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Paris, France — August 24, 2003.

The Stade de France witnessed far more than a World Championship 10,000m final that night. It witnessed the beginning of a new era.

For years, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia had stood virtually untouchable at the summit of world distance running. He arrived in Paris as a two-time Olympic champion and four-time World Champion over 10,000m, carrying the reputation of a man who had dominated the track for much of the previous decade.

But waiting in the same race was a 21-year-old Ethiopian whose running style looked remarkably familiar.

His name was Kenenisa Bekele.

The younger Ethiopian had already shown flashes of extraordinary potential, but Paris was where potential became reality.

As the race unfolded, Gebrselassie ran aggressively, repeatedly applying pressure in an attempt to break the field and shake off his young compatriot. One by one, the world's best distance runners were dropped, including a strong Kenyan contingent.

Yet Bekele refused to disappear.

He stayed glued to Gebrselassie's shoulder, matching every surge and every change of pace. Behind them, Sileshi Sihine of Ethiopia remained in contention, setting the stage for what would ultimately become a historic Ethiopian sweep.

Then came the decisive moment.

With only 200 metres remaining, Bekele made his move.

Gebrselassie, famous for his devastating finishing speed, tried to respond. But this time, there was no answer. Bekele powered away down the final straight, creating daylight between himself and his legendary compatriot.

The changing of the guard had arrived.

Bekele crossed the finish line in 26:49.57, becoming the first athlete to break 27 minutes at these World Championships and setting a championship record.

Behind him, Gebrselassie finished second in 26:50.77, while Sihine completed an extraordinary Ethiopian clean sweep with 27:01.44.

It was not simply a victory for Bekele.

It was the moment the young star announced that he was ready to inherit the throne.

Paris 2003 — Men's 10,000m Final

1. Kenenisa Bekele — Ethiopia — 26:49.57 CR

2. Haile Gebrselassie — Ethiopia — 26:50.77

3. Sileshi Sihine — Ethiopia — 27:01.44

4. Ahmad Hassan Abdullah — Qatar — 27:18.28

5.  John Cheruiyot Korir — Kenya — 27:19.94

6. Wilberforce Talel — Kenya — 27:33.60

7.  Charles Kamathi — Kenya — 27:45.05

8.  Kamiel Maase — Netherlands — 27:45.46

9.  Karl Keska — Great Britain — 27:47.89

10. Ismail Sghyr — France — 27:54.87

11. David Galván — Mexico — 27:55.31

12. John Yuda Msuri — Tanzania — 27:56.21

13. Fabiano Joseph Naasi — Tanzania — 28:06.36

14. Alan Culpepper — United States — 28:14.92

15.  Teodoro Vega — Mexico — 28:31.71

16. Mebrahtom Keflezighi — United States — 28:35.08

17. Cathal Lombard — Ireland — 28:36.43

18. Tomoo Tsubota — Japan — 28:37.10

19. Dan Browne — United States — 29:01.60

Bekele's Paris triumph proved to be the beginning of something much bigger. He went on to win Olympic 10,000m gold in Athens the following year and established himself as the dominant track distance runner of his generation.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he completed the extraordinary 5,000m and 10,000m double, cementing his place among the greatest distance runners in history.

Gebrselassie, meanwhile, successfully reinvented himself beyond the track. He turned increasingly toward the 10km, half marathon and marathon, where he continued rewriting the record books and building another extraordinary chapter of his career.

But Paris remains special.

On August 24, 2003, one Ethiopian legend was still fighting to protect his kingdom while another was stepping forward to claim it.

Kenenisa Bekele didn't simply win a World Championship gold medal that night. He announced the arrival of a new era in distance running.

In the ever-evolving journey of greatness, moments of quiet declaration often carry the loudest echoes. For Faith Kipyegon, a recent message from Los Angeles—the vibrant host of the 2028 Summer Olympics—was more than a passing remark. It was a powerful affirmation of intent.

Standing in the very city where future Olympic dreams will be forged, the Kenyan legend shared that she is “fueling her Olympic fire” ahead of LA 2028. Beneath those words lies a story not just of ambition, but of a remarkable journey—one that began far from the bright lights of global arenas.

Kipyegon’s rise is the embodiment of resilience and destiny intertwined. From running barefoot in her early school days to ascending to the pinnacle of women’s middle-distance running, her path has been nothing short of extraordinary. Born into a family deeply rooted in athletics—with a father who competed in the 400m and 800m, and a sister who excelled in long-distance road racing—her foundation was quietly laid long before the world took notice.

It wasn’t until the age of 15 that she began to seriously pursue athletics as a career. What followed was a rapid and emphatic emergence. She announced herself on the global stage by capturing junior titles at the World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz in 2011 and 2013, alongside victories in the 1500m at both the World U18 and World U20 Championships. These early triumphs signaled the arrival of a rare and generational talent.

Her transition to the senior stage came at the World Championships in Moscow in 2013, where she finished fifth—a performance that hinted at the dominance to come. From that point onward, Kipyegon has established herself as a consistent force at the highest level, earning multiple podium finishes, world championship titles, and setting world records that have redefined the boundaries of women’s middle-distance running, further cementing her status as one of the greatest athletes of her era.

The Olympic stage, however, is where her legacy has reached historic heights. Since making her debut at the 2012 Summer Olympics, she has grown into one of the most decorated middle-distance runners in Olympic history. Her gold medal triumph at the 2016 Summer Olympics announced her arrival as a global force, while her commanding performance at the 2020 Summer Olympics reaffirmed her supremacy.

Yet it was at the 2024 Summer Olympics that Kipyegon etched her name permanently into the record books. On the final night of track action at the Stade de France, she produced a breathtaking run in the women’s 1500m, surging to victory in an Olympic record time of 3:51.29. With that performance, she became the first athlete—male or female—to win three Olympic gold medals in the 1500m, a feat that stands as a testament to her enduring brilliance and unmatched consistency.

Despite these extraordinary achievements, what defines Kipyegon is her relentless hunger for more. Her recent reflection from Los Angeles reveals an athlete not content with history, but driven by the possibilities that still lie ahead.

As the countdown to 2028 steadily builds, her presence in Los Angeles feels deeply symbolic—a champion returning to the stage where the next chapter of Olympic history will unfold. For fans and aspiring athletes alike, her journey is a powerful reminder that greatness is not a destination, but a continuous pursuit shaped by discipline, resilience, and vision.

From barefoot beginnings to rewriting Olympic history, Faith Kipyegon’s story continues to inspire across generations. And as the flame prepares to rise once more in Los Angeles, one truth is undeniable—her fire is still burning, brighter than ever, lighting the path toward yet another chapter of greatness.

In addition to the fine, the Australian man who stormed the track received a three-year ban from the Stade de France.

The 24-year-old Australian man who disrupted the men’s 100m final at the Stade de France on Aug. 4 has been fined 8,000 euros (CAD $11,800) by a French court, per AFP News.

The incident occurred moments before the start of the world’s most prominent race, as the top sprinters were in their blocks. The man, wearing a T-shirt reading “Free Palestine,” “Free Ukraine,” and “Jesus,” jumped onto the track from the stands, but was almost immediately intercepted by security staff. His goal appeared to be reaching the 100m straight, but security acted swiftly enough to prevent any disruption to the race.

In addition to the fine, the man received a three-year ban from the Stade de France. The finalists, including eventual champion Noah Lyles, had to wait several minutes for the track to be cleared before the race could begin.

Lyles went on to win his first Olympic gold medal, narrowly beating Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in a photo finish that came down to five-thousandths of a second. Afterward, Lyles told the media he didn’t see anyone trying to get onto the field, but was wondering what they were waiting for.

Paris 2024 organizers praised the security team’s efficiency in handling the situation, which caused minimal delay. The man was taken into custody and placed under judicial supervision, which included a ban from attending any further Olympic events during the Games.

France has laws against unauthorized entry into sports venues or disrupting public events. These actions typically fall under laws governing public safety and order, such as Code pénal articles on disrupting public gatherings or trespassing. Offenders can face fines, bans from stadiums or events, and even imprisonment, depending on the severity of the offence.

The back-to-back-to-back Olympic 1,500m champion was given an honorary doctor degree in Education on Wednesday.

It has been a monumental year for Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, who in August became the first female athlete in Olympic history to win three consecutive gold medals in a single track discipline. On Wednesday, her achievements were celebrated in her home country when she received an honorary doctorate degree in education from the University of Eldoret.

“I am greatly honoured to receive an honorary doctorate degree in education from the University of Eldoret,” Kipyegon shared on Instagram, signing off as “Dr. Faith Kipyegon.”

Honorary doctorates are typically awarded to individuals who have made exceptional contributions in their fields. Kipyegon’s recognition highlights her trailblazing career in women’s distance running, where she has inspired countless athletes by returning to elite competition and breaking records after giving birth to her daughter in 2018.

Kipyegon’s 2024 season

This year has been one of the most successful of Kipyegon’s career. At the Paris Diamond League in July, the 30-year-old broke her own world record in the 1,500m, running 3:49.04. The following month, she defended her Olympic 1,500m title at the Stade de France, setting a new Olympic record of 3:51.29.

Kipyegon also earned a silver medal in the 5,000m, an event she contested for the first time at the Olympics. Initially disqualified for an obstruction involving Ethiopian runner Gudaf Tsegay, Kipyegon was reinstated after a successful appeal. Her compatriot, Beatrice Chebet, won gold in the event.

Accolades and recognition

Kipyegon was among six nominees for the Women’s Track Athlete of the Year award by World Athletics, a title she won in 2023. Additionally, she was shortlisted for the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year, an honour recognizing the year’s greatest female athlete. This year, the award was won by Spanish footballer Aitana Bonmatí.

Here’s how Liza Corso made the podium at the Paralympic Games by making her bike and swim workouts as intense as her running regimen.

