The Olympic athletics events will take place from August 1 to 11. Discover the full calendar.
Athletics is THE queen discipline of the Olympic Games. Present since the ancient Games, it was quite naturally included in the Olympic program during the first modern Games in 1896 in Athens. With 48 events, it is the discipline which distributes the most medals, with a program almost unchanged since the 1932 Games. The events have been the same for men and women since 2008, the date of the entry of the 3000 meters steeplechase. in the women’s program, with two unique variations: 100m hurdles instead of 110m hurdles for women and decathlon instead of heptathlon for men. For this 2024 edition of the Olympic Games, one change should nevertheless be noted: the disappearance of the 50 kilometers is in favor of a mixed team event, over a marathon distance (42.195 kilometers).
Athletics is divided into two categories of events: running and walking on one side, and competition on the other. With a discipline combining all these specialties: the decathlon for men and the heptathlon for women. This is also one of the potential medal chances for France, with Kevin Mayer, double silver medalist in the discipline. However, he still has to validate his ticket for the Games.
After the meager results of Tokyo (1 medal) and the Budapest World Cup (only one silver medal), the French athletics team hopes to do better in Paris. If some veterans remain potential medal chances (Kevin Mayer, Mélina Robert-Michon), the FFA has decided to increase its volume of potential medalists by including young people like Sasha Zhoya (110m hurdles) in the preparation group.
The selection of the French team for the Olympics
The final selection of the list of athletes participating in the athletics events will be published on July 8, 2024 (May 14 for the marathon). However, some athletes have already achieved the Olympic minimums and should be part of the list, which allows a maximum of three athletes per discipline. 50% of places will be allocated by the minimums, and 50% via the world ranking.
List of athletes who achieved the minimums:
Men:
- 110 m hurdles (minimum 13”27): Wilhem Belocian (13”07) on July 2, 2023 in La Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland); Sasha Zhoya (13”15) on August 21, 2023 in Budapest (Hungary); Just Kwaou-Mathey (13”26) on July 16, 2023 in Chorzow (Poland).
- 400 m hurdles (minimum 48”70): Wilfried Happio (47”58) on September 4, 2023 in Bellinzona (Switzerland); Ludvy Vaillant (47”85) on July 21 in Monaco.
- 800 m (minimum 1’44”70): Benjamin Robert (1’43”88) on September 2, 2023 in Xiamen (China); Yanis Meziane (1’43”94) on September 8, 2023 in Brussels (Belgium); Gabriel Tual (1’44”70) on July 22, 2023 in Madrid (Spain).
- 1,500 m (minimum 3’33”50): Azeddine Habz (3’31”36) on August 31, 2023 in Zürich (Switzerland).
- 5,000 m (minimum 13’05”00): Jimmy Gressier (12’56”09) on July 21, 2023 in Monaco; Hugo Hay (13’02”62).
- 20 km walk (1h20’10): Gabriel Bordier (1h18’59) on August 19 in Budapest (Hungary); Aurélien Quinion (1h19’57) on March 12, 2023 in Aix-les-Bains.
- Marathon (minimum 2h08’10): At the top of the French results as of January 30, 2024, Mehdi Frère (2h05’43”) and Nicolas Navarro (2h05’53”) benefit from the status of priority athletes. There is therefore only one quota left, delivered to the best French performer as of April 30, 2024, currently held by Morhad Amdouni (2h3’47”).
- Pole vault (minimum 5.82 m): Thibaut Collet (5.90 m) on August 26 in Budapest (Hungary).
- Hammer throw (minimum 78.20 m): Yann Chaussinand (78.21 m) on January 27, 2024 in Saint-Denis (Reunion).
Women :
- 100 m hurdles (minimum 12”77): Cyréna Samba-Mayela (12”68) on July 30, 2023 in Albi; Laëticia Bapté (12”69) on July 30, 2023 in Albi.
- 800 m (minimum 1’59”30): Rénelle Lamote (1’58”42) on September 4, 2023 in Bellinzona (Switzerland).
- 3,000 m (minimum 9’23”00): Alice Finot (9’06”15) on August 27, 2023 in Budapest (Hungary); Flavie Renouard (9’19”07) on July 23, 2023 in London (England).
- 20 km walk (minimum 1h29’20”): Clémence Beretta (1h28’44”) on March 3, 2024 in Taicang (China).
- Marathon (minimum 2h26’50): At the top of the French results as of January 30, 2024, Mekdes Woldu (2h24’44”) and Mélody Julien (2h25’01”) benefit from the status of priority athletes. There is therefore only one quota left, delivered to the best French performer as of April 30, 2024, currently held by Méline Rollin (2h24’22”).
When do the Olympic athletics events take place?
Athletics will take place from Thursday August 1st to Sunday August 11th.
Where will the athletics events take place?
Athletics will take place at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis for all events, with the exception of the marathon, which will start from the Paris City Hall, and the 20 kilometer walk which will start from the Pont d ‘Jena.
