Paris Olympics Day 13 Preview (Aug. 8): Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Noah Lyles headline track finals (2024)

It's the biggest night on the track at the Paris Olympics with big-name talent everywhere you look. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone looks to defend her title against Femke Bol in the 400m hurdles, Noah Lyles attempts to sprint double vs. Kenny Bednarek in the 200m, Grant Holloway seeks redemption for his Tokyo upset in the 110m hurdles, and Tara Davis-Woodhall steps into her moment in the long jump.

Elsewhere, Team USA men's basketball, women's volleyball and women's water polo play to advance, and Americans vie for individual medals in kite sailing, freestyle wrestling, open water swimming and sport climbing.

Below, a full breakdown of the top events and athletes to watch on Day 13.

It's the best convergence of track and field standouts competing on a single day at these Paris Olympics.

Front and center, the unshakable Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone aims to defend her gold in the 400m hurdles — a feat no American has accomplished in an individual track race since Michael Johnson's back-to-back 400m golds in 1996 and 2000. The 25-year-old New Jersey native hasn't lost in the event since 2019 Worlds, owns seven of its 12 fastest times ever, and broke the world record for a fifth time at U.S. Trials in June (50.65).

Generational talents typically come in ones, but this event has another in Femke Bol. The Dutchwoman won last year's world title in McLaughlin-Levrone's absence and in July clocked the third-fastest time in history (50.95). To demonstrate their progression, consider this: Bol's mark from July is a half-second faster than McLaughlin-Levrone's gold standard from Tokyo three years ago, to which Bol herself finished about a half-second behind for bronze.

McLaughlin-Levrone ran 52.13 in Tuesday's semis to pace the field. Bol ranked second in 52.57, followed by American Anna co*ckrell's 52.90.

Noah Lyles walked the walk last week with 100m gold, checking off the more difficult of two events in his attempt to become the first man since Usain Bolt to double in the sprints. While the 100m most certainly feels good to win for Lyles, one could argue it's the 200m that weighs most on his mind. Lyles entered Tokyo the favorite and placed third. Since then, he's gone unbeaten at 200m (until Wednesday's semifinals), broke Johnson's U.S. record at 2022 Worlds for No. 3 all-time, and held the world-lead every season.

His biggest threats in Paris are his own teammates, Kenny Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton, with whom he went 2-3-4 in Tokyo and swept the 2022 Worlds podium. All three are among the top 10 to ever run 200m, along with Botswana's 21-year-old Letsile Tebogo, and with that much firepower in one final you can't ignore the possibility of a Bolt record being challenged. Tebogo clocked the fastest time of Wednesday's semifinals, followed by Bednarek and Lyles, and Knighton fifth.

Like Lyles, Grant Holloway came into Tokyo a heavy favorite and left with a non-gold (silver) medal, losing to Jamaica's Hansle Parchment in a shocker. For Paris, Holloway enters as the three-time reigning world champion, primed and ready for a title after running the fourth-fastest time in history to win U.S. Trials. He's been a tenth of a second away from the world record since the U.S. Trials for Tokyo, and it's safe to say that is in jeopardy of falling. Holloway was the only hurdler to go sub-13 in Wednesday's semifinals. Teammate Daniel Roberts and Parchment ranked third and fifth, respectively.

In the field, Tara Davis-Woodhall looks to capitalize on her 2024 indoor world title and become the third American woman to win gold in the long jump. She led Tuesday's qualifying, while compatriot Jasmine Moore, already a bronze medalist in the long jump, placed sixth overall. Other Americans in action: Chase Jackson in women's shot put qualifying, Anna Hall in Day 1 of the women's heptathlon, and a trio of talented Americans in the women's 1500m semis.

Kiteboarding makes it debut at the Olympics in Paris.

American Daniela Moroz won six straight world championships in the discipline from 2016 to 2022. Had this event taken place at the Tokyo Games, Moroz would've been a clear favorite, but Lauriane Nolot of France may now be that sailor as the two-time reigning world champion.

In the Paris opening series, Nolot led all sailors with just 12 net points, winning Races 2 and 6. Great Britain's Eleanor Aldridge also had 12, winning Race 1, while Moroz had 17 and won Race 4.

Moroz learned to kite at age 12. Two years later, she competed internationally, and in consecutive years qualified for her first world championships and won her first world title.

Singapore's reigning world champion Max Maeder, 16, and two-time world champion Axel Mazella of France, winner of last year's Olympic test event, are the favorites vying to win the inaugural men's title.

