 1500 m at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco. He is still 73 hundredths off the world record set by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1998.