Leading up to the 2024 Paralympic Games, Liza Corso was pedaling furiously on a stationary bike parked on the patio of her condo in Nashville, Tennessee. In the brutal summer heat, the two-time Paralympian closed her eyes while visualizing the women’s 1500-meter final.

She imagined the purple track at Stade de France and the uniforms of competitors she’s faced before in the T13 classification (athletes with vision impairment). With pop music blaring in her headphones, Corso pedaled faster in anticipation of the biggest race of her career.

On August 31, Corso’s visualizations finally came to fruition. After spending six weeks cross-training while healing a stress fracture in her left femur, the Lipscomb University senior earned bronze in 4:23.45, just over a second behind two-time Paralympic champion Tigist Mengistu of Ethiopia and silver medalist Ezzahra El Idrissi of Morocco. After the race, the athlete from Newmarket, New Hampshire, shared on Instagram she only ran eight miles over the course of six weeks in the lead-up to the event in a brutal buildup that tested her mentally and physically.

So, how did the 21-year-old pull off winning a Paralympic medal while healing from an injury and not being able to run? In an interview with Runner's World, Corso shared the many highs and lows of the cross-training regimen that helped her safely prepare for a standout performance on the world stage.

July 1-July 26: Processing the Injury

About three weeks before the U.S. Paralympic Trials on July 18-20, Corso started feeling pain in her left quad. She went to see the doctor and got an MRI in the area where her quad meets her hip, which showed she had tendonitis. After recovering from a stress fracture in her tibia during the indoor track season earlier this year, the diagnosis was a relief for Corso. “I didn’t want tendonitis, but I was scared of something [in the] bone so I was like, this is the best case scenario. I can keep running through it,” she said.

Though the pain continued to get worse leading up to the national championship in Miramar, Florida, Corso still managed to compete in the women’s 1500 meters and earn a spot on Team USA. But with the pain intensifying, Corso

Though Corso struggled to feel like she was building the same level of fitness, seeing her heart rate reach 160 beats per minute for 90-minute sessions and hover between 175 to 180 for hard workouts ended up being a source of encouragement. “My coach said, ‘Your heart doesn’t know the difference between if you’re running or if you’re biking,’” Corso said.

Late July to August 31: Monitoring the Pain

In the first two weeks after the Paralympic Trials and following her diagnosis, Corso’s main priority was to walk pain free. Working with her physical therapist, she focused on limiting any weight-bearing activity, using crutches when she wasn’t cross-training for the first three days post-diagnosis. While gradually using the crutches less and less, Corso was able to walk pain free without them about two weeks after the diagnosis.

Corso also incorporated blood flow restriction (BFR) into her training. The method involves the application of a cuff (tourniquet) proximally to the muscle that is being trained. The cuff is inflated to a specific pressure with the aim of blocking the blood vessels. The idea is to help strengthen muscles and promote healing, Corso said. She usually put the

“To be able to prove to myself that I didn’t let those [negative thoughts] win, and I chose the harder path—to keep a positive mindset and work through some pretty lonely and draining cross-training sessions—it all ended up being worth it,” she said.

Looking back on her experience this summer, Corso hopes other runners can find their own hard-fought victory amid the healing process, knowing how powerful team support and mental tools can be in difficult situations.

A track athlete was raided by anti-doping officials at the Olympic village days before securing a bronze medal in the 800m event.

Olympic 800m bronze medalist Djamel Sedjati is believed to be still under scrutiny by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) following a dramatic raid in the Olympic village just days before the final event.

The incident, which unfolded a week ago but garnered minimal media attention at the time, involved French anti-doping officers executing a search linked to an ongoing investigation into alleged doping practices.

The raid, led by the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD), targeted Sedjati’s accommodations and was part of a broader probe that also implicated Algerian athletics coach Amar Benida.

According to the French sports daily L'Equipe, sources close to the investigation have indicated that Benida was the primary focus of the inquiry.

This revelation puts a different light on the events, suggesting that Sedjati may have been collateral in the broader investigation rather than the direct target.

In the wake of the raid, Sedjati displayed remarkable composure, securing a third-place finish in a fiercely competitive 800m final at the Stade de France.

The race itself was historic, with four of the seven top times on the all-time performance list being recorded, highlighting the extraordinary level of competition.

Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya clinched gold with a time of 1:41.19, becoming the third-fastest performer in history.

Following his performance, Sedjati addressed the incident at a press conference.

"Nothing (important) happened. These are things that athletes can face. Thank God it was only a small inconvenience. I was quickly able to get back to normal," Sedjati told reporters.

The Paris prosecutor's office and the AFLD have remained silent on the matter offering no comments or insights into the ongoing investigation.

This lack of official information has fueled speculation and concern within the athletics community.

In response to the controversy, the Algerian Olympic Committee issued a strong statement via Al24News, condemning what they described as "malicious attempts aimed at tarnishing the image of the Algerian runner Djamel Sedjati, victim of unjustified attacks by certain sports media."

This statement reflects the tension and the high stakes involved, particularly in light of Sedjati’s recent performances and his stated ambition to break David Rudisha’s 800m world record.

Sedjati’s resilience was on full display just weeks prior at the Monaco Diamond League, where he won the race in an impressive 1:41.46, just shy of his personal best set in Paris.

His capabilities and recent form make him a significant figure on the track, and the timing of the raid raises questions about the implications for his career and reputation.

Beatrice Chebet and  Abraham Kibiwott left Kenya for the Paris Olympics games as a constable in the police service, but ascended to the rank of Corporals, upon landing back.

Chebet was promoted to the rank by acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli at Jogoo House on Wednesday, after grabbing gold in the women's 5000m and 10000m races.

Meanwhile, Kibiwott won bronze in the men’s 3000m race, to also get one star added on his sleeve, moving to the Corporal rank.

It is a custom that officers in the discipline forces are always promoted one rank higher for their stellar performances in all disciplines on the international stage.

Chebet who is based in Kericho couldn’t hide her joy, saying she achieved her goals through hard work and discipline and promised to continue making Kenya proud.

“It feels good to be promoted and I thank my boss Masengeli, for awarding my efforts handsomely. I also appreciate my collogues, teammates, and my family for pushing me towards this achievement.”

The Olympics debutant beat an experienced field of runners on August 6t, to claim the 5000m gold in 14 minutes and 28.56 seconds, finishing ahead of compatriot Faith Kipyegon and Dutch legend Sifan Hassan respectively.

The 24-year-old national police officer is based in  Kericho and is coached by Peter Bii.

The best performer in team Kenya’s camp completed her historic double on August 9th 2024 in style grabbing the 10,000m race in 39:43.25.

She beat Italy's Nadia Batocletti and Sifan in that order, at the iconic Stade de France.

Chebet’s historic performance places her among the legends of long-distance running, becoming only the third woman to win both events at the same Olympics.

Meanwhile, Abraham Kibiwott who is an Administration police officer based in APTC training school Embakasi, also made a courtesy call to his boss for his coronation hours after landing from Paris.

Kibowott who was among the five Kenyan bronze medalists, clocked 8:06.47, to finish behind America’s Kenneth Rooks and Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali.

The 28-year-old who hails from Uasin Gishu County, has a personal best of 8:05.51 minutes. 

He also claimed bronze in the 2023 World Championships in Budapest and the 2016 Durban, African Championships.

“I did my best, but I couldn’t get the desired gold. I will continue working towards it. I want to thank my boss for acknowledging my efforts, I am so happy to have climbed one rank higher,” said Kibiwott.

Both athletes proceeded to Eldoret the City of Champions where President William Ruto, hosted the Kenyan Olympics for a breakfast meeting. 

President Ruto is expected to award the medalists with cash-winning bonuses.

Team Kenya finished at position  17 in Paris with 11 medals; 4 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze medals.

Olympic engagement rings were almost as popular as medals at the 2024 Games

Paris 2024 definitely put the rings in the Olympic rings. With nine new engagements, the Paris Olympics set the record for the most proposals ever at one Games–very fitting for the City of Love. Four of these came from athletics, with a jumper, a thrower, a steeplechaser and a marathoner all taking part in what has seemed to become another Olympic trend. Some of the romantic gestures received criticism for overshadowing the athletic performances–but all partners said “yes,” and seemed pretty pleased about the special moment.

U.S. marathoner Dakotah Lindwurm

The American marathoner became an Olympian and a fiancée in the same day–on Sunday, her boyfriend had been waiting on one knee when she made her Olympic debut and crossed the line with an impressive 12th-place finish in the fastest marathon in Olympic history. Lindwurm was the first American to complete the race, clocking 2:26:44. She may not have won a medal or achieved a personal best, but she excitedly accepted the engagement ring.

French steeplechaser Alice Finot

Also making her Olympic debut, Finot broke the European record with her fourth-place finish in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase final on Thursday, finishing in 8:58.67. She then reached behind her race bib to pull out a pin that she had run with, before dropping to her knee and presenting the pin to her partner, Bruno Martínez Bargiela.

Finot told herself she would propose if she ran under nine minutes, seeing as nine is both her lucky number and marks the number of years the couple has been together. As if to slip an engagement ring onto his finger, she fastened the pin, engraved with the words “Love is in Paris,” to his shirt.

Brazilian triple jumper Almir dos Santos

Almir dos Santos followed his 11th-place finish in the men’s triple jump final on Friday by bringing his girlfriend, Talita Ramos, trackside at the Stade de France and popping the question. 80,000 onlookers watched as he gently placed the ring on her finger on her right hand; the couple got an overwhelming amount of attention for this huge “error”. (In Brazilian culture, the ring is switched to the left hand after wedding vows are made).

American shot-putter Payton Otterdahl

Otterdahl chose a slightly more private setting to make his grand gesture. While touring the city, he presented an engagement ring to his girlfriend, Maddy Nilles, in front of the Eiffel Tower. One day earlier, on Aug. 3, he took fourth place in the men’s shot put final.

