Paris 2024 Track and Field Olympic Preview

5 events for 5 Rings

Alright athletes, it’s time to gear up for the biggest athletic showing in the world- the Olympics. While we all love to watch Olympic goats like Biles and Ledecky, we’re going to angle the spotlight towards our (not so shockingly) personal favorite Olympic sector- running and Track and Field. With 48 events, there’s a lot to watch and a lot of people to know. We’re going to break down some of our favorite events, the athletes to look out for, and other goodies to get you excited for people running laps around an oval and jumping into sand pits at the highest level.

Obviously, we can’t cover 48 events in a single blog, so we’re going to dive into a little slice of 5, including…

100m - Women

Sha’Carri Richardson - You know her, you love her, her hair, her nails, her vibe. Won in a World Lead time of 10.71 seconds and making her Olympic debut after a suspension in 2021.
Melissa Jefferson - Ran a PB in the finals with a time of 10.80
Twanisha Terry- Gave the chilling quote “We gonna sweep this party”, post race interview. We believe in them!
Fun fact: all 3 women train together for Star Athletics!
Men

Noah Lyles - one of the faces of track and field right now, he ran a 9.83 at the trials and also qualified for the 200m so you will see a lot of Noah!
Kenny Bednarek - in his 2nd Olympics he will also be competing in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay
Fred Kerley - he will be looking to redeem himself after missing the gold in Tokyo by four tenths of a second

400m hurdles - Women

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone: set a new World Record and ran the Olympic standard for the 400m WITHOUT hurdles
Anna Cockrell- ran back to back PBs in the semi finals and finals, breaking 53 on each go
Jasmine Jones - holds the second fastest collegiate 400m hurdle time, 0.02 seconds off McLaughlin-Levrone’s collegiate record

Men

Rai Benjamin - the silver medalist at Tokyo is looking for gold after punching his ticket by a margin of over 1 second
CJ Allen & Trevor Bassitt - a couple olympic first timers!

800m - Women

Nia Akins- after a heart breaking tumble at the 2021 trials, she came out strong with a 1:57:36 PB to take the win at the trials. She is also a guitarist and singer- talk about well rounded!
Allie Wilson - her first olympic outdoor team with a 3rd fastest time of her career at 1:58:32
Juliette Whittaker - “this year i fell steps from the finish of the semis. next year i am making the team.” -a note from Whittaker’s phone written 7/10/2023 after World’s
One of the 800 favorites Athing Mu has a devastating fall that cost her her ticket to Paris

Men

Bryce Hoppel - a 2021 Olympian but seeking to medal for his first time
Hobbs Kessler - will be making his first Olympic appearance and competing in both the 800m and 1500m
Brandon Miller - a first time Olympian but already an NCAA champion in the 800m

1500m

Women

Nikki Hiltz - Hiltz won the 1500 in a historic race with the top 8 contenders running a sub 4:00
Emily MacKay - at the time of her last Olympic trials in 2021, her 1500 PR was a 4:17!
Elle St. Pierre - set the tone of the race with an aggressive 61 second first lap

Men

Cole Hocker - a second time Olympian, he is an NCAA champ in the 1500m beating fellow American teammate, Nuguse
Yared Nuguse - looking to make a comeback after a running injury held him back from competing in Tokyo 2021

Marathon

Women

Fiona O'Keeffe- O’Keeffe surprised many at the trials taking the crown in her debut marathon under hot conditions
Emily Sisson - a fan favorite and the current US Women’s marathon record holder
Dakotah Lindwurm - from a DII athlete to an Olympian, she is making her place in the world of women’s distance running known!

Men

Conner Mantz & Clayton Young - close friends and training partners who placed 1st and 2nd at the trials to punch their tickets to their first Olympic games. Talk about taking running buddy to another level!
Leonard Korir - born in Kenya but he gained US citizenship and placed 3rd at the Trials but later unlocked a spot on the team

Lesser Known Events

Steeple chase

The steeple chase is one of the most unique events in Track and Field, as it involves running for just under 2 miles, and jumping over 30-36” barriers into 2 ft of water
2024 team: Valerie Constien, Courtney Wayment, Marisa Howard

Heptathlon

Made up of 7 events - 100 m hurdles, High jump, Shot put, 200 m, Long jump, Javelin throw, 800 m
2024 team: Anna Hall, Chari Hawkins, Taliyah Brooks

Fun Running History

The 100-meter race determines who is “fastest on earth.” Usain Bolt owns the all-time record with a time of 9.58 seconds. As of August 2023, Sha’Carri Richardson won the title of fastest woman in the world in Budapest with a time of 10.65 seconds.

The steeplechase originated in Ireland and is meant to mimic horse racing. In the original race, horses and riders raced from one town’s steeple to the next. This was modified to the modern race, where athletes run 3,000 meters around a track while clearing 28 barriers and seven water jumps!
Allyson Felix is the most decorated female Olympian in track and field history, with 11 Olympic medals, including seven golds, three silvers, and one bronze medal - in addition to 20 World Championship Medals!
The first organized track and field event took place all the way back in 776 BC- known as the Olympic Games.