Top five world records that might be rewritten at Paris Olympics 2024

American swimmers are the favourites to make new records at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

It’s that time of the year when everyone becomes a fan of all sports and they tune into their television sets to get the latest updates on who has won medals, thanks to the return of the Olympics. Paris will host the quadrennial event for the third time, only the second city to do so and will see many athletes from all around the world wanting to bring their best performance to step onto the podium.

While the fans of every country would want the name of their nation to be high on the medal standings, the focus will also be on the records that are created. Every Olympics has seen multiple records being shattered to the awe of the fans, as athletes strive hard to achieve par excellence. At the previous Olympics in Tokyo, three new world records were created and 12 Olympic records were broken.

Paris will be no different. With organizers putting in extra effort to give the best of facilities to perform, be it an enhancement in vulcanized rubber for the track events or focused reusable pools for swimming, the stage is set for the athletes to show what they have got. Let’s look at the top five world records that could be broken on the grandest stage of them all

5. Jakob Ingebrigtsen: Athletics, 1500m

The longest-unbroken world record in a men’s track individual event is Hicham El Guerrouj’s 3:26:00 mark in the 1500m event. It was created in July 1998 and finally, Paris might witness the record being broken by someone who was born two years after the record was created. Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen will be eyeing to write his name in the history books.

The 23-year-old is the defending champion in the event, with a timing of 3:28:32 in Tokyo. He and his rivals will be running on a cutting-edge track designed especially to encourage record-breaking efforts in Paris. The Norwegian sensation is well into his prime and will have the opportunity of a lifetime to break a world record that has stood for decades.

4. Armand Duplantis: Pole Vault

Every athlete dreams of breaking a world record at least once in their career. But, a certain Armand Duplantis has done it not once or twice but eight times. The pole vault star has been on a record-breaking spree in the last few years. It was in 2020 when he broke the world record for the first time leaping 6.17m, pushing the six-year-old record of Renaud Lavillenie to second place.

The US-born Swedish pole vaulter has been unstoppable, as he kept raising the bar centimeter-by-centimeter eight times from February 2020 to April 2024. His most recent jump, at the Wanda Diamond League season-opening meeting in Xiamen, was 6.24m, a whopping 15cm above the rest of the field. Given the standards he has set for himself, he will look to break his record for the ninth time.

3. Simone Biles: Gymnastics

Another American who will be aiming to become the undisputed queen in her sport is Simone Biles. With a combined tally of 37 Olympic and World Championship medals, she is the most decorated gymnast of all time. It all started at the 2016 Rio Olympics when she impressed everyone by winning five medals, which included gold in four events.

She was favourite to be on the podium in Tokyo, but had to withdraw midway having suffered ‘twisties’ – a temporary loss of air awareness. She stayed away from the sport to focus on mental health and returned on a high in 2023, winning the World Championships in four different events. The 27-year-old has been on the podium on seven occasions, and she will be keen to finish in medal contention again.

Also Read: USA Women’s National Team announce squad for Paris Olympics 2024

2. Katie Ledecky: Swimming – Freestyle

Katie Ledecky has been the showstopper ever since she won a historic gold as a 15-year-old at the 2012 London Olympics in the 800m freestyle. It was the best timing for an American and ever since then, she has continued to be the country’s best. The American will be entering her fourth Olympics with a hunger for medals.

The 27-year-old has won seven gold medals, just one behind the all-time American great Jenny Thompson’s tally of eight. Ledecky is the favourite in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events. With her name in the 400m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay, she could break the record for the most successful female swimmer at the Olympics.

1. Kaylee McKeown: Swimming, Backstroke

The reigning Olympic champion, Kaylee McKeown is all geared up for her second Olympics and she will be the favourite going into Paris. The Australian won gold in the 100m and 200m backstroke in the individual category and took home her third gold thanks to a team effort in the 4x100m medley relay at the Tokyo Olympics.

She holds the top-six fastest timings in 100m backstroke. The 22-year-old has set her eyes on breaking her own world record of 57.33 seconds in Paris. She’s come close to doing so twice this season, with 57.57 seconds at the NSW State Championships earlier this year and tantalizingly close with 57.41 seconds this week. It won’t be a surprise if she rewrites the history books.

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