Los Angeles (the next host for the Summer Olympics) isn’t known for being quite as romantic as Paris, so this new Olympic record will probably remain for a long time.

The curtains for the 2024 Paris Olympics fell on Sunday night with Kenya ranking 17th in the world after winning 11 medals.

Despite Kenya topping the African continent with 4 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze medals, the results left a lot to be desired.

From 83 athletes competing in seven disciplines, a significant impact was expected from the Kenyan athletes and the world.

The show started with Judoka Zeddy Cherop falling 10-0 to Portugal’s Patricia Sampao in a record 22 seconds while Fencing African champion Alexandra Ndolo crushed out 13-12 to Ukranian Olena Kryvytska in her debut.

Maria Brunlehner and Ridhwan Mohamed finished 3rd and 4th in the women’s 50m freestyle and Men’s 400m freestyle heats respectively to crush out of contention for a swimming medal.

The sevens rugby team also crushed out in the group stage, after going down to Australia, Argentina and Samoa.

The women’s volleyball team booked their next flight after failing to win a single set following three identical 3-0 losses in a tough group B pool comprising Brazil, Poland and Japan.

Paris, the City of Love, had very little affection for Kenya as former world champion Julius Yego, finished a distant 5th in the javelin final with a 87.72m throw, to also bite the dust.

Africa's fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala's 100m Olympic medal dream was shattered in the semi-finals after clocking 10.08 seconds to finish 8th.

However, Kenya redeemed herself with debutant Beatrice Chebet grabbing double gold in the 5000m and 10000m women’s races.

The best performer was followed closely by Faith Kipyegon who defended her 1500m gold and added the 5000m women’s silver.

Another debutant, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, grabbed the 800m gold, while Ronald Kwemoi struck the men’s 5000m silver.

Mary Moraa, the dancing queen, grabbed the 800m bronze, same as Faith Cherotich (3000m steeplechase) and Abraham Kibiwot (3000m steeplechase).

Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto rounded up the bronze tally in the men's and women's marathons.  

Obiri failed in her quest for an Olympic medal having won silver in the women's 5000m in Tokyo, 2020 and Rio 2016 games.

History Making

Kenya will however keep pride in making history after Faith Kipyegon became the first woman to complete an Olympic hat trick after breaking her 1500m record in 3:51.29, before a fully packed iconic Stade de France. 

Debutant Beatrice Chebet was the best performer entering the history books by winning a double gold in the women's 5000m and 10000m.

The feat makes Chebet the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic 10000m gold for Kenya since the race was introduced in the 1988 Olympics.

She is the third woman after Tirunesh Dibaba and Sifan Hassan to win the 5000m and 10000m double at the Olympic Games.

"I'm dedicating this medal to all Kenyans. I just want to hear my country is proud. This was for you, you were in my mind and heart in every lap; I might have made history but I will sleep better knowing Wananchi wataenjoy the weekend," she said.

Kenya’s legend Eliud Kipchoge failed to complete an Olympic marathon treble after dropping out of the race at the 20km mark.

Kipchoge later confirmed he won’t be running in the Los Angeles 2028 summer games.

“I felt a sharp pain in the stomach and I couldn’t continue. I'm disappointed that for the first time in my career, I failed to finish a race .” Kipchoge said.

Lady luck also smiled on Kenya after Kipyegon's 5000m silver medal was reinstated following an appeal, after a push and shove with Ethiopian nemesis, Gudaf Tsegay, had her initially disqualified.

In the 800m final, Canada appealed against Kenyan winner Emmanuel Wanyonyi's personal best of 1:41.91 in the 800m, claiming he obstructed silver medallist Marco Arop. Kenya won the appeal.

Tokyo 2020

Despite the dismal show in Paris, Kenya had bettered the 2020 Tokyo tally of 10 medals and a 19th spot finish.

The post-Covid games had challenges but Kenya grabbed four gold, four silvers and two bronze medals.

Emmanuel Korir (800m), Faith Kipyegon (1500m), Peres Jepchirhir (marathon), and Eliud Kipchoge (marathon) were the gold medalists while Hellen Obiri (5000m), Fergussin Rotich (800m), Brigid Kosgei (marathon) and Timothy Cheruiyot (1500m) won silver.

Benjamin Kigen and Hyvin Kiyeng won the men's and women's 3000m steeplechase races respectively.

Rio 2016 

In the 2016 Rio De Janeiro games, Kenya managed six gold, six silver and one bronze medal for a tally of 13 medals. 

Rio 2016 Olympics gold medalists were Jemima Sumgong in women's marathon, David Rudisha in 800m, Faith Kipyegon in 1500m, Conseslus Kipruto in 3000m steeplechase, Vivian Ceruiyot in 5000m and Eliud Kipchoge marathon.

Meanwhile, Vivian Cheruiyot (10000m); Paul Tanui (10000m); Hyvin Kiyeng (3000m steeplechase); Boniface Mucheru (400m hurdles); and Hellen Obiri (5000m) all grabbed silver, while Julius Yego managed a rare javelin silver. Margaret Wambui won bronze in women's 800m.

London 2012  

The London 2012 Summer Games saw Kenya manage 2 gold, 4 silver and 7 bronze for a total of 13 medals.

Despite a cold and warm performance in the Queens land, Kenya won two gold medals to finish a distant 29th in the world rankings.

Legendary track masters Ezekiel Kemboi and David Rudisha grabbed gold in the men's 3000m and 800m races respectively.

Sally Kipyegon brought home the women's 10000m silver, while Priscah Jeptoo won the women's marathon silver medal as Vivian Cheruiyot grabbed the women's 5000m race.

Abel Kirui rounded up the silver medals haul after clinching the men’s marathon race.

Vivian Cheruiyot won bronze in the 10000m women's race, while Asbel Kiprop and Milcah Chemos clinched bronze in the men's and women’s 3000m steeplechase.

Timothy Kiptum and Pamela Jelimo clinched the men's and women's 800m race respectively while Thomas Longosiwa and Wilson Kipsang rounded off Kenya's bronze medals haul, winning the 5000m men's and women's marathon races.

What next?

As the nation awaits the Paris 2024 Games report on what worked and what didn't work, a lot will be looked into including preparations, sports science, lack of stadia and lack of funds among others.

However, one constant reminder is that Kenya must smell the coffee, lest our legacy is discarded by the improving rival nations every day.

The next Omanyala, Yego, Obiri and Kipchoge should be nurtured immediately if we are to remain world beaters in the summer games.

Beating the 2008 Beijing Summer Games remains the target, where Kenya sent a total of 46 athletes: 28 men and 18 women who brought home the best tally of six gold, four silver and six bronze medals.

The journey to the Los Angeles 2028 games starts with a new sheriff in town, CS Kipchumba Murkomen, at the helm of the Sports ministry.

Just when we thought the Olympic Village was cool, we took a five-minute walk from Stade de France to this oasis for Nike athletes to refuel, relax, and recover

Leo Neugebauer had a grueling schedule at the Paris Olympic Games. As a decathlete, the German multisport athlete , who was a three-time NCAA champion for the University of Texas, competed in the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 meters, 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1500 meters over the course of just two days.

But as a Nike athlete, Neugebauer also had a leg up on the competition.

Just a five-minute drive from Stade de France you’ll find the Nike Athlete House. Walk in, past two towering orange statues of Lebron James and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and guests are instantly transported into a luxurious, two-floor oasis, complete with swoosh-laden rugs and plush furniture, bright lighting and calm tones reminiscent of your favorite spa, and everything an athlete could need to look and perform their best.

At least that’s the goal, says Tanya Hvizdak, Vice President of Global Women’s Sports Marketing at Nike. Complete with everything from specialty stations for barber, nail, makeup, and tooth gem appointments, to physical therapy and recovery services, plus spaces to unwind with family, and even a nursery—the hospitality locale is on a whole new level from any other Olympic activation the brand has done before.

“What we provide has certainly evolved from this mode of sponsorship to partnership,” Hvizdak says, noting that some athletes stop by the house more than once a day. “We’re listening to the voice of the athlete around what their expectations are and what their needs are.”

“It’s kind of a sanctuary,” adds Tobie Hatfield, Senior Director of Athlete Innovation at Nike. “We want this to be the place where athletes come to get ready for their competition.”

Just Doing It

Nike’s not the only brand to go to great lengths to make their athletes comfortable. Varying in size and offerings, other major players including Puma, Asics, On, New Balance, and Oakley have full-service locations dedicated to their athletes, plus their entourages. Where Nike comes out on top, though, is their proximity to the competition.

Set in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, about a mile and a half north of city limits and five miles north of the Louvre, Stade de France sits quite a ways away from much of the Olympic action at the heart of the city. The Athlete Village is relatively close by, but still a 15- to 20-minute bus ride—assuming bus drivers don’t take any wrong turns, as they’ve been reported to do as athletes stand for up to an hour on cramped buses during the Games.

Relaxing pre-race and recovering immediately after are critical to success on the world stage, something Nike officials readily understand.

“The planning of this space began over three years ago when we were looking at the city, having an understanding of where things like the Athlete Village and track and field were going to be taking place,” says Hvizdak. “The number one priority for us was being in a location that was going to be in close proximity to the athletes.”

The Royal Treatment

While I wasn’t able to time my trip to the house so that I could sit in the Nike x Hyperice boots and vests next to medalists like Jordan Chiles, Sha’Carri Richardson, or Fred Kerley—all whom shared their trips to the space on social media—it’s certainly getting a lot of foot traffic.

The space also offers catering for breakfast and lunch. With reports that the food and conditions in the Athlete Village leave something to be desired, Nike’s culinary staff took it upon themselves to ensure that they had the food game on lock, including tantalizing yet nutritious options like (on the day I visited) grilled salmon and pepper tartlets, vegetable pie, beef moelleux, and noodle salad.

