It’s not only the athletes donned in the latest super spikes who are feeling the energy at these Olympics; the entire track and field community is buzzing. The sport is becoming increasingly vocal about its excitement.
“Athletics is the essence of the Olympic Games,” stated World Athletics president Sebastian Coe on Thursday. “These will be remarkable Games featuring astonishing performances and the most extraordinary talents we have witnessed in any generation.”
Of course, Coe makes similar remarks before every Games. However, the anticipation is that Paris will showcase rapid times, spectacular events, and possibly numerous world records.
Importantly, more viewers are tuning in, thanks to the Sprint documentary series, which has captivated a new audience and highlighted stars like Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson, known for their remarkable speed and outspoken personalities.
“The feedback has been incredible,” Coe shared, noting that Sprint is currently the top sports program on Netflix. “I’ve spoken with people who might never have watched athletics before, and now they see it as genuinely intriguing. Our task is to leverage the excitement we’ve built.”
A second series is in production, with a focus on several compelling new competitors. Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson, the world’s fastest this year with a time of 9.77 seconds, has yet to run in the Diamond League in 2024. His fellow countryman, Oblique Seville, also 23, is nearly as quick. Are they the real contenders? We’ll find out soon.
In the women’s 100m and 200m, keep an eye on Julien Alfred from St Lucia, who could potentially join established athletes such as Richardson, Gabby Thomas, and Shericka Jackson. There’s a real possibility that Florence Griffith-Joyner’s long-standing 200m world record might finally be broken, should Jackson return to peak form.
And expect astonishing performances in Paris as well. Mondo claims the track at Stade de France is the fastest ever created for the Olympics, while shoe manufacturers assure that the super spikes have been significantly improved since the Tokyo Games three years ago. Everything is in place for greatness.
Moreover, an additional factor contributing to the faster times is the introduction of a “bicarb system” by the supplement company Maurten last year, which has rapidly gained popularity among athletes. A prominent British coach informs the Guardian that “almost everyone uses it, and it’s entirely legal,” allowing athletes to consume sodium bicarbonate in high doses without adverse effects, enabling them to perform harder and faster during high-intensity activities.
Rivalries will abound as well. In the women’s 400m hurdles, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is likely set to break her world record. She may need to, considering the challenge from Dutch athlete Femke Bol. Meanwhile, the men’s 400m hurdles will feature a rematch of the three top competitors – Karsten Warholm, Rai Benjamin, and Alison Dos Santos – who electrified audiences during the Tokyo Games. However, any event on any given night promises captivating narratives.
There is palpable optimism within the British camp too. Last year at the world championships, they achieved a joint-record 10 medals. High hopes are pinned on Keely Hodgkinson in the women’s 800m, Josh Kerr in the men’s 1500m, and Matt Hudson-Smith in the men’s 400m, all of whom are perceived as strong gold medal candidates.
Keep an eye out for Molly Caudery, a strong contender for the women’s pole vault who could emerge as a breakout star, or if Katarina Johnson-Thompson can finally secure an Olympic medal in the heptathlon. Additionally, expectations run high for multiple medals across most of the five relay events, even though the team faced a setback with Jake Wightman’s withdrawal from the 800m right before the Games.
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As team captain, Josh Kerr, who clinched 1500m gold at last year’s world championships, emphasizes: “There’s significant expectation. We are entering off our best medal tallies from a world championship. This has established high standards for our team.”
“We are committed to making it to as many finals as possible,” he continues. “At that point, medals will be within our reach.”
Kerr is set to partake in one of the Games’ marquee races against the formidable Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who secured the Olympic title in Tokyo, leaving Kerr in third place. However, at last year’s world championships, Kerr triumphed over Ingebrigtsen in Budapest, and the British captain ponders whether that will linger in his rival’s mind come race day.
“I would find it surprising if it didn’t affect him,” Kerr notes. “Yet, it’s not only about me; a remarkable array of 1500m runners are stepping up, saying: ‘We can win this in varied ways.’ Ingebrigtsen won the Olympics in 2021 with an Olympic record, and that’s a title you don’t forget. He’s clearly improved this year. I’m just focused on executing my plan. I believe I can do that better than anyone else in the world.”
“My objective is straightforward,” Kerr adds. “I’ve discussed it enough. My training camp has been smooth. I’m entering with strong confidence, ready to give my all.”
This mindset resonates with many athletes. The hope within track and field is that achieving golds on the track translates into increased financial and public interest beyond the events.
