When it comes to Olympic track and field, U.S. athletes are the gold standard. 

They represent so much to so many -- talent, experience, breathtaking dominance. 

That reality puts immense pressure on those competing, but it also can stoke a fire underneath the athletes scheduled to compete. 

Naturally, this is the Paris Olympics we're talking about. This is what they came here for.

So pressure comes with the territory. 

This year's U.S. men's team is stock full of incredible personnel, from the world's top sprinter (Noah Lyles) to the world's best youngster (Quincy Wilson) to everything in between -- gold medal threats in the 400m, shot put and elsewhere. 

We are back with more analysis, this time diving into eight engaging storylines on the men's side. 

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The Men's 100m

It's put-up-or-shut-up time. 

What can the reigning World Champion achieve at the Paris Olympics? 

All eyes -- and expectations -- are firmly on the American Noah Lyles. He enters Paris with a career best 9.81 from the Diamond League in London, a race where he took down Akani Simbine (9.86, 5th-best in the world) and Letsile Tebogo (9.88, 9th-best in the world). That was impressive. 

Lyles ran 9.83 last year at the World Championships in Budapest to win his first major 100m title. 

But it gets no easier this time around. Conjecture abounds, particularly around how Lyles will fare against World No. 1 Kishane Thompson, who ran 9.77 to win the Jamaican championships in June. 

There's also Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala, who has clocked a World No. 2 time of 9.79. There's Jamaican Oblique Seville, who beat Lyles earlier in the year and owns a World No. 4 at 9.82. 

What about Lyles' own teammates? Kenny Bednarek was second at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 9.87, while Fred Kerley was third in that race in 9.88 and is looking to get back to the form that won him a silver medal at the World Championships in 2022. 

Lyles isn't invincible. While the back-half of his race has won him countless times, his start still worries. But maybe that won't matter. 

If he turns up with a win here, it would continue to solidify his legacy. 

The Men's 200m

What are the chances Lyles earns the coveted sprint double for the second consecutive year? The odds might be growing. 

There's no doubt Lyles holds more comfort in the 200m. He's won the last two world titles after finishing third at the Olympics in 2021 behind Andre de Grasse and Bednarek. 

He also owns the world's top time at 19.53 seconds. 

Lyles ran his season best time at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, though he still remains a shade off last year's 19.47 and his career best effort of 19.31 from the 2022 World Championships. 

Lyle's current form suggests there's still a path of upward mobility ahead for the Olympics. But it would be no argument to say that Lyles still has his work cut out for him if he wants to chase after Usain Bolt's world record of 19.19. That's a number which has stood since 2009. 

Lyles wants it. 

But his American teammates will likely factor heavily here, with Bednarek entering with a World No. 2 at 19.59 and Erriyon Knighton at World No. 6 at 19.77. Don't count out a U.S. sweep. 

Botswana's Tebogo may be chief among the contenders, even holding a chance to upset Lyles' quest for gold. He has run 19.71 on the season -- doing so in April -- and has looked increasingly smooth while doing so, indicating he may be leaving his best for last. 

Tebogo ran 19.50 a year ago, a career best, and that time would challenge Lyles. 

The Men's 400m

An American hasn't won a gold here since 2008. The last to do it?

LaShawn Merritt, who ran 43.75 in Beijing. 

Quincy Hall will give the U.S. contingent its best chance since. 

The Kansas City native and former 400 meter hurdler ended his run at the U.S. Olympic Trials with a national championship in 44.42 seconds, pulling away from Michael Norman in the final meters. He went on to set a career best time of 43.80 at the Diamond League in Monaco just a few weeks later. 

The guy is ready to go.

But standing in his way will be British athlete Matthew Hudson-Smith, who jumped ahead of Hall on the world table with his 43.74 in London -- and that's a result that came just a week after Hall's performance in Monaco.

Canadian youngster Christopher Morales-Williams, an NCAA champion for Georgia, owns the world's third-best time at 44.05. 

Then there's Belgium's Alexander Doom with his 44.15 and Norman, who was second at the U.S. Trials. Let's not overlook Norman, who finished second in the 400m at the Olympics in 2021.

The Men's 800m

All the talk here surrounds the world record of 1:40.91. David Rudisha's mark hasn't been broken since 2012. 

But hey, the sharks are circling! 

A total of three men have dipped under 1:42 this year -- world leader Djamel Sedjati (1;41.46), Emmanuel Wanyonyi (1:41.58) and Gabriel Tual (1:41.61) -- while eight more are under 1:43, including American Bryce Hoppel and his speedy 1:42.77 from the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Can our boy Bryce find the Midas touch here in the 800m? 

It would a herculean effort -- and no doubt another career best -- but the Midlands, Texas native is tough as nails and fit as a feather. He will present the American's best shot at going after a medal here in the 800m. 

Hobbs Kessler and Brandon Miller round out the U.S. contingent, both owning times under 1:44.

The Men's Marathon

The marathon has changed so much in recent years that it's left the Americans on the outside looking in. 

But there is reason to think that given the right race, and the right tactics, our boys from Utah can put together a quality output worthy of a potential surprise finish. 

It was only February when Conner Mantz and Clayton Young teamed together in Orlando to run side-by-side for nearly the entire 26.2 miles, finishing with times of 2:09:05 and 2:09.06, respectively.

Just over five months later, those two men represent the U.S.'s top hopes in the marathon as they go up against an onslaught of speed, experience, and quite frankly, record-level talent. 

But hey, anything can happen. 

Men's Shot Put

Ryan Crouser isn't ready to give up his throne just yet. 

The 31-year-old two-time defending Olympic champion from Rio and Tokyo returns to the Olympic stage having won another national title, this time with a mark of 22.84 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials. 

But perhaps this year he will face his stiffest opposition yet. 

The world record-holder has thrown just five times this season -- his most recent outing coming at the Diamond League in London with a mark of 22.37m -- but he does not own the world's top throw. 

That honor belongs to the 35-year-old Joe Kovacs, who has earned silver over the last two Olympic cycles. These two men know each other quite well. Kovacs said after his performance at the Trials -- a mark of 22.43m -- that he will be ready in Paris. 

And if we do see Round 3 of Crouser vs. Kovacs, well, bring the popcorn. 

Mixed 4x400

We've saved this section if, for no other reason, to give ample reasons to the U.S. coaching staff to hand the stick to 16-year-old Quincy Wilson. 

The Bullis School sophomore is an absolute madman at 400 meters right now. Our case:

• He's coming off a career best time of 44.20 seconds for 400m at the Holloway Pro Classic on July 19
• The time ranks eighth in the world (EIGHTH) and re-set his own American U20 record an high school national record
• Wilson has been the quintessential definition of consistent, having run times of 44.66, 44.59, 44.94 and 44.20 over the last month. My guy is ready.
• Can you imagine Wilson being a part of an Olympic gold medal for the U.S. team to begin the games? The final is on Aug. 3. Give Wilson the stick!

We think we've made our case. 

Men's 4x400 

Now, the bigger question is how the U.S. men will cater their lineup across the first round on Aug. 9 and the final on Aug. 10. 

Will they use Wilson in the first round? 

Will they play it safe and race with experience -- a combination of Chris Bailey, Quincy Norman, Vernon Norwood and Bryce Deadmon? 

It's a good question. The U.S. men did not win the World Indoor title in March. That honor was bestowed to Belgium, who outkicked the Americans (Bailey, specifically) over the final meters to win in 3:02.54. 

The U.S. has won the last two installments of this vaunted event, though they finished second to the Bahamas in 2012 and didn't even podium in 2000.

When Are The Paris 2024 Olympic Games?

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

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