Golds For Ingebrigtsen & Kipyegon As Brits Win Three Bronzes On The Final Night On The Track

There were record-breaking performances, photo-finishes, and more medals for Team GB on the final night of athletics action at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

INGEBRIGTSEN GETS HIS GOLD

Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen was out for vengeance in the men’s 5000m in Paris after finishing fourth in the men’s 1500m. 

He was patient and stayed with the pack which went out slowly and gradually wound up to a very fast final lap, where the Norwegian made his move with 200m to go and extended into a lead that no one could match in a dominant display to win. Kenya’s Ronald Kwemoi won silver, with USA’s Grant Fisher winning bronze – it was his second long-distance bronze of the Games after he was third in the 10000m.

It’s some redemption for Ingebrigtsen who later said that the 1500m race will “haunt me for the rest of my life.” 

BRONZE FOR GB’S BELL IN THE WOMEN’S 1500M

GB’s Georgia Bell won a wonderful bronze medal in the 1500m in Paris as Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon made it three Olympic golds in a row in the event.

1500m world record holder Kipyegon set a new Olympic record of 3:51.29 to win ahead of Australia’s Jessica Hull, with Bell running a four-second personal best of 3:52.62 to win bronze. GB’s Laura Bell finished in fifth place despite running a new PB. It’s Kipyegon’s second medal of the Games after finishing second in the women’s 5000m.

Any of nine women were in medal contention as the bell rang for the final lap, but an already fast race sped up and spread out the field, and as Kipyegon moved ahead, Bell was able to hang on and put in a thrilling sprint to the finish to come third.

It’s a brilliant story for Bell who works full time in cyber security and had to take a summer off work to focus on the British Championships, which she won, and then the Olympic Games. And it’s a great comeback for a runner who had success as a junior before stopping because of persistent injuries, only to be inspired by the Tokyo 2020 Games, which saw her start by taking part in Parkruns, then training with more regularity and purpose, before contacting her old coach in 2022.

Bell’s time was a British record as well as new PB, and she’s been able to take more than 10 seconds off her personal best in 2024. She started the year with a best of 4:03. Now she’s the British record holder and Olympic bronze medallist. 

MORE GB RELAY MEDALS

Team GB has won a medal in all five of the relay races at the Paris 2024 Olympics after the men’s and women’s 4x400m team both finished in third place in the final two track races of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. They take home one silver and four bronzes from the relays.

In the men’s 4x400m, Alex Haydock-Wilson, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Lewis Davey and Charlie Dobson set a European record of 2:55.83 as they finished behind USA and Botswana. USA set a new Olympic record for their win.

Then a few minutes later, Victoria Ohuruogu, Laviai Nielsen, Nicole Yeargin and Amber Anning ran a new British record as they came third behind USA and the Netherlands. Anning’s anchor lap saw her finish just ahead of the Irish team.

USA’s Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran the third-fastest ever leg of a 400m relay as the US won by more the four seconds. It was her second gold of the Games after her world record-breaking 400m hurdle win, while Gabby Thomas added another gold to her 200m win.

Femke Bol completes a full set of Oympic medals from Paris. Having won gold in the mixed 4x400m relays, then bronze in the 400m hurdles, she anchored the Dutch team to a silver medal.

PHOTO FINISH IN THE MEN’S 800m

Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi ran the third fastest men’s 800m of all time to win gold in a photo finish with Canada’s Marco Arop 0.01 second behind. Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati won bronze.

It was a brilliant two-lap race in which Wanyonyi led from early on, and was just about able to hang onto his lead as he slowed in the final meters, slipping just below world record pace as Arop finished incredibly strong.

Wanyonyi’s time was 0.28 seconds off the world record, and at 20 years old, he becomes the youngest winner of the men’s Olympic 800m.

GB’s Max Burgin finished eighth.

USA’S RUSSELL WINS WOMEN’S 100M HURDLES

USA’s Masai Russell won gold in the women’s 100m hurdles in a photo finish, with France’s Cyréna Samba-Mayela just 0.01 second behind, and Puerto Rico’s defending champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn only 0.02 seconds back in third, in one of the closest races of the Games. 

Despite their great overall success in the Games, this was France’s first and only track and field medal won in Paris. 

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And that’s the end of the track action in Paris. Team GB collected a total of 10 medals, including Keely Hodgkinson’s wonderful gold in the women’s 800m, plus four silver medals and five bronze medals. Team USA dominated in track and field in Paris, winning 14 golds, 11 silvers and nine bronzes.

If you want to hear more about what it’s like to be in Paris for the Olympics then Sarah, Andy and Rick are over there recording a daily podcast. You can listen to The Running Channel podcast here!

Photo Getty Images / Michael Steele