Two wins away from its fifth-straight and 17th overall gold, the U.S. men's basketball team squares off against Nikola Jokic and Serbia in the semifinals.

In the quarterfinals, the Americans dominated Brazil 122-87 to advance. Devin Booker had 18 points with five triples, and Anthony Edwards added another 17 points. Serbia held off Australia 95-90.

France and Germany play in the other semifinal, having respectively knocked off Canada, 82-73, and Greece, 76-63.

Defending gold medalist U.S. women's volleyball takes on Brazil in a rematch of the Tokyo gold medal final, which the Americans won 3-0.

Both teams defeated their quarterfinal opponents on straight sets to advance. Brazil captured silver at the most recent world championships.

Turkiye and Italy play in the other semifinal. Turkiye beat China 3-2, and Italy knocked off reigning world champion Serbia 3-0 in the quarterfinals.

Three U.S. wrestlers have shots at medals in freestyle: Spencer Lee in the men's 57kg, Helen Maroulis in the women's 57kg and Aaron Brooks in the men's 86kg.

Lee won U.S. Trials in April. His parents Cathy and Larry met in France and both have ties to the U.S. judo team. Serbia's reigning 57kg world champion Stevan Micic entered Paris as the favorite, but the Indiana native and University of Michigan standout pulled out with an injury on Monday.

Upon taking the mat in Paris, Maroulis will make history for U.S. women wrestlers: the first to compete at three Games, and at age 32 the oldest to participate in an Olympics. It's not her first time setting records, either; she won the U.S. its first women's wrestling gold in Rio, upsetting Japan's Saori Yoshida. Japan remains a medal contender with three-time world champion Tsugumi Sakurai. Others include China's 21-year-old Hong Kexin, unbeaten this year in international tournaments, and 2023 world runner-up Anastasia Nichita of Moldova.

Brooks swept defending gold medalist David Taylor at U.S. Trials. The four-time NCAA champion for Penn State won a U23 world title in 2023. Iran’s Hassan Yazdani, runner-up to Taylor at the Tokyo Olympics and past two world championships, is the favorite in his rival's absence.

Katie Grimes, silver medalist in last week's 400m individual medley pool event, exits the natatorium in search of a medal in the 10k open water discipline.

The 18-year-old Las Vegas native could become the first woman ever to win a medal both in the pool and in open water.

Grimes took third in the event at 2023 Worlds behind winner Leonie Beck of Germany and Australia's Chelsea Gubecka. Beck is a favorite alongside Dutchwoman Sharon van Rouwendaal, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist and reigning world champion. Brazilian Ana Marcela Cunha beat Van Rouwendaal by less than a second in Tokyo.

Three-time defending Olympic gold medalist U.S. women's water polo, coming off a narrow and physical 5-4 quarterfinals victory over Hungary, takes on undefeated Australia in the semifinals.

Team USA captain Maggie Steffens played the entire game against Hungary netting two key goals, while goalie Ashleigh Johnson made 17 saves.

Australia defeated Greece 9-6 to advance. The other semifinal features Tokyo silver medalist Spain playing the Netherlands, the last team to win gold other than the U.S. in 2012.

Play continues in the women's golf tournament at Le Golf National with Round 2.

In Round 1, Celine Boutier of France, last year's Evian Championship winner, holed eight birdies for a 65. The Duke alum currently leads South Africa's Ashleigh Buhai, three back, and four tied for third at 70, including American Lilia Vu.

A reminder that there's no cut in Olympic golf, meaning all golfers progress to Thursday and Friday's final rounds.

• Men's soccer bronze medal is decided between Egypt and Morocco. (11 a.m. ET)
• Semifinals in beach volleyball featuring a matchup of the women's last world runner-up and last Olympic silver medalist: Brazil (Ana Patricia/Duda) and Australia (Mariafe/Clancy). (11 a.m. ET)
• Men's field hockey medal matches: India and Spain for bronze, Germany and Netherlands for gold. (8 a.m. ET)
• Diving final in men's 3m springboard. American Carson Tyler was seventh in the semifinal. (9 a.m. ET)
• Women's handball semifinals: Sweden and France, Norway and Denmark. (10:30 a.m. ET)

Primetime in Paris will air on NBC at 8 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on Thursday night. Check local listings for the time in your area.

Thursday night's primetime show will include coverage of track and field finals in the women's long jump, men's 200m, women's 400m hurdles and men's 110m hurdles, as well as the men's 3m springboard final in diving.