The Paris 2024 Olympic Games which begins on the 26th of July will have a total of 329 events this time. Along with its rich history and sporting heritage, the diversity of sporting events it showcases is what makes it one of the greatest sporting events in the world.
Some of the most exciting and popular Olympic events come under the Track and Field category. From Paavo Nurmi to Usain Bolt several legendary athletes have shined in this sport throughout the last century. We take a look at all the Track and Field records in the history of the Olympic Games.
100 Metres (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 9.63, Usain Bolt, Jamaica, London 2012 Summer Olympics
World Record: 9.58, Usain Bolt, Jamaica, 2009 World Athletics Championships, Berlin
100 Metres (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 10.61, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Jamaica, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
World Record: 10.49, Florence Griffith Joyner, USA, U.S. Olympic Trials Indianapolis
200 Metres (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 19.30, Usain Bolt, Jamaica, Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics
World Record: 19.19, Usain Bolt, Jamaica, 2009 World Athletics Championships, Berlin
200 Metres (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 21.34, Florence Griffith Joyner, USA, Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics
World Record: 21.34, Florence Griffith Joyner, USA, Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics
400 Metres (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 43.03, Wayde van Niekerk, South Africa, Rio 2016 Summer Olympics
World Record: 43.03, Wayde van Niekerk, South Africa, Rio 2016 Summer Olympics
400 Metres (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 48.25, Marie-José Perec, France, Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics
World Record: 47.60, Marita Koch, East Germany, 1985 IAAF World Cup, Australia
800 Metres (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 1:40.91, David Rudisha, Kenya, London 2012 Summer Olympics
World Record: 1:40.91, David Rudisha, Kenya, London 2012 Summer Olympics
800 Metres (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 1:53.43, Nadezhda Olizarenko, USSR, Moscow 1980 Summer Olympics
World Record: 1:53.28, Jarmila Kratochvílová, Czechoslovakia, 1983 World Championships in Athletics, Helinski
1500 Metres (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 3:28.32, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Norway, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
World Record: 3:26.00, Hicham El Guerrouj, Morocco, 1998 European Athletics Championships, Rome
1500 Metres (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 3:53.11, Faith Kipyegon, Kenya, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
World Record: 3:49.04, Faith Kipyegon, Kenya, Paris Diamond League, 2024
5000 Metres (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 12:57.82, Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia, Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics
World Record: 12:35.36, Joshua Cheptegei, Uganda, Diamond League 2020, Monaco
5000 Metres (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 14:26.17, Vivian Cheruiyot, Kenya, Rio 2016 Summer Olympics
World Record: 14:00.21, Gudaf Tsegay, Ethiopia, Prefontaine Classic 2023, Oregon
10,000 Metres (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 27:01.17, Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia, Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics
World Record: 26:11.00, Joshua Cheptegei, Uganda, 10,000 metres 2020 Valencia
10,000 Metres (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 29:17.45 , Almaz Ayana, Ethiopia, Rio 2016 Summer Olympics
World Record: 28:54.14, Beatrice Chebet, Kenya, Prefontaine Classic 2024, Oregon
110 Metres Hurdles (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 12.91, Xiang Liu, China, Athens 2004 Summer Olympics
World Record: 12.80, Aries Merritt, USA, 2012 Diamond League, Brussels
100 Metres Hurdles (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 12.26, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Puerto Rico, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
World Record: 12.12, Tobi Amusan, Nigeria, World Athletics Championship, Oregon
400 Metres Hurdles (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 45.94, Karsten Warholm, Norway, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
World Record: 45.94, Karsten Warholm, Norway, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
400 Metres Hurdles (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 51.46, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, USA, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
World Record: 50.65, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, USA, U.S. Olympic Trials Oregon
3000 Metres Steeplechase (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 8:03.28, Conseslus Kirputo, Kenya, Rio 2016 Summer Olympics
World Record: 7:52.11, Lamecha Girma, Ethiopia, Diamond League 2023, Paris
3000 Metres Steeplechase (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 8:58.81, Gulnara Samitova-Galkina, Russia, Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics
World Record: 8:44.32, Beatrice Chepkoech, Kenya, Diamond League 2018, Monaco
High Jump (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 2.39 metres, Charles Austin, USA, Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics
World Record: 2.45 metres, Javier Sotomayer, Cuba, Salamanca, 1993
High Jump (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 2.06 metres, Yelena Slesarenko, Russia, Athens 2004 Summer Olympics
