Josh Kerr and Daryll Neita produced the most eye-catching British performances on the Stade de France’s striking purple track during the first morning of athletics at the Olympic Games.
Kerr eased to victory in his heat before being faced with a now customary verbal exchange with his great rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the media interviews that followed.
Neita’s time of 10.92sec was a season’s best and third fastest of all the qualifiers. Dina Asher-Smith is also safely through in 11.01sec.
British eyes this evening will focus on Keely Hodgkinson, who starts out in the women’s 800m alongside 17-year-old Phoebe Gill – who was taking her GCSEs last summer – and Jemma Reekie.
12:09 PM BST
End of morning session
That brings an end to this morning’s session of athletics at the Stade de France.
Team GB will be pleased to see medal hopefuls Josh Kerr, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita qualify from their respective opening rounds.
The action will resume this evening as Keely Hodgkinson begins her 800m campaign at 18:45 as she looks to better her silver medal from Tokyo.
Team GB’s youngest track athlete for 40 years Phoebe Gill, 17, will also be involved in the 800m as she looks to take inspiration from Hodgkinson and win a medal on her Olympic debut.
The first round of the mixed 4x400m relay and the final of the men’s 10,000m will also take place throughout the evening on the opening day of action at the Stade de France.
12:03 PM BST
Men’s hammer throw qualifiers
Canada led thee way in the hammer throw qualification with Ethan Katzberg throwing the furthest distance of 79.93m while team-mate Hamilton threw a personal best of 77.78m to finish as the second highest qualifier.
World championship silver medallist Wojciech Nowicki of Poland qualified in ninth after a best effort of 76.32m.
12:00 PM BST
Decathlon standings after three events
German Leo Neugebauer leads the way in the decathlon after three events following strong performances across all disciplines.
He leads reigning Olympic champion Damian Warner by 78 points who is 12 points ahead of Ayden Owens-Delerme in third.
11:57 AM BST
Final 100m results
That one-two of Ta Lou Smith and Fraser-Pryce in the final heat was the top one-two for the entire first round as the final qualifiers are confirmed.
Team GB’s Daryll Neita recorded the third fastest time across the eight races clocking a season’s best of 10.92 – narrowly behind the Jamaican legend who also registered a 10.92 run.
Team GB will be delighted to have all three sprinters through to the semi-finals with Asher-Smith and Lansiquot also progressing.
11:53 AM BST
Fraser-Pryce qualifies to semi-finals of 100m
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce came second in the final heat of the opening round of the women’s 100m to progress to the semi-final in her fifth and final Olympics.
It was fellow veteran Ta lou-Smith of the Ivory Coast who beat the 37-year-old to first place with a season’s best of 10.87.
Lueckenkemper of Germany qualified in third while Rosius and Torres in fourth and fifth have also qualified as fastest losers with a personal best and national record respectively.
11:46 AM BST
Third hammer thrower qualifies for final
Meanwhile in the hammer throw, Norway’s Eivind Henriksen throws 77.14m which is enough to get him over the line as the third athlete to qualify automatically for the final.
Neugebauer fouls on his final throw but his second throw of 16.55m should see him take the overall lead following this third event. Home favourite Gletty throws a huge 16.64m to take the lead in the shotput and the crowd respond with a roar as the result is seen on the screen.
11:42 AM BST
Bass wins seventh 100m heat
Gambian sprinter Bass wins the penultimate heat of the women’s 100m opening round with a time of 11.01.
Kambundji of Switzerland is through in second while there is pure joy for Belgium’s Nkansa who equaled her PB of 11.20 to qualify in third.
11:36 AM BST
Neugebauer continues to impress in decathlon
German decathlete Neugebauer has continued his strong start as he takes the lead of the shotput with a throw of 16.31m which sees him take the lead in the overall standings.
An early favourite for the hammer throw, Katzberg of Canada, throws 79.93m to ensure comfortable qualification to the final.
11:33 AM BST
Terry of US wins sixth 100m heat
Twanisha Terry of USA has won the sixth heat of the women’s 100m opening round in comfortable fashion with a time of 11.15 into a slight headwind.