“Something that was requested shortly after we opened was to-go boxes of food,” says Hvizdak, who adds that the meals are definitely a highlight for the folks who come through. “So, we’re now offering takeaway options. Plus, we even changed the hours to stay open later per the athletes’ request.”

And of course—in the true extravagant nature of the space, what’s a good time without a parting gift? Athletes have the option of shopping through the Jacquemus x Nike collection, other new offerings, and to design a hoodie using a new proprietary AI tool on digital tablets—set to potentially launch in-store at a later date.

Neugebauer walked into the Nike House before his competition just to sniff it out. But he was sold after snagging some of the recovery tools to use during his downtime before his daunting 10-event competition.

“I took the Hyperice boots to my hotel room and used them before, during, and after my decathlon,” he says. “The second time I went through the house, I got to do all the fun stuff like customize my own Nike hoodie, it was amazing. And when I heard they had a barber, I was like oh my god, I got a fresh cut., I looked good. I think that’s important. I looked good, and I did good.”

The royal treatment apparently paid off. On August 3, Neugebauer earned the silver medal.

After the U.S. men’s 4×100 relay team botched a baton handoff that led to their disqualification in Friday’s Olympic final, track and field legend Carl Lewis labeled the performance “completely unacceptable” as he called for an overhaul of the USA Track and Field program.

“It is time to blow up the system,” Lewis, a nine-time Olympic gold medalist, posted on X on Friday. “This continues to be completely unacceptable. It is clear that EVERYONE at [USA Track and Field] is more concerned with relationships than winning. No athlete should step on the track and run another relay until this program is changed from top to bottom.”U.S. athletes Christian Coleman and teammate Kenny Bednarek collided during the first exchange, which was deemed to have taken place outside the exchange zone and led to the team’s disqualification. The disastrous handoff put the Americans significantly behind, and the team — which also included Kyree King and Fred Kerley — finished seventh before being DQ’d.Canada won gold while South Africa took silver and Great Britain claimed bronze.

The United States, meanwhile, failed to earn a medal in the event for the fifth consecutive Olympics despite entering as the presumed favorites. They were the fastest qualifiers and the U.S. took gold in its last major international meet at the 2023 World Championships.

“Obviously, it’s a little disappointing, especially for America,” Coleman said after the race. “We wanted to bring it home. We knew we had the speed to do it.The United States has not won a medal in the men’s 4×100 relay since 2004, when Shawn Crawford, Justin Gatlin, Coby Miller and Maurice Greene won silver at the Athens Olympics. Team USA’s last Olympic gold in the event was in 2000 with Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams, Brian Lewis and Greene.

Lewis posted on X ahead of the race suggesting the coaches should be held responsible if the U.S. failed to medal.

“If [Team USA] wins all relays tomorrow, you talk to the athletes,” he wrote on X on Thursday. “If something happens and they do not sweep. ONLY talk to the coaches. Yes, I said it!!!”

The U.S. women, with Sha’Carri Richardson as the anchor, won gold in the 4×100 relay on Friday at Stade de France. It was the United States women’s 12th Olympic gold medal in the event.

Faith Kipyegon blazed to victory in the Olympic Games Paris 2024 women’s 1500m, finishing in 3:51.29 to claim a brilliant gold and Olympic record on the final night of track action at the Stade de France. She is the first athlete - male or female - to win gold in the event at three different Games.

“It’s a big, big achievement,” said an elated Kipyegon after her victory. “I was really looking forward to defending my title (from the last two Olympic Games), and I had a dream. It’s amazing to me, I completed it. I’m so, so happy.

“This is history. I managed to make history. I’ve done it. This is an amazing honour, to win the gold medal in the 1500. It was my key target.”

Jessica Hull of Australia won silver in 3:52.56, with Great Britain’s Georgia Bell running the race of her life to take bronze in a national record time of 3:52.61.

“It’s all a bit of a blur,” said bronze medallist Bell. “I think it’ll hit me a little bit later. On the start (line) I really had the feeling that if I just stuck in there I’d be able to do something special, so I’m over the moon to get a medal.”

Kipyegon is the world record holder in the 1500m, having posted a time of 3:49.04 in Paris earlier this year. She came into the race having already won Olympic silver in the 5,000m behind compatriot Beatrice Chebet.

However, over a distance she had made her own, the Kenyan sprinted to the finish line to take her third Olympic title and break the Olympic record she herself had set at Tokyo 2020.

History was made across the entire podium, with the British record falling into the hands of bronze-winning Bell and Hull becoming the first-ever Australian medallist in the event.

But the day belonged to World Athlete of the Year Kipyegon, who has become close to unbeatable over the metric mile and stands victorious once again after a scintillating performance at Paris 2024.

The young American fulfilled his dream of Olympic gold on Friday, while Brazil's dos Santos repeated his bronze-medal performance from Tokyo.

The top two finishers from Tokyo 2020 traded podium positions in an electrifying 400m hurdles final at the Stade de France on Friday, as American Rai Benjamin unseated the defending Olympic champion, world champion and world record holder, Karsten Warholm of Norway. Benjamin, the silver medallist from Tokyo, took gold in a season’s best 46.46–well ahead of Warholm’s 47.06, while Alison dos Santos of Brazil repeated his bronze medal performance from Tokyo 2020 in 47.26 seconds.

Warholm, in lane 7, had Benjamin in his sights in lane 8, and gained ground on the American through the first turn, but couldn’t quite make up the stagger. By the home stretch, Benjamin was pulling away, leaving Warholm behind.

Having medalled at the last four major championships in the event, dating back to the 2019 World Championships in Doha, the 26-year-old Benjamin was one of the favourites for gold on Friday; he had the fastest time in the world this year (46.46). Warholm, Benjamin and dos Santos are the three fastest men ever in the 400m hurdles event. Warholm set the world and Olympic record of 45.94 in an empty stadium in Tokyo three years ago.

In May, the hurdler stirred controversy when he stated his intention not to wear a race bib on his uniform at the Olympics. (Race bibs are required to identify athletes as per World Athletics rules; clearly someone must have talked him out of it, since he was most definitely wearing race bibs at these Games; not wearing one would earn him a disqualification.)

Team USA had another standout night on the track, despite a disappointing loss to Team Canada in the men’s 4x100m relay. The American women redeemed the night by taking gold in the women’s 4x100m relay final.

On Thursday, the coach of Tokyo Olympic steeplechase silver medallist and world record holder Lamecha Girma announced on Twitter that the athlete is in good condition after a horrific fall during the men’s 3,000m steeplechase final Wednesday evening.

In a dramatic last lap, Girma tripped while going over the second-last barrier, falling hard and appearing to lose consciousness. He lay motionless on the track as the other runners finished the race. The Ethiopian was then carried off the track on a stretcher and transported to hospital, where he spent the night.

Girma is the world record holder in the event at just 23; he broke the previous record at the 2023 Paris Diamond League, making him one of the favourites heading into the Olympic final. Sadly, it was not to be.

The Elite Running Team announced on Thursday that Girma did not sustain any severe head injuries during the fall, but that he will continue to undergo further scans and examinations before being discharged from the hospital.

Girma’s fall fit right in to the series of disasters occurring at the Stade de France on day seven of athletics. In round one of the men’s 5,000m, viewers and spectators saw six men hit the ground during the first heat. Shortly after, runners in the second heat barely avoid a collision with a wandering cameraman.

“Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali wins back-to-back Olympic men’s steeplechase gold” — Canadian Running Magazine

Paris 2024 organizers have told media they will stay in close contact with the Ethiopian National Olympic Committee for updates on Girma’s condition, and wished him a swift recovery.

Kenya’s Olympic 5000m champion Beatrice Chebet accomplished her double golden glory by winning the 10,000m at the Paris 2024 Games on Friday (9).

Just four days after striking gold in the 5000m final, Olympic debutant Chebet emerged victorious in the women’s 10,000m in 30:43.25 at the Stade de France.

Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, who was fourth in the 5000m, finished strong in a national record of 30:43.35 to secure the silver as Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands ran 30:44.12 for bronze – her second medal of that colour in Paris after her third-place finish in the 5000m. 

The feat makes Chebet the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic 10,000m gold and only the third woman after Tirunesh Dibaba and Hassan to win the 5000m and 10,000m double at the Olympic Games.

The 24-year-old also became the first to win 5000m and 10,000m Olympic titles in addition to the world cross country title and the 10,000m world record. 

Chebet, who shattered the world 10,000m record in May’s Prefontaine Classic, was no doubt the centre of focus in the final. She did the sign of a cross before taking off as part of a field that featured defending champion Hassan, 5000m world record-holder Gudaf Tsegay and Battocletti.

The rain had stopped and the sun was shining bright when the women took off in the 10,000m on a somewhat wet track.

Rahel Daniel of Eritrea had an early leading role with Battocletti behind her, taking the field through 1000m in 3:12. The main cast included Chebet and Tsegay tucked in the middle of the pack, while Hassan stayed behind.

The race was tactical and Daniel was in the lead until she dropped out of the competition and Rino Goshima of Japan took over, leading the pack through 3000m in 9:26.94 and 4000m in 12:38.12. Chebet had moved up to third position, and throughout the whole race she had no interest in going in front. 

Thirteen athletes were still bunched together with eight laps remaining. This time it was Ethiopian Tsigie Gebreselama’s turn to lead, taking them through 7000m in 21:15.65. The pack had Chebet, Margaret Kipkemboi, Lilian Kasait Rengeruk, Fotyen Tesfay, Tsegay, Sarah Chelangat and Battocletti. 

With two laps to go, Kenya’s Kipkemboi pushed the pace and just before the bell it was an East Africa contest. Kipkemboi stepped on the gas again after the bell, with Rengeruk on her shoulder. Their intention – to drop the rest, a move that made Chebet and Battocletti immediately respond. Hassan also covered the move.

