2024 Paris Olympic Games

Olympic Track Aug. 8 Evening Recap: McLaughlin-Levrone Runs Fast, Wins Gold

Olympic Track Aug. 8 Evening Recap: McLaughlin-Levrone Runs Fast, Wins Gold

Far and away the greatest session of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games saw legacies cemented as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Grant Holloway won Olympic gold.

Aug 8, 2024 by Maxx Bradley
Olympic Track Aug. 8 Evening Recap: McLaughlin-Levrone Runs Fast, Wins Gold

Eighth day best day, right? 

With just a few more days remaining of track and field at the Paris Olympics, legacies continue to be made and records continue to be broken. 

There were fantastic performances in the semifinals of the women's 1,500m and the first day of the women's heptathlon, along with eight American medalists across the five finals.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Does It Again, Breaks World Record And Wins Gold

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone just won her second Olympic gold medal in the 400mH a day after turning 25, and for the second time in her career, she did it in world record fashion.

Three years ago in Tokyo, McLaughlin-Levrone won her first Olympic title in 51.46, which was a new world record at the time. 

In one of the most highly-anticipated events of the Paris Olympics, McLaughlin-Levrone dazzled yet again, running 50.37 and pulling away for her second Olympic title.

American Anna Cockrell exceeded any possible expectations just like she has all summer, moving past Femke Bol late to win silver as she became the fourth-fastest woman in history and third-fastest American. The 24-year-old Dutch star Femke Bol was viewed as McLaughlin-Levrone's biggest threat, but she couldn't replicate the same magic she did in her stunning anchor leg in the mixed 4x400m earlier in Paris.

The defending silver medalist faded into third and came very close to not making the podium at all.

We were just 0.15 seconds away from seeing a 1-2-3 finish from the three Americans, as Jasmine Jones was 4th in 52.29.

Grant Holloway Gets Redemption After Silver In Tokyo, Wins 110mH Gold

For the first time since 2012, the podium for the men's 110mH was painted red, white and blue.

After coming short of the Olympic gold in Tokyo, Grant Holloway erased any doubts and silenced his haters, running his way to gold in 12.99.

At just 26, Holloway's career was already full of fast times and shiny medals, but it was an Olympic title that remained absent from his resume.

After running 13.01 and 12.98 in the heats and semis, Holloway used a strong start and his patented form to go wire-to-wire, winning his first Olympic gold in 12.99.

Daniel Roberts, who didn't make the final three years ago, fought his way back over the last few hurdles to inch past Jamaica's Rasheed Broadbell for silver. The pair ran 13.085 and 13.088 as they each made their first Olympic podium.

Defending champion Hansle Parchment was eighth in 13.39. 

Diribe Welteji Leads 1,500m Qualifiers, Second Semifinal Sees Four National Records

The penultimate round of the women's 1,500m saw two contrasting races, as the first semifinal was pretty conservative and the second was as fast as you'll see in a semifinal. Clearly feeling good following a hard-fought 5,000m a few days ago, Kenya's Faith Kipyegon made light work of the field ahead of the final, running 3:58.64 to win her semifinal with ease.

Great Britain's Georgia Bell and Laura Muir finished second and fourth to advance to the final, while American Elle St. Pierre was third.

Poland's Klaudia Kazmierska and Spain's Agueda Marques rounded out the six qualifiers in fifth and sixth.

To help add some perspective, Poland's Weronika Lizakowska was seventh in the semifinal after running a national record of 3:57.31.

That would have been fast enough to win the semifinal before her. In fact, the three women behind her all would have won the first heat as well.

All-in-all, the second heat was blistering, with Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji and Australia's Jessica Hull finishing 1-2 in 3:55.1 and 3:55.4.

U.S. champion Nikki Hiltz was third in 3:56.17, while Gudaf Tsegay (ETH), Susan Ejore (KEN) and Agathe Guillemot (FRA) took the final three spots in the final.

Tara Davis-Woodhall Jumps Her Way To Gold, Americans Put Two On Long Jump Podium


After finishing sixth in her Olympic debut in Tokyo, Tara Davis-Woodhall brought the world up to speed, showcasing her improvement as she became the Olympic champion. 

Davis-Woodhall soared 7.10m on her fourth jump, taking the lead and refusing to look back. 

Germany's defending gold medalist Malaika Mihambo took silver with a jump of 6.98m to win her second Olympic medal.

Jasmine Moore was already making history in Paris even if she would have returned home with zero medals. Moore became the first American woman to qualify for the Olympics in both the triple and long jump.

After winning bronze in the triple just days ago, Moore became the first American woman to ever medal in both horizontal jumps, winning her second bronze of the Games.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson Leads Heptathlon After Day One, Anna Hall Sits In Third

 Two-time world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson is in control of the women's heptathlon after the first day, leading Belgium's Nafissatou Thiam and American Anna Hall by 48 points and 99 points, respectively.

The British heptathlete finished eighth in the 100m hurdles, before finishing second, fifth and second in the high jump, shot put and 200m.

Thiam won both the high jump and shot put today, but a 16th and 13th place finish in the 100m hurdles and 200m kept her from jumping into the lead.

Anna Hall, who had surgery less than nine months ago currently sits in third, but still has a lot of work to do if she wants to improve on her position and more importantly, stay on the podium.

Letsile Tebogo Spoils Noah Lyles' Olympic Sweep, Gives Botswana First Ever Olympic Gold


After finishing sixth in the 100m final earlier this week, Botswana's Letsile Tebogo bounced back in style, upsetting Noah Lyles and the field to win Botswana's first ever gold medal.

Tebogo lowered his own African record, becoming the first African man to break 19.5, running 19.46. Tebogo ran incredible around the bend, pulling away from defending silver medalist Kenny Bednarek and Lyles, who was the consensus favorite heading into the final. 

Bednarek ran 19.62 for his second Olympic silver, while Lyles finished with bronze in 19.70.

Following the 200m final, it was reported that Lyles tested positive for COVID-19 two days before the final. He received treatment in the medical tent after today's final.

Erriyon Knighton, 20, finished fourth for the second consecutive Olympic 200m final.

Arshad Nadeem Takes Down Defending Champion Neeraj Chopra In Javelin

It may have not had as much hype surrounding it as the finals on the track, but the men's javelin competition was littered with season bests and highlighted by an Olympic record.

After fouling on his first throw, Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem brought everyone in the stadium to their feet, besting the Olympic record by nearly two-and-a-half feet.

Chopra only managed one legal mark, with his second attempt launching 89.45m to put him into silver. In a very uncharacteristic day for the 26-year-old thrower, Chopra fouled five out of his six attempts.

Grenada's Anderson Peters won bronze by slimmer margins over Czech Republic's Jakub Valejch, as the pair threw 88.54m and 88.50m. 

When Are The Paris 2024 Olympic Games?

The Olympics begin on July 26 and end on August 11. The track and field events will began on Aug. 1. 

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