Tokyo (AFP)

Athletics, the No.1 Olympic sport, will have marked the Tokyo Games for 10 days with its imprint, in particular through the celestial figure of the American Allyson Felix and historic performances, driven in part by the advent of new generation pointe shoes.

- Magic shoes -

Five years after the road and two years after the middle distance, generation shoes have definitely invested in sprints and jumps for a new performance revolution underway.

Elaine Thompson-Herah, Jamaican queen of the short sprint (treble 100-200-4x100 m) notably wore one of these models with thick soles which combines a rigid plate (carbon) and a latest generation foam.

She managed the 2nd all-time performances in the 100 and 200 m, approaching the sulphurous 1988 records of the late American Florence Griffith-Joyner, until then considered inaccessible.

The joy of Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah, Olympic champion in the 100m in front of her compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, July 31, 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Jewel SAMAD AFP / Archives

The shoes, the fast track but also a generation of exceptional athletes gave birth over 400 m hurdles two of the most beautiful races in Olympic history: the Norwegian Karsten Warholm won his epic duel against Rai Benjamin, shattering the world record ( 45.94), before Sydney McLaughlin (51 sec 46) does the same against his compatriot Dalilah Muhammad.

The Norwegian Karsten Warholm, Olympic champion in the 400 hurdles, with a new world record, on August 3, 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Jewel SAMAD AFP / Archives

- The less sovereign USA -

Announced as ultra-domineering, the United States finally left Japan with a mixed record, although at the top of the medal ranking (26 including 7 in gold), having experienced a few astonishing failures.

For the first time, they did not win any individual men's race, the 4x400m relay saving the honor at the last minute.

The joy of Americans Michael Norman, Michael Cherry, Rai Benjamin and Bryce Deadmon, Olympic 4x400m relay champions, August 7, 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Jonathan NACKSTRAND AFP

For the first Olympic Games since the retirement of legend Usain Bolt, the United States notably aimed to regain their leadership in the men's sprint, but they missed each other, with no title.

The men's 4x100m relay was even ejected from the heats, provoking the ire of Carl Lewis who deemed the performance "unacceptable".

Grant Holloway, the favorite, bit the dust over the 110m hurdles.

Among women, Jamaica, worn by Elaine Thompson-Herah, crowned over 100, 200 and 4x100 m, dampened US hopes.

America's headliners in Tokyo have mostly been Sydney McLaughlin (400m hurdles, 4x400m), Athing Mu (800m) and Ryan Crouser (weight), in addition to Allyson Felix.

The American Sydney Mclaughlin, gold medalist in the 400m hurdles, August 4, 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Ina FASSBENDER AFP / Archives

- Allyson Felix, for eternity -

She will have been the face of these Games in athletics.

At 35 and for his last participation in the Olympics, Allyson Felix fully entered the legend of the discipline with his 10th and 11th podiums, becoming the most medalist athlete in Olympic history.

In bronze in the 400m, the Californian won gold with the 4x400m dream team (Sydney McLaughlin, Allyson Felix, Dalilah Muhammad, Athing Mu), passing the baton to the new generation, whom she inspires with her fight for athletic mothers.

There it is placed in the annals just behind the Finnish Paavo Nurmi (12 medals between 1920 and 1928).

The Americans Sydney Mclaughlin, Allyson Felix, Dalilah Muhammad and Athing Mu, Olympic 4x400m relay champions, August 7, 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Javier SORIANO AFP

- Italy, the sensation -

The training anthem "Fratelli d'Italia" will have resounded five times in the Olympic stadium: 5 medals, all in gold, for an irresistible squadra with a face, that of the sprinter Lamont Marcell Jacobs, surprise winner of the 100 m then the 4x100 relay m (in addition to the two 20 km walk and the men's height).

The Italian Lamont Marcell Jacobs, Olympic champion in the 100 m, in front of the American Fred Kerley, on August 1, 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Anne-Christine POUJOULAT AFP / Archives

Jacobs (26) exploded in 2021 by subtracting 23 hundredths of a second from his best time on the straight line to seize the European record (9 sec 80) and dominate the cars from North America.

"It's the year of Italy, we won Eurovision, Euro football, and now five gold medals in athletics," the new star laughed.

© 2021 AFP