On the women’s side, the world record holder, Tigist Assefa, has been named to her first Olympic Games for Ethiopia. Assefa set the running world on fire last September with a jaw-dropping world record at the 2023 Berlin Marathon–two hours, 11 minutes and 53 seconds. 

Tigist has had a well-polished marathon career so far, winning two of her four races and finishing on the podium in three. Most recently, she finished second to Kenya’sPeres Jepchirchir (the defending Olympic champion) at the 2024 London Marathon, with a time of 2:16:23. This was Assefa’s first loss at an Abbott World Marathon Major.

All eyes will be on the 27-year-old as she tackles the daunting Paris course, which features more than 400 metres of elevation gain. This will be Assefa’s toughest challenge to date.

Joining Assefa on the Ethiopian team are two experienced marathoners: 2023 world championAmane Beriso and 2022 world champion Gotytom Gebreslase. Beriso has finished in the top three of her last six marathons and has thrived in warmer race conditions, taking wins in Budapest, Mexico City and Valencia. Gebreslase has been on the podium in the marathon at the last two world championships.

Like the men, the Ethiopian women’s team looks to end the streak of their East African rival, Kenya. Ethiopia has not won gold in the women’s marathon since Tiki Gelena at the London 2012 Olympics.

Yayesh Gate Tesfaw smashed the women’s 1500m T11 world record, with fellow Ethiopian Tigist Gezahagn Menigstu taking the T13 title on day two of the Kobe 2024 Para Athletics World Championships.

Yayesh staked her claim for gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games with a stunning victory, clocking 4:31.77 to break the previous world record by almost six seconds. China’s He Shanshan took silver in a new Asian record.

“I’m extremely happy with this gold and the world record. I’m going for more in Paris,” stated Yayesh afterwards.

Her team-mate Menigstu, who won Ethiopia’s first Paralympic gold at Tokyo 2020, maintained her dominance of the T13 1500m. The 24-year-old ran a new championship record of 4:18.90, five seconds clear of Morocco’s Ezzahra El

Wen Xiaoyan was another Paralympic champion from Tokyo to taste success again in Japan. The Chinese was the only woman to exceed five metres in the women’s long jump T37, setting a new championship record of 5.42m which was just three centimetres shy of her world record from last year.

Algeria had a one-two in the men’s F32 club throw. Ahmed Mehideb’s second-round throw would have been enough for gold but he bettered it three times with a best of 37.61m in the final round. Team-mate Walid Ferhah was second with 36.30m.

One of the great athletics rivalries of all time will be renewed at Paris 2024 after Kenenisa Bekele was named in Ethiopia’s marathon squad.

The 41-year-old is a three-time Olympic champion over 5,000m and 10,000m but has not appeared at the Games since London 2012, when he finished fourth over the longer distance.

However, his second-placed finish in the London Marathon last month means Bekele will come up against Kenyan great Eliud Kipchoge on 10 August.

Former marathon world record holder Kipchoge, 39, is aiming to become the first person to win three successive Olympic marathons after his victories at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

His rivalry with Bekele stretches all the way back to their first meeting in a final, also in Paris, at the 2003 World Championships.

On that occasion Kipchoge took gold in the 5,000m, with Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj in second place and Bekele taking bronze.

A year later at the Olympics in Athens, Kipchoge would have to settle for bronze over the same distance as Bekele took silver behind El Guerrouj, with the Ethiopian then clinching gold over 10,000m gold.

Four years on at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Bekele would again get the better of Kipchoge at the Games as the pair finished first and second in the 5,000m and Bekele defended his 10,000m title.

Kipchoge has established himself as an all-time great since switching to marathon-running in 2013, winning 11 major races alongside his two Olympic gold medals.

Bekele produced the sixth-fastest debut over 26.2 miles (42.16km) when he made a winning marathon debut in Paris in April 2014, but his career since then has been hampered by injuries.

Now, 21 years on from their first battle in the French capital, this could be the final time Bekele and Kipchoge go head-to-head.

The ‘Ronaldo and Messi’ of distance running

Kenenisa Bekele’s return to the Olympics after a 12-year gap has caused high levels of excitement among athletics fans.

One of the sport’s all-time legends, who turns 42 next month, is getting his last crack on the greatest stage.

He and Eliud Kipchoge have transformed distance running and defined an era.

It is safe to say that these two are the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi of distance running.

There is so much at stake in terms of their rivalry, with Bekele largely dominating on the track before Kipchoge established primacy over the marathon field.

The Kenyan held the world record until last October and in 2019 become the first to run the distance under two hours – albeit not in open competition and using rotating pacemakers.

The last time they raced together was the London Marathon in 2018, when Kipchoge won, and Bekele will be looking to spoil the party as Kipchoge aims to make history with his third Olympic win.