Forbes of Jamaica and Bertrand of Trinidad and Tobago complete the top three to make it to the semi-finals.
11:27 AM BST
Dina Asher-Smith qualifies to semi-finals of 100m
Dina Asher-Smith has qualified to the semi-final of the women’s 100m after finishing second narrowly behind Poland’s Swoboda who recorded a season best of 10.99.
Team GB’s European champion clocked a time of 11.01 to secure progression in comfortable fashion.
The top two were way clear of Chukwuma who came in third with a time of 11.26.
11:23 AM BST
Dina Asher-Smith up next in the women’s 100m
European champion Dina Asher-Smith is lining up for the fifth heat of the opening round of the women’s 100m.
She will be hoping to join her two team-mates Neita and Lansiquot who have already qualified to the semi-finals.
11:20 AM BST
Warner starts strongly in shotput
Reigning Olympic champion Damien Warner of Canada, who is leading the decathlon after two events, has thrown a distance of 14.41m in the shotput – the second furthest distance so far.
This is shortly surpassed by US athlete Heath Baldwin with an effort of 14.48m. Owens-Delerme who was in third after two events then takes second in the shotput with a throw of 14.81m.
11:18 AM BST
Lansiquot of Team GB qualifies to 100m semi-finals
Leduc of Canada won the fourth heat in the opening round of the women’s as she set a national record of 10.95
Lansiquot of Team GB progressed into the semi-finals in third place with a time of 11.10 while 19-year-old Tia Clayton of Jamaica finished in second.
11:13 AM BST
Serbian high jumper through in dramatic fashion
After accepting defeat and bursting into tears, Serbian high jumper Angelina Topic has qualified for the final on Sunday in a dramatic turn of events.
After failing to clear 1.95m in three attempts the 19-year-old thought her fate was sealed but her jump on 1.92m was enough to see her through.
The Serbian suffered an ankle injury early on after being widely tipped for a medal but she has managed to find a way to progress.
11:09 AM BST
Daryll Neita progresses to semi-final of women’s 100m
Team GB’s Daryll Neita has qualified for the semi finals of the women’s 100m after winning her opening round heat with a season best of 10.92 – just two tenths shy of her personal best.
A really impressive run from the British athlete who looked like she had more to give as this Paris track continues to provide fast times.
Jefferson of the US and Takacs of Hungary came in second and third.
11:06 AM BST
Daryll Neita up next in women’s 100m
Team GB’s Daryll Neita is coming up in third of the women’s 100m round one heats. The 27-year-old needs the top three to qualify. Her season best of 10.98 would likely be enough.
11:04 AM BST
Alfred wins second 100m heat in comfortable fashion
Julien Alfred wins the second women’s 100m heat with a time of 10.95 after cruising to the finish line as she proved her medal credentials.
Zoe Hobbs of New Zealand came in second in an impressive run clocking a time of 11.08 while Zaynab Dosso of Italy made up the third qualifying spot with running 11.30.
11:00 AM BST
‘Super smooth’ from Josh Kerr
Josh Kerr looked super smooth there, effortlessly moving from near the back of of his heat to the front in the space of 100m down the back straight.
Plenty of Norwegian journalists waiting for him too – the head to head with Jakob Ingebrigtsen (the David Beckham of Norwegian sport) set to be one of the races of these Olympics.
10:58 AM BST
Morgan Lake fails to qualify
Team GB’s Morgan Lake has failed to progress past qualifying in the women’s high jump after reaching a height of 1.88m. The height of 1.92m appeared to be the magic number.
10:57 AM BST
World champion Sha’Carri Richardson wins opening 100m heat
Sha’Carri Richardson has won the opening heat of the first round of the women’s 100m in emphatic fashion.
The World champion and favourite for a gold made it look incredibly easy with a time of 10.94. You expect there is plenty more to come from the American.
Van der Weken of Luxembourg and Masters of Australia make up the qualifying spots in second and third.
10:53 AM BST
Women’s 100m first round set to get underway
After the preliminary rounds this morning we are now ready for round 1 of the women’s 100m. Remember the top three of the eight heats qualify to the semi-finals.