World Record: 2.10 metres, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Ukraine, Diamond League 2024, Paris
Pole Vault (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 6.03 metres, Thiago Braz, Brazil, Rio 2016 Summer Olympics
World Record: 6.24 metres, Armand Duplantis, Sweden, Xiamen Diamond League 2024
Pole Vault (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 5.05, Yelena Isinbaeva, Russia, Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics
World Record: 5.06, Yelena Isinbaeva, Russia, Golden League 2009, Zurich
Long Jump (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 8.90 metres, Bob Beamon, USA, Mexico 1968 Summer Olympics
World Record: 8.95 metres, Mike Powell, USA, 1991 World Championship Tokyo
Long Jump (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 7.40 metres, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, USA, Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics
World Record: 7.52 metres, Galina Chistyakova, USSR, Leningrad Znamenskiy Memorial
Triple Jump (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 18.09 metres, Kenny Harrison, USA, Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics
World Record: 18.29 metres, Jonathan Edwards, Great Britain, 1995 World Championship, Sweden
Triple Jump (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 15.67, Yulimar Rojas, Venezuela, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
World Record: 15.74, Yulimar Rojas, Venezuela, World Indoor Championships, Belgrade
Shot Put (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 23.30 metres, Ryan Crouser, USA, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
World Record: 23.56 metres, Ryan Crouser, USA, Continental Gold Tour 2023
Shot Put (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 22.41 metres, Ilona Slupianek, East Germany, Moscow 1980 Summer Olympics
World Record: 22.63 metres, Natalya Lisovskaya, USSR, 1987, Moscwa
Discus Throw (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 69.89 metres, Virgilijus Alekna, Lithuania, Athens 2004 Summer Olympics
World Record: 74.35 metres, Mykolas Alekna, Lithuania, Oklahoma Throws Series 2024
Discus Throw (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 72.30 metres, Martina Hellmann, East Germany, Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics
World Record: 76.80 metres, Gabriele Reinsch, East Germany, 1988 East Germany–Italy tournament, Neubrandenburg
Hammer Throw (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 84.80 metres, Sergey Litvinov, USSR, Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics
World Record: 86.74 metres, Yuriy Sedykh, USSR, 1986 Neckarstadion, Stuttgart
Hammer Throw (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 82.29 metres, Anita Włodarczyk, Poland, Rio 2016 Summer Olympics
World Record: 82.98 metres, Anita Włodarczyk, Poland, Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Warsaw, 2016
Javelin Throw (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 90.57 metres, Andreas Thorkildsen, Norway, Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics
World Record: 98.48 metres, Jan Železný, Czechia, 1996, Jena Zeiss Meeting, Germany
Javelin Throw (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 71.53 metres, Osleidys Menéndez, Cuba, Athens 2004 Summer Olympics
World Record: 72.28 metres, Barbora Špotáková, Czechia, 2008 Stuttgart IAAF World Athletics Final
Marathon (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 2:06:32, Samuel Kamaru Wanjiru, Kenya, Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics
World Record: 2:00:35, Kelvin Kiptum, Kenya, 2023 Chicago Marathon
Marathon (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 2:23:07, Tiki Gelana, Ethiopia, London 2012 Summer Olympics
World Record: 2:11:53, Tigst Assefa, Ethiopia, 2023 Berlin Marathon
20 Kilometres Race Walk (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 1:18:46, Ding Chen, China, London 2012 Summer Olympics
World Record: 1:16:36, Yusuke Suzuki, Japan, 2015 Nomi Asian Race Walking Championships
20 Kilometres Race Walk (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 1:25:16, Shijie Qieyang, China, London 2012 Summer Olympics
World Record: 1:23:49, Jiayu Yang, China, 2021 Chinese Race Walking Championships, Huangshan
Decathlon (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 9018, Damian Warner, Canada, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
World Record: 9126, Kevin Mayer, France, 2023 Talence Décastar, Paris
Heptathlon (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 7291, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, USA, Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics
World Record: 7291, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, USA, Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics
4×100 Metres Relay (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 36.84, Jamaica, London 2012 Summer Olympics
World Record: 36.84, Jamaica, London 2012 Summer Olympics
4×100 Metres Relay (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 40.82, United States of America, London 2012 Summer Olympics
World Record: 40.82, United States of America, London 2012 Summer Olympics
4×400 Metres Relay (Men)
Olympic Games Record: 2:55.39, United States of America, Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics
World Record: 2:54.29, United States Of America, Stuttgart, 1993
4×400 Metres Relay (Women)
Olympic Games Record: 3:15.17, USSR, Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics
World Record: 3:15.17, USSR, Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics
4×400 Metres Relay (Mixed)
Olympic Games Record: 3:09.87, Poland, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
World Record: 3:08.80, United States Of America, Budapest 2023
Source Agencies
