2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field - Day 10 — Track and Field Events where world records may be broken ft. Women's 400m hurdles, Men's Pole Vault (Source: Getty)

5 track and field events in which world records may be broken at Paris Olympics 2024 ft. women's 400m hurdles, men's pole vault

Modified Jul 12, 2024 03:07 GMT

Records are meant to be broken, and Paris Olympics would be no exception. In the previous edition at Tokyo, 12 Olympic records were broken, and 3 new world records were established in only the track and field discipline itself.

It would be interesting to see how many records are broken in the track and field at Stade de France, the main venue for track and field at Paris Olympics. However, here are some events where there a strong chances of new world records being established:

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#5) Men's Pole Vault

Can Armand Duplantis be "ninth" time lucky at Paris? [Image Sources: Getty]

This is one event where breaking the world record has become as normal as brushing one's teeth twice a day. I'm are not kidding, Armand Duplantis from Sweden has broken the world record for men's pole vault for a mind boggling eight times since 2020.

In between, Duplantis has won every championship he could lay his hands on. European Championships, Diamond League, World Championships, even the Tokyo Olympics, you name it and Armand Duplantis has won it.

In 2024 itself, Armand Duplantis broke his own world record at the Wanda Diamond League, jumping up to a distance of 6.24 m. Apart from that, he has breached the 6 m mark a record 8 times this year. It won't be a surprise if he breaks his own record for the ninth time at Paris Olympics.

#4) Men's 200 m:

Can Noah Lyles break Usain Bolt's 'unbreakable' record at Paris Olympics? [Image Source: Getty]

This would be a bit of an overstatement, but Usain Bolt's long standing record in 200 m can be broken at the Paris Olympics.

How so? Because Noah Lyles is aiming precisely for that. Lyles had won a bronze medal in the same event at Tokyo Olympics, and he would like to change both the color of his medal, as well as break the previous world record of 19.19 seconds, set by Usain Bolt at Berlin World Championships in 2009.

Noah Lyles's personal best is in fact 19.31 seconds, which is just a hundredth short of Bolt's Olympic record of 19.30 seconds. He has also went under 20 seconds thrice this year, including a personal best of 19.53 seconds recorded at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

However, Noah Lyles won't be having a cakewalk at the Paris Olympics. He will face tough competition from defending champion Andre De Grasse from Canada, as well as his fellow American, Kenny Bednarek, among others.

#3) Women's 200 m :

Time for Shericka Jackson to achieve the 'impossible' [Image Source: Getty]

This is one event where breaking the world record won't just be an achievement, it would be a statement in itself.

The previous record of 21.34 seconds was established by Florence Griffith-Joyner at Seoul Olympics in 1988, and it's been 36 years since anyone even attempted to close to this record, let alone break it.

But since the previous year, 3 sprinters have almost reached close to this mark, if not broken it. Shericka Jackson is leading from the front, having clocked 21.41 seconds at the 2023 World Championships. She is closely followed by her teammate, Elaine Thompson-Herah, who clocked 21.53 seconds at the Tokyo Olympics.

Even Gabby Thomas from USA is aiming for the world record, having clocked 21.6 seconds at an athletic meet in Eugene the previous year. In fact, amongst the three athletes mentioned, it is Gabby Thomas who is seriously contending for a record performance at the Paris Olympics, having clocked 21.78 seconds this year at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

While Elaine Thompson Herah hasn't run many 200 m races this year, Shericka Jackson hasn't ran any race under 22 seconds and she has a fair chance of setting a new world record in Paris.

#2) Men's Shot Put:

Will it be a golden hattrick at Paris for Ryan Crouser? [Image Source: Getty]

It would be a real surprise if Ryan Crouser doesn't better his own record at Paris Olympics this time. The reason is his absolute consistency. This year, out of 4 attempts, Ryan Crouser has thrown the shot beyond 22.5 m 3 times, including a seasonal best of 22.84 m at the U.S. Olympic Trials 2024.

The 31-year-old shot putter had made the world take notice when he broke the 28-year-old Olympic record of Ulf Timmermann at Rio Olympics in 2016. Only months before the Tokyo Olympics, Crouser broke both the indoor, as well as the outdoor world records set by former Olympic champion Randy Barnes.

At Paris Olympics, Ryan Crouser is not just the top bet for a golden hattrick, but also for a new world record. The present world record for Men's Shot Put is 23.51 m, and it would be interesting if Crouser manages to throw beyond it.

#1) Women's 400 m hurdles:

Time for Sydney McLaughlin Levrone to show who's the real boss [Image Source: Getty]

Like Armand Duplantis, breaking world records is the favorite pastime for the current world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who just set a new world record of 50.65 seconds at the U.S. Olympic trials. McLaughlin-Levrone had first broken the world record when she won the Olympic gold medal in women's 400 m hurdles.

Since then, she has broken her own record thrice, including the most recent one at the U.S. Olympic trials, where Sydney McLaughlin Levrone clocked 50.65 seconds. It would be a miracle if she actually manages to achieve her desired target of under 50 seconds timing, but it wouldn't be a surprise if she breaks her record again while defending her Olympic title at the Paris Olympics.