From Devynne Charlton to Christopher Morales Williams - top 5 athletes to look out for in the 2024 season
The 2024 track and field season is underway, and only two months into the year, fans have already witnessed some incredible performances in various competitions. Multiple athletes have made their mark already, shattering world records and achieving the previously inconceivable.
As the Olympics approach, more and more athletes will be pushing themselves to their limits, in a bid to bring their best selves to Paris.
As we await that thrilling action, here are five athletes you need to keep your eye on this year.
#5 Devynne Charlton - Hurdles
Devynne Charlton is a Bahamian Olympian who has had an exciting start to 2024. Racing in the 60m hurdles at the 116th Millrose Games early in February, Charlton set a new world record of 7.67s in the event, proving that she's a force to be reckoned with.
Since then, she's gone on to finish first at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Madrid, falling just 0.01s short of her record.
The 28-year-old is a silver medalist at the 2022 Belgrade World Indoor Championships in the 60m hurdles and has finished fourth at the 2024 Budapest World Athletics Championships in the 100m hurdles.
#4 Christopher Morales Williams - Sprinter
Christopher Morales Williams has just announced himself to the sprinting world and he's done it in style. Competing at the NCAA's Southeastern Conference Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Saturday, February 24, Williams clocked 44.49s in the 400m, setting a new indoor world record.
Aged just 19, the University of Georgia student breached the previous record of 44.57s by just 0.08s. Incidentally, the previous record set by American Kerron Clement in 2005, came on the same track.
So far, Williams has won a silver at the Pan American U20 Championships, and a bronze at the World U20 Championships.
#3 Lamara Distin - High jump
Lamara Distin was another record-breaking performer to steal the spotlight at the NCAA's Southeastern Conference Championships.
Competing in the high jump, the Jamaican cleared a height of 2.00m, setting a new national, collegiate, school, meet, and facility record at the same time.
This makes her a five-time SEC Champion, and she became only the second female athlete after Florida’s Maria Galloni to win three in a row in the indoor high jump.
Distin is the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist and will be looking to add more wins to her resume this year.
#2 Rajindra Campbell - Shot put
Another Jamaican record that was recently breached was in the event of shot put, credit to 27-year-old Rajindra Campbell.
Competing at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Madrid a handful of days ago, Campbell beat the field with a throw of 22.16m, moving up to the 12th spot on the indoor all-time list.
Campbell, who is a Jamaican national champion, has previously competed at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, where he finished as a finalist. The athlete will next be in action at the Glasgow World Indoor Championships.
#1 Mondo Duplantis - Pole vault
Mondo Duplantis, the reigning world and Olympic champion in the pole vault, is certainly going to keep fans on the edge of their seats as the Paris Olympics approach.
So far in 2024, Duplantis has won both the Mondo Classic in Sweden and the All Star Perche in France.
At the latter, the Swede set a world lead when he cleared a height of 6.02m. However, the 24-year-old fell short of his own indoor record, a 6.24m, despite three valiant attempts.
Duplantis will get a chance to rewrite the record in Glasgow before he heads to Paris to defend his title.