Tokyo Olympics: Top 5 contenders for men's 200m title

The world will see a new men's 200m champion at the Tokyo Olympics for the first time since the Athens Games. Legendary Jamaican Usain Bolt dominated the event up until Rio 2016, pocketing 200m titles in each of the previous three editions.

Now that Bolt has finally hung up his running spikes, big questions remain. Athletic events will never be the same, but who can follow the Jamaican's blazing footsteps by winning the 200m title in Tokyo? It remains to be seen if there are any athletes who can live up to the challenge of lighting up the track and field events in Tokyo.

Who are the top 5 contenders to become the new 200m champion at the Tokyo Olympics?

Here's a look at the top five male contenders who stand a realistic chance to blaze through to a 200m record at the Tokyo Olympics.

#5 Adam Gemili

The 27-year-old British sprinter will look to shrug off his demoralizing defeat in the men's 200m event at the Rio Olympics. Gemili came tantalizingly close to winning Olympic bronze after a photo-finish confirmed Christophe Lemaitre pipped him to the line by a mere one-thousandth of a second.

Five years later, an Olympic medal beckons. With a personal best of 19.97s, Gemili looks to be in good shape heading into the Tokyo Olympics.

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#4 Aaron Brown

Canadian Aaron Brown will make his third Olympic appearance at the Tokyo Games in July. He narrowly came within one spot of qualifying for the men's 200m final event, securing a ninth-place finish by 0.05s at the London Olympics.

One of Canada's top sprinters, Brown is a former record holder in the men's 200m event. In 2016, the 29-year-old became the fourth sprinter from his country to breach the 10s-barrier in the 100m race, clocking 9.96s at an athletic meet in Florida.

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#3 Alex Quinonez

Alex Quinonez will spearhead the Ecuadorian challenge in the men's 200m event at the Tokyo Olympics. A 200m gold medalist at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, Alex will fancy his chances of another deep run in Tokyo given his current form. The 2019 World Championships bronze medalist will be eager to add an Olympic medal in the 200m race at the Tokyo Olympics.

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#2 Andre De Grasse

De Grasse is one of the biggest names to look out for at the Tokyo Olympics. He was one of the fastest sprinters in the world last year, clocking 9.97s.

With a personal best of 19.80s, one simply can't look beyond De Grasse as an outright favorite to ensure a podium finish in Tokyo. He was one of the most consistent performers in Rio, with a silver and two bronze medals. Currently ranked World No. 6 in the 100m event, he looks assured of an Olympic medal this year.

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#1 Noah Lyles

Noah Lyles is the favorite to win the 200m at the Tokyo Olympics

Noah Lyles will be one of the top gold medal contenders in the 200m at the Tokyo Olympics. Better known for his top end speed over 200m, he skipped the 100m event at the Doha World Championships to focus on the 200m event.

Lyles, the reigning 200m world champion, appears to be on course to achieve elusive Olympic glory in Tokyo.