With 200 metres to go, Chebet – who had run a very tactical race – overtook Kipkemboi, with Battocletti hot on her heels. But Chebet’s strong kick was enough to earn the 10,000m gold medal in 30:43.25, the slowest winning time since the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Battocletti crossed the line a tenth of a second after Chebet, taking home a silver medal and a national record of 30:43.35. 

Hassan's triple quest in Paris amounted to a second podium finish, as she came home third in 30:44.12. She will next compete in the marathon on Sunday. 

“I’m so happy," said Chebet. "To do the 5000m and 10,000m is not something easy. But just focus, and know that you can achieve. Just believe in yourself.

"I believed that I could do it. I just wanted to win the 10,000m for my country. My country has never won a gold medal (in the women’s 10,000m). So I said I wanted to be the first."

Olympic 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet will be seeking a historic double when she lines up in the 10,000m women's final at the Paris 2024 games Later tonight.

Chebet, won the 5000m on Monday night, dashing in the last 50m to beat two-time Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon and Dutch woman Sifan Hassan to the tape.

She will fly the Kenyan flag alongside compatriots Margaret Chelimo and Lilian Kasiait.

Kasait, is the second fastest runner this year with another sub-30 display of 29:26.89, while Chelimo  finished fifth in the 5000m final, has a best time of  (29:27.59), in the 25 laps race

The world record holder with a time of (28:54.14), will face a rich field led by defending champion Sifan Hassan (29:06.82), Ethiopian two-time world 5000m record-holder Gudaf Tsegay and compatriots Fotyen Tesfay (29:47.71) and Tsigie Gebreselama (29:48.34).

While Chebet will be seeking to become the first Kenyan to clinch an Olympic double, Sifan's victory will see the Dutch star become the only woman to have won the title consecutively after Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba's grabbed the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 titles.

The 24-year-old Olympics debutant faces an acid test in her quest for a second gold medal despite being among the favourites despite flooring seasoned track legends Faith Kiyegon, Sifan and Ethiopia's Tsegay Gudaf. In the 5000m race.

“This is a different race and I have to use a different technique to emerge victorious. "It will be tough but I will try my best," Chebet said.

The race takes place at 9.47 pm at the iconic Stade de France.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Commonwealth Games title holder Wycliffe Kinyamal will kick start team Kenya’s track events this afternoon when they line up in the men's 800m semifinals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Quincy Wilson will reportedly lead off the U.S. men's 4x400m relay team in Friday's heats.

American teenage sprint sensation Quincy Wilson, the youngest track and field athlete at the Paris Olympics, is set to make his Olympic debut as he will reportedly lead off the U.S. men’s 4x400m relay team in Friday morning’s heats.

Wilson’s selection comes after he was notably left out of the USA’s mixed 4x400m team, a decision that drew criticism after the Americans had to settle for silver in the final, despite breaking the world record in the heats without him. The U.S. men’s 4x400m relay team will be strong favourites for Olympic gold, especially after Quincy Hall’s electrifying performance to win the men’s 400m gold on Wednesday at the Stade de France.

The 16-year-old from Maryland earned his spot in the U.S. Olympic team with a sixth-place finish in the men’s 400m at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June. This season, Wilson has shattered the U18 world 400m record three times, most recently lowering it to 44.20 seconds at the Holloway Pro Classic in Florida two weeks ago.

At just 16 years and 176 days old, Wilson became the youngest American male track athlete ever named to the U.S. Olympic Team, surpassing 200m sprinter Erriyon Knighton, who was 17 when he made the U.S. team for Tokyo 2020. Remarkably, Wilson, who just completed his sophomore year at the Bullis School in Potomac, Md., reportedly doesn’t even have his driver’s license yet.

The decision to have Wilson lead off the relay may have been driven by caution, as the U.S. Olympic relay coach Mike Marsh likely wanted to minimize the risk of a botched handoff, given his lack of prior relay experience on the international stage.

The first round of the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays will go on Friday morning at 11:05 a.m. local time (5:05 a.m. ET).

Two-time 1,500 Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon will be seeking to become the first woman to win three titles in the same individual track event at the Olympics, when she lines up in the semifinals of the race on Thursday at the Stade de France.

The defending champion clocked (4:00.74) to finish fourth in heat two, behind winner Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji (3:59.73), Britain’s Georgia Bell (4:00.290 and USA’s Nikki Hiltz (4:00.42) yesterday.

The heats came barely 12 hours after Kipyegon successfully appealed to overturn her disqualification from the 5,000m after a mid-race altercation with Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay in which both narrowly missed crashing onto the track.

Kipyegon grabbed silver in 14:29.60, finishing ahead of the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan (14:30.61) as compatriot Beatrice Chebet grabbed gold in (14:28.56).

However, the track queen will have to be mentally fit in Thursday’s semis, to reach Saturday’s finals, following a drama packed Monday night 5,000m race finals.

“I feel fresh and ready for the semis, I am Faith and I participate in a good way and I believe in myself. It was a good race a lot of pushing up and down but all in all, it is finished and I focus on the 1,500m semis,” Kipyegon said.

Kipyegon who didn’t manage to talk to journalists after Monday’s drama didn’t want to dwell much on the matter.

“I just went to the village and took a nap knowing that I had another race the next morning. I was not disappointed but this is another distance altogether, I really thank Kenyans for the support and prayers as we continue pushing in the 1,500m,” Kipyegon said.

Having put Monday’s drama behind her, she goes to the semis not having lost in the 1,500m since 2021, with the historical third Olympic title beckoning.

The world champion must beat three of the five fastest 1,500m runners in history, including her Ethiopian rival Tsegay and Austraila’s Jessica Hull, to reach her dreams.

She will fly the Kenyan flag alongside compatriots Susan Ejore and Nelly Jepchirchir who also qualified for the semis.

The Kenyan star ended her 2023 track campaign with a 1,500m win at the Wanda Diamond League final in Eugene on 26 Aug 2023.

She ran 3:53.98 in the 1,500m and 14:46.28 for 5,000m in Nairobi, during the Kenyan Olympic trials.

Faith warmed up for the Olympics by breaking the world 1,500m record again at the Paris Diamond League meeting on July 7, 2024 after clocking 3:49.04

Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk is the only woman in the history of the games to ever claim a threepeat, as well as possessing the two fastest performances of all time in the hammer throw.

As Julien Alfred powered past the finish line, the new Paris 2024 women's 100m Olympicchampion screamed with joy and pointed to the crowd before bursting into tears.

In the blink of an eye, the three-time NCAA champion had pulled off a stunning victory in the Stade de France, beating pre-race favourite Sha’Carri Richardson to gold in 10.72 seconds and giving Saint Lucia its first Olympic medal in the history of the Games.

Alfred was overwhelmed with emotion after her victory as she dedicated the win to her late father who died 11 years ago:

"Most importantly, God, my coach, and lastly, my dad, who believed that I could do it," she answered when asked who she dedicated her victory to. "He passed away in 2013, and now he couldn’t get to see me on the biggest stage of my career. But he’ll always be so boastful of his daughter being an Olympian."

The USA's Richardson claimed silver in 10.87 while her compatriot Melissa Jefferson took bronze in 10.92, representing the first time American runners have won two medals in the event since Atlanta 1996.

Grant Fisher joined Lewis Tewanima (1912), Billy Mills (1964) and Galen Rupp (2012) as the only American men to medal in the 10,000m at the Olympics, winning bronze in a close final on Friday night at the Stade de France.

Fisher was narrowly pipped to the line by Ethiopa’s Berihu Aregawi, who picked up the silver in a photo-finish.

There were also strong efforts from Americans Nico Young (26:58.11) and William Kincaid (27:29.40), who finished 12th and 16th. But it was Fisher who made US history. In a cool night in Paris, he ran his best time of the season, clocking in at 26 minutes, 43.46 seconds. Aregawi ran a 26:43.44.

“I’ve been close to the medals before,” Fisher said. “But I haven’t gotten one until today.”

Fisher’s bronze marked the first US medal in track and field at the Paris Games.

“So many things have to go right to get on the podium,” said Fisher, who finished fifth in the 10,000m in Tokyo. “I’m happy that they did.”

After stumbling with about nine laps to go, Fisher surged back to reach the lead group heading into the final laps. Whether or not the American could hold on for a medal was a question, but who would take home the gold was never in doubt.

Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda took the lead with a little more than a lap left in a masterpiece of a 10,000m final to win in an Olympic-record 26:43.14 seconds in front of a roaring crowd on an electric opening night for track at the Paris Games.The world record-holder raced in the middle of a strung-out pack for most of the 25 laps on the calm. Then he took off around the curve and held the lead over the final 500 meters against a crowd of Ethiopians who set a blistering pace all night.This was Cheptegei’s season opener on the track this season – his only race at this distance was a 26:53 run in a cross-country road race earlier this season.

He looked in peak form, turning a race being controlled by Aregawi and his Ethiopian teammates, who strung out the pack early and took turns in the lead, into a celebration for Uganda, which captured its first gold in the 112-year history of this race at the Olympics.The win earned Cheptegei $50,000 – a new prize for Olympic track this year – and a chance to ring the bell at the end of the stadium that is reserved only for newly crowned Olympic champions.

Cheptegei adds this to the silver medal he won in Tokyo and the world titles he took in 2019, 2022 and 2023.“Now, my collection is complete,” he said. “I was the world champion. Now, I win the Olympic title. I’m so excited.”

PARIS — Hands on his head, tears in his eyes, Mozambique sprinter Steven Sabino walked off Stade de France’s distinctive purple track and disappeared down a tunnel.

The 18-year-old could scarcely believe that he would fly back from the Olympics without even getting to compete.

