Day 7 on the track proved to be one of the high points during the Paris Games but also with a twist of drama as the night unfolded. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke the women’s 400m hurdles world record again — her sixth time cracking the mark. Meanwhile, Noah Lyles was the favorite to win the men’s 200m final but Letsile Tebogo struck gold in race as Lyles later said he tested positive for Covid.
Here’s a look at the action from another exciting day at Stade de France:
- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone proved once again on Thursday that the women’s 400m hurdles is one of the must-see events on the Olympic stage. The American won her second straight gold medal in world record fashion in 50.37 and lowering her own mark. It is the sixth time she’s broken the record and McLaughlin-Levrone is the only woman to win the 400m hurdles in consecutive Olympics.
- Grant Holloway won his first Olympic gold medal, punctuating an electric performance in the 110m hurdles on Thursday in 12.99 seconds. The 26-year-old American looked effortless over each hurdle and more than made up for a disappointing silver in 2021 at the Tokyo Games. His teammates Daniel Roberts came in second in a photo-finish with Jamaica’s Rashed Broadbell, with both men crossing the line in 13.90 — with Roberts crossing with a final lean to take the silver by just three-thousands of a second.
- Tara Davis-Woodhall’s personalty always beams during competition and after her gold medal win in the long jump on Thursday, she added a new layer of shine to her arsenal. She leaped 7.10m to seal the Olympic title and held off defending champion, Germany’s Malaika Mihambo (6.98) as fellow American Jasmine Moore took bronze at 6.96. Moore also won bronze in the triple jump on Saturday.
- Letsile Tebogo became the first African to win the men’s 200m gold on Thursday in a commanding win over the favorite Noah Lyles. He also brought Botswana it’s first Olympic gold medal. Tebogo crossed the finish in 19.46 and was boosted by a strong surge late in the race. American Bednarek won the silver in 19.62 while his teammate Lyles take the bronze again in 19.67. Lyles was carted from the track and told NBC’s Lewis Johnson that he positive for Covid on Tuesday but still wanted to run the final.
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