As the Paris Olympics 2024 comes to an end, let’s take a look back at the top surprising turn of events that led athletes to achieving their medals, as seen in the unpredictable world of track and field.
Men’s 1500m- Hocker’s unexpected gold
The men’s 1500m was a race anticipated to be between Great Britain’s Josh Kerr and Norwegia’s Jakob Ingebrigsten. They are respectively the champion of the World Final in 2023, and the other is the European 2024 record holder. Yet, even though Ingebrigsten led the charge for the majority of the race, it is evident that he ran out of steam towards the end as Kerr overtook him. Unexpectedly, USA’s Cole Hocker emerged at the last 50m of the race and raced for the gold, setting a new Olympic record in the process. His victory was one that surprised the whole stadium, as he was not expected to win at all. Kerr managed to secure silver, while Ingebrigsten finished only in fourth.
Women’s 100m- Julien Alfred making history for her country by winning gold over Sha’Carri Richardson
- Noah Lyles win 100m Gold with the barest of margins
- Inspired Femke Bol leads Dutch to Mixed Relay glory
- Julien Alfred wins 100m gold medal for St. Lucia
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The US athlete Sha’Carri Richardson was the crowd favourite to win the Olympic gold, as she was the fastest woman in the world coming into this competition. However, it was young Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia who won gold in the 100m dash, the first medal for her home country and a historic win. Richardson had expected to go unparalleled to win this event, especially since the Jamaicans did not pose a threat to her. Alfred’s victory also gave prominence to the smaller nations competing in the games, for she secured a gigantic victory which will have many positive implications for her future.
Men’s 100m- Noah Lyles beating Kishane Thompson by 0.005 seconds.
The 100m dash was anticipated to be a dramatic showdown between the USA star, Noah Lyles, and the current fastest runner in the world, Jamaican runner, Kishane Thompson. It was expected to be a very competitive race, but we were not prepared for just how close the result would be; the closest final that all 8 have finished milliseconds away from each other. The race came down to a hair’s breadth as the American beat Thompson by five thousandths of a second, while the latter had thought he had won the race. Both athletes ran the same timing too (9.79), making this outcome extremely surprising too, and the outcome was only decided through a photo finish.
200m- Noah Lyles not winning the gold
Noah Lyles, the USA track star, is now deemed the ‘fastest man in the world’ after his win in the 100m over the Jamaican , Kishane Thompson. However, he was favoured to win the gold in the 200m, more than the 100m. Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo wound up snagging the gold medal, a historic moment for his country, as he was the first gold medalist too. Lyles managed to just secure the bronze, the same result as 2020, which was surprising as he had been aiming to break Bolt’s record. It was revealed after the race that he had gotten Covid two days prior to the event, weakening his body.
4x400m Mixed Relay- Femke Bol’s magical run that took Netherlands to victory
After the US mixed relay team smashed the Olympic record in the heats, they were the favorite to win the gold medal (3:07:41, a full second off the previous record) However, the 400m hurdles star and the 400m indoor record holder from Netherlands, Femke Bol, carried her team to victory. Beating three runners, Bol was determined to prove herself after falling at the World Championships, and beat USA by 0.31 seconds, with an anchor lap of 47.93 seconds.
Men’s Javelin Throw- Arshad Nadeem makes history for Pakistan by winning gold.
The South Asian rivalry was greatly anticipated in the men’s javelin throw event, between the reigning Indian Olympic champion, Neeraj Chopra, and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem. The latter broke the Olympic record within his first three throws, with a distance of 92.97m. He brought home the first Olympic medal for Pakistan, while Chopra won silver (89.45m). This outcome was surprising, and could have easily swung in favour of either athlete.
The different outcomes of these races and events proves just how fast the predictions in the world of track and field can change. Coming from difficult backgrounds, some of these athletes have fought through adversity to soar to great heights and achieve what would be deemed impossible. This makes each race all the more exciting, and it is safe to say the Paris Olympics was packed with surprises, once in a lifetime races, and moments we will never forget for the years to come.
