Men’s Olympic Track Preview
5 Things I am looking forward to watching at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Storylines I am looking forward to on the men’s side - no particular order
A “TENSE” 3.75 laps - 1500m (the metric mile)
It has been a competitive year for the men’s 1500m, and it seems like the powder keg that has been building throughout the season will be ready to blow when runners line up for what is known as the metric mile. The past few years have provided exciting 1500m races, making this year’s Olympic Men’s 1500m one to watch.
The reigning Olympic champion, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, has made a name for himself as an outspoken runner who always puts maximum effort into every race. However, after winning gold in Tokyo, he lost the last two World Championships to British athletes, with one of those athletes being his main competitor trying to back up his talk.
2022 World Champion Jake Wightman has opted for the 800m in Paris, but 2023 World Champion Josh Kerr is the one hoping to take down Ingebrigtsen. The two athletes have sparred at meets throughout the year, including an epic duel at the Prefontaine Classic back in May. Kerr has tried to back up his talk this year as he looks to stack Olympic gold on top of his World Championship gold.
Though Kerr and Ingebrigtsen are the top contenders for gold, the thing I love about the 1500m is its unpredictability. Many will remember Matt Centrowitz’s unlikely Olympic win in 2016 in a tactical race. I am always reminded of this as I get excited to watch this event. Therefore, you can never count out the field even if you have clear contenders leading it.
The United States is primed to possibly bring home hardware from this race, even Olympic gold in the right circumstances. Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse, and Hobbs Kessler are the three athletes representing the US, and Hocker and Nuguse are probably the better chances for medals (though I lean a bit more towards Nuguse, who is known for peaking at the right time). Nuguse also seeks to avenge his 5th place from last year’s World Championships.
Lastly, it is always hard to discount the Kenyan contingent, including African Championship gold medalists Brian Komen, Timothy Cheruiyot, and Reynold Cheruiyot (no, they are not related—I had to Google that). The Kenyans are never far off the medal podium and pose a threat to upset what many see as a somewhat given 1-2 battle between Kerr and Ingebrigtsen. Between the talk and the athletes competing (many of whom I don’t even have time to list or address), this race from heats to semi-finals to the final is sure to light up the track. At the very least, the Olympic record (3:28.32 by Ingebrigtsen in Tokyo 2021) is at risk of going down, and with the right push, the world record (3:26.00 by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1998) could be challenged.
Three-Way Draw…Going For Gold (400m Hurdles)
This event, one of the hardest in all of track and field, is expected to see the same three athletes on the podium that we saw at the Tokyo Games. Either Karsten Warholm or Alison dos Santos has claimed every World or Olympic gold medal since the London World Championships in 2017 (that’s five times). The third athlete in this mix is American Rai Benjamin, who has finished on the podium in the last three World Championships and won silver at the Tokyo Olympics. Though Benjamin has experienced the runner-up and even third-place feeling before, that does not mean he hasn’t been close to that gold medal moment. Could Paris be his moment to finally climb to the top of the podium?
While the last two World Championships have not featured all three of these men on the podium, Benjamin has been the constant, finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively in 2022 and 2023. His consistency has been unmatched in this sport, and aside from never winning the gold, his resume suggests that one has to be on the way at some point.
Unfortunately, he still has to deal with Warholm, one of the greatest 400m hurdlers of all time. At the 2021 Olympics, Benjamin ran what would have been a world record, except Warholm beat him in the race and became the first man to ever break 46 seconds in the event (45.94). Dos Santos had the race of his life at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, OR, to steal the gold, with Benjamin in 2nd and Warholm (having spent some of 2022 with injuries) lagging in 7th.
These three men have essentially dominated this sport for a while, and it doesn’t look like Paris will be much different. All of them are showing good form heading into Paris. The three met at the Monaco Diamond League Meet on July 12, locking out the top three spots (Benjamin, Warholm, and Dos Santos respectively). While sometimes there may be a wild card that works their way in, I will be paying close attention to the order these three finish, as they could set the track on fire with the world record very much at risk.
Noah Lyles vs. The World (100/200m Double)
The World Championships last year in Budapest produced many headlines, especially the double sprint performance by American phenom Noah Lyles. Noah’s flashy style and outspoken nature have garnered him many fans (and probably just as many critics). However, his unpredictable flair is always worth watching, no matter how you feel about him.
Netflix highlighted his journey (as well as a handful of others) in his pursuit of the double in the documentary series SPRINT. Noah comes off a more-than-successful 2023, and his 2024 is looking like a mirror image. After getting 2nd in the 60 meters at the World Indoor Championships in March, he has had an outdoor season where he finished 1st in 10 of 11 races (finishing 2nd in a 100m race in Jamaica). His starts are looking much better (which is dangerous because that was his weakest part), his top-end speed is mind-blowing, and in the 200m, he can slingshot off the turn so well I am surprised he can stay on the ground. This is “peak performance Noah Lyles” we are talking about.
