--- title: Track-and-Field Rivalries to Watch at the Paris Olympics description: The track-and-field competition at the Paris Olympics is fierce. Here are the six best rivalries to watch. canonical: https://time.com/7005510/track-field-paris-olympics-rivalries/ author: Sean Gregory article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-07-30T20:45:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:42:57.250Z article:section: Sports og:title: 6 Track-and-Field Rivalries to Watch at the Paris Olympics og:description: Noah Lyles is involved in one of them. og:url: https://time.com/7005510/track-field-paris-olympics-rivalries/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1498deb2ed934cf6/698a5960b3fce365010cd6f2/paris-olympics-track-2024-004.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2400 og:image:height: 1350 og:image:alt: Noah Lyles,Erriyon Knighton og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 6 Track-and-Field Rivalries to Watch at the Paris Olympics twitter:description: Noah Lyles is involved in one of them. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1498deb2ed934cf6/698a5960b3fce365010cd6f2/paris-olympics-track-2024-004.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 6 Track-and-Field Rivalries to Watch at the Paris Olympics > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: Noah Lyles Runs in His Dreams [Watch (HLS stream): Noah Lyles Runs in His Dreams](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/clPhM76O.m3u8) (4:14)  _Published 2024-06-21. Olympic track-and-field athlete Noah Lyles on his big goals for the 2024 Paris games_  by [Sean Gregory / Paris](https://time.com/author/sean-gregory/)  ## Sean Gregory / Paris Senior Correspondent Jul 30, 2024 8:45 PM UTC  Noah Lyles of the U.S. celebrates after winning the men's 200-m final, with Erriyon Knighton of the U.S. in second, at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on Aug. 25, 2023. Noah Lyles of the U.S. celebrates after winning the men's 200-m final, with Erriyon Knighton of the U.S. in second, at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on Aug. 25, 2023. Ashley Landis—AP  by [Sean Gregory / Paris](https://time.com/author/sean-gregory/)  ## Sean Gregory / Paris Senior Correspondent Jul 30, 2024 8:45 PM UTC A good [track-and-field](https://time.com/tag/track-and-field/) rivalry feels like a championship boxing match—without the violence—replete with jabbering between the combatants, showmanship at the start line, and head-to-head fights to the finish. (A popular new Netflix documentary,[ _Sprint,_](https://citiusmag.com/articles/netflix-sprint-documentary-renewed-second-season)examines this dynamic in-depth.) Many rivalries are quieter: athletes display outward respect and admiration for each other and do most of their talking on the track (or field). Others are not so subtle. As the second week of the Paris Games approaches – the first full day of the Olympic track-and-field competition takes place on August 2 at the [Stade de France –](https://www.tourisme-plainecommune-paris.com/decouvrir/les-incontournables/stade-de-france) all eyes turn toward the runners, throwers, and jumpers. Here are six of the sport’s best rivalries to watch. ## **USA vs. USA: Men’s Sprinting** American[ Noah Lyles](https://time.com/6991825/noah-lyles-olympics-2024-interview/), the defending world champion in the 100 m and 200 m, hasn’t exactly endeared himself to his fellow countrymen over the years. At the start of last year’s world championships in Budapest, Fred Kerley—the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist and 2022 world-title winner in the 100—declared in a press conference: “I’m Fred Kerley, this is my title. If Noah’s going to run 9.65, then I’m running faster.” Sitting on the same dais, Lyles chirped: “That’s what they all say till they get beat.” And beat Kerley Lyles did in Hungary. And after Lyles chased down American phenom [Erriyon Knighton,](https://time.com/collection/time100-next-2022/6213922/erriyon-knighton/) then 18, at the 200-m U.S. nationals in 2022, Lyles[ pointed a finger](https://www.thesportsexaminer.com/tsx-report-lyless-finger-wag-at-knighton-means-appointment-viewing-on-21-july-griner-on-trial-friday-ninja-warrior-an-olympic-event/) at Knighton as they passed the finish. “That’s called being posterized right there,” NBC commentator Ato Boldon said. NBC interviewed both athletes side-by-side after the race: Knighton left the chat early, as Lyles was boasting about the victory. Knighton later refused to answer questions about the exchange. In an interview with TIME this April, Knighton sounded like he’d rather talk about his preferred color of paint chip than Lyles. When asked what makes Lyles so difficult to race against, Knighton was terse. “I don’t know, I’m not really his coach,” he said. “I don’t study him.” Lyles won the 100 m and 200 m at this year’s [U.S. Olympic trials](https://time.com/6990187/olympic-trials-2024-track-field-gymnastics/). And after struggling with his [mental health in the lead-up to Tokyo,](https://time.com/6087400/noah-lyles-mental-health-olympics/) where he won a disappointing 200-m bronze, Lyles is primed for Paris. “I can finally say I'm showing up to an Olympic Games not depressed,” Lyles said on Monday. “And it feels amazing.” Kerley took third in the 100, while Knighton qualified third in the 200, at trials. Kenny Bednarek, the 200-m silver medalist in Tokyo, finished second in both events and is a threat to do damage in Tokyo. “I think the dark horse, in both the 100 and 200, is Kenny,” says [Justin Gatlin,](https://time.com/4428016/justin-gatlin-track-and-field-usa/) the five-time Olympic medalist who now hosts a track podcast. _Men’s 100-m final_: Sunday, August 4, 9:50 p.m. in Paris, 3:50 p.m. E.T. _Men’s 200-m final:_Thursday, August 8, 8:30 p.m. in Paris, 2:30 p.m. E.T.  