Sebastian Coe can rub his hands: the start of the athletics events for the Paris 2024 Games already illustrates in proportions rarely seen the universality of the first Olympic sport. The president of World Athletics noted at a press conference on Thursday, August 1, that five countries had shared the six medals up for grabs in the 20 km walk, men and women, including one gold for Ecuador. The second evening session at the Stade de France, Saturday August 3, pushed the point even further. In less than an hour, two countries won the first medal in their history at the Olympic Games in women's competitions: Saint Lucia thanks to Julien Alfred, victorious in the 100m, and Dominica with Thea LaFond-Gadson, crowned in the triple jump (photo above). For the first three days of competition (Thursday August 1 to Saturday August 3), the eight finals on the program were won by eight different countries.
