Usain Bolt's unprecedented dominance in the 100m and 200m distances has propelled him into the conversation of not only the greatest sprinter of all time, but the greatest Olympian.
Sweeping the field for six golds over the last two games, Bolt is entering the twilight of his career but is the odds-on favorite to win his events again, pushing his gold count into the range of Carl Lewis.
As he's slowed (slightly), a crop of strong contenders has developed, hoping to stop Bolt from winning three-straight golds in the 100m and 200m, a feat never accomplished by any Olympic athlete.
Here are five sprinters that could dethrone Bolt at Rio 2016:
Justin Gatlin, U.S. - 100/200m
The obvious choice to unseat the king has been neck and neck with Bolt over the last decade but has not sat atop the Olympic podium since 2004, before the Jamaican burst on the scene.
At 34, Gatlin is the oldest sprinter to win the U.S. Olympic trials and has made remarkable strides in competing with Bolt as he's aged, finishing just 0.01 seconds slower at the 2015 Worlds to take silver.
While Bolt has decided to compete in only major meets, Gatlin has continued to keep his edge, winning an indoor gold in 2012 in the 60m distance and leading the U.S. to a 4X100m gold at the World Relays over Bolt and the Jamaicans. He could have the competitive edge coming into the games and he's beaten Bolt before (2013 Golden Gala meet), something very few men can say.
Andre De Grasse, Canada - 100/200m
De Grasse might be one Olympics away from glory, but as of now he poses a real threat to the elite runners in the field in both the 100m and 200m distances.
In 2015 the Canadian put the world on notice with a bronze medal performance in the 100m at the worlds, and at 21 will be a likely contender at the next two Olympics. De Grasse is hoping to drop his personal best (9.92s) at the games, but a jump into the 9.8s range could give the Canadian phenom a chance at immediate success.
Unlike Blake and Gatlin, De Grasse has no pressure on him at these games.
Yohan Blake, Jamaica -100/200m
Blake has been overshadowed by his fellow countryman, winning a silver in both the 100m and 200m at the 2012 games, but in any other era, he'd likely be sprinting's global superstar.
Blake has battled hamstring injuries and needs to stay healthy in order to have any hope of surpassing his fellow Jamaican. At 26, this is Blake's best shot at Olympic glory, and as the only elite sprinter racing smack dab in his prime, is the biggest threat to Bolt at Rio from a strictly mechanical standpoint.
The mental toll of playing second fiddle for the past half-decade will need to be overcome for Blake to make his move.
Lashawn Merritt, U.S. - 200m
Merritt could dethrone Bolt's reign of terror in the 200m, recently dropping his personal best to 19.74s in July and pushing his focus to the shorter distance after dominating the 400m since 2006.
The 400m specialist could be peaking at the right time, and if Bolt's not in top form, Merritt could topple the podium along with fellow American Gatlin, giving the U.S. their first Olympic champion in the event since Athens 2004.
Trayvon Bromell, U.S. - 100m
Another youngster with a chance to put himself on the map and become America's next great sprinter.
The 21-year-old tied De Grasse for the bronze at the 2015 Worlds but boasts a personal best 0.08s faster than the Canadian and is coming off a win in the 60m at this year's World Indoor Championships.
Bromell and De Grasse are likely to be track and field's "next big things", but the Baylor product has a real chance at the podium and could feasibly run a sub-9.8 at Rio.