The detailed schedule
Thursday August 1
Morning, 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. (Trocadéro)
- 20 km walk – men, final
- 20 km walk – women, final
Friday August 2
Morning, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Stade de France)
- Decathlon – 100m, men
- Hammer throw – men, qualifications
- High jump – women, qualifications
- 100m – women, preliminary round
- Decathlon – long jump, men
- 1,500m – men, 1st round
- 100m – women, 1st round
- Decathlon – shot put, men
Evening, from 5:40 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Stade de France)
- Decathlon – high jump, men
- 5,000m – women, 1st round
- Triple jump – women, qualifications
- Discus throw – women, qualifications
- 4 x 400 m relay – mixed, 1st round
- 800 m – women, 1st round
- Shot put – men, qualifications
- Decathlon – 400m, men
- 10,000 m – men, final
Saturday August 3
Morning, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Stade de France)
- Decathlon – 110m hurdles, men
- Pole vault – men, qualifications
- 100m – men, preliminary round
- Decathlon – discus throw, men
- 800 m – women, Repechages
- 100m – men, 1st round
- Decathlon – pole vault, men
Evening, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Stade de France)
- 1,500 m – men, Repechages
- Shot put – men, final
- 100m – women, semi-finals
- Decathlon – javelin throw, men
- Triple jump – women, final
- 4 x 400 m relay – mixed, final
- 100m – women, final
- Decathlon – 1,500m, men
Sunday August 4
Morning, from 10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. (Stade de France)
- 3,000 m steeplechase – women, 1st round
- Hammer throw – women, qualifications
- 200m – women, 1st round
- Long jump – men, qualifications
- 110 m hurdles – men, 1st round
- 400m hurdles – women, 1st round
- 110 m hurdles – men, 1st round
Evening, from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Stade de France)
- 400 m – men, 1st round
- High jump – women, final
- 100m – men, semi-finals
- Hammer throw – men, final
- 800m – women, semi-finals
- 1,500m – men, semi-finals
- 100m – men, final
Monday August 5
Morning, from 10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. (Stade de France)
- 400m hurdles – men, 1st round
- Discus throw – men, qualifications
- Pole vault – women, qualifications
- 400 m hurdles – women, Repechages
- 400 m – men, Repechages
- 400 m – women, 1st round
- 200 m – women, Repechages
Evening, from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Stade de France)
- Pole vault – men, final
- 3,000 m steeplechase – men, 1st round
- 200m – men, 1st round
- Discus throw – women, final
- 200m – women, semi-finals
- 5,000m – women, final
- 800 m – women, final
Tuesday August 6
Morning, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Stade de France)
- 1,500 m – women, 1st round
- Javelin throw – men, qualifications
- 110 m hurdles – men, Repechages
- Long jump – women, qualifications
- 400 m – women, Repechages
- 400 m hurdles – men, Repechages
- 200 m – men, Repechages
Evening, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Stade de France)
- 400m – men, semi-finals
- Hammer throw – women, final
- 400m hurdles – women, semi-finals
- Long jump – men, final
- 1,500 m – men, final
- 3,000 m steeplechase – women, final
- 200m – women, final
Wednesday August 7
Morning, from 7:30 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. (Trocadéro)
- Walking a marathon in a mixed relay
Morning, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Stade de France)
- High jump – men, qualifications
- 100m hurdles – women, 1st round
- Javelin throw – women, qualifications
- 5,000m – men, 1st round
- 800 m – men, 1st round
- 1,500 m – women, Repechages
Evening, from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Stade de France)
- Pole vault – women, final
- 110m hurdles – men, semi-finals
- Triple jump – men, qualifications
- 400m hurdles – men, semi-finals
- 200m – men, semi-finals
- Discus throw – men, final
- 400m – women, semi-finals
- 400 m – men, final
- 3,000 m steeplechase – men, final
Thursday August 8
Morning, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Stade de France)
- Heptathlon – 100m hurdles, women
- Shot put – women, qualifications
- 100m hurdles – women, Repechages
- Heptathlon – high jump, women
- 4 x 100m relay – women, 1st round
- 4 x 100m relay – men, 1st round
- 800 m – men, Repechages
Evening, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Stade de France)
- Heptathlon – shot put, women
- 1,500m – women, semi-finals
- Long jump – women, final
- Javelin throw – men, final
- 200 m – men, final
- Heptathlon – 200m, women
- 400 m hurdles – women, final
- 110 m hurdles – men, final
Friday August 9
Morning, from 10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. (Stade de France)
- Heptathlon – long jump, women
- 4 x 400m relay – women, 1st round
- 4 x 400m relay – men, 1st round
- Heptathlon – javelin throw, women
- 800m – men, semi-finals
- 100m hurdles – women, semi-finals
Evening, from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. (Stade de France)
- 4 x 100 m relay – women, final
- Shot put – women, final
- 4 x 100m relay – men, final
- 400 m – women, final
- Triple jump – men, final
- Heptathlon – 800m, women
- 10,000 m – women, final
- 400 m hurdles – men, final
Saturday August 10
Morning, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. (Town Hall, departure site – Invalides, arrival site)
- Marathon – men, final
Evening, from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. (Stade de France)
- High jump – men, final
- 800 m – men, final
- Javelin throw – women, final
- 100m hurdles – women, final
- 5,000 m – men, final
- 1,500 m – women, final
- 4 x 400m relay – men, final
- 4 x 400 m relay – women, final
Sunday August 11
Morning, from 8 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. (Town Hall, departure site – Invalides, arrival site)
- Marathon – women, final