COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The age old questions that started sports were: Who is the fastest? Who is the strongest? Who can jump the highest?

Those basic questions are answered every four years during the Olympic track and field competitions, the centerpiece sport of the Games.

The athletics competitions will take place during the second week of the Paris Olympics as the world’s best chase for gold, silver, and bronze across 48 events. Here is what to know about track and field for the Paris Olympics.

Sprints

Events: 100m, 200m, Men’s 110m hurdles, Women’s 100m hurdles, 4x100m relays

For the first time in over 20 years, Team USA comes into an Olympics with arguably the fastest man and woman on the planet. An American man has not won the 100 or 200 since 2004, and world champion Noah Lyles is the favorite to pull off the double. His toughest competitor on the purple track of the Stade de France will be Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson.

World champion Sha’Carri Richardson is the favorite to become the first American woman to win the 100 dash since Gail Devers in 1996 (after Marion Jones’ 2000 triumph in Sydney was vacated). USA’s Gabrielle Thomas and Pickerington native McKenzie Long will look to defeat the favorite, Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, in the 200.

Grant Holloway will be looking to bring Team USA gold in the 110 hurdles, and Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn will aim to repeat in the 100 hurdles. And while historically, the United States has been the most dominant nation in the sprint relay, the men haven’t won since 2000 while the women look to reclaim the top of the podium for the first time since Rio 2016.

Middle distance

Events: 400m, 800m, 1500m, 400m hurdles, 4x400m relays

The 400 hurdles will be a feature event among the middle distance races. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone seems destined for another gold and another world record at 23 years old. On the men’s side, defending Olympic champion Karsten Warholm and America’s Rai Benjamin will offer another epic race like they had in Tokyo.

In the 400m, the Bahamas are hoping for another gold medal sweep from Steven Gardiner and two-time winner Shaunae Miller-Uibo. The 800 field is wide open, particularly on the women’s side with reigning gold medalist Athing Mu missing out after falling during the U.S. Trials.

The 1,500m favorites are Norway’s Jacob Ingebrigtsen, along with two-time defending women’s champion Faith Kipyegon from Kenya. The 4x400m relays will have star U.S. teams hoping to defend Tokyo golds.

Long distance

Events: 5000m, 10,000m, steeplechase, marathon, 20km walk, mixed walk relay

Multiple long distance runners can make Olympic history in France. Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei is hoping to win the 5,000 and 10,000, and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands tries to pull off that double in a second straight Olympics.

The 3000m steeplechase offers a slight twist to the usual track events as athletes will hurdle barriers, with some having puddles on the other side. The Olympic marathons will be ones to watch as Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge aims to become the first triple marathon winner. On the women’s side, Fiona O’Keeffe stars for Team USA after winning the Olympic trials, which was her first marathon she ran.

The other long distance events are in race walking. The men and women will each have a 20-kilometer race. The marathon walking mixed relay will debut, where two males and two females will alternate to cover 26.2 miles.

Jumping events

Events: High jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault

The four jumping events bring us stars from across the globe. Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh made history a few weeks ago in Paris by setting a new high jump world record of 6 feet 10 1/2.

In the men’s high jump, Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi and Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim decided to share gold in Tokyo. Will the same happen in Paris? In the long jump, Portugal’s Pedro Pichardo looks to defend his gold from Tokyo while America’s Tara Davis-Woodhall hopes to continue a USA medal streak in the event.

The women’s triple jump will not feature world record holder and Tokyo winner Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela. Pole vault will be headlined by world record holder Mondo Duplantis of Sweden for the men, while Lakewood, Ohio native Katie Moon hopes to defend her Olympic title.

Throwing events

Events: Shot put, discus, hammer, javelin

Team USA has multiple gold medal favorites in the throwing events. Ryan Crouser (first) and Dublin resident Joe Kovacs (second) have stood together on the last two Olympic shot put podiums and are favored in Paris, and two-time world champion Chase Jackson enters her first Olympics.

Delaware’s Valarie Allman will try to win her second straight discus gold medal, and Missouri’s DeAnna Price hopes to win her first Olympic medal in the hammer throw. For the javelin throw, the one to watch will be India’s Neeraj Chopra, whose historic gold in Tokyo made him a superstar in the country.

Decathlon and Heptathlon

The decathlon and heptathlon determine who the greatest athletes on the planet are.

Canada’s Damian Warner enters Paris as the reigning decathlete gold medalist. Decathletes compete in 10 events over two days. The events include the 100, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400, 100 hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500.

The women compete in the heptathlon, seven events over two days with the 100 hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200, long jump, javelin, and 800. Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam won gold in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo and can become the first man or woman to win three golds in either the heptathlon or decathlon.

NBC4 Paris Olympics Previews

• A look at the venues
• Six sports to learn more about
• Memorable moments for host nations
• Golf preview
• Water and extreme sports preview
• Team sports preview
• 22 international athletes to watch
• Swimming preview