Only moments earlier, Sabino was at the start line for the second heat of the men’s 100 meters prelims, but he sprang out of the blocks before the starting gun sounded. Track officials ruled that he false started and showed him a red card indicating that he had been disqualified.

“We went into a set position and I heard a bang,” Sabino said between sobs 10 minutes later. “I don’t know where it came from. Probably the pole vault. I don’t know. I heard a bang, the kind of bang that you hear when the electronic gun goes off.”

Sabino briefly pleaded his case to track official Vadim Nigmatov, pointing to his ears to indicate what he’d heard. He said that he asked to run the race under protest, but Nigmatov and the other officials refused.

“They didn’t even hear what I had to say,” Sabino said. “I sacrificed everything for this.”

Sabino’s plight is the latest reminder that track and field’s zero-tolerance false start policy might be the cruelest, most unforgiving rule in sports. It’s more sudden than a sixth foul in the NBA Finals, more damaging than a red card at the World Cup and more common than an unsigned scorecard at one of golf's majors. It has induced tantrums from otherwise mature adults and waylaid some of the legends of the sport — even the great Usain Bolt.

Only an hour after Sabino's false start, the rule took out another runner. Great Britain's Jeremiah Azu false-started in his round 1 heat and also was disqualified without getting to run.

Azu, like Sabino, said he "heard something and just reacted." He planned to appeal his disqualification in hopes of being granted a chance to run by himself and try to qualify for the Sunday's semifinal on time.

"Right now, I'm acting as if I'm running again," he said

International track and field’s governing body went to a zero-tolerance false start policy over a decade ago out of a desire to streamline the sport and eliminate gamesmanship.

Under the old rules, sprinters or hurdlers notorious for slow reaction times would attempt to gain an edge by guessing when the starting pistol would fire, knowing the penalty would be charged to the field rather than to themselves. The multiple false starts slowed down meets and made it difficult for TV networks working within a specific time slot.

In what could be argued as the most gruelling track race of the Olympic Games, the 10,000m, it was an epic battle in the men’s final, as the reigning Olympic champion, reigning world champion and current world record holder were all in the lineup at the Stade de France to battle for the coveted Olympic gold medal.

Taking the fastest 10,000m race in the history of the Olympic Games was Uganda’s world record holder, Joshua Cheptegei, in a time of 26:43.14.

The pool was incredibly fast, with the first 13 finishers all coming in under the previous Olympic record, that before Friday night had held true since 2008.

Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi took the silver medal just 0.3 seconds behind Cheptegei, with USA’s Grant Fisher taking the bronze medal, 0.02 behind silver.

Reigning Olympic champion Selemon Baregaof Ethiopia took seventh place in 26:44.48.

More: Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda took the lead with a little more than a lap left in a masterpiece of a 10,000-meter race to finish in an Olympic-record 26 minutes, 43.14 seconds in front of a roaring crowd on an electric opening night at the track. 

The world-record holder raced in the middle of a strung-out pack for most of the 25 laps on the calm, cool evening at the Stade de France. 

Then he took off, and held the lead over the final 500 meters against a crowd of Ethiopians who set a blistering pace all night. 

Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi beat American Grant Fisher in a sprint to the line for silver. 

Fisher’s bronze medal marked the first for the U.S. in the longest race at the Olympic track since Galen Rupp took silver in 2012.

Daniel Mateiko, Nicholas Kimeli, and Bernard Kibet will have the pressure to deliver Kenya's gold medal since Naftali Temu's exploits at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

The trio of Daniel Mateiko, Nicholas Kimeli and Bernard Kibet are tasked with a daunting task to reclaim Kenya’s 10,000m title once they toe the line at the Stade de France on Friday, August 2.

The men’s race starts at 10:20 p.m. East African Time with the trio taking on one of the strongest fields in history with the main aim to reclaim Naftali Temu’s title won at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Kenyans have had a rough time of winning the gold medal following the emergence of Ethiopians and Ugandans who have dominated the race. Kenenisa Bekele, Mo Farah, Joshua Cheptegei have dominated the global stage with Bekele and Farah winning two titles each.

Selemon Barega won the title at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games with Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo taking second and third place respectively.

Mateiko made headlines, winning the Prefontaine Classic to secure his slot to the Olympic Games with Kimeli and Kibet finishing second and third respectively. The trio has the much-needed confidence to impress following their training sessions that have been extensive so far.

Mateiko and Kimeli train with Eliud Kipchoge and they certainly draw inspiration from the two-time Olympic champion who will also be chasing his third Olympic title.

However, they will not have an easy task in title reclamation as they go up against very strong opponents. Defending champion Barega will be out to defend his Olympic gold with Cheptegei also in the mix.

Being the world record holder and a three-time world champion, Cheptegei will going for the only title missing in his decorated CV. The Ethiopians have fielded their best, with world leader Yomif Kejelcha and Berihu Aregawi also in the mix. Paris marks the first Olympics for Kejelcha who will have the pressure on him after the world lead.

Cheptegei has raced sparingly, making it difficult to gauge his shape. He will be competing for the first time since end of May when he finished ninth in the 5000m at the Diamond League Meeting in Oslo.

The American duo Grant Fisher and Nico Young have also been entered and they will also be chasing history for the US. Young will b debuting at the Olympics and the race will just be his third 10,000m race on a track.

On his part, Fisher has great experience racing on the global stage and after finishing fifth at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he will be out to improve on that.

Kenya is facing significant challenges in their quest to win Olympic gold in the 10,000m, a feat last achieved in 1968.

On Friday night, Kenya will have their first chance to bag a medal in Athletics when three of its athletes step onto the purple track at the Stade de France.

The hopes of a nation will follow Daniel Mateiko, Nicholas Kipkorir, and Bernard Kibet as they attempt to end a 56-year Olympic gold drought in the men's 10,000 meters, a title last won by Naftali Temu in 1968.

Despite their ambitions, several hurdles could hinder their quest for gold.

1. Stiff Competition from neighboring countries

The field for the men's 10,000m in Paris is formidable featuring athletes who have dominated recent major championships.

Reigning Olympic champion Selemon Barega of Ethiopia and world record holder Joshua Cheptegei from Uganda are prime contenders.

Both athletes have consistently shown that they can perform at their peak under the intense pressure of the Olympics and World Championships.

Cheptegei, in particular, has won the last three World finals in a row, showcasing his speed and strategic race management.

2. Limited success in recent years

While Kenya is renowned for its middle and long-distance runners, their success in the 10,000m at major international events has been limited in recent years.

The last Kenyan to win gold in this event at the World Championships was Charles Kamathi in 2001.

The more recent global stages have seen Kenyan athletes unable to break through the top ranks, often finishing outside the medal positions.

This historical context sets a precedent that may be tough to overcome, especially against more recently successful nations like Ethiopia and Uganda.

3. The pressure of a longstanding drought

The weight of a 56-year Olympic gold drought in the 10,000m can be a significant psychological burden.

The athletes are not just racing against their contemporaries but also against history.

The desire to end this long wait for gold can create immense pressure, which might affect their performance.

Handling this pressure while maintaining the focus and composure needed to win at the Olympic level is a daunting challenge that could hinder their prospects.

4. Tactical vulnerabilities

The dynamics of long-distance racing have evolved, with a significant emphasis on the tactical execution of the race.

Kenyan athletes have traditionally excelled in pace-driven races but have sometimes struggled in tactical scenarios where races are decided in the final laps.

The likes of Barega and Cheptegei have demonstrated exceptional ability to shift gears dramatically in the final stages of a race, a skill that has been pivotal in their victories.

Unless the Kenyan contenders have significantly improved their race tactics and finishing kicks, they may find themselves outmaneuvered in the crucial closing stages.

5. Training and preparation challenges

While the Kenyan team has trained intensively at high-altitude facilities, the transition to competition at lower altitudes can be challenging.

Adapting to the specific conditions of the track at Stade de France, coupled with the unpredictable Parisian weather, adds another layer of complexity to their preparation.

Effective adaptation is crucial and any missteps in acclimatization or strategy during training could impair their performance when it counts.

The 1500 is always one of the crown jewels of the Olympic program, and the burgeoning rivalry between Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway and world champion Josh Kerr of Great Britain has sent anticipation levels through the roof in 2024. The last two global 1500-meter finals were unforgettable, and this year’s race is shaping up as an all-time classic after the two men have spent the last 12 months trading verbal barbs.

On the night of August 6 in the Stade de France, one of three things will happen:

1) Ingebrigtsen will win his second Olympic 1500-meter title at the age of 23, joining Seb Coe (1980, 1984) as the only man to repeat as champion.

2) Kerr will win gold, just as he did at last year’s World Championships, bringing Ingebrigtsen’s record in global 1500m finals to 0-4 since his triumph at the 2021 Olympics (with one being the 2022 World Indoors loss).

3) Someone else will win the title in one of the great Olympic upsets. Could it be 19-year-old phenom Niels Laros? Or perhaps two-time Olympic Trials champion Cole Hocker of the United States?

As long as the race isn’t marred by a fall — which has sadly become all too common in middle-distance races this year — it’s hard to envision a scenario in which this race is not totally awesome.

The biggest sport at the Paris Olympic Games will be held on August 1-11. And while it’s the oldest Olympic discipline, a lot will be new about track and field this year.

A lot has changed in the last 100 years. Feathers, jazz, and radios are out. Mom jeans, T-Swift, and TikTok are in.

(We don’t make up the rules.)

Dirt tracks have been replaced by vibrant shades of bouncy mondo. Leather shoes cower next to featherlight carbon-plated spikes. Scouts sprinting along marathons, calling in the action by telephone to announcers projecting the information to spectators sitting in the stands, have been put out of business by helicopters and motorcades livestreaming the race on TV.

But one thing hasn’t changed: the 2024 Olympic Games will be held in Paris, France—where they were held for the last time exactly 100 years ago. And once again, track and field will be the star of the show.

