Three key things track and field fans should look out for as the Paris 2024 Olympic Games fast approach.
Track and field enthusiasts will be treated to 11 days of action at the Stade de France as the Paris Olympic Games get underway.
The action will run from August 1 to 11 with all the track and field finals being held in the evening sessions. The marathon course begins at the Hotel de Ville and will end in Les Invalides. As per World Athletics, the racewalking events will be contested at Pont d’Iena, a bridge spanning the River Seine.
Athletics will have 48 disciplines with this edition being the first to have the same number of disciplines for both genders. The marathon race walk mixed relay is the newest addition to the program.
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05:23 - 25.07.2024
5 Olympic records under a threat as stars descend at Stade de France for Paris Olympic Games
Five or more Olympic records might be shattered as athletics stars gear up for huge tasks at the Paris Olympic Games.
Ahead of the action-packed week, here are five things that fans should note ahead of the event.
1) How many athletes will be in action at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Dozens of athletes will descend in Paris for the Olympic Games with more than 2000 athletes taking part in athletics. The event will also see 36 of the defending champions making a comeback from the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
There were two ways athletes would qualify for the Olympics including through 50% qualifying through entry standards and the other 50% qualifying through world rankings.
2) How does the repechage work?
The repechage round was introduced to track events from 200m to 1500m in distance, including the hurdles events. Athletes who do not qualify by place in the preliminaries will have another chance to qualify for the semi-finals by participating in repechage heats.
This will replace the former system of athletes advancing through fastest times. These events will now have four rounds including the first round, repechage, semi-finals and the final.
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3) Prize money structure
At the Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee will not offer prize money to athletes. However, World Athletics announced that they will be awarding gold medallists at the Olympics with US$50,000. Relay teams will receive the same amount, to be shared among the team.