The Shot Put Olympic Record & World Record
Sometimes the underdog has a secret. While Ryan Crouser was among the best college throwers in the United States, he wasn’t expected to ev...
For track and field (athletics) fans, every Olympics is must-watch TV. However, this one feels different. The 2024 Paris games are shaping up to be one for the ages.
The competition promises to be extraordinary, with numerous too-close-to-call events, intense rivalries, and world records set to fall.
So, we created the definitive track and field viewing guide to ensure you don't miss any action. You'll get quick access to the most thrilling matchups, complete with each athlete's personal records and medal stats.
The Olympic athletics competitions begin on August 2, 2024, and run (pun intended) through August 11.
Compare athletes head-to-head and make your own podium predictions. This could be the most exciting chapter in Olympic history, and with this guide, you'll be ready for all the action.
Olympic Athletics On the Track
Men’s 100 meters
When to Watch (all times ET)
Preliminary Round: Aug 3, 4:35a
Round 1: Aug 3, 5:45a
Semi-Final: Aug 4, 2:00p
Final: Aug 4, 3:50p
One of the marquee events of every Summer Olympics is the 100-meter dash. In addition to the gold medal, the winner is crowned the unofficial but famously coveted “World’s Fastest Man.”
An American man has not won the 100 or 200 since 2004. World champion Noah Lyles is widely favored to win gold in the 200m (more on this below), but the 100m will likely be more challenging.
Lyles will face ferocious global talent in the 100m, with just milliseconds between competitors.
One thing is for sure - you’ll be on the edge of your seat for less than 10 seconds.
Noah
Lyles
USA
Personal Best
9.81
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Bronze (200m)
Other Notable Results
6 x World Champion
Kishane
Thompson
Jamaica
Personal Best
9.77
Prior Olympic Results
-
Other Notable Results
1 x National Champion
Ferdinand
Omanyala
Omanyala
Kenya
Personal Best
9.77
Prior Olympic Results
Semi-Finalist
Other Notable Results
2 x African Champion
Fred
Kerley
USA
Personal Best
9.76
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Silver
Other Notable Results
3 x World Champion
Oblique
Seville
Seville
Jamaica
Personal Best
9.82
Prior Olympic Results
Top 8 Finisher
Other Notable Results
1 x World Bronze
Lamont Marcell
Jacobs
Jacobs
Italy
Personal Best
9.80
Prior Olympic Results
2 x Olympic Champion
Other Notable Results
1 x World Silver
Women's 100 meters
When to Watch (all times ET)
Preliminary Round: Aug 2, 4:35a
Round 1: Aug 2, 5:50a
Semi-Final: Aug 3, 1:50p
Final: Aug 3, 3:20p
The Women’s 100m in Paris will feature four of the ten fastest women in history. It would have featured five but sadly, Elaine Thompson-Herah is out with an Achilles tear.
For the first time in over 20 years, Team USA's track and field team has arguably the current quickest woman on the planet. And for the first time in over 30 years, we may witness the breaking of the world record.
World champion Sha’Carri Richardson is the favorite to become the first American woman to win the 100 dash since Gail Devers in 1996.
But she will be facing the most decorated 100m athlete in history, the legendary Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
The competition for gold in the women’s 100m will be among the most exciting events in Paris, with one of the strongest groups of athletes an event has seen at one time.
Sha’Carri
Richardson
Richardson
USA
Personal Best
10.65
Prior Olympic Results
-
Other Notable Results
2 x World Champion
Shelly Anne
Fraser Pryce
Jamaica
Personal Best
10.60
Prior Olympic Results
3 x Olympic Champion
Other Notable Results
10 x World Champion
Legend
Shericka
Jackson
Jamaica
Personal Best
10.65
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Champion
1 x Olympic Silver
Other Notable Results
4 x World Champion
Men's 200 meters
When to Watch (all times ET)
Round 1: Aug 5, 1:55p
Repechage Round: Aug 6, 6:30a
Semi-Final: Aug 7, 2:02p
Final: Aug 7, 3:20p
Noah Lyles has taken first place in every 200m race (excluding heats) in the last five years except one - a very important one - the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.
Since then, he’s gotten faster. With his 60m speed, 400m endurance, and trademark strong close, it would be shocking if he doesn’t take the gold in Paris.
Noah
Lyles
USA
Personal Best
19.31
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Bronze
Other Notable Results
6 x World Champion
Andre
de Grasse
de Grasse
Canada
Personal Best
19.62
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Champion
2 x Olympic Silver
Other Notable Results
1 x World Champion
Kenny
Bednarek
Bednarek
USA
Personal Best
19.59
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Silver
Other Notable Results
1 x World Silver
Women's 200 meters
When to Watch (all times ET)
Round 1: Aug 4, 4:55a
Repechage Round: Aug 5, 6:50a
Semi-Final: Aug 5, 2:45p
Final: Aug 6, 3:40p
Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson is the favorite coming into the race. She will be looking for redemption for a critical mistake she made at the last Olympic games - easing up early in a heat and losing her spot in the final.
But USA’s Gabby Thomas won’t make it easy for her.