10:51 AM BST
High jump prospect Topic fails to qualify
Serbian high jumper Angelina Topic is in tears after failing to clear the bar at 1.95m on the third attempt.
The 19-year-old was a favourite coming into the Games after a strong season but suffered an ankle injnury after slipping earlier today and it proved pivotal.
10:49 AM BST
Warner leads decathlon after two events
Reigning Olympic champion Damian Warner leads the way in the men’s decathlon after the opening two events on 2042 points.
It is the German Leo Neugebauer in second after an impressive long jump – 51 points behind the leader. Ayden Owens-Delerme is currently in the bronze medal spot five points adrift of second place.
A long way to go!
10:46 AM BST
Gourley qualifies through 1500m first round
Team GB’s Neil Gourley joined Josh Kerr to make it through the opening round of the men’s 1500m. The Brit clocked the fifth fastest time in the third heat.
10:45 AM BST
Neugebauer and Rooth impressing in decathlon long jump.
As we return to the men’s decathlon Neugebauer jumps 7.98m to go into second place behind Rooth who moments before jumped a PB of 8.03m.
10:41 AM BST
Women’s high jump raised to 1.95m
Back to the female high jump and the bar has been raised to 1.95m with three athletes clearing the height as it stands. Most recently Australian athlete Olyslagers. She is joined by Australian team-mate Patterson with relative ease.
The Serbian jumper Topic fails on her second attempt. This height might be one step two far after requiring the thirds attempt at the previous two.
10:39 AM BST
Ingebrigtsen qualifies through 1500m opening round heat
Ingebrigtsen has qualified from his 1500m opening round heat. The Norweigan athlete, who is tipped to contest the gold medal with rival Kerr, started incredibly slowly as he let the pack run out way in front but he never looked concerned.
After sitting towards the back of the pack for the majority of the race he left it very late to make his move but eventually glided past the field with 300m to go come in third place as he looked over his shoulders to make sure he was in the qualifying spots.
He may have given his fans a slight scare but it all looked rather comfortable in the end.
10:33 AM BST
High jump prospect continues despite injury
In the women’s high jump qualifying, 19-year-old Topic of Serbia clears the 1.92m jump on the final attempt. The injury sustained earlier appears to be posing her issues but she continues to find a way.
10:28 AM BST
George Mills falls short in second 1500m heat
George Mills of Team GB has failed to qualify from the second 1500m heat as he faded in the final 50m of the race and finished 10th, short of the top six needed to progress.
The GB athlete looked to have placed himself in a good position as he came round the bend into the home straight but he couldn’t hang on to his spot as the leading pack burst clear.
It was Ermias Girma of Ethiopa who claimed top spot with a time of 3:35:21.
10:26 AM BST
‘Shades of 2012’ as athletics gets underway Stade de France
“Shades of London 2012 inside the Stade de France this morning, with a full stadium and huge support for every French athlete on the eye-catching purple track.
“Josh Kerr, Neil Gourley and George Mills all about to go in the first round of the men’s 1500m. Morgan Lake is currently qualifying in the high jump and the women’s 100m heats will be staged later this morning and includes Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita and Imani-Lara Lansquot.”
10:20 AM BST
Skotheim takes long jump lead in decathlon
Skotheim of Norway registers a distance 8.03m in the decathlon’s long jump to take the lead.
Elsewhere, Hamilton qualifies for the final of the hammer throw with a distance of 77.78m which is a PB for the Canadian.
10:16 AM BST
Kerr wins 1500m opening round heat
Josh Kerr has won his opening round heat in the men’s 1500m by a comfortable distance with a season best of 3:35.83.
Komen of Kenya led the race early on as Kerr settled into the middle of the pack. With no fastest loser places at stake it was a somewhat slow pace throughout.
Kerr remained at the back of the pack until the final lap when he made his move as he glided past the rest of the field.
He now has a day of rest ahead of the semi-final on Sunday. The top six from each heat qualifies to the next round.
A big name not to make it through was Ollie Hoare of Australia who finished in a surprising 13th.