(Sorry, break dancing and skateboarding.)

Here’s what you need to know about track and field, or what the rest of the world calls “athletics,” at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on August 1-11.

Of the 10,000 athletes from 206 nations competing in 329 events at the Paris Olympic Games, 1,800 of them will be in the 48 events of track and field. That makes track and field by the numbers the biggest of the 32 sports.

It’s a fitting designation for a historic sport that traces its roots back to about 200 B.C. in Ancient Greece and the birth of the Olympics. Then, men (yes, just men) competed in sprints, the long jump, discus, and javelin to celebrate human potential  and to honor the gods.

Those events are all still contended today (plus a whole lot more that would make the Ancient Greeks—and many of our contemporaries, for that matter—scratch their heads, like the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 20K racewalk), giving special import to this sporting discipline.

In addition: unlike say, soccer or basketball, which have the Football World Cup and the NBA Finals, the Olympics represents the pinnacle of the sport for track and field. For all the disciplines within track and field, from the 100 meters, to hammer throw, to the decathlon, there is no higher honor than winning Olympic gold.

It’s been a long, arduous road since Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, famously said that the point of the Olympics was “the solemn and periodic exaltation of male athleticism…with the applause of women as reward.”

At the 1900 Olympics, also in Paris, 22 women defied Coubertin’s dream and competed in a total of five events: croquet, equestrian, golf, sailing, and tennis. They made up a minuscule 2.2 percent of the 997-person field. This year, thanks to tireless work starting with the International Olympic Committee, the Paris Olympics will be the first to (basically) achieve gender parity.

Of the 329 medal events, 157 will be contested among men, five more than the 152 for women. (There are also 20 mixed-gender events, including the mixed-gender 4×400-meter relay on the track and the mixed-gender marathon race walk relay.) But within the 32 sports, 28 are gender equal—including, for the first time, track and field.

The devil is in the details, and if we’re putting true parity paramount then there’s still some work to go. Even within track and field, the men still compete in the decathlon (10 events) while the women compete in the heptathlon (seven). And then there’s everyone on the team beyond the athletes themselves: in Tokyo three years ago, 13 percent of coaches were women—and that’s up from 11 percent in Rio in 2016. A quarter of National Olympic Committees give less prize money to women gold medalists than men.

Speaking of prize money, track and field is breaking barriers this Olympics by becoming the first sport to give out prize money. Gold medalists in both women’s and men’s races will win $50,000, with relay teams splitting that pot four ways. In total, that’s $2.4 million that World Athletics will be coughing up to foot the bill, a sign of change for how the Olympics have bloomed from an exhibit of amateurism to full-blown commercialization.

Notably, this prize money is less than World Athletics hands out at the World Athletics Championships, which awarded gold medalists $70,000 in Budapest last summer. World Athletics intends to extend prize money to silver and bronze medalists at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

That prize money from World Athletics remains separate from prize money awarded by some national federations—including the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which will award $37,500, $22,500, and $15,000 to Team USA gold, silver, and bronze medalists, respectively, in Paris.

Paris vowed to make this Olympics the greenest ever, building as little new infrastructure as possible and using the city’s iconic landmarks as venue backdrops instead. Rather than build dazzling new stadiums which quickly fall into disuse and disrepair after the Games—as we’ve seen at previous Olympics—Paris opted to revamp existing infrastructure, some of it dating back to the last Olympic Games here in 1924.

The Stade de Yves-du-Manoir, the main stadium of the 1924 games which hosted among other things track and field, has a new 1,000-seat grandstand and will host the field hockey events.

The pastel-colored high-rise apartments of the Olympic Village, where many athletes stay during the Games, add a splash of color to Seine-Saint-Denis, the poorest area not only in Paris, but the country. Water pumped from deep below the earth cool the apartments made from a mix of wood and concrete (although many delegations have requested AC units nonetheless) and the avenues outside are made from a permeable pavement composed of crushed seashells that cool the streets by allowing water stored underneath the ground to evaporate on hot days.

This initiative has also fast-tracked cleaning up the famously romantic and infamously gray city. Paris has built 250 new miles of bike lanes, continued to expand its Metro network, allegedly cleaned up the Seine, and planted 300,000 new trees.

Track and field will be held on France’s biggest stage, quite literally. Built for the 1998 Football World Cup, Stade de France seats more than 80,000, making it the largest stadium in France. It’s home to the French national football (soccer) and rugby teams as well as the country’s biggest concerts.

As you’ve probably seen by now, the track has been resurfaced to purple for the Games. The shade is reminiscent of lavender, a homage to both the creativity of the 2024 Olympics and to the ash-colored track at the 1924 Olympic Games across the city.

If you’ve watched track and field meets in the past, you may have been confused why some athletes names’ appear with a big “Q” or a little “q” on the scoreboard after the preliminary and semi-final rounds.

If that’s you, don’t stress. In the spirit of second chances, and well, simplicity, the Paris Games are doing away with this system (for the most part).

For the first time ever, individual track events ranging from the 200 meters to the 1500 meters (including hurdles races) will include a “repechage” round. Athletes in the preliminary round who do not automatically qualify for the semi-final will have an opportunity to race their way into the next round through this additional heat, the entomology of which comes from repêchage, or “second chance” in French.

Under this new format, events will have four rounds: preliminary, repechage, semi-final, and final. This guarantees that every athlete competing in the 100 through the 1500 will have the opportunity to race twice. The number of athletes who will advance out of the repechage to the semi-final varies depending on the event.

The repechage round replaces the former system, in which athletes advanced by running the fastest in their heats (Q), plus the next best getting in on time (q).

The 100 meters already has an additional round of preliminary heats, and the distance events (3,000-meter steeplechase, 5,000, and 10,000) require adequate time to recover, so these events will be conducted without the repechage round.

Expanding on the theme of gender equality at the Paris Olympics, the marathon route pays homage to a pivotal moment in women’s history during the French Revolution: the Women’s March on Versailles. The roughly 160 competitors in the men’s and women’s races (as well as the citizen’s race, Paris 2024 Marathon Pour Tous) will follow in the footsteps of roughly 7,000 Parisian women and men who marched from Paris to Versailles on October 5-6, 1789 to demand bread and arms. (It worked: King Louis XVI finally agreed to sign the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens that day.)

Just like those disgruntled Parisians 235 years ago, runners will start at Hôtel de Ville, the city hall in the center of Paris, and will make their way on foot to the Palace of Versailles about 12 miles to the west. Along the way, runners will pass through nine districts of the Île-de-France, against a backdrop of the City of Light’s most iconic landmarks, parks, and forests, including the Place de Concorde, Rue de Rivoli, Tuileries Garden, and, of course, the Louvre.

In addition to being steeped in history and splendor, the course will be particularly grueling for a road race: the middle section packs some kickers that add up to over 1,430 feet of climbing and descent, with a maximum grade of 13.5 percent. Throw in some heat and humidity and we’re in for two unpredictable, action-packed events.

You may be wondering why race walking, in which competitors basically try and cheat as much as possible without getting caught, is an Olympic discipline. We are, too. Just watching race walkers swing those hips along at 6-minute per mile paces seems injury-inducing. But hey, three-on-three basketball, badminton, and trampoline are in the Olympics, too, so who are we to judge.

But judging is in fact a critical component of sport. Race walking rules stipulate that competitors must keep one foot on the ground at all times, to the point where any loss of contact is not visible with the naked eye. In other words, the rules are basically begging athletes to cheat and run without getting away with it. In addition, the lead leg must remain straight until that leg passes under the body. Using just the naked eye, that is, no technology whatsoever, judges monitor competitors to try and uphold these regulations.

For the first time since the discipline became an Olympic event in 2000, race walking will provide gender-equal medal opportunities. There will be a men’s and women’s 20K race, as well as a marathon-distance mixed-gender relay, which will replace the men’s 50K.

In a highly unique format, the mixed-gender relay will see 25 teams of one man and one woman each. They’ll complete a marathon-distance race broken up into four 10K chunks, with each competitor racing twice (man, woman, man, woman).

Perhaps the greatest improvement from the 1924 Olympic Games is that we can watch it all without even being there. NBC Universal, the American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that owns the media rights to the Olympics, is planning to air more than 7,000 hours of total coverage of the Paris Olympic Games. Track and field coverage will be broadcast on the NBC, USA, and E! TV networks and streamed on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app, and NBC Sports app.

The action kicks off with the men’s and women’s 20K race walk on August 1, and concludes with the women’s marathon on August 11. In between, enjoy a nine-day action-packed feast on the track at Stade de France. Find the full track and field schedule of events here and the full track and field viewing schedule here.

Morning viewing sessions on August 2-9 will commence at 4 A.M. ET, and medal events will be shown on NBC’s tape-delayed prime time broadcast. Don’t worry, you can watch them live, too! Peacock, the streaming service of the Olympics, will stream every sport and event.

Those willing to sacrifice some sleep can catch the men’s marathon coverage live beginning at 2 A.M. on August 10 on USA Network, Peacock, and the NBC Sports app, while the women’s marathon will be shown live beginning at 2 A.M. on August 11.

We are just four days away from the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics and a little over a week from the start of the athletics events at the Stade de France. If you’re looking to place your bets for gold or want to know the favorites for each event (according to Vegas sportsbooks), we’ve got you covered with insights and odds to help you get the best value out of your picks.

