It is the peak time for college basketball fans with March Madness about to explode the rest of the month.
But there are other athletes who are looking beyond March to July. The biggest names among them are Noah Lyles and Sha’ Carri Richardson. They are the big stars on the United States Olympic track and field team. They have a shot at global fame if they can solidify their claims to supremacy as the world’s fastest men and women sprinters.
Last weekend’s World Indoor Championships were mostly a triumph for the US. Team USA won 20 medals, six of them gold and three went to first time winners.
But Lyles lost in the 60 meter finals to his main rival Christian Coleman. Coleman has now won three straight 60 meter gold medals, and their anticipated clash in Paris will be closely watched.
Richardson wasn’t racing in Glasgow, but was still making headlines last week as her time in the 100 meters was declared faster than that of world football star Kylian Mbappe.
BBC Sport clocked Mbappe at 10.9.in the 100, while Richardson’s top time is 10.65.
She is among the nominees for this year’s Laureus Sports Awards.
Unfortunately Richardson missed the last Olympics after testing positive for THC, a chemical in Marijuana.
Last year she scored a dramatic upset over Jamaican sprinters Shericka Jackson and Ann Fraser- Pryce. There have been some spicy verbal clashes between between Richardson and the Jamaican team, and no doubt that may happen later this month.
Lyles has made a lot of noise about wanting to top Jamaican sprint hero Usain Bolt. Bolt, now retired, holds the world record in the 100 and 200 meters.
Should Lyles or Richardson take the gold in Paris, track will get a lot more recognition than it usually does.
NBC also hopes this year’s Olympics will be an audience hit, because they’ve not fared as well thus far in the ratings war.
But when Americans have a shot at Olympic glory, history has shown they will get big ratings.
The 2024 Olympics begin July 26 and continue through August 11.
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