Star-studded track and field ready to take centre stage

Hodgkinson and Caudery among those who could become household names with world records at risk

- Sean Ingle

It's not just athletes in the latest super spikes who have a spring in their step at these Olympics. The whole of track and field does too. And the sport is increasingly not afraid to shout about it.

"Athletics is the heart and soul of the Olympic Games," said the World Athletics president, Sebastian Coe yesterday. "These will be exceptional Games with jaw-dropping sport and the most exceptional talents we have seen in any generation."

Coe says similar things before every Games, of course. But the expectation really is for Paris to bring fast times, incredible theatre and potentially multiple world records.

And, crucially, more people should be watching it now that the Sprint documentary series has introduced a whole new audience to stars such as Noah Lyles and Sha'Carri Richardson, whose speed on the track is matched by their willingness to speak their mind off it.

"The feedback's been fantastic," said Coe, who noted that Sprint is currently the No 1 sports show on Netflix. "I've spoken to people who probably would have never watched athletics before who suddenly realise it's actually quite an interesting sport. Our challenge, of course, is to make sure that we build on the excitement that we've created."

A second series is being made and already it has its eyes on a number of intriguing new challengers. The 23-year-old Jamaican Kishane Thompson is the fastest man in the world this year, having run 9.77sec, but has not raced on the Diamond League circuit in 2024. His compatriot Oblique Seville, also 23, is almost as quick. Are they the real deal? We will find out in the coming days.