10:11 AM BST
Josh Kerr’s 1500m opening round on its way
One of Team GB’s strongest medal hopes in the athletics Josh Kerr is set to kick off his 1500m Olympic campaign in the first round shortly.
He should be safely through but he must ensure there is no complacency.
10:06 AM BST
Warner backs up impressive 100m with strong long jump
Markus Rooth of Norway makes a strong start to the long jump with an effort of 7.74m. A jump of almost 70cm further than the second best in his pool.
However, Neugebauer of Germany then produces a jump of 7.76m to take the lead despite being well short of the front of the board. He had another 30cm to work with then.
This is trumped by reigning Olympic champion Damian Warner who led the way following the 100m and produces a strong jump of 7.79m.
10:03 AM BST
Allers-Liburd wins fourth and final 100m heat
Allers-Liburd wins the fourth and final 100m heat with a time of 11.73 and she is followed by Simwaka in second and Chacoon in third place with 11.9.
The first round proper of the 100m will get underway in about 50 minutes time.
10:00 AM BST
Men’s decathlon moves on to long jump
The decathletes are preparing for the long jump to get underway in their second event of ten.
The reigning Olympic hammer throw champion Nowicki of Poland produces a throw of 76.32m putting him into third place, just short of automatic qualification.
Some action from the women’s high jump qualifying as Topic of Serbia whose ankle is strapped up after a fall earlier today clears the bar.
The youngster is the European silver medallist but seems slightly out of sorts after the earlier stumble.
09:55 AM BST
Semedo takes third preliminary heat in women’s 100m
Gorette Semedo wins the third preliminary 100m heat with a time of 11.44 in comfortable fashion. Torrez and Beu complete the qualifying spots.
Four PBs and two national records in that heat but still nothing shown that looks likely to threaten the favourites.
09:49 AM BST
Kokhan qualifies to final of hammer throw
Kokhan of Ukraine automatically qualifies to the final of the hammer throw with an effort of 77.42m.
He is the only one to automatically qualify as it stands after hitting the magic number of 77m.
09:47 AM BST
Tran claims the win in the second 100m preliminary heat
Tran of China takes the second heat of the preliminary round with a time of 11.81 in what was a slower heat. Hazzard and Bo-ya make up the second and third spots. The top three automatically qualify to the first round.
09:43 AM BST
Hammer throwers still warming up
Back to the hammer throw and Klose of Germany produces a somewhat disappointing throw of 71.2m but it is very early days. With the event taking place so early in the day it may be a case of the athletes requiring a throw or two to find their form.
09:39 AM BST
Women’s 100m underway as Ngoye takes victory in preliminary round
The women’s 100m is underway with Ngoye of Congo winning the first race of the preliminary round with a time of 11.34.
A wide range of times in this heat. The races will become closer following the preliminary rounds when we will see the likes of Asher-Smith and Fraser Price.
Ahamdy in eighth clocked a time of 13.71 – over two seconds slower than the winning time.
Another four PBs or SBs on this track proving to be a fast one.
09:34 AM BST
Recap of decathlon standings
Following the 100m, Damien Warner is leading the way in the men’s decathlon.
Ayden Owens-Delerme is in second while Sven Roosen of the Netherlands clocked the third-quickest time.
09:31 AM BST
Men’s hammer throw underway
The men’s hammer throw is underway with Kokhan of Ukraine kicking things off with a foul in his first throw of three.
Hamilton of Canada follows it up with another red flag as his toe just touches the outer circle.
Mardal of Norway registers the first valid throw with a distance of 76.16m.
Remember a distance of 77m secures automatic qualification.
09:27 AM BST
Tokyo 2020 Damian Warner takes final heat
Olympic champion from Tokyo 2020 Damian Warner of Canada comfortably takes the final heat with an impressive run of 10.25.
It was a solid display from Owens-Delerme who came in second with a strong time of 10.35.
Just a reminder there is no representative for Team GB in this year’s decathlon.
09:24 AM BST
False start in third and final heat
With the women’s high jump qualifying nearing closer, we are ready for final 100m heat in the men’s decathlon.
