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13 years ago, at the Beijing Olympics. little did the world know about a boy from Sherwood Content, a small town on the northern tip of Jamaica. To be fair, there wasn't much reason to take note of Usain Bolt during the initial years of his career.
A torn hamstring led to a disastrous outing at the 2004 Athens Olympics. After that disappointment, he wanted to shift his focus to a different category, one where his coaches considered him a misfit because of his tall stature. But Bolt wanted to give it a shot and successfully persuaded his coach, Glen Mills. Subsequently, in July 2007, he pulled off a feat of of epic proportions.
The then 20-year old won the 100m event at an athletics meet in Crete, with an incredible timing of 10.03s in his very first attempt.
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Why was that a big deal? To put it into perspective, only around 50 athletes had ever crossed the elusive 10-second barrier prior to that. He came that close in his very first go, despite not having the years of extensive sprint training that's usually required. It was the calm before the storm.
A year later, in only his fifth competitive race, he shattered the world record with a timing of 9.72s. Three months later, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he was ready for redemption. Beijing's Bird's Nest Stadium was struck by "The Lightning of Bolt", who devastated his opponents in the final with a world record time of 9.69s!
Bolt went on to make history as the only athlete to win both the 100m and 200m events at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012 and 2016), thereby achieving immortality.
Ever since Bolt hung up his running spikes in 2017, no one has even come remotely close to challenging his numerous records. With the field blown wide open in his absence, spectators around the world are hoping to witness a worthy replacement for Bolt's throne.
To be honest, we can't conclusively say that there's a clear favorite in Tokyo. The odds were favoring the current world 100m champion, USA's Christian Coleman. That was until the American was handed a two-year ban for violating anti-doping whereabouts rules.
Let's look at some possible contenders for the blue ribbon event at the Tokyo Olympics 2021:
#5 Yohan Blake, Jamaica
PB: 9.69s | SB: 9.98s
The second-fastest man of all time may well be miles away from his glory days. But if anyone can retain Jamaica's supremacy, look no further than Yohan "The Beast" Blake. He qualified for his third Olympics by finishing second behind Tyquendo Tracey at the Jamaican Championships in June.
Blake finished second at London 2012, a year after his sensational World Championship triumph at Daegu, where Bolt was disqualified. Even though his best performance this season is just a stroll (9.98s), his rich experience will come in handy in mounting a genuine threat to the Americans.
#4 Ronnie Baker, USA
PB: 9.85s | SB: 9.85s
American Ronnie Baker has already etched his name in the record books as the third-fastest 60m sprinter in history. Even though his career has been plagued by untimely injuries, he seems to be peaking just in time for the Tokyo Olympics.
Baker clocked a personal best of 9.85s during the U.S. selection trials in June, making him the third-fastest sprinter this season. In the recently concluded Monaco Diamond League, he clocked 9.91s to seal victory against a star-studded lineup.
During an interview with World Athletics earlier this year, he made his intentions clear, stating that his goal was to make the Olympics team and then get a medal at Tokyo.
With the first phase of that goal complete, can Baker finish the task at hand? Only time will tell.
#3 Andre De Grasse, Canada
PB: 9.9s | SB: 9.99s
26-year-old Andre De Grasse is considered by many to be the true successor to Canada's legendary Donovan Bailey. Bailey won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in 100m and sprint relay. But since then, the combined domination of the USA and Jamaica has kept Canada on the sidelines.
De Grasse, coached by the great Rana Reider, has a lot of experience. He won the 100m bronze, 200m silver and sprint relay bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He kept that momentum going during the 2019 World Championships at Doha, finishing second and third in the 200m and 100m events respectively.
Touted as one of the favorites in Tokyo, De Grasse will be hoping to put on a spectacular show and bring home the gold medal this time around.
#2 Akani Simbine, South Africa
PB: 9.84s | SB: 9.84s
If Andre De Grasse is looking to emulate 1996 champion Donovan Bailey, Akani Simbine will be hoping to become the first South African sprinter to finish in the top 3 since Reggie Walker at the 1908 London Olympics.
The South African sprinting sensation seems to be in the form of his life, having obliterated the African record just weeks before the Tokyo Olympics 2021. He clocked a personal best time of 9.84s at the Gyulai István Memorial meet in Hungary, which also vaulted him to 12th place on the all-time list.
Simbine, who finished fifth at the 2016 Rio Olympics, was just 0.03s shy of a podium place and will be looking to avenge that disappointment this time around. The podium has always eluded him on the big stage but he still has his eyes firmly set on becoming the first black African 100m Olympic gold medallist.
#1 Trayvon Bromell, USA
PB: 9.77s | SB: 9.77s
Ravaged by multiple injuries, America's Trayvon Bromell's career has been a rollercoaster so far. He holds the unique distinction of being the first junior to break the 10-second barrier in 100m. Unfortunately, he tore his achilles tendon during the 4x100m relay at the Rio Olympics and had to leave the track in a wheelchair.
Having been anointed by Usain Bolt himself as the possible successor to his throne, Bromell would be looking for redemption in Tokyo. He has the world's leading time this year and is regarded as the odds-on favorite for the 100m title.
Bromell qualified for the Tokyo Olympics 2021 after emerging victorious in the National Trials. He breezed past his fellow stateside sprinters Ronnie Baker, Fred Kerley, Noah Lyles and Justin Gatlin.
The Americans will be waiting with bated breath, hoping for the coronation of Bromell as the rightful heir to Bolt's 100m throne.
