Top 5 Male Sprinters at the Tokyo Olympics

Tokyo Olympics is about to give new Sprint superstars in Athletics after the retirement of Usain Bolt. One of the most straightforward pieces of trivia for the Olympics- who won the gold medals in 2008, 2012 and 2016 in 100m and 200m? Usain Bolt. Fans are about to witness new Sprint superstars on the Olympic podium after a long, long time.

Here is a look at the top 5 Sprinters to look out for in Tokyo.

Trayvon Bromell

Trayvon Bromell, a Baylor University Alum, is the current favourite to bag the 100m gold at the Tokyo Olympics. How can one come to this conclusion? Bromell has the World lead time of 9.77s in 2021 and has won the US Olympic trials with a comfortable margin. Bromell is on the favourite's list of Usain Bolt to win the 100m gold. Bolt might know a thing or two about the winning potential of an athlete, having swept the last three golds the event has to offer. Trayvon has another elusive record to his name; he became the first junior athlete to break the 10-second barrier in 2014 at the age of 18. With a win at Gateshead, Diamond League meet just before the Olympics, Bromell is in fine form to take the 100m gold baton from Usain Bolt.

Akani Simbine

Akani Simbine, 27, is in fine form before the Tokyo Olympics. Simbine finished fifth in the 2016 Rio Olympic finals in a star-studded 100m final. Looking at Simbine's form leading up to the Olympics, it is clear that the man is on a mission. Recently, Simbine bested the 100m African record held by Nigeria's Olusoji Fasuba by one-hundredth of a second to 9.84s at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial in Hungary. Simbine's most remarkable feature is his consistency; he has already posted the sub-ten second mark more than 20 times. Simbine will be looking to spring a surprise at the Tokyo Olympics just like his fellow countryman Wayde van Niekerk did in 2016. Niekerk won the 400m gold at the Rio Olympics with a World Record timing of 43.03s from Lane 8. Lane 8.

Michael Norman

Michael Norman looks like the favourite to grab the 400m gold at the Tokyo Olympics. Norman, 23, won the stacked US Olympic trials in Eugene, OR (USA), with a season-best of 44.07s. Michael's mother, Nobue Saito Norman, is from Japan and taking the field in Tokyo must feel just like home for Norman. Norman, with 43.45s, has the best 400m timing in this Olympic cycle. He has tough competition from the US 400m relay teammate Michael Cherry, reigning Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk and 2019 World champion Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas.

Noah Lyles

The versatile superstar Noah Lyles, 24, was left disappointed after his poor performance in the 100m event at the US Olympic trials. Lyles finished with a poor 10.05 behind Trayvon Bromell, Fred Kerley and Ronnie Baker, all of whom qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. Don't let this fool you, as Lyles produced the World lead time of 19.74s in the 200m at the same trials. He is the current world champion after he comfortably took gold at the Doha World Championship 2019, beating Adam Gemili and Andre De Grasse. Noah Lyles was slightly stunned in the semi-finals by teenage sensation Erriyon Knighton, 17, who also booked his place in Tokyo. Lyles will be looking to win the 200m gold in Tokyo that the US hasn't won since Shawn Crawford grabbed the top of the podium at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Andre De Grasse

Even those who don't follow Athletics must have seen the picture of Usain Bolt laughing with Andre De Grasse as they crossed the finish line at the Rio Olympics. Leading the Canadian hunt for sprint gold, De Grasse will compete in both 100m and 200m at the Tokyo Olympics. He burst onto the global athletics scene after his exploits at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. De Grasse won Bronze in both 100m individual and 4x100m relay and a Silver in the 200m event. Even though his 2021 timings are not as flashy as the US Athletes, De Grasse has previous Olympic experience, which sets him apart from the competition in Tokyo. In the absence of current World Champion Christian Coleman, the road to a 100m looks easier for all the other sprinters.