OLYMPIC GAMES | ATHLETICS
Is Usain Bolt in the 200m Olympic final in Paris? Why is he not competing in 2024?
The world famous sprinter holds numerous records in the 100m and 200m competitions but will not be featuring at the games.
As was the case in the 100m, Usain Bolt will not be competing in the 200m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The legendary Jamaican sprinter, who holds the world record in the event with a time of 19.19 seconds, retired from professional athletics in 2017.
Bolt’s illustrious career spanned over a decade, during which he won eight Olympic gold medals and set numerous records that still stand today, including the world records for 100m and 200m sprints, as well as the 4x100m relay.
His retirement marked the end of an era in sprinting, as he is the only athlete to win gold in the 100m and 200m at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012, and 2016) before stepping away from the sport entirely.
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Three Team USA sprinters on 200m final start list
Following the three men’s 200m semifinals on Wednesday, there will be three Team USA sprinters on the start list for the final, which will take place on Thursday, August 8 at 2.30pm ET.
Noah Lyles, the newly crowned 100m champion, will joined by compatriots Kenny Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton, as well Tapiwanashe Makarawu, Makanakaishe Charamba (both Zimbabwe), Joseph Fahnbulleh (Liberia) and Alexander Ogando (Dominican Republic).
Andre De Grasse, who won the Olympic gold medal in the men’s 200m in the Tokyo Games in 2021, failed to qualify for the final after finishing third in his heat, which means there will be a new Olympic champion in the event.