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Paris 2024 Olympics: 5 races most likely to yield gold for Team USA

Team USA are big favorites to top the Olympics medal standings in track and field yet again and here are five races where the Americans will likely grab gold in Paris.

US Track and Field finally unveiled its team to the Paris Olympics where they hope to finish top of the medal standings yet again.

Team USA scooped seven gold, 12 silver and seven bronze medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, taking their total medal tally from track and field to 26.

Heading into Paris 2024, there is optimism that they will increase their tally following the emergence of new runners, added to the star quality in the team.

The US team is comprised of world champions Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson, Grant Holloway among others while there are some like Kenny Bednarek who look in good form heading to Paris.

Pulse Sports looks at where Team USA is likely to win gold medals from on the track at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Men’s 100m

The USA men’s team has world champion Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek and former world champion Fred Kerley.

Of the three, Lyles is hot favorite for gold in Paris and laid down the marker with his dominant performance at the Olympics trials.

He will likely face stiff competition from Jamaicans Kishane Thomas and Oblique Seville as well as Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, Bednarek and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo. However, his experience and form suggest he will bag gold.

Women’s 100m

Another American tipped to win gold is world 100m champion Sha’carri Richardson.

Richardson’s bid for a double failed at the trials when she did not make the 200m team and will have all her focus on the 100m race.

That is not good news for her rivals, who include Jamaicans Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

She is joined by Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry on the US team but with defending champion Elaine Thompson-Herah not in Paris, few of the other rivals pose real danger, making Richardson a shoo-in for gold.

Men’s 200m

Winning gold in the men’s 200m will be tough for the Americans but they have two good runners capable of achieving it.

Noah Lyles, who has won three world titles over the distance, appears favorite but Kenny Bednarek could just spoil his party which would still be a good thing for Team USA.

The two are joined by Erriyon Knighton but face a threat from Canadian Andre De Grasse, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana and Briton Zharnel Hughes.

However, it is America’s race to lose and it will depend on how Lyles and Bednarek execute their strategy.

Men's 110m hurdles

Triple world champion Grant Holloway is joined on the US team by Freddie Crittenden and Daniel Roberts but he is the man likely to win gold at the Olympics.

Holloway does not dominate outdoors as he does indoors but he is in great form as he heads to Paris having won all his races this year, including last week’s Monaco Diamond League.

Jamaican Hansle Parchment will want to defend his title while home favorite Sasha Zhoya will also pose a threat but Holloway is backed to improve on his silver medal of 2020 this time.

Women’s 400m hurdles

World record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will start as favorite despite world champion Femke Bol’s good form that saw her break the European record on Sunday.

She made her intensions clear at the Olympics trials when she broke her own world record again, clocking 50.65. Anna Cockrell and Jasmine Jones finished second and third to join her.

McLaughlin-Levrone is not only in good form but also in great shape to defend her crown and few will get close to her in the present condition.

(07/16/2024) Views: 330 ⚡AMP
by Joel Omotto