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Usain Bolt, Justin Gatlin, Mo Farah, David Rudisha, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: Superstars to set Rio ablaze

Usain Bolt (centre) is aiming to achieve an incredible triple treble by retaining his 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay gold won in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and retained in London four years later. (Getty Images)

Published on: Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM IST

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Usain Bolt (centre) is aiming to achieve an incredible triple treble by retaining his 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay gold won in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and retained in London four years later. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Usain Bolt (centre) is aiming to achieve an incredible triple treble by retaining his 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay gold won in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and retained in London four years later. (Getty Images)

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Bolt was a flop at Athens 2004, his first Olympics, as a hamstring injury saw him eliminated in the 200m heats. But in Bejing he broke the world marks both the 100m and 200m events — winning the 100m in 9.69sec and then clocking 19.30sec in 200m, bettering Michael Johnson’s record of 19.32. He also helped break the 4x100m world record as an icing on the cake. (Getty Images )

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Bolt was a flop at Athens 2004, his first Olympics, as a hamstring injury saw him eliminated in the 200m heats. But in Bejing he broke the world marks both the 100m and 200m events — winning the 100m in 9.69sec and then clocking 19.30sec in 200m, bettering Michael Johnson’s record of 19.32. He also helped break the 4x100m world record as an icing on the cake. (Getty Images )

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Bolt, who dominated the sprint events at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, suffered a blow in the lead up to the Rio Games as he had to withdraw from the Jamaican Olympic trials minutes before the 100m final because of a Grade 1 hamstring tear. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Bolt, who dominated the sprint events at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, suffered a blow in the lead up to the Rio Games as he had to withdraw from the Jamaican Olympic trials minutes before the 100m final because of a Grade 1 hamstring tear. (Getty Images)

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Despite the injury scare, both Bolt, showing his Samba skills here, and Jamaica team management are confident of another big haul of medals in Rio. (AFP Photo)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Despite the injury scare, both Bolt, showing his Samba skills here, and Jamaica team management are confident of another big haul of medals in Rio. (AFP Photo)

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Bolt and his troubled hamstring will be tested by the resurgence of Justin Gatlin of the United States. Gatlin, 34, clocked 9.80 seconds, this year’s fastest time in 100m during the US trials in July. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Bolt and his troubled hamstring will be tested by the resurgence of Justin Gatlin of the United States. Gatlin, 34, clocked 9.80 seconds, this year’s fastest time in 100m during the US trials in July. (Getty Images)

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Gatling , who finished third behind Bolt and Yohan Blake in London, has said in his interviews that he is the man who can end Bolt’s dominance. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Gatling , who finished third behind Bolt and Yohan Blake in London, has said in his interviews that he is the man who can end Bolt’s dominance. (Getty Images)

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Like his teammate Gatlin in 100m, it is USA’s LaShawn Merritt, who has recorded the best time of the year in 200m at the US trial as he clocked 19.74 seconds. But can he beat Bolt? LaShawn’s real class, though, will show in the 400 metres where he will want to reinstate his superiority after he failed to win gold in London. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Like his teammate Gatlin in 100m, it is USA’s LaShawn Merritt, who has recorded the best time of the year in 200m at the US trial as he clocked 19.74 seconds. But can he beat Bolt? LaShawn’s real class, though, will show in the 400 metres where he will want to reinstate his superiority after he failed to win gold in London. (Getty Images)

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For LaShawn to win in the 400m, he needs to get the better of South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk , who beat him and Grenada’s Kirani James to win the 400 gold at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Beijing last year. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

For LaShawn to win in the 400m, he needs to get the better of South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk , who beat him and Grenada’s Kirani James to win the 400 gold at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Beijing last year. (Getty Images)

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If there is a middle-distance equivalent of Usain Bolt it is Kenya’s gifted 800m superstar, David Rudisha. He produced one of the performances of the London Olympics in 2012, blowing away the field with a world record-breaking winning time of 1:40:91sec. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

If there is a middle-distance equivalent of Usain Bolt it is Kenya’s gifted 800m superstar, David Rudisha. He produced one of the performances of the London Olympics in 2012, blowing away the field with a world record-breaking winning time of 1:40:91sec. (Getty Images)