Shericka
Jackson
Jackson
Jamaica
Personal Best
21.41
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Champion
1 x Olympic Silver
Other Notable Results
4 x World Champion
Gabby
Thomas
USA
Personal Best
21.60
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Silver
1 x Olympic Bronze
Other Notable Results
1 x World Champion
1 x World Silver
McKenzie
Long
Long
USA
Personal Best
21.83
Prior Olympic Results
-
Other Notable Results
3 x NCAA Champion
Men's 110 Hurdles
When to Watch (all times ET)
Round 1: Aug 4, 5:50a
Repechage Round: Aug 6, 4:50a
Semi-Final: Aug 7, 1:05p
Final: Aug 8, 3:45p
Three-time world champion Grant Holloway will seek to better his performance in Tokyo, where he won silver. Running the fourth fastest time in history during the U.S. Olympic trials this year, it’s likely he’ll take home the gold this time for team USA track and field.
Grant
Holloway
Holloway
USA
Personal Best
12.81
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Silver
Other Notable Results
3 x World Champion
Hansle
Parchment
Parchment
Jamaica
Personal Best
12.93
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Champion
1 x Olympic Bronze
Other Notable Results
2 x World Silver
Sasha
Zhoya
Zhoya
France
Personal Best
13.15
Prior Olympic Results
-
Other Notable Results
Top 8 World's Finish
Women's 400 Hurdles
When to Watch (all times ET)
Round 1: Aug 4, 6:35a
Repechage Round: Aug 5, 4:50a
Semi-Final: Aug 6, 2:07p
Final: Aug 8, 3:25p
The women’s 400 meter hurdles will be a feature event in Paris, with the only two women ever to break the 51-second barrier.
Sydney McLaughlin-Lavrone, the current world record holder and reigning Olympic champion, is favored to win, but Dutch star Femke Bol will be hot on her heels.
Sydney McLaughlin
Levrone
Levrone
USA
Personal Best
50.65
Prior Olympic Results
2 x Olympic Champion
Other Notable Results
3 x World Champion
World Record Holder
Femke
Bol
Bol
Netherlands
Personal Best
50.95
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Bronze
Other Notable Results
2 x World Champion
Anna
Cockrell
Cockrell
USA
Personal Best
52.64
Prior Olympic Results
-
Other Notable Results
Top 8 World's Finish
Men's 400 Hurdles
When to Watch (all times ET)
Round 1: Aug 5, 4:05a
Repechage Round: Aug 6, 6:00a
Semi-Final: Aug 7, 1:35p
Final: Aug 9, 3:45p
There will undoubtedly be fireworks on the track as the defending Olympic champion Karsten Warholm faces off against the American Rai Benjamin.
Their previous Olympic matchup is one of the greatest races in Olympic history. Benjamin ran a world record time of 46.17, but Warholm obliterated it, breaking the record by 0.76 seconds and leveling the 46-second barrier.
Karsten
Warholm
Warholm
Norway
Personal Best
45.94
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Champion
Other Notable Results
3 x World Champion
Rai
Benjamin
Benjamin
USA
Personal Best
46.17
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Champion
1 x Olympic Silver
Other Notable Results
2 x World Champion
Alison
Dos Santos
Dos Santos
Brazil
Personal Best
46.29
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Bronze
Other Notable Results
1 x World Champion
Men’s 4 x 100m Relay
When to Watch (all times ET)
Round 1: Aug 8, 5:35a
Final: Aug 9, 1:45p
While historically, the United States has been the most dominant nation in the sprint relay, the men have botched the handoff in every way imaginable in the last twenty years.
Passing the baton seems like the easiest thing to do, especially for Olympic athletes. The US team always gets the hard part right - forming a team of the fastest runners in the world, but their handoffs have become a curse - a cruel, decades long joke.
But things have changed. There are new coaches, a revamped approach, and scientific analysis driving decisions behind who runs and who doesn't.
This year, the curse will be broken!
Here are the prospective runners on the US men's Olympic relay team:
| Athlete | 100m Personal Best |
|---|---|
| Noah Lyles | 9.81 |
| Kenny Bednarek | 9.87 |
| Fred Kerley | 9.76 |
| Christian Coleman | 9.76 |
Women's 4 x 100m Relay
When to Watch (all times ET)
Round 1: Aug 8, 5:10a
Final: Aug 9, 1:30p
The US women have a much better track record in the relays but they are still looking to reclaim the top of the podium for the first time since Rio 2016.
The Jamaican team, with two of the fastest women ever, will certainly give them a run for their medals.
Here are the prospective runners on the US women's Olympic relay team:
| Athlete | 100m Personal Best |
|---|---|
| Sha'Carri Richardson | 10.65 |
| Melissa Jefferson | 10.80 |
| Twanisha Terry | 10.82 |
| Gabby Thomas | 11.00 |
Olympic Athletics In the Field
Men’s High Jump
When to Watch (all times ET)
Qualification: Aug 7, 4:05a
Final: Aug 10, 1:10p
At the last Olympic games in Tokyo, Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Barshim shared the top of the podium rather than completing a jump-off. It was a moment that displayed the true spirit of the games - excellence, respect and friendship.
