Kishane Thompson in the 100m heats at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (© Dan Vernon)
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games is now getting into the thick of the in-stadium athletics action, and there’s a lot to look forward to on Sunday 4 August.
Crowning of the world’s fastest man
“If you don’t have main character energy, then track and field ain’t for you,” said Noah Lyles on recent Netflix docuseries SPRINT.
The world champion gave a glimpse of that energy on the start line in the first round of the men’s 100m on Saturday (3) but once the gun fired he was forced to play a supporting role behind Britain’s NCAA champion Louis Hinchliffe, who won the heat in 9.98. Lyles clocked 10.04 to advance to the semifinals.
Fred Kerley after the 100m heats at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (© Dan Vernon)
Jamaican sprinters Oblique Seville – the only man to beat Lyles ahead of the Games year – and Kishane Thompson, the world leader, will provide stiff opposition. They won their heats in 9.99 and 10.00 respectively, making it look comfortable.
Defending champion Marcell Jacobs won’t want to surrender his title without a fight but, like Lyles, he finished second in his heat in 10.05.
As Olympic medallist and TV commentator Ato Boldon said in SPRINT: “There is no crown heavier than the Olympic 100m title.”
Into the heights
When Yaroslava Mahuchikh last competed in Paris, she broke the world high jump record with 2.10m.
The Ukrainian made easy work of the qualifying round on Friday, sailing over 1.95m with her first attempt to book her place in the final.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh in the high jump at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (© Getty Images)
She’ll be joined there by world indoor champion Nicola Olyslagers – the last athlete to beat Mahuchikh – and her Australian teammate Eleanor Patterson, the 2022 world champion.
Young high jump talent Angelina Topic sadly won’t be able to take her place in the final, though. The Serbian teenager, who took European silver in June, hurt her ankle ahead of the qualifying round. She managed to jump 1.92m and advance to the final, but it later transpired that she had fractured her ankle.
Hammer history beckons for Katzberg
In the day’s other final, Ethan Katzberg will be looking to add the Olympic gold medal to the world title he won last year in the men's hammer. In fact, simply finishing in the top eight will be history of sorts for the 22-year-old as Canada has never had an athlete place that high in the men’s hammer at the Olympic Games.
Ethan Katzberg at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (© Christel Saneh for World Athletics)
Katzberg led the qualifying round to book his place in a final that also features defending champion Wojciech Nowicki, five-time world champion Pawel Fajdek, world bronze medallist Bence Halasz, European bronze medallist Mykhaylo Kokhan and US record-holder Rudy Winkler.
It’s basically a ‘who’s who’ of the hammer.
Two more laps for 800m contenders
The big hitters in the women’s 800m all advanced through to Sunday’s semifinals, where they’ll compete for a place in the final.
Keely Hodgkinson in the 800m at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (© Getty Images)
European champion Keely Hodgkinson, world champion Mary Moraa and world indoor champion Tsige Duguma will all line up in separate semifinals. With just the first two to advance to the final by right, plus the next two fastest times, there’s little room for error.
Six women on the semifinal start line have already contested two rounds, having advanced through the repechage on Saturday.
First glimpse of McLaughlin-Levrone and Bol
One of the most anticipated clashes of the Games will get under way on Sunday with the first round of the women’s 400m hurdles.
Defending champion and world record-holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone goes in the fifth and final heat, while world champion Femke Bol features in heat three. There’s also a trio of talented Jamaicans in the form of Rushell Clayton, Janieve Russell and Shiann Salmon who’ll likely feature prominently throughout the rounds.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (top) on her way to a world 400m hurdles record at the Tokyo Olympics (© AFP / Getty Images)
Another big clash will move one step closer to fruition as Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr take to the track for the men’s 1500m semifinals.
On a busy day of action, there’s also the opening rounds of the women’s 3000m steeplechase, hammer, 200m, plus heats of the men’s 400m, 110m hurdles, long jump qualifying.
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