Since Usain Bolt joined Maurice Greene and Carl Lewis as three-time men’s 100m world champions in 2015, no one has retained the title.
With 2017 winner, Justin Gatlin, retired, fellow Americans Christian Coleman (2019) and reigning champ, Kerley, (2022) can join that elite group of multiple world 100m champions.
But it looks a wide open event with reigning world 200m champion, Noah Lyles, eyeing a sprint double and Africa’s two fastest men, Ferdinand Omanyala, of Kenya and South African Akani Simbine, showing great form as they bid to give their nations first men’s 100m world medals.
The fastest man in the world this year is Britain’s Zharnel Hughes with Bolt’s former training partner clocking 9.83 seconds to break Linford Christie’s 30-year-old national record.
In the 200m, Lyles faces strong opposition from close to home in the form of world and Olympic silver medallist, Kenny Bednarek, and teen sensation, Erriyon Knighton.
But a bigger threat could come from Botswana’s exciting youngster, Letsile Tebogo, who was just three-hundredths behind Lyles when he clocked the fastest time of 2023 – a 19.47 – at last month’s London Diamond League.
Olympic champion, Andre De Grasse, has not enjoyed the best of seasons, failing to qualify in the 100m, but showed improved form to win the Canadian trials over 200m.
The women’s 100m is one of the most anticipated events in Budapest with Fraser-Pryce taking on compatriot, Shericka Jackson, USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson and Ivorian veteran, Marie Josee-Ta Lou, who is enjoying perhaps the best season of her long career.
Jackson is a strong favourite to retain her 200m title with Richardson and Olympic bronze medallist, Gabrielle Thomas – the fastest woman in the world this year thanks to her 21.60 at the U.S. Trials – among her main rivals along with Britain’s 2019 world champion, Dina Asher-Smith.
Also look out for 2018 Youth Olympic silver medallist, Julien Alfred, from Saint Lucia who has shown good form in both sprints this season.
Missing from both individual sprints is Elaine Thompson-Herah who only travels as part of Jamaica’s sprint relay tea m having failed to make the top three in either event at the Jamaican trials.
—Olympics
