What to Watch For in Track And Field Post-Olympics: Top Storylines
What to Watch For in Track And Field Post-Olympics: Top Storylines
The Paris Olympics are long gone by now, but the rest of the Diamond League season could see stars like Athing Mu and Bryce Hoppel end 2024 on a high note.
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A month from now, the 2024 outdoor season will be in the rearview mirror and we'll have a decent wait ahead of us before the stars return to the track.
Over the next several weeks, five more Diamond League meetings across Europe will bring the professional circuit to a close, with the two-day meeting in Brussels acting as the final.
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Until then, there are a lot of athletes who have something to prove before the shift their attention to the World Championships in Tokyo.
Here are a few stars who could choose to chase fast times and end their season on a high note.
Can Athing Mu Wrap Up Her Season Like She Did A Year Ago?
Last September, after taking third in the 800m final at the World Championships in Budapest, Mu was a late addition into the Prefontaine Classic, which acted as the 2023 Diamond League Final.
Mu didn't just beat both women who bested her in Budapest, she beat them in record-breaking fashion, running 1:54.97 to break the American and meet record, as well as becoming the third woman since 2000 to break 1:55.
Her 2024 season has had a much different feel to it, with Mu falling in the U.S. Trials final, devastatingly ending her chance to defend her Olympic title.
Last month, Mu toed the line again at the Holloway Pro Classic in Gainesville, FL, where she finished fifth in 2:00.29 after fading down the homestretch.
On Thursday, Mu will take to the track for just the fifth time this year in Lausanne, where she'll be going up against Olympic bronze medalist Mary Moraa of Kenya. Great Britain's duo of Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell both sport SB's of 1:55.61 and 1:56.28, with Bell coming off of a 1500m bronze medal performance in Paris.
At this point, it's impossible to predict Mu's exact finish in Lausanne, but all we can hope for is that she simply has a good time in her return to racing.
Is Bryce Hoppel Going To Chase Another Fast Time After A Fourth Place Finish In Paris?
On one hand, Bryce Hoppel broke the American record and became the seventh fastest man in history, and on the other, he was the first man left off of the Olympic podium after finishing fourth in 1:41.67.
Over the last few years, Hoppel has not just risen to the top of the American ranks, but he's turned himself into one of the fastest men in the world when it comes to the 800m.
He's one of just 10 men to ever run under 1:42, yet an outdoor global medal continues to elude him.
Hoppel will have to wait at least a year to take care of business in Tokyo, but for the time being, expect him to race with a chip on his shoulder.
Hoppel only has a few more opportunities to compete this year, but as of now he hasn't confirmed if he plans to compete again in 2024.
Don't be surprised if the American opts for a few more races, because once he steps onto the track he's due for another great performance.
Will Noah Lyles Chase More Fast Times Before Season's End?
The short answer is no.
In his recent appearance on Nightcap, Noah Lyles told co-hosts Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson that his plan is to shut everything down and wrap up his 2024 campaign. This means Lyles won't be competing in any of the remaining Diamond League meetings.
Up until Saturday, it wasn't confirmed whether or not Lyles would contest any more races this season after a lackluster end to his second Olympics.
Granted, a gold and bronze medal is not a bad showing by any means, but for a man who was chasing four gold medals, it definitely wasn't what he wanted.
The first half of Noah Lyles' time at the Paris Olympics went according to plan, with Lyles winning Olympic gold over 100m, beating out Jamaica's Kishane Thompson 9.784-9.789. The latter half of the four-time Olympic medalist's Olympics were less than ideal, ultimately contracting COVID-19 just two days before the final.
The 27-year-old went on to win bronze for the second consecutive Olympic Games, eventually taking himself out of the running for both the 4x100m and 4x400m.
Though we may not see Lyles on the track for a while, maybe we'll see him humble a certain wide receiver out of Miami.
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