With the Olympics just around the corner we’ve highlighted three competitors who look almost certain to claim gold in Beijing.
Given her outstanding recent form it will be a huge surprise if Sanya Richards doesn’t hit the jackpot in the women’s 400m.
The 23-yr-old American who won gold in the 4×400m relay at the Athens Games and a silver at the 2005 World Championships.
She hit the headlines in 2006 with a Golden League “full house” claiming six out of six events in the same season.
At the end of that season Richards was named IAAF 2006 Female World Athlete of the Year.
With an excellent Beijing preparation under her belt, the fastest woman in American history is the one to beat.
Australian stunner Leisel Jones is sure to be a very warm order this summer for the women’s breaststroke and will have a price to match.
Her elegant, old fashioned style makes her something of a throwback compared to the majority of today’s competitors.
She made her Olympic bow at the 2000 games aged just 15 but had to wait until Athens in 2004 before she won her first gold which came in the 4×100m medley.
Her current form is excellent - in Canberra at the Telstra GP she eclipsed her own 100m breaststroke world record with a time of 1.03.72.
24-yr-old Jeremy Wariner won a brace of Olympic golds in Athens (400m and 400m relay) and the bookies will be anticipating more heavy punishment at odds-on about this amazing athlete.
The flying Texan won all six Golden League events in 2006 and at last year´s World Championships in Osaka he clocked the third-fastest 400m of all time - 43.45.
Only Butch Reynolds and the great Michael Johnson have run faster.
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