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Rudisha ,who is aiming to become the first man to defend the 800m crown since Peter Snell in 1964, has struggled to match those quick timings this year. He could be upstaged by two compatriots — junior world champion Alfred Kipketer (second from right) and Ferguson Rotich (extreme left), who beat him into third place at the Olympic trials held in June. (GETTY IMAGES)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Rudisha ,who is aiming to become the first man to defend the 800m crown since Peter Snell in 1964, has struggled to match those quick timings this year. He could be upstaged by two compatriots — junior world champion Alfred Kipketer (second from right) and Ferguson Rotich (extreme left), who beat him into third place at the Olympic trials held in June. (GETTY IMAGES)

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Great Britain’s Mo Farah looks set to complete the 5000m and 10,000 m double just like he did in London in 2012. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Great Britain’s Mo Farah looks set to complete the 5000m and 10,000 m double just like he did in London in 2012. (Getty Images)

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Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor, who narrowly lost out to Farah in 10,000m at last year’s World Championships in Beijing, is expected to be chief among the challengers in Rio, along with Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor, who narrowly lost out to Farah in 10,000m at last year’s World Championships in Beijing, is expected to be chief among the challengers in Rio, along with Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris. (Getty Images)

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(L-R) Rico Freimuth of Germany, Ashton Eaton and silver medallist Damian Warner of Canada will be among the contenders in men’s decathlon. (Getty Images )

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

(L-R) Rico Freimuth of Germany, Ashton Eaton and silver medallist Damian Warner of Canada will be among the contenders in men’s decathlon. (Getty Images )

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Like Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (seen here with the Jamaican flag during the opening ceremony in Rio) is the biggest name in women’s sprint. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Like Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (seen here with the Jamaican flag during the opening ceremony in Rio) is the biggest name in women’s sprint. (Getty Images)

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Twice Olympic champion, Fraser-Pryce is not at her best coming into this year’s Olympics and the women’s 100 metres, unlike the men’s, appears to be wide open. (Getty Images )

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Twice Olympic champion, Fraser-Pryce is not at her best coming into this year’s Olympics and the women’s 100 metres, unlike the men’s, appears to be wide open. (Getty Images )

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Jamaican Elaine Thompson (left) and Dutch sensation Dafne Schippers are two of the biggest threats to Fraser-Pryce’s crown in the 100m race . (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Jamaican Elaine Thompson (left) and Dutch sensation Dafne Schippers are two of the biggest threats to Fraser-Pryce’s crown in the 100m race . (Getty Images)

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But in the 200m dash, Schippers is the clear-cut favourite as she won the gold at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

But in the 200m dash, Schippers is the clear-cut favourite as she won the gold at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing. (Getty Images)

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American Towi Bowie (left) and Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson may also be in the running for the 200 title apart from Schippers, the reigning world champion. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

American Towi Bowie (left) and Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson may also be in the running for the 200 title apart from Schippers, the reigning world champion. (Getty Images)

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New Zealand’s Valerie Adams will be a big favourite in women's shot put . A win will ensure her a high pedestal in the history of the Games as she will become the first woman to win an individual Olympic athletics event three times in a row . (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

New Zealand’s Valerie Adams will be a big favourite in women's shot put . A win will ensure her a high pedestal in the history of the Games as she will become the first woman to win an individual Olympic athletics event three times in a row . (Getty Images)

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China’s Lijiao Gong, who has recorded the longest throw of the year (20.43), will be the one who could challenge Adams for the gold medal. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

China’s Lijiao Gong, who has recorded the longest throw of the year (20.43), will be the one who could challenge Adams for the gold medal. (Getty Images)

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Jessica Ennis-Hill’s success in the heptathlon event made her one of the faces of the 2012 Games in London. Her 2015 World Championship win makes her the hot favourite in Rio. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Jessica Ennis-Hill’s success in the heptathlon event made her one of the faces of the 2012 Games in London. Her 2015 World Championship win makes her the hot favourite in Rio. (Getty Images)

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Canada’s Brianne Theisen Eaton (left) and Great Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson (not in picture) will be the other contenders for the heptathlon gold. (Getty Images)

Published on Aug 12, 2016 4:37 PM

Canada’s Brianne Theisen Eaton (left) and Great Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson (not in picture) will be the other contenders for the heptathlon gold. (Getty Images)

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