Paris: The track and field is the highlight of the Olympic Games and over the years it has produced some engrossing contests and some memorable moments.
The track and field began on Thursday with a full schedule of events beginning on Friday, including the decathlon 100m, hammer throw qualification, women’s high jump qualification.
There have been many heartbreaks as well in athletics with the current edition to be held at the Stade de France arena.
Five key battles in track and field during the Paris Olympic Games
Men
100 metres
Marcell Jacobs (Italy) v Noah Lyles (USA)
This is a fascinating clash between the mercurial Italian and the livewire American — the former defending his surprising title from Tokyo and the latter trying to rubber-stamp the image of himself as the rightful successor to Usain Bolt.
The two could not be more of a contrast physically — Jacobs is all muscles while Lyles has remained lithe, but on form since the Olympics the American is odds-on favourite.
However, Jacobs has shrugged off a series of injuries and illnesses that have bedevilled him since Tokyo. Lyles took advantage by winning 100 and 200-metre golds at the world championships last year.
Jacobs, 29, threw down the gauntlet in winning the European title in June and if in top form Lyles’ claim to Bolt’s mantle may receive a jolt of reality.
“I worked really hard to get here to win again… so I can do the double,” said Jacobs.
400-metre hurdles
Karsten Warholm (Sweden) v Rai Benjamin (USA)
Warholm has been the leading man and Benjamin never quite a scene-stealing supporting actor in one of athletics’ most enthralling rivalries of the past few years.
From the 2019 world championships in Doha to the Tokyo Games where he broke the world record in stunning fashion — the American also did in a valiant losing effort — and Budapest last year the 28-year-old Warholm has shown Benjamin a clean set of heels.
Benjamin, though, perhaps landed a psychological blow when he beat Warholm in the Monaco Diamond League meeting in July.
“Paris is going to be madness,” said Benjamin. “I have to win there. I believe I can do it.”
Shot put
Ryan Crouser (USA) v Joe Kovacs (USA)
The field event that World Athletics president Sebastian Coe savours could turn into quite a duel between the two American rivals.
Kovacs, 35, is four years older than Crouser so this is probably his final chance to secure an elusive Olympic gold — and deny his compatriot a historic third title.
Kovacs claimed Crouser was beatable and blamed having to cope with a new-born baby last year for disrupting his preparations for the Budapest world championships.
Stunning performance
His excuse rang hollow given Crouser produced a stunning performance to take gold less than three weeks after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis.
Crouser has been laid low by injuries this season too and is philosophical about how he will cope on Friday.
“The best analogy is this - it’s like an airplane where we’re all loaded up, and everything’s ready to go,” he said.
“We just have a short runway. It’s tough to know exactly where I’m at.”
Women
400-metre hurdles
Femke Bol (Netherlands) v Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA)
Probably the most keenly anticipated potential match-up of the Games pits world champion Bol against the 24-year-old American, who has dominated the event for the past three years.
“It’s inspirational and motivational how McLaughlin-Levrone’s racing and seeing how she’s raising the bar,” said 24-year-old Bol earlier this month.
The Dutchwoman has twice taken minor medals behind the world record holder — a bronze in Tokyo and silver at the 2022 worlds — but she certainly comes to Paris race-fit whereas the American has been sparing in her appearances.
Bol can take heart that no-one has successfully defended the title - Deon Hemmings and Dalilah Muhammad going closest in winning silver at the Games after their moment of glory. But McLaughlin-Levrone has shown she is all about making history.
200 metres
Shericka Jackson (Jamaica) v Gabby Thomas (USA)
Jackson has shed the 100 metres and bet the house on the 200 metres to at last win an Olympic individual gold after two bronzes at 400 and 100 metres in Rio and Tokyo respectively.
A worrying injury close to the Games may have forced her hand but the 30-year-old probably needs all her reserves to handle Thomas.
The Jamaican knows how to handle pressure for she has two 200-metre world titles to her credit whereas Thomas, 27, has something to prove after taking bronze in Tokyo and then silver at the worlds behind Jackson last year.
Thomas has been in far better form than Jackson this year but the Harvard graduate is expecting the old warrior to turn up primed and ready for what could well be her last tilt at individual Olympic gold.
“It means a lot, I don’t have an individual Olympic gold medal,” said Jackson.
— With inputs from AFP