Regardless of who wins, Tamberi will put on show you won’t want to miss. During the European Championships he pulled off one of the greatest celebrations in track and field history.
We expect his trademark passion and zest for fun to make the men’s high jump competition one of the most entertaining on the field.
Gianmarco
Tamberi
Tamberi
Italy
Personal Best
2.39m
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Champion
Other Notable Results
1 x World Champion
Mutaz
Barshim
Barshim
Qatar
Personal Best
2.43m
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Champion
2 x Olympic Silver
Other Notable Results
3 x World Champion
JuVaughn
Harrison
Harrison
USA
Personal Best
2.36m
Prior Olympic Results
2 x Top 8
Other Notable Results
1 x World Silver
Women's Long Jump
When to Watch (all times ET)
Qualification: Aug 6, 5:15a
Final: Aug 8, 2:00p
American women have won medals in the long jump in the last three Olympic games. Tara Davis-Woodhall hopes to continue that streak in Paris while facing Germany's reigning champion, Malaika Mihambo.
Tara
Davis Woodhall
Davis Woodhall
USA
Personal Best
7.18m
Prior Olympic Results
Top 8 Finisher
Other Notable Results
1 x World Silver
Malaika
Mihambo
Mihambo
Germany
Personal Best
7.30m
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Champion
Other Notable Results
2 x World Champion
Plamena
Mitkova
Mitkova
Bulgaria
Personal Best
6.97m
Prior Olympic Results
-
Other Notable Results
1 x Balkan Champion
Men's Triple Jump
When to Watch (all times ET)
Qualification: Aug 7, 1:15p
Final: Aug 9, 2:10p
The Olympic record in the triple jump has stood since 1996, but two athletes at this year’s games have the record in sight.
Cuban jumper Jordan Díaz Fortun has the third-best triple jump ever, and Jamaica’s Jaydon Hibbert has repeatedly broken the U20 world record and won the 2023 Bowerman Award.
Jordan
Díaz Fortun
Díaz Fortun
Spain
Personal Best
18.18m
Prior Olympic Results
-
Other Notable Results
1 x European Champion
Jaydon
Hibbert
Hibbert
Jamaica
Personal Best
17.87m
Prior Olympic Results
-
Other Notable Results
1 x U20 World Champion
Hugues
Fabrice Zango
Fabrice Zango
Burkina Faso
Personal Best
18.07m
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Bronze
Other Notable Results
1 x World Champion
1 x World Silver
Women's Pole Vault
When to Watch (all times ET)
Qualification: Aug 5, 4:40a
Final: Aug 7, 1:00p
USA’s Katie Moon is set to defend her pole vault gold medal in the Tokyo Games. She’ll face a strong contender in Australia’s Nina Kennedy as she seeks a repeat.
Katie
Moon
Moon
USA
Personal Best
4.95m
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Champion
Other Notable Results
2 x World Silver
Nina
Kennedy
Kennedy
Australia
Personal Best
4.91m
Prior Olympic Results
-
Other Notable Results
1 x World Champion
Molly
Caudery
Caudery
Great Britain
Personal Best
4.92m
Prior Olympic Results
-
Other Notable Results
1 x World Top 8
Men's Shot Put
When to Watch (all times ET)
Qualification: Aug 2, 2:10p
Final: Aug 3, 1:35p
Team USA will surely put on a show in the shot put with two of the strongest competitors there has ever been: the world record holder, Ryan Crouser, and Joe Kovacs.
Crouser is arguably the world’s most dominant athlete in track and field at the moment. He’s broken the World Record twice and could break it again in Paris. But he’s been dealing with an elbow injury that could shorten his distance.
Ryan
Crouser
Crouser
USA
Personal Best
23.56m
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Champion
Other Notable Results
2 x World Champion
WR Holder
Joe
Kovacs
Kovacs
USA
Personal Best
23.13m
Prior Olympic Results
2 x Olympic Silver
Other Notable Results
2 x World Champion
Leonardo
Fabbri
Fabbri
Italy
Personal Best
22.95m
Prior Olympic Results
-
Other Notable Results
1 x Worlds Top 8
Women's Discus
When to Watch (all times ET)
Qualification: Aug 8, 4:25a
Final: Aug 9, 1:340p
The US champion, Valarie Allman, heads to Paris to defend her gold medal. If her performance at the US trials indicates what we’ll see in Paris, she’s headed for the top of the podium.
Only two other women have hit the coveted 70-meter mark in the last five years. Allman did it in back-to-back rounds in the trails. If she can do it again on the world’s biggest stage, the odds of bringing home gold are in her favor.
Valarie
Allman
Allman
USA
Personal Best
71.46m
Prior Olympic Results
1 x Olympic Champion
Other Notable Results
1 x World Silver
1 x World Bronze
Feng
Bin
Bin
China
Personal Best
69.12m
Prior Olympic Results
Top 8 Finisher
Other Notable Results
1 x World Champion
1 x World Bronze
Sandra
Elkasević
Elkasević
Croatia
Personal Best
71.41m
Prior Olympic Results
2 x Olympic Champion
Other Notable Results
2 x World Champion
2 x World Silver
