Olympics track and field Latest: Noah Lyles tries to complete a double in 200-meter final
PARIS (AP) — The latest updates from track and field events at Stade de France on Thursday at the Paris Olympics.
U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles is the 100-meter champion going for the double in the 200-meter final. Usain Bolt accomplished that feat at three Olympics in a row — in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Lyles was crowned the “Fastest Man Alive” by edging out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by five-thousandths of a second. He is a heavy favorite in the 200 — his better race — though he trailed Letsile Tebogo of Botswana in Wednesday night’s qualifying heat.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the United States and Femke Bol of the Netherlands will go head-to-head in the 400-meter hurdles final.
McLaughlin-Levrone is the world record holder and reigning Olympic champion. She beat Bol at the Tokyo Olympics, then again at 2022 world championships. Bol, the reigning world champion, ran an inspired anchor leg for the Dutch to win gold in the 4×400-meter mixed relay on Saturday.
Mihambo’s challenge: Winning consecutive golds in long jump
Defending Olympic long jump champion Malaika Mihambo of Germany has history working against her as she looks to defend her title in the women’s final.
No woman has won consecutive golds in the event since it was introduced at the 1948 London Games.
German great Heike Drechsler is the only two-time Olympic champion. She reached the top of the podium in 1992 in Barcelona and again in Sydney eight years later. Drechsler began her Olympic career with a silver in 1988 while competing for East Germany.
The long jump final is part of a busy night at Stade de France that will include the men’s 200-meter and women’s 400-meter hurdles final.
Sha’Carri Richardson to the rescue
Sha’Carri Richardson bailed out the U.S. women out from a near collapse earlier Thursday in the Olympic 4×100 relay, overcoming a German runner in the anchor leg to help the Americans win their heat and move to the gold-medal race.
The U.S. men, who haven’t won a medal in this event since 2004, advanced easily despite a small hiccup. In the strangest twist of all, it was Jamaica’s men who struggled with the baton and will be sitting on the sideline for Friday’s final.
In the women’s race, Richardson was about three steps behind after receiving the baton from Gabby Thomas, who earlier nearly misconnected on her exchange with Twanisha Terry.
That put Richardson in a hole against Rebekka Haase, but the 100-meter silver medal winner was looking back at Haase by the finish. The U.S. won in 41.94 seconds, .19 ahead of the Germans.
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
