Here are the lightning-fast sprinters who may give the Jamaican legend a scare at the IAAF World Championships starting this weekend
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt is the man on top.Justin Gatlin
The sprinter finished second at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing two years ago, a devastating 0.01 seconds behind Usain Bolt. It was a familiar sight for Gatlin, especially in recent years following his return to the sport back in 2010. He will be aiming to put past disappointments behind him and claim gold in London. It would firmly establish him as one of the greats of the sport.
Andre De Grasse
The Canadian athlete impressed spectators at last year’s Olympic Games with a silver in the 200 metre and a bronze in both the 100 metre and 4x100 metre relay. He proved these performances were no fluke by clocking a Bolt-like 9.69 seconds in a Diamond League meet in Stockholm – claiming a Canadian record. De Grasse will surely be looking to take his career to a whole new level, and what better place to do it than on the big stage of the world championships?
Yohan Blake
Usain Bolt’s long-time training partner has had an injury-hampered couple of years lately, and he has yet to really pick up again since winning a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Blake is also trying to re-capture the sizzling form that saw him win gold at the world championships back in 2011. If he’s done it before, there’s no reason he can’t replicate it at this year’s competition.
Trayvon Bromell
Bromell could very well be the surprise winner in London after a third place finish in the 100 metres at the previous world championships. That, along with a gold medal in the 60 metre race at the World Indoor Championships last year, sets him up to be a dark horse. He finished 8th in last year’s 100 metre final though, which proves that the unpredictable athlete definitely still has room for improvement.
Mike Rodgers
This sprinter could also cause a bit of an upset against Usain Bolt after displaying a couple of very strong performances at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships. The American finished in 2nd and 5th place, respectively. Rodgers will certainly use his vast experience to his advantage as he hopes to finish his track career on a high. With Bolt aiming to add to his 20 gold medals at this major tournament, Rodgers will have to pull something very special out of the bag. Will he, or one of these other four sprinters, be able to rain on Bolt’s parade?