2024 Paris Olympic Games

FloTrack Post-Olympic Awards: MVP, Best Kick, And More

FloTrack Post-Olympic Awards: MVP, Best Kick, And More

The 2024 Paris Olympics gave fans with some of the greatest performances in history, as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Mondo Duplantis stole the show.

Aug 13, 2024 by Maxx Bradley
FloTrack Post-Olympic Awards: MVP, Best Kick, And More

After 10 days of record-breaking and monumental performances at the Paris Olympics, the sport's biggest stage has come to an end after a week and a half of U.S. dominance.

However, even though the Americans controlled the medal tables, there were still plenty of international stars that stole the show at Stade de France in a variety of disciplines, earning themselves well-deserved credit.

After a few days to reflect on everything that went down in Paris, FloTrack is giving out our post-Olympics awards to a few of the greatest athletes throughout the sport.

Paris 2024 Top Performer: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Breaks Records, Wins Gold

Honestly, there were more than a few Olympic champions who could have earned the honor, but at the end of the day, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is in a league of her own.

The 25-year-old New Jersey native is in the midst of an unprecedented run, but most recently became the first woman to ever win two 400m hurdle Olympic gold medals while also breaking her own world record for the sixth time.

McLaughlin-Levrone ran away from the likes of silver and bronze medalists Anna Cockrell and Femke Bol, stopping the clock at 50.37, nearly a third of a second quicker than the record she ran at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Adding another performance to her ever-growing list of accomplishments, McLaughlin-Levrone split 47.71 on the second leg of Team USA's 4x400m, as the Americans put over four seconds between them and silver medalists Great Britain.

In her last race of the Paris Olympics, McLaughlin-Levrone led the U.S. to a new American record and the second fastest performance in history.

Paris 2024 Best Kick: Grant Fisher's Twofer

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Over the last three years, Grant Fisher has broken American records and run some of the fastest times in world history, even winning a few national titles. But throughout his career, one thing had repeatedly eluded Fisher: a global medal.

After teaming up with his high school coach Mike Scannell following his departure from the Bowerman Track Club in January, Fisher had his sights set on a medal.

In the Michigan native's first event of the Games, Fisher tactically kept himself in prime pouncing position throughout 24 laps, even recovering from a near-spill after stepping on the rail.

With 200m to go, Fisher was smack dab in the middle of a group of eight world class racers, and at 100m he made his move and ran his way to bronze in 26:43.46, which was the third-fastest time in Olympic history.

On the final day of the competition at Stade de France, Fisher looked to be out of contention in the closing stages of the 5,000m final, but after moving from eighth to third over the final 200m, becoming the first American man to ever medal in both the 10,000m and 5000m in the same Olympics.

Paris 2024 Highest Point Scorer: 38 Miles And 22 Points For Dutch Legend Sifan Hassan

In just nine days' time, the 31-year-old from the Netherlands totaled a little over 38 miles throughout both round of the 5.000m, the 10,000m and the marathon, which was her final event. 

In the 5,000m, Hassan ran a season best of 14:30.61, which was enough for bronze, and then followed that up with another bronze in the 10,000m.

In her final event, Hassan made her way through the city streets, eventually coming out on top of a dramatic and electric duel between Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa. Hassan won her third career Olympic gold medal.

Hassan lowered the 12-year-old Olympic record by 12 seconds, running 2:22:55 to conclude her treble.

Paris 2024 Biggest Upset: Cole Hocker Upsets Favorites, Runs Olympic Record

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Just days following the men's 1,500m final at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, the build-up and hype surrounding the inevitable rematch between Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerry practically blocked out other contenders from the majority of people's minds.

Luckily for the returning sixth-place finisher in Tokyo, he operated best behind-the-scenes.

From the moment the gun went off, Hocker matched the moves from the men up front, finding himself right behind Ingebrigtsen and Kerr on the inside rail. 

With 100m to go, Hocker surged past a fading Ingebrigtsen and caught up to the defending world champion Kerr, before moving past him with less than 10 meters before the tape.

Hocker became the second American man since 1908 to win gold over 1,500m, and now sits No. 7 in world history and the fastest American depending on who you ask.

Paris 2024 Fan-Favorite: Mondo Duplantis Breaks World And Olympic Record In Front Of 70,000+ At Stade de France

For anyone who doesn't think two-time Olympic pole vault champion Mondo Duplantis deserves the fan-favorite crown, it's time to reconsider.

For starters, Duplantis' solo efforts kept the crowd from leaving Stade de France following both the women's 5,000m and 800m final. He proceeded to put on a clinic for the seismic crowds.

On his third attempt at 6.25m, or 20 feet, 6 inches, Duplantis charged down the runway before a screaming crowd, then cleared it with room to spare, breaking his own world record.

Duplantis has proven that at just 24 that he has mastered the art of thriving under the pressure, giving the crowd a show and a glimpse of history. 

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