Winfred Yavi wins steeple in Olympic record as Gabby Thomas dominates 200m

PARIS – The men’s 1500 stole the world’s attention at the Stade de France but there were two other track finals on Tuesday night at the 2024 Olympics, which we recap for your below. *Results

Women’s Steeplechase Final: Yavi wins in Olympic record

2023 world champ Winfred Yavi of Bahrain is now an Olympic champ as she outsprinted defending champion Peruth Chemutai of Uganda after the final barrier and won gold in an Olympic record of 8:52.76 as Chemutai took the silver in a pb of 8:53.34. 2022 world junior champ Faith Cherotich of Kenya was third in a pb of 8:55.15. France’s Alice Finot came up short in her bid for France’s first track medal of the Games but she was rewarded with a new European record of  8:58.67 for 4th.

From the start, world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech, who ended up 6th in 9:04.24, wasn’t leaving anything to chance, leading a group of five through 1000 meters, which she crossed in 2:55.1, just behind world record pace. By 2k (5:57.6), any thoughts of a world record were gone. Five women were still in the lead group at the bell but on the final lap it quickly became a two-person race between Yavi and Chemutai; the two women pulled away down the backstretch, and it became a race for bronze behind them. Yavi and Chemutai ran side-by-side down the homestretch before Yavi finally pulled away in the final 30 meters.

Paris 2024 Olympic Games

On a day that for the most part exuded excellence from the American track & field athletes, the steeplechase was not a highlight. Courtney Wayment managed 12th place—two spots higher than her finish in Budapest last year—while Valerie Constien, who had vaulted into medal contention after her 9:03 performance at the U.S. Olympic Trials made her the third fastest woman in the world, finished in last place in 9:34.08. 

Bad day at the office for Val Constien

It would have taken an American record to get on the podium and that was a level Constien said she didn’t think she was ready for.

However, fading to last was a surprise and on that she said, “it just progressively got harder and harder for me. And I think once mentally, I was like, ‘wow, the podium’s totally not possible today.’ I think it was just really hard to stay mentally engaged to fight…” saying it was a “mental shock of how fast we went from gun.”

Women’s 200: Gabby Thomas gets her gold

In four major global championships, Gabby Thomas had managed silver at her best, but today that changed. In the absence of Jamaican stars Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shericka Jackson, the Olympic gold was there for the taking – and Thomas took it with authority, running 21.83 for the win, a quarter second ahead of Olympic 100-meter champion Julien Alfred (22.08) as American Brittany Brown took the bronze in 22.20.

If 0.25 seems like a big margin of victory, please realize that routs have been the norm in the women’s 200 of late. You have to go back all the way to 2017 to find a global final where the margin of victory was less than 0.25 of a second. Here are the winning margins in the women’s 200 at the last few global champs: 0.40 in 2023, 0.36 in 2022, 0.28 in 2021, .34 in 2019, .03 in 2017.

Women’s 400h Semis: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone breezes through

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone looked great as always pushing the pace early and making up the stagger before laying off the back half and cruising it in for a 52.13 heat win, well clear of Louise Maraval, who ran 53.83 for second. Since we take Sydney for granted so much, we need to realize how quick that is. If anyone other than Sydney had run that they would be number 4 all-time. Sydney has PR’d in her last six major hurdle finals, including her last five being world records. If Femke Bol wants any chance at Sydney, she better be in world record shape. Femke also cruised through her heat in 52.57.

Men’s 400 Semis: Former world leader CMW fizzles out

It has been an amazing year for Christopher Morales-Williams, and unfortunately it came to an end as he has fizzled out at the Olympics today, finishing last in heat 3 in 45.25. Since January 13, he has raced 36 races. 36 races in 206 days is a lot. All those races began to show at NCAAs, where he won, but not in dominant fashion. He then ran three races over 45 seconds, and had two Diamond League 6th place finishes. His coaches did exactly what they were supposed to do, peak him for NCAAs. He did that extremely well, going 2 for 2 this year, but unfortunately that was not enough to get him to an Olympic final.

Quick Take: This 400-meter final is going to be epic

The 400-meter final is shaping up to be historic. Today’s semifinals delivered some of the fastest times we’ve seen in the semis since Quincy Watts ran a 43.71 at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Kirani James led the way today, clocking 43.78, just edging Muzala Samukonga, who ran 43.81. 

James and Samukonga’s battle was impressive, but Quincy Hall and Matthew Hudson-Smith put on the real show, as both men won their respective heats in dominant fashion while letting up well before the line. The US champ Hall ran a powerful 43.95, easing up significantly before the finish. Great Britian’s Hudson-Smith, who is the current world leader, dominated Michael Norman in the final heat before jogging across the line in 44.07. 

Now the stage is set for a final that has the potential to be absolutely electrifying.