Longer sprints filled with top contenders

Today we take a look at the men’s 200 and 400 metre and women’s 400. Men’s 200m(Final: August 8)Defending Olympic champion: André De Grasse (Canada, 19.62 seconds). Olympic record-holder: Usain Bolt (Jamaica, 19.30 in 2008). 2023 World champion: Noah Lyles (USA, 19.52). 2024 World leader: Noah Lyles (USA, 19.53). The USA have an excellent chance of a clean sweep and should be led by Lyles yet again.Top contendersNoah Lyles is a three-time world 200m champion. He was only third at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but hasn’t lost since.Kenny Bednarek (USA, 19.59 in 2024). The 2020 Olympic silver medallist pushed Lyles close at the US trials. This year, he is in his best shape ever.Letsile Tebogo (Botswana, 19.71 in 2024). The 300m world record-setter won silver in the 100m and bronze in the 200m at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. In 2024 he clocked 9.88 in the 100m, 19.71 in the 200m and a time of 44.29 in the 400m. Erriyon Knighton from the USA (19.77 in 2024) is only 20 years old. He was fourth at the last Olympics in the 200m (19.93) and won bronze at the 2022 World Championships and at the 2023 edition he got a silver medal.The British challenge: Injury issues mean Zharnel Hughes is unlikely to be as fit as last year, when he was fourth at the World Championships. However, in May of this year he ran the distance in 19.96. Prediction: 1 Lyles (19.30), 2 Bednarek (19.47), 3 Knighton (19.53).Women’s 400m (Final: August 9)Defending Olympic champion: Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bahamas, 48.36). Olympic record-holder: Marie-José Pérec (France, 48.25 in 1996). 2023 World champion: Marileidy Paulino (Dominican Republic, 48.76). 2024 World leader: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA, 48.75). Another event that looks very open. Olympic champion Miller-Uibo has run just 53.02 this year.Top contendersNickisha Pryce from Jamaica (48.89 in 2024) has made big progress in 2024, winning the NCAA and Jamaican titles.Natalia Kaczmarek (Poland, 48.97 in 2024). The ultra reliable Pole followed up her 2023 world silver with a very fast European win in Rome last month clocking 48.97.Rhasidat Adeleke (Ireland, 49.07 in 2024). Narrowly lost out to Kaczmarek in Rome with 49.07, but could become Ireland’s first ever Olympic women’s track champion.Marileidy Paulino (49.20 in 2024). The reigning 2023 World champion was second at the Tokyo Olympics and has won Diamond League meetings in Xiamen, Suzhou, Oslo and Paris this year.Kendall Ellis (USA, 49.46 in 2024). A mainstay of the 4x400m team with gold at the Tokyo Olympics. She hasn’t reached the same level individually in 2024. But she has made a breakthrough this year to win the US trials.The British challenge: NCAA bronze medallist Amber Anning has improved to 49.51 this summer and could break the UK record and make the final. Laviai Nielsen was sixth in Rome and set a 50.67 personal best in Paris, while Victoria Ohuruogu was sixth at the UK Championships.Prediction: 1 Paulino (48.67), 2 Adeleke (48.76), 3 Kaczmarek (48.88). Men’s 400m(Final: August 7)Defending Olympic champion: Steven Gardiner (Bahamas, 43.85). Olympic record-holder: Wayde van Niekerk (South Africa, 43.03 in 2016). 2023 World champion: Antonio Watson (Jamaica, 44.22). 2024 World leader: Quincy Hall (USA, 43.80). This event seemed to be wide open at one point, but Hall has since thrown down the gauntlet ahead of the Games.Top contendersQuincy Hall (43.80 in 2024). The 2023 World Championships bronze medallist won the Stockholm Diamond League and then the US trials, before setting a big world lead in Monaco.Chris Morales-Williams (Canada, 44.05 in 2024). The much-improved Canadian has won NCAA titles indoors and out this year.Alexander Doom (Belgium, 44.15 in 2024). The 2023 World semi-finalist has won world indoor and European golds in the 400m and 4x400m, but lowered his personal best to 44.15 this year.Michael Norman (USA, 44.21 in 2024). The 2022 world champion narrowly lost to Hall in the US trials and has raced sparingly in 2024.The British challenge: Momentum is with Matt Hudson-Smith, who broke the European record with 44.07 in Oslo. He followed it up with 43.74 last month in London.Prediction: 1 Hall (43.75), 2 Hudson-Smith (43.78), 3 Morales-Williams (43.95). – Source: Athletics Weekly/World Athletics

Longer sprints filled with top contenders

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