Five or more Olympic records might be shattered as athletics stars gear up for huge tasks at the Paris Olympic Games.
A formidable cast of athletes will be heading to Paris for track and field action scheduled for August 1 to 11 with the hope of attacking the Olympic records.
Some Olympic records are bound to be shattered this season, thanks to the crazy times being run by athletes in the build up to the Olympic Games. Other athletes have also been working behind the scenes an will certainly surprise the dozens of fans at the Stade de France.
Faith Kipyegon, Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson are among the stars set to descend on the purple track for the action packed seven days.
1) Elaine Thompson-Herah’s (Jamaica) 100m record
Elaine Thompson-Herah might cease to be the fastest woman alive after the Olympic Games owing to the strong field assembled for the women’s 100m to the Olympic Games.
The double Olympic champion set the second-fastest time in the women’s 100m at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, clocking a stunning 10.61 to win the title. Unfortunately, she will not be defending her title due to a nagging Achilles injury.
However, the women’s 100m will still be competitive, having attracted the likes of world champion Richardson, who ran a staggering 10.65 to win the world title in Budapest last year.
Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will also be out to don the Jamaican jersey with pride, hoping to lower their compatriots time. Another one to watch will be Julien Alfred, the St. Lucien athlete who has been in great form this season.
2) Florence Griffith-Joyner’s (USA) 200m record
The late American sprint icon set the 200m Olympic record at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games but it might just be time for it to be broken. The record has stood the test of time but things are about to change in Paris.
Jackson has been vocal about shattering the world record and she heads to Paris with the goal in mind. However, she had a slight injury scare but she will certainly bounce back stronger. World 200m silver medallist Gabby Thomas has also joined the race of attacking the world record and will be out to challenge the Jamaican, who is currently the fastest woman alive.
With Thomas and Jackson declaring to be in the race for the world record, the race will be fast and the record might actually go down.
3) David Rudisha’s (Kenya) 800m record
David Rudisha set a world record at the 2012 London Olympics and no one ever got close to the record until this year, when athletes started running fast times.
Djamel Sedjati, Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Marco Arop head to the Olympic Games, both having been impressive this season. Wanyonyi and Sedjati have run the fastest times in the world this year with the Algerian running the third fastest time at the Paris Diamond League.
Wanyonyi owns the fourth-fastest time in the world, when he finished second behind Sedjati in Paris. The Olympic Games might see Rudisha’s world and Olympic record of 1:40.91.
4) Usain Bolt’s (Jamaica) 200m record
A formidable field has been assembled for the men’s 200m, a move that might see Usain Bolt’s world and Olympic record fall.
Bolt was in great shape as he set the 200m world record of 19.30 at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the cast of Noah Lyles, Letsile Tebogo and Kenny Bednarek might be out to obliterate the record.
The trio has been impressive in the 200m, with Lyles being unbeaten this season. He also holds the world lead and as he heads to the Olympics, the American has been vocal about attacking the Jamaican’s world record. The track at the Stade de France is fast and the field is also strong meaning the record is in danger.
5) Samuel Wanjiru (Kenya) men’s marathon record
Samuel Wanjiru set the men’s marathon Olympic record at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where he clocked 2:06:32 to cross the finish line.
However, the record is in danger following the Kenyan contingent selected to represent the country at the Olympics. Defending champion Eliud Kipchoge, pushing for his third Olympic title will go beyond limits to win.
The race also included Tokyo Marathon champion Benson Kipruto and London Marathon champion Alexander Mutiso, both primed for top honours. The Ethiopian contingent will also be out to challenge the Kenyans, meaning the race will be a battle of titans.
