From world records to dramatic clashes and brilliant achievements, we take a look at the best moments from the 2024 Games.
McLaughlin-Levron stands alone
Track fans were licking their lips in anticipation of Sydney McLaughlin-Levron going up against European record holder Femke Bol in the women’s 400m hurdles. But in the end there was no contest as the American clocked a world record 50.37 as Ball finished a disappointing third in 52.15 behind another American, Anna Cockrell. Read more here.
Mondo Duplantis (Getty)
Duplantis reigns supreme
There are strong favorites for events and then there are near certainties. Mondo Duplantis fell into that category in Paris, and after dispatching his rivals, the Swedish pole vaulter cleared a world record of 6.25m. Read more here.
Sifan Hasan (Getty)
Sifan Hasan completes Zatopek treble
After winning bronze medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m, Sifan Hasan entered the marathon on the final day of the Games asking himself, as usual, “why am I doing this?” However, in high-quality dust between many of the world’s best marathon runners, she saw off the challenge of world record holder Tigist Asefa and Helen Obiri to take gold in 2:22:55. Read more here.
Josh Kerr, Cole Hawker, Jared Nugus (Getty)
Cole Hawker’s shocker
All eyes were on Jacob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr in the track and field program’s most anticipated event. However, after Ingebrigtsen’s world record pace, it was Cole Hawker who stormed down the home straight to take surprise gold from Kerr and Jared Nugus in 3:27.65, with Ingebrigtsen missing out on the medals. Read more here.
Nafi Thiam (Getty)
Thiam vs. KJT
Nafi Thiam won her third Olympic gold in Paris and to do so she had to fight off the challenge of world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson in the heptathlon. It was a thrilling contest that ended with the Belgian winning gold with 6,880 points. Read more here.
Daily Stone (Getty)
Stona’s hands
When world record holder Nikolas Alekna threw an Olympic record 69.97m in the second round, he looked invincible. But in one of the biggest upsets of the Games, Roger Stona, a little-known Jamaican who was trying out for the NFL in the run-up to the Games, beat that mark with 70.00m. “I have to rethink my future now,” he said of the NFL vs. athletics dilemma. Read more here.
Gabby Thomas wins (Getty)
Golden girl Gabby
Gabby Thomas was the most successful athlete in Paris with three gold medals. Two of those came in relays with the United States, but his individual moment came in the 200m when he beat defending 100m champion Julien Alfred in style in 21.83 minutes. Read more here.
Kelly Hodgkinson (Getty)
Keely delivers
Great Britain’s only gold in the athletics program was won in the women’s 800m. Keely Hodgkinson was the favorite but had yet to get the job done in a tough field that included world champion Mary Mora. After running the first lap two seconds slower than she had planned, the 22-year-old edged the race by a neck and raced home in 1:56.72. Read more here.
Jessica Hull, Faith Kipyego and Georgia Bell (Getty)
Kipyegon scores a hat trick
Everyone was talking about Eliud Kipchoge going for a third Olympic marathon crown, but Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon was trying to win her third consecutive 1500m title and she set an Olympic record of 3:51.29. Jess Hull won silver for Australia with one of the revelations of the year, Georgia Bell, breaking the British record bronze in 3:52.61. Read more here.
Beatrice Chebet defeats Nadia Battocleti (Getty)
Beatrice Chebet in the double
After winning a controversial 5000m final where Gudaf Tsegai tangled with Faith Kipyegon, Beatrice Chebet bounced back to outlast Nadia Battocletti for 10,000m gold. After winning her second world title this year, Chebet is arguably now the world’s No. 1 female runner, and her marathon debut will be highly anticipated. Read more here.
» Subscribe to AW Magazine here
The post 10 highlights from the Paris Olympics appeared first AW:.
