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For over a century, the Summer Olympics have stood at the apex of what has now become the grandest sporting spectacle in the world. The world is once again weaving hopes around athletes who will put their best efforts to see dreams through to fruition in Tokyo.
It is hard to look past athletics as the kind of sport that has grown the most in terms of impact on global sports fans at the Summer Olympics. For decades, athletes from the United States, Jamaica, Canada, Britain, and Trinidad have come to dominate the track and field domain, making their mark on history and endearing themselves to millions of fans around the world.
Also Read: 5 Nations Which Have Won The Most Medals In Sprints At The Summer Olympics
The dominance of the United States in sprinting
125 years after the modern Summer Olympics kicked off, the United States still tops the medal table by an unbelievably huge margin. With a total of 85 sprint medals in their kitty, it is the most prolific medal-winning nation in athletics in the history of the Summer Olympics.
The excitement around the Summer Olympics has already gained unstoppable momentum in the year's sporting calendar. The United States will lock horns with its Jamaican, British and Canadian counterparts, and it remains to be seen which sprinting giant steals the final show.
The American athletes are full to the brim with rich talent, and if put into plain words, the athletic triumph across Canada, Trinidad, and Great Britain pales in comparison to the United States.
Also Read: Top 5 Most Successful American Male Sprinters At Summer Olympics
Going back into history, American sprinters such as Jesse Owens, Ralph Metcalfe, Bob Hayes and Bobby Morrow deserve special mention when it comes to championing the world 100m sprints.
From Carl Lewis to Justlin Gatlin, American sprinting giants have constantly broken the mould and sparked on the highest stage at the Summer Olympics.
Rival Nations For the United States In Sprinting at Summer Olympics
With that in mind, we have listed down the top rival nations for the United States that are shaping up to be must-watch duels in sprinting on the world's grandest sporting stage.
#4 Trinidad and Tobago
Total Medals Won - 