Rio is only a few months’ away from playing host to the next Olympic games. Popular sprinting phenomenon, Usain Bolt, is expected to be the star of the show and the star attraction again as this is likely to be his last Olympics, but will age and wear and tear finally catch up to arguably the greatest athletic sprinter of all time?
Here I’ve compiled a top 5 list of competitors which could shake up the top ranks in these Olympic athletic sports.
Justin Gatlin: After serving his suspension for doping, Gatlin has come back to take sprinting by storm even beating Usain Bolt in some 100m meets. It remains to be seen if the Gatlin of the last 2 years can trump big Usain in Rio though since nobody has beaten him at any event in the last 3 Olympics!
Jaheel Hyde: A former Jamaican under 17’s football international, Jaheel changed his trade and became a hurdler, winning gold in the 400m hurdles at the Junior World Championships then posting a stunning World Youth Record of 12.96 seconds on his way to 110m gold at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China. He is expected to become something of a sensation at Rio.
Simone Biles: Simone is 18 years old and she’s already one of the most successful and decorated gymnastic athletes in America. Most recently, she claimed the USA Gymnastics 2015 National Champion title, beating her US teammate MyKayla Skinner by 4.467 points -the largest margin of victory in American Cup history!
David Boudia: The diver Boudia became the first US diver to place first at the Olympics since 2000. Recently, he recently won a silver medal at the World Diving Championships and has his sights set on winning gold in Rio. If he wins, he’ll be the first American diver to win gold in back-to-back Summer Games since Greg Louganis in 1988.
Fernando Gaviria: This young rider caught everyone’s attention when he defeated former world champion Mark Cavendish in two sprint finishes at the 2015 Tour de San Luis in Argentina. Then he grabbed the Omnium title at the 2015 Track Cycling World Championships. Heading for Rio, his sights are assuredly set on snagging the gold in the multi-race category!