Lyles and Hassan bookend fabulous Paris programme of Olympic athletics

The Olympic athletics program, characterized by both the shortest and longest events, showcased performances of remarkable quality and thrilling drama, all set against a stunning and distinctive purple backdrop that will forever symbolize Paris.

The opening week was illuminated by a fiercely competitive men's 100 meters race and a late-night world record in the pole vault, while Sifan Hassan's marathon victory on the final day, completing an extraordinary hat-trick of medals, provided a fitting conclusion to the event.

"It has been remarkable, and the current standard of athletics is nearly indescribable," stated Sebastian Coe, the head of World Athletics, this week. "I cannot recall a time when we have witnessed such a range of excellence."

This was particularly evident in the men's 100m, where Noah Lyles edged out Kishane Thompson at the finish line, winning by a mere five thousandths of a second with a time of 9.79 seconds. The six competitors who followed also finished under 10 seconds, marking the first occurrence of this in a legal race.

Lyles, known as the sport's, most charismatic figure, was unable to secure a second medal, finishing with bronze in the 200m while disclosing that he was competing with COVID. In his stead, Botswana's Letsile Tebogo emerged as the first African to claim victory in the event.

The United States set a world record in the seldom-contested mixed 4x400m relay, but Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's remarkable performance in the 400m hurdles, where she shattered her own world record, represented a different level of achievement.

Mondo Duplantis also surpassed his own pole vault world record in a dramatic moment at the Stade de France. After all other events concluded and with the expected gold medal already secured, he initially failed twice at 6.25m before ultimately clearing the height to a thunderous applause.

Coe had anticipated the men's 1500m would be a "race for the ages," and it certainly was, albeit in an unexpected manner.

British athlete Josh Kerr delivered the performance of his life, surpassing defending champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, only for the long-shot American Cole Hocker to overtake them both and clinch victory with a significant personal best, resulting in one of the most surprising outcomes of the Games.

Ingebrigtsen made a remarkable recovery to secure victory in the 5000m event, while in the women's 1500m, the exceptional Faith Kipyegon from Kenya achieved an unprecedented hat-trick.

Historically, the United States has excelled in shorter distance events, but they demonstrated extraordinary prowess across a variety of competitions in Paris.

Yared Nuguse's bronze medal finish, alongside Hocker, marked the first occasion in 112 years that two American athletes medaled in the 1500m.

Grant Fisher fiercely competed against formidable African runners to earn impressive bronze medals in both the 5000m and 10,000m events, while Kenneth Rooks similarly excelled, securing a notable silver in the 3000m steeplechase.

Following a relatively disappointing performance in Tokyo, the United States reclaimed dominance, amassing a total of 14 gold, 11 silver, and nine bronze medals, setting a strong precedent for the upcoming Games in Los Angeles.

Conversely, Jamaica faced significant challenges, struggling to make an impact in the sprints they have traditionally excelled in, with their only gold medal coming as a surprise from Roje Stona in the discus event.

The host nation also experienced a disappointing campaign, despite the enthusiastic support from fans who filled the stands at every session. Their efforts were salvaged from complete failure by Cyrena Samba-Mayela's silver medal in the 100m hurdles on the final night of track events.

However, one final event remained, culminating in a spectacular and astonishing conclusion as Dutch athlete Hassan triumphed in the women's marathon after previously securing bronze in both the 5000m and 10,000m.

She became the first woman to attempt this treble, let alone medal in all three events, joining the ranks of athletics legends such as Emil Zatopek, who accomplished this feat in 1952.

A total of 43 countries earned athletics medals, with Saint Lucia, Dominica, and Pakistan achieving this milestone for the first time, all securing gold medals through Julian Alfred in the women's 100m, Thea LaFond in the women's triple jump, and Arshad Nadeem in the men's javelin.