There is a false start from Victor which would see him disqualified from the other sprint events but this is not the case in the decathlon with one false start allowed.
09:17 AM BST
Williams of US takes second 100m decathlon heat
An incredibly tight race in the second 100m heat of the decathlon. Harrison Williams of the USA snatches it on the line with a season’s best of 10.62.
Five tenths of a second separated the top five with Erm of Estonia coming in second ahead of Taam of the Netherlands in third.
09:12 AM BST
Men’s hammer throw nearly underway
The men’s hammer throw qualification is set to get underway with the first group of two.
09:08 AM BST
Markus Rooth takes opening decathlon 100m heat
Norway’s Markus Rooth takes the first 100m in the men’s decathlon with a personal best time of 10.71.
Team-mate Sander Skotheim takes second while Spain’s Jorge Urena comes in third.
There will be general satisfaction after this with two PBs and 3 SBs in that heat of seven athletes.
09:02 AM BST
Decathlon on its way
We are moments away from the men’s decathlon getting underway which marks the start of the athletics from the Stade de France at this year’s Games.
08:59 AM BST
Purple track raises eyebrows
The purple track at the Stade de France has raised a few eyebrows but organisers have said they were looking to go for a colour and design “outside the box” that will “highlight the athletes”.
08:52 AM BST
Team GB athletes to look out for this morning
A host of medal hopefuls for Team GB kick off their Olympic campaigns today. Morgan Clarke will be the first Brit to feature as she takes part in the women’s high jump qualifying at 9:05.
One of Team GB’s main gold medal contenders Josh Kerr opens his account in the opening round of the men’s 1500m at 10:05. Sprint duo begin Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita are in action in the first round of the women’s 100m as Asher Smith looks to build on her European title in June.
08:45 AM BST
Medal table as it stands
Team GB are currently ranked 6th in the medal table having won gold on six occasions so far. South Korea also have six gold medals to their name but their three silver and three bronze medals are inferior to GB’s tally of seven of each.
China currently top the table with 11 gold medal triumphs so far but the US are not far behind with nine while France, Australia and Japan make up the 3rd, 4th and 5th spots on eight golds each.
08:38 AM BST
A recap of today’s key moments
9:05: Decathlon 100m
9:15: Women’s high jumping – qualifying
10:05: Men’s 1500m – round one
10:50: Women’s 100m – round one
18:10: Mixed 4x400m relay – round one
18:50: Women’s 800m – round one
20:20: Men’s 10,000m – final
08:30 AM BST
Team GB medal hopefuls in action on opening day of athletics
Good morning and welcome to live coverage of day 1 of the athletics from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in the Stade de France after the 20km walking finals took place elsewhere on Thursday. Keeley Hodgkinson, Josh Kerr and Dina Asher-Smith are among the British medal hopefuls in action on day seven of the Games.
Asher-Smith will be looking to build on her victory in the 100m at the European Championship in June as she won her first major title since 2019. Hodgkinson will be hoping to do the same after retaining her European crown in the 800m in Rome while 1500m world champion Kerr will renew his rivalry with Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigsten.
Meanwhile, Jamaican sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser Price kicks off her fifth Olympics as she looks to secure a fifth 100m podium at the Games. The 37-year-old is the third-fastest woman in history but faces stern competition in the form of world champion Sha’Carri Richardson.
This morning’s action begins at 9:05 with the decathlon 100m while the women’s high jump qualifying gets underway shortly after at 9:15 with Team GB’s Morgan Lake in action. Kerr is set to open his 1500m account at 10:05 before focus then shifts to GB’s sprinters as Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita feature in the opening round of the women’s 100m at 10:50.
Hodgkinson takes to the track at 18:45 in the opening round of the women’s 800m as she looks to go one better than her silver medal at Tokyo 2020. Team GB’s youngest track athlete for 40 years Phoebe Gill, 17, will also be involved as she looks to take inspiration from Hodgkinson and win a medal on her Olympic debut.
That comes after the first round of the mixed 4x400m relay set to take place at 18:10 before the men’s 10,000m final gets underway at 20:20.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