Elaine Thompson-Herah, center, during the 100-m race at the 2023 edition of the Memorial Van Damme Diamond League meeting athletics event on Sept. 8, 2023, in Brussels. Jasper Jacobs—Belga Mag/AFP/Getty Images ## **USA vs. Jamaica: Women’s Sprinting** Jamaica has dominated the women’s 100 and 200 at the last two Olympics.[ Elaine Thompson-Herah ](https://time.com/6086211/elaine-thompson-herah-olympics/)swept the gold medals in both races, at both Games. Jamaica went 1-2-3 in the 100 in Tokyo. But Sha’Carri Richardson wasn’t in Japan: remember, the American 100-m star was suspended [for testing positive for cannabis ](https://time.com/6077823/shacarri-richardson-drug-test-marijuana-olympics/)before Tokyo. She has the fastest 100-m time in the world this year, and at last year’s world championships, Jamaican sprinters Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce finished behind Richardson, in second and third, respectively. (Thompson-Herah will miss the Paris Olympics due to an Achilles injury.) In the 200, Harvard grad [Gabby Thomas ](https://time.com/6086644/gabby-thomas-olympics-tokyo/)ran the world’s best time this year at the U.S. trials, but Jackson is the world defending champ.  Sha'Carri Richardson competes in the first round of the women's 200 m at the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore., on June 27, 2024. Christian Petersen—Getty Images “I love it,” Thomas says of the U.S.-Jamaica clashes on the track. “We're pushing each other to run some really cool times. Women's sprints right now are incredible to watch. I wish I could just be a fan.” _Women’s 100-m final:_ Saturday, August 3, 9:20 p.m. in Paris, 3:20 p.m. E.T. _Women’s 200-m final:_ Tuesday, August 6, 9:40 p.m. in Paris, 3:40 p.m. E.T. _Women’s 4x100-m relay final:_Friday, August 9, 7:30 p.m. in Paris, 1:30 p.m. E.T.  Norway's Karsten Warholm (left) and Rai Benjamin of the U.S. (right) react after the men's 400-m hurdles event during the Wanda Diamond League athletics meeting in Monaco on July 12, 2024. Valery Hache—AFP/Getty Images ## **USA vs. Norway vs. Brazil - Men’s 400-M Hurdles** What do the United States, Norway, and Brazil have in common? Definitely not levels of snowfall. No, these three nations, disparate at first glance, have produced the three fastest 400-m hurdlers of all time. And they’ll all be in Paris. Back in Tokyo three summers ago, Karsten Warholm of Norway and Rai Benjamin of the United States ran the race of the Games: Warhom broke a world record, running under 46 seconds for the first time in history; Benjamin, meanwhile, ran the second-fastest race ever, but that still wasn’t good enough for gold. Alison Dos Santos of Brazil finished third, with the third-fastest time in history: he then improved that time at the next year’s world championships, winning the title. “What we’re doing is not normal,” Dos Santos [said](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NSkheSjmm0) before an Olympic tune-up race in Monaco a few weeks ago. Mark your calendars for this one. _Men’s 400-m hurdles final:_ Friday, August 9, 9:45 p.m. in Paris, 3:45 p.m. E.T.  Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone competes in the women's 400-m hurdles semifinal at the Olympic trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on June 29, 2024. Patrick Smith—Getty Images ## **USA vs. Netherlands - Women’s 400-M Hurdles** [Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone](https://time.com/6086812/sydney-mclaughlin-olympics-tokyo-hurdles/) of the United States and Femke Bol of the Netherlands are so far ahead of the field in this race, their 400-m hurdles time could have qualified for Paris in the 400-m flat. They’re the only two women in history to run this event under 51 seconds, and McLaughlin-Levrone broke her own world record in the 400-m hurdles at the U.S. Olympic trials in late June. But in July, Bol served notice that she’s a real threat to McLaughlin-Levrone’s supremacy: she set a new European record of 50.95 seconds at a meet in Switzerland. According to the Olympic information services, Bol’s nickname is Bambi, “given to her by her teammates as she is the youngest and seen as being a bit clumsy.”  Femke Bol of Netherlands competes in the women's 400-m hurdles final during the London Athletics Meet, part of the 2024 Diamond League, on July 20, 2024. Ben Hoskins—Getty Images “We cannot overlook the fact that in the last couple of years, Femke Bol has definitely upped her game,” says Gatlin. “We’re at a point now where it comes down to positioning. If Femke has a good lane where she feeds off of Sydney’s energy and kind of maybe pace her or track her, she can strike in the home stretch and run stride-for-stride with Sydney.” The GOATs are going head-to-head in hurdles. “Sydney is the clear favorite,” Bol said in Paris on Tuesday. “But I will be ready for it.” You don’t want to miss it. _Women’s 400-m hurdles final:_ Thursday, August 8, 9:25 p.m. in Paris, 3:25 p.m. E.T.  Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway crosses the finish line to win gold in the men’s 1,500-m final at the 26th European Athletics Championships in Rome 2024 on June 12, 2024. Michael Steele—Getty Images ## **Great Britain vs. Norway—Men’s 1500 M** [Jakob Ingebrigtsen ](https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/news/a61735838/ingebrigtsen-brothers-pop-song/)of Norway is the defending Olympic champion in the 1,500-m. Josh Kerr of Great Britain is the defending world champ in the metric mile, having passed Ingebrigtsen during a ferocious kick in the last 200 m at last year’s worlds. The pair have taken a war of words into these Olympics. Kerr[ has said ](https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat%5Fread.php?thread=12413552)that Ingebrigtsen has a “high ego,” is surrounded by “yes men,” and “has some flaws in the manners realm.” And after Kerr broke Mo Farah’s indoor two-mile world record at the Millrose Games in New York City in February, Ingebrigtsen, who did not compete in that event, said: “I would have beaten him in that race, blindfolded.”  Josh Kerr prepares for the 800-m final during the Microplus UK Athletics Championships at the Manchester Regional Arena in Manchester, England, on June 30, 2024. MI News/NurPhoto/Getty Images The Ingebrigtsen-Kerr clash even has Gatlin, who’s a sprinter through and through, juiced. “It brings a whole different component to their event,” says Gatlin. “Like, yeah, there's been rivalries in the past, but never to this level of people talking smack to each other and really having a grudge. When they go out there and run, it makes you want to grab your popcorn and go out to this race.” _Men’s 1,500-m final:_ Tuesday, August 6, 8:50 p.m. in Paris, 3:50 p.m. E.T.  Bronze medalist Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch (left), gold medalist India's Neeraj Chopra (center), and silver medalist Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem (right) celebrate after the men's javelin-throw final during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Aug. 27, 2023. Kirill Kudryavtsev—AFP/Getty Images ## **India vs. Pakistan: Men’s Javelin** This rivalry is far friendlier, which is ironic, given the long history of conflict and border skirmishes between these two countries. In fact, Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan even lists Neeraj Chopra of India, the reigning Olympic and world champion, as his hero in his official Olympic bio. Chopra [offered vocal support](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/sports/its-hard-to-believe-pakistans-nadeem-is-struggling-to-get-a-new-javelin-neeraj-chopra/articleshow/108593241.cms?from=mdr) for Nadeem when he was fighting his federation to secure a new javelin. Nadeem, the flag bearer for Pakistan’s seven-member athlete delegation at the [opening ceremonies](https://time.com/7004249/olympics-opening-ceremony-2024-review/), won silver at last year’s world championship, so he’s a clear contender to end his hero’s run of golds. He’s the first Pakistani to win a medal at worlds; the country has never won an Olympic track-and-field medal in its history. _Men’s javelin final:_ Thursday, August 8, 8:25 p.m. in Paris, 3:25 p.m. E.T. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7005510/track-field-paris-olympics-rivalries/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7005510/track-field-paris-olympics-rivalries/"},"headline":"6 Track-and-Field Rivalries to Watch at the Paris Olympics","datePublished":"2024-07-30T20:45:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:42:57.250Z","description":"Noah Lyles is involved in one of them.","url":"https://time.com/7005510/track-field-paris-olympics-rivalries/","keywords":["2024 Paris Olympics","sponsorshipblock"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1498deb2ed934cf6/698a5960b3fce365010cd6f2/paris-olympics-track-2024-004.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sean Gregory / Paris"}],"articleSection":"Sports","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1498deb2ed934cf6/698a5960b3fce365010cd6f2/paris-olympics-track-2024-004.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Noah Lyles,Erriyon Knighton","caption":"Noah Lyles, of the United States, celebrates after winning the Men's 200-meters final followed by Erriyon Knighton, of the United States in second during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on Aug. 25, 2023.","creditText":"Ashley Landis—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/sports/","name":"Sports"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2024-paris-olympics/","name":"2024 Paris Olympics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7005510/track-field-paris-olympics-rivalries/","name":"6 Track-and-Field Rivalries to Watch at the Paris Olympics"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Noah Lyles Runs in His Dreams","description":"Olympic track-and-field athlete Noah Lyles on his big goals for the 2024 Paris games","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/clPhM76O/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2024-06-21T11:45:49.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/clPhM76O.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/7005510/track-field-paris-olympics-rivalries/","duration":"PT4M14S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/7005510/track-field-paris-olympics-rivalries/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```