Paris Olympics 2024: Thursday-Friday, 8.8-8.9

 8.8.24 Thursday: 

The games started to wind down, and the Men's 200m really started to bring the drama. Noah Lyles came to these Olympics on a mission, he wanted to win the 100 and 200 meter sprints. He had already captured gold in the 100, but the 200 is his favorite event. What Noah didn't anticipate was contracting covid in the days leading up to the final. 

Men's 200m Final

1. Letsile Tebogo, Botswana 19.46

2. Kenny Bednarek, USA 19.62

3. Noah Lyles, USA 19.70

Women's Long Jump Final

1. Tara Davis Woodhall, USA 7.10

2. Malaika Mihambo, Germany 6.98

3. Jasmine Moore, USA 6.96

Who could forget Tara Davis Woodhall winning gold. She leapt into her husband's arms as he told her that she was an Olympic Champion. It was such an expression of love and admiration between the Olympian and Paralympian.

Women's 400m Hurdles

1. Sydney McLaughlin Levrone, USA 50.37
2. Anna Cockrell, USA 51.87

3. Femke Bol, Netherlands 52.15

One of my favorite races to watch of this. games was anything that Sydney McLaughlin Levrone ran in. There are many things to admire about her. She is hard working, talented, and she leans heavily on her faith in God and speaks openly about it. Every time she runs she seems to break world record after world record, just like she did here. She started the 400m and no one was able to catch her. She came in and defended her Olympic title, she's hasn't lost this race since 2019. 

For years now, Grant Holloway has been considered the top men's hurdler at the 110m distance. However, the gold medal alluded him in Tokyo. He came in second to Hansle Parchment from Jamaica. The lose was hard on Holloway who says he is a sore loser. He made it his mission to never come in second again if he could help it. In this race, no one was close to Holloway at the finish line. 

Men's 110m Hurdles

1. Grant Holloway, USA 12.99

2. Daniel Roberts, USA 13.09

3. Rasheed Broadbell, Jamaica 13.09

8.9.24 Friday:  

 

Friday featured a stunning turn of events for the USA relay teams. The US Women's Relay Team came back in stunning fashion to capture gold in the 4x100. However, the men were disqualified for passing the baton outside of the approved zone. This race seems to be continuing to haunt them. 

Women's 4x100m Relay

1. USA, 41.78 (Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry, Gabby Thomas, Sha'Carri Richardson)

2. Great Britain, 41.85

3. Germany, 41.97

Men's 4x100m Relay 

1. Canada, 37.50

2. South Africa, 37.57

3. Great Britain, 37.61

(USA was disqualified)

Men's 400m Hurdles

1. Rai Benjamin, USA 46.46

2. Karsten Warholm, Norway 47.06

3. Allison Dos Santos, Brazil 47.26

Rai Benjamin secured the one thing that had been alluding these past four years, Olympic gold. He closed a chapter in a powerful book preventing Karsten Warholm of Norway from repeating in this event. He was attempting to be the first since 1960 to do it. Benjamin had other ideas however, he knew he would close strong in the last 200 meters and he did.