Track and field competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics officially began on Friday, with competition running through August 10. (To be clear, that’s specifically track and field and not athletics in general, which began Thursday with the 20-kilometer race walk events and will end August 11 with the women’s marathon.)
The first medal event on the track is the men’s 10,000 final Friday, but there are plenty of qualification rounds Friday, including the Sha’Carri Richardson in the women’s 100 meters, the women’s triple jump and the Ryan Crouser in the men’s shot put.
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Funny thing about the track at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, which is just north of Paris: It’s purple! Which could come as a bit of a surprise, but it’s also pretty cool. And actually, a lot more than just the literal track at Stade de France is purple.
So as track and field competition gets underway, here are nine photos of the super purple track.
PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 02: A general view of athletes competing in the Women’s 100m during the Women’s 100m Preliminary Round, Heat 1 on day seven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 02, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776138755 ORIG FILE ID: 2164913874
Aug 1, 2024; Paris, France; A general view of the track before athletics competition during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade de France. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: OLY-888753 ORIG FILE ID: 20240801_jel_al2_3358.jpg
Aug 2, 2024; Paris, FRANCE; Nawal Meniker (FRA) in the women’s high jump qualifications during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade de France. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports ORIG FILE ID: 20240802_jel_no5_3606.jpg
Puerto Rico’s Ayden Owens-Delerme competes in the men’s decathlon 100m of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP) (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776138756 ORIG FILE ID: 2164279644
PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 02: A general view of athletes competing in the Women’s 100m during the Women’s 100m Preliminary Round, Heat 1 on day seven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 02, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776138755 ORIG FILE ID: 2164913885
Congo’s Natacha Ngoye (C) crosses the finish line ahead of San Marino’s Alessandra Gasparelli in the women’s 100m heat of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP) (Photo by JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776138756 ORIG FILE ID: 2164279783
Aug 2, 2024; Paris, FRANCE; Harrison Williams (USA) crosses the finish line in the men’s decathlon 100m heats during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade de France. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports ORIG FILE ID: 20240802_jel_no5_3593.jpg
(L-R) US’ Heath Baldwin, Netherlands’ Rik Taam, Brazil’s Jose Fernando Ferreira Santana, US’ Harrison Williams, France’s Makenson Gletty, Estonia’s Johannes Erm and Germany’s Leo Neugebauer compete in the men’s decathlon 100m of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) (Photo by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776138756 ORIG FILE ID: 2164277396
PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 02: (EDITORS NOTE: Image was captured using a robotic camera positioned above the field of play.) An overhead view of the Men’s Decathlon 100m Heat 1 on day seven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 02, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776138755 ORIG FILE ID: 2164913169
