Being an Olympic year, 2024 was indeed an extraordinary year for the sprints as several landmarks were reached and records were broken. As the year draws to a close, we take a look back at some of the key moments of the year with a list of our best male sprinters in the world, ranked 1-10.
10. Muzala Samukonga
Muzala Samukonga has solidified his place among the elite since bursting onto the scene with his unique 400m running style. His explosive late-race surges became a signature in 2022, though they often left him needing assistance off the track.
In 2024, following a hamstring injury, Samukonga returned with a more measured approach to the 400m, showcasing his maturity and ability to build momentum throughout the season.
He kicked off the year with a Silver medal in the men’s 400m at the African Games. Shortly after, he anchored Zambia to GOLD in the 4x400m, clocking a National Record of 2:59.12, ultimately securing Zambia’s Olympic qualification in the event after they missed out on an automatic spot at the World Relays.
Competing in two Diamond League meets, Samukonga secured 2nd place finishes on both occasions before heading to the African Championships where he contributed to Zambia’s Bronze medal in the 4x400m relay.
At the Paris Olympics, Samukonga elevated his performance to new heights. He shattered Zambia’s National Record to qualify for the men’s 400m final and lowered it further to an astounding 43.74s to clinch the Bronze medal, winning Zambia’s first Olympic medal in 28 years since Samuel Matete’s 400m Hurdles Silver at Atlanta ’96 and becoming only the third African man to break the 44-second barrier more than twice in his career.
Rounding out a stellar season, Samukonga helped Zambia reach the men’s 4x400m final at the Olympics and captured his first-ever Diamond League victory in Rome within the same month.
9. Fred Kerley
The 2024 season to Fred Kerley, was about proving he was no fluke. The year before, he had gone down in a bit of a downward spiral after he couldn’t make the final of the World Championships in the men’s 100m, from winning the crown in 2022.
In between that, he made significant changes, including one in coaching as he started working with 1992 Olympic 400m Champion, Quincy Watts, who also trains Rai Benjamin and Michael Norman.
At first, there wasn’t much of a difference, at least on the outside. By June, he still hadn’t broken 10s, until the US Olympic Trials arrived. There, he put together some of his most impressive performances, gave himself a solid fighting chance by making the 100m final and against the greatest odds, got on the US Olympic team, running a Season’s Best (SB) of 9.88s!
Kerley lived for the big stages, with big lights, especially since he made his switch from the 400m to 100m three years ago. At the Olympic Games in Paris, he won his heat very convincingly and progressed from the semifinal into the final. In what was the closest race of the entire Championships, he won a Bronze medal for all of his troubles in the season.
He clocked a time of 9.81s, becoming the only man from the last Olympic podium to win a medal. From there, he competed in Diamond League races, at one time nearing his 200m PB with a time of 19.81s. He finished 3rd in the 100m final in Brussels and 5th in the 200m final.
8. Kishane Thompson
Kishane Thompson in 2024, was Jamaica’s rockstar! After the country’s seemingly endless fallow time since Usain Bolt’s retirement, he emerged almost out of the blue.
In 2023, he came to the Jamaican Championships in Kingston and blew away one of the men’s 100m fields in the heat, leaving everyone spellbound. There he posted a time of 9.91s, which at the time, was his Personal Best (PB) and didn’t return to run the semifinals. He was on a short leash and because of how prone to injury he was, his coaches only allowed him to run one round races.
The only other sighting of Thompson the entire season was at the Xiamen Diamond League where he almost ran down Christian Coleman in the 100m, posting a PB of 9.85s!
He left people wanting more and was to make his debut in May of 2024, but pulled up just 20 metres into the race. His debut was moved to the Jamaican Olympic Trials where he demonstrated a real mastery of his talents, storming to a massive PB of 9.77s to win the men’s 100m title!
With very few races in his legs, he was already the fastest man in the world and joint 9th fastest man of all time. In his only other race before the Olympics, he beat a strong field including Letsile Tebogo and Akani Simbine, effortlessly cruising to a 9.91s.
It was the changing of the guard. He went on to make his Olympic debut in Paris, easily winning his heat and semifinal races. Infact, he was the favourite to win the crown, but for someone who was only running internationally for the first time, it was a tall order and in what was to be his swansong, he just missed out on winning GOLD!
He finished 2nd, awarded the same time as winner ,Noah Lyles, and became the first Jamaican man since Usain Bolt to win a medal in the short sprints at the World Championships or Olympic Games.
7. Kenny Bednarek
Kenny Bednarek despite his age and few years of experience is one of the most heavily seasoned sprinters in the world, hence it was no wonder that very early in the year, he was running races between 100m and 400m.
While he found a middle ground in the 200m, he had in fact excelled in college, primarily running the 400m and expressed his decision to venture more into running the 100m. He went on to represent the US at the World Relays in the 4x100m, setting a World Lead of 37.40s!
In his usual style, he dominated races on the Diamond League circuit and at the US Championships, made his first run for the 100m team, clocking a big Personal Best (PB )of 9.87s! Over six rounds of racing, he added another PB in the 200m, coming really close to winning in 19.59s.
Bednarek made his Olympic 100m debut in Paris, advancing to the finals and placing 7th. For someone who had only just started figuring out the distance, he could have been given some grace, but he took it to heart and came back for his specialist race, the 200m.
He ran a blistering race, coming through in 19.62s to win Silver and repeating his position from the previous Olympic Games in Tokyo. For the rest of the season, he ran Diamond League races, adding a new 200m PB of 19.57s, before winning his second 200m Diamond League trophy in Brussels.
6. Matthew Hudson-Smith
Matthew Hudson-Smith stood out as one of the world’s finest 400m runners in 2024, with consistency tipping the scales heavily in his favour.
Kicking off his season as part of Great Britain’s men’s 4x400m squad at the World Relays, Hudson-Smith helped secure a place in the final, where the team finished 6th.
His buildup to the Olympic Games was nothing short of exceptional, remaining undefeated in every race he contested over 400m and even the shorter 200m distance. At the Oslo Diamond League, he shattered his own European Record with a brilliant 44.07s. He then raised the bar further, triumphing on home soil at the London Diamond League in 43.74s, becoming the first European man in history to break the 44-second barrier in the 400m. Mid-season, he claimed his first British 200m title in Birmingham.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Hudson-Smith breezed through the heats and semifinals. In a final that will be remembered as one of the greatest 400m races ever, he narrowly missed out on GOLD, finishing 2nd in yet another European Record of 43.44s. This stunning performance made him the 5th fastest man in history.
Despite the fatigue from his individual heroics, Hudson-Smith anchored Great Britain to a Bronze medal in the men’s 4x400m final. His phenomenal split of 43.09, the fourth fastest relay split in history, contributed to the team’s European Record of 2:55.83.