Men’s 100m

Favorite: Kishane Thompson (JAM) -105 [world leader]

Best value: Oblique Seville (JAM) +900 

Men’s 200m

Favorite: Noah Lyles (USA) -290 [3x world champion]

Best value: Erriyon Knighton (USA) +1000 [2x world championship medallist]

Men’s 400m

Favorite: Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR) +120 [world silver medalist]

Best value: Steven Gardiner (BAH) +350 [reigning Olympic champion]

Men’s 800m

Favorite: Djamel Sedjati (ALG) -250 [world leader]

Best value: Marco Arop (CAN) +1500 [reigning world champion]

Men’s 1,500m

Favorite: Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) -225 [reigning Olympic champion]

Best value: Josh Kerr (GBR) +175 [reigning world champion]

Men’s 5,000m

Favorite: Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) -290 [reigning world champion]

Best value: George Mills (GBR) +4000 

Men’s 10,000m

Favorite: Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) +120 [world record holder]

Best value: Berihu Aregawi (ETH) +600 

Men’s 110m hurdles

Favorite: Grant Holloway (USA) -500 [world leader and world champion]

Best value: Hansle Parchment (JAM) +1000 [reigning Olympic champion]

Men’s 400m hurdles

Favorite: Rai Benjamin (USA) +100 [world leader]

Best value: Alison Dos Santos (BRA) +300 [2022 world champion]

Men’s 3,000m steeplechase

Favorite: Lamecha Girma (ETH) -120

Best value: Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) +190

Men’s marathon

Favorite: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) -190 [reigning Olympic champion]

Best value: Benson Kipruto (KEN) +900 [2024 Tokyo Marathon champion]

Women’s 100m

Favorite: Sha’Carri Richardson (USA) -225 [reigning world champion]

Best value: Julien Alfred (LCA) +700 

Women’s 200m

Favorite: Gabby Thomas (USA) +105 [2020 Olympic bronze medalist]

Best value: Shericka Jackson (JAM) +180 [reigning world champion

Women’s 400m

Favorite: Marileidy Paulino (DOM) -135 [2020 Olympic silver medalist]

Best value: Rhasidat Adeleke (IRL) +700 

Women’s 800m

Favorite: Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) -290 [Olympic silver medallist]

Best value: Nia Atkins (USA) +1500

Women’s 1,500m

Favorite: Faith Kipyegon (KEN) -285 [world record holder]

Best value: Jessica Hull (AUS) +1000

Women’s 5,000m

Favorite: Faith Kipyegon (KEN) -285 [world champion]

Best value: Beatrice Chebet (KEN) +750 [world XC champion]

Women’s 10,000m

Favorite: Sifan Hassan (NED) +120 [reigning Olympic champion]

Best value: Gudaf Tsegay (ETH) +250 [reigning world champion]

Women’s 100m hurdles

Favorite: Cyrena Samba-Mayela (FRA) +250 [European champion]

Best value: Tobi Amusan (NGR) +1500 [world record holder]

Women’s 400m hurdles

Favorite: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) -700 [world record holder and reigning Olympic champion]

Best value: Femke Bol (NED) +300 [reigning world champion]

Women’s 3,000m steeplechase

Favorite: Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN) n/a [world record holder]

Best value: Sembo Almayew (ETH) n/a

Women’s marathon

Favorite: Tigst Assefa (ETH) +250 [world record holder]

Best value: Hellen Obiri (KEN) +400 [2023 & 2024 Boston Marathon champion] 

Winfred Yavi will be out to claim a second Olympic gold medal for Bahrain at the Paris Olympics after Ruth Jebet set the pace at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Kenyan-born Bahraini Winfred Yavi has plans to emulate Ruth Jebet and win Bahrain the second Olympic gold medal as she heads to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Jebet claimed Bahraini’s first gold medal in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase at the delayed 2016 Rio Olympic Games and Yavi will be looking to reclaim the title after they lost it to Uganda through Peruth Chemutai at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

The reigning world champion noted that this season, their main focus will be to surprise fans at the Stade de France with her impeccable run to win the women’s steeplechase. At the moment, Yavi is working on every aspect of her training as she looks to dine with the finest steeplechasers from across the globe.

The 24-year-old added that she knows every athlete who makes it to the Olympic Games has worked for that spot and she has a lot of respect for all of them.

“I have a lot of respect for each and every competitor who has qualified for the Olympic Games. My team and I are focusing on getting ready,” Yavi told Gulf Daily News.

“The Olympic Games are one of the biggest arenas in the world, and it is a proud moment for me. The best athletes in the world are at the Olympic Games. You have to prepare well.”

Yavi added that it’s incredible to fly the Bahrainian flag high once again as she looks to make an impact just like she did at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary and the Prefontaine Classic, the Diamond League Meeting in Eugene.

This season, she claimed her first win of the season at the Diamond League Meeting in Paris and will be looking to maintain her form to the Olympics. She had a faulty start to her season, finishing ninth at the Prefontaine Classic but managed a bounce back in Paris.

“It is an honor to have a team and a coach who I can collaboratively work together with. I am looking forward to the Olympic Games, and I am trusting the process. It’s incredible!” Yavi said.

Timothy Cheruiyot has disclosed what he needs to work on after his second-place finish behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen at the Diamond League Meeting in Monaco.

Olympic 1500m silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot has disclosed the one thing he needs to work on before descending on the purple track at the Stade de France for the men’s 1500m at the Paris Olympic Games.

Cheruiyot has battled injuries in the past seasons but he has slowly been bouncing back and this season has been steady on him. He qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics at the Kenyan Olympic trials, finishing third in 3:35.90.

The 28-year-old, after finishing second at the Diamond League Meeting in Monaco, noted that he has to work on his speed endurance if he has to silence his serial rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

The Norwegian clocked a stunning 3:26.73 to join the club of legends with a win as Cheruiyot was forced to finish second in 3:28.71. Africa 1500m champion Brian Komen sealed the podium in 3:28.80.

The 2019 world champion was happy to be peaking at the right time, expressing his elation towards the time posted, just less than a month before the Olympic Games.

“The race was good, I am happy about my time and my position. The 1500m nowadays is a very competitive race with a lot of young guys coming up fast," Cheruiyot said in a post-race interview.

“So I am proud because I am peaking myself towards the Olympics. I need to work harder to keep up. I know that I can come back strong. I especially need to work on my speed endurance.”

In the 1500m, Cheruiyot opened his season with a second-place finish at the Diamond League Meeting in Doha before finishing fourth at the National Championships, clocking 3:40.23 to cross the finish line.

Cheruiyot also finished second behind Ingebrigtsen at the Diamond League Meeting in Oslo before the Olympic trials where he finished third. As he heads to the Paris Olympic Games, Cheruiyot hopes to improve on his silver medal won at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

A new look is coming to athletics at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris. The track at the Stade de France will be a vibrant purple instead of the traditional terracotta color, which organizers hope will stand out to a global audience and produce record performances for the world’s best athletes.

Italian rubber manufacturer Mondo has begun the production of the 17,000-square-meter purple track, which will be packed and transported to the French capital in the coming weeks for the start of the Olympic Games in July. The Paris Olympic organizing committee chose the color to honor the Games being the first to achieve full gender parity on the field of play.

The track will be made of three colors: two shades of purple (one a lighter lavender, and the other a darker shade), and grey, which will be used on the outer side of the track. Mondo has supplied track and field surfaces for the last 10 Olympic Games, dating back to the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

Following in the footsteps of the Olympic medals for 2024, the track will be made from nearly 50 per cent renewable or recycled materials, which is 30 per cent higher than for the London Olympics in 2012.

Mondo claims the purple track will be faster than the one used at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where three world records were broken, including the men’s and women’s 400m hurdles set by Norway’s Karsten Warholm and American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

“We have changed the design of the cells in the lower layer of the track compared to what was used in Tokyo,” said Maurizio Stroppiana, vice president of Mondo’s sports division to Olympics.com. “This reduces the loss of energy for the athletes and returns it at the best possible point in their movement.” 

The cost of the purple track is estimated to be around three million euros (CAD $4.5 million). Forty-six of the 48 athletics events will be held on this track (the marathon and the race walk are held on a road course). The race walks will be contested at Pont d’Iena, and the marathon events will begin at the Hôtel de Ville (city hall) and end at Les Invalides, with runners traversing many of the city’s most iconic sites and Olympic venues throughout the historic French revolution route. 

With tomorrow marking two years until the Olympics are due to begin in the French capital, concerns are mounting on preparations from a security and financial point of view.

AFP has reported that the Organising Committee's estimated budget for the Games has risen to €4 billion (£3.4 billion/$4.1 billion), with a source commenting: "Everything is very tight concerning the budget."

According to the unnamed source, the extent of the difficulties are expected to become clearer later this year.

Solideo, the public body charged with overseeing infrastructural projects for Paris 2024, also has a reported budget of €4 billion (£3.4 billion/$4.1 billion).

Inflation in France reached its highest level since 1991 last month, although remains lower than many other European countries.

Consumer prices rose by 5.8 per cent in the 12 months until June.

Tickets for the Games go on sale in December, and one premium partnership slot remains vacant, although it has been reported that there are hopes it could be filled by luxury goods company LVMH.

At the International Olympic Committee Session in Lausanne in May, Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet conceded that the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine "caused major breakdowns in production and supply chains", and "generated an inflationary environment which was impossible to anticipate just a few months or weeks ago".

Budgetary issues are expected to be one of the topics examined when French President Emmanuel Macron meets other key Ministers at the Élysée Palace to discuss Paris 2024 today.

A French Presidential official told AFP that the meeting offers an opportunity "to take note of where there are weaknesses".

Concerns over security have escalated since Paris 2024 venue, the Stade de France, held the UEFA Champions League Final in May.

The match was marred by chaotic scenes which led to a delayed kick-off, led to widespread criticism of the French authorities and police, and prompted a warning in a French Senate report earlier this month that the Government and relevant bodies would be required to "draw the necessary lessons".

There are plans for around 600,000 people to watch the Opening Ceremony along the River Seine, but a police source cited in a AFP report warned that it would not be possible to secure the "nearly 7,000 officers" required, with a shortfall in the 24,000 required private security guards another stumbling block.

The Olympics in the French capital are due to run from July 26 until August 11 2024, followed by the Paralympics from August 28 until September 8.