THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
The 2024 Olympic Games officially start in Paris this coming Friday, although some events start on Wednesday due to their lengthy tournament schedule. The hopes and dreams of all the competitors have been geared to this point, and whether it be a timed event or one decided by distance, points or style, all will have put in their best to reach this (as Whitney Houston once sang) moment in time.
So many new stories will be written over the coming days and weeks in events that will inspire many to watch. That is the true Olympic spirit. With Gold, Silver, and Bronze on the line for the world's elite, the stories sometimes shine most behind the medal placings. One thing remains true – every one of them will be in Paris to showcase their talent, and through their endeavors, we get to be entertained.
Some say that the Games do not truly begin until the track and field events start. This doesn't belittle the other sports, but since ancient Greece and the birth of the Olympiad, it has mostly been about running faster, throwing further, and jumping higher. If that's your view the dates for your diary are August 1 and the subsequent 10 days, when the Stade de France hosts the athletics events.
Team USA always hopes to have a huge medal haul from these events. 2024 is no different and the roster is stacked with former and current champions and record holders. Some are veterans in their category and will look to cement their status. Others will enter for the first time and look to lay a marker down for now and the future. That said, some names leap into the headlines. Here are the main Team USA contenders in Paris.
Sha'Carri Richardson – Sprinter
If anyone's road has led to Paris then it is the one run by Richardson. Over the years sprint events have been dominated by athletes with big egos, not afraid of showing their bright colors and heart-on-sleeves styles. Long lashes and nails do not go amiss when the female sprinters hit the track and Richardson has all the above and more. The 100m is her domain – having not made the 200m team, she is locked in and primed. She will feature in the relay event too, but all eyes will be on this gifted 24-year-old in the fastest race in the world.
Noah Lyles – Sprinter
You cannot mention Richardson without talking about Lyles. What is the male equivalent of sassy? Whatever it is the 27-year-old Lyles is just that. A huge amount of confidence oozes out of his 5ft 11 frame, and he does tend to back up his words in the build-up to major events. This should mean that when this Olympics gets written up he will not only be a multiple Gold medalist, but also a new World Record holder, such is his promise. He will compete in both sprint categories and the relay, meaning he could match his triple gold haul from the World Championships last year.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone – 400m Hurdles
Only 24, but has already achieved so much in her career, McLaughlin-Levrone (formerly just McLaughlin before her marriage in 2022) will be pushed to her limits this year as she aims to defend her Olympic title won in Tokyo. Femke Bol, from the Netherlands, is her closest rival and the two will perhaps form the greatest head-to-head rivalry this summer and beyond. The USA runner may be a slight underdog going into the Olympics, such is Bol's form, but this will not deter her at all, and her world record set this June could be broken again.
Katie Moon – Pole Vault
The women's Pole Vault, only an official Olympics event since 2000, has become one of the most competitive events on the calendar. An event that needs huge control and discipline, it's a true spectacle. Katie Moon, formerly Nageotte before her marriage in 2022, is the current champion at the Olympics and World Championships. This will put her in a good position this summer but the target is on her back, and there are many ready to dethrone her. If the competition heats up then the world record could tumble but realistically Moon will be hoping her form can stay consistent to stave off the field jumping around her.
Ryan Crouser – Shot Put
At 31 Crouser is already a bona fide USA legend in field events. Having taken the shot put event to new levels over the last decade, his multiple records and sack full of medals in that time have cemented his name in the history books. However, with age creeping up against him he will have to recapture some of his previous magic if he is to win an unprecedented third straight Gold medal in this discipline. He is still the benchmark in this event and is the current World Indoor and Outdoor champion.