However, to replicate the double gold at the Olympics (and possibly add a third in the 4x100 relay), he is going to have quite the field to work his way through. While Noah has the fastest time in the world this year in the 200m (19.53), his 100m season's best (9.81) is only good enough for 3rd on that list. Lyles is a 200m specialist (it was his “native” event), but even that field is starting to close in around him. Lyles will be challenged in the 200m by fellow countrymen Kenny Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton, and international stars like Letsile Tebogo and 100m specialist Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain. Though for the 200m, Noah is probably more concerned about the world record (19.19 by Usain Bolt in 2009) than he is about the field.
The 100m, though, is the more wildcard event. While Lyles surprised many by winning gold in 2023, it will take more for him to complete the double in 2024. His contenders include three Jamaicans: Kishane Thompson (season's best and world lead 9.77), Oblique Seville, and Akeem Blake; his compatriots Fred Kerley and Bednarek (who himself is doing the 100/200 double); and many other internationally acclaimed runners (including defending Olympic champion Marcel Jacobs, whose time isn’t even in the top 10 for this year). This is a stacked field, and not only will some of the world’s fastest be left off the podium, but probably even out of the final. I'm following this for the fireworks it is bound to provide and to see if all the work Lyles has put in over the last few years will pay off with double (maybe even triple with the relay) gold in Paris.
4x400m Relay (Can a High Schooler make an impact?)
Ok, this one might be quicker because it’s less about the field and more about a single runner making an early name for himself.
What makes Wilson’s story so awesome, and why do I only care about one person in a relay? Because Quincy Wilson is a 16-year-old high school student. It is not often that you get to see a high schooler compete in track and field at the Olympics, and while Wilson did not qualify in an individual event (he finished 4th, just outside of the Olympic spots in the 400m), he was picked as part of the relay pool for Team USA. Being picked as part of the relay pool usually guarantees you a spot for at least a preliminary round relay run, and I, for one, cannot wait to see what he can do if he gets the chance.
Wilson has set and reset the U18 men’s 400m world record multiple times. In fact, he ran all three rounds of the US Olympic trials in sub-45 seconds. High school runners can be fast, but they aren’t often this fast with so much potential still to show. I think we will be talking about Wilson for a while, but for now, I can’t wait to see this 16-year-old in Paris.
Let Me Nerd Out About the Distance Races for a Moment (5000/10,000m)
I won't lie—this event is more about my love for the distance races than the storylines leading into it. You can always count me in to watch exciting track action that covers more than just 1-2 laps. In fact, the 5000m is 12.5 laps, and the 10,000m is 25. These races are long (12-13 minutes for the 5000m and 26-27 minutes for the 10,000m), and I love it! Though sometimes the greater track community doesn’t see the same joy I do.
In the past 20 years or so, these events have been mostly dominated by East Africans from countries like Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Aside from a few standouts in that time (like Brit Mo Farah, American Bernard Lagat, and Canadian Mo Ahmed), there has been very little deviation from these three countries competing for podiums. That is, except for the last two World Championship 5000m races, both of which were won by the aforementioned 1500m runner, Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Ingebrigtsen will look to make that Olympic gold his own in a double (1500m and 5000m). However, he will have to deal with Ethiopian and Ugandan trios—countries known to employ “team” tactics in world championship-level races. Other contenders include Guatemalan Luis Grijalva (this guy is seriously awesome and has an amazing story), Canadian Mo Ahmed, and American distance phenom Grant Fisher (who will be running both the 5000m and 10,000m).
The 10,000m, on the other hand, appears to be more “business-as-usual” for the East Africans, with the Kenyan and Ethiopian trios having the six fastest times in the world this year. With their individual speeds in the event, I highly doubt there will be as many team tactics in this race, and more of a knock-down, drag-out fight for the podium. However, if I were to pick one of the distance races to include an American male on the podium, this would be the one. Grant Fisher is in phenomenal shape, and with the 10,000m being the first of the men’s distance events, he will be ready to make his mark in Paris on the first night. The other athlete I am paying close attention to in this race is Eritrean, Habtom Samuel, who placed 2nd in the NCAA Cross Country Championship last fall and 1st in the men’s 10,000m NCAA Outdoor Championships. He is one of the rising stars in the sport and definitely has a chance to make his mark on the international athletics stage in the 10,000m.
The Other Previews
Initially, I planned to keep it as one article, but I have too many thoughts to fit into just one (who is surprised?). So, I will cover this in a few different articles. I have linked the other articles here:
*Note: All athletes are linked with their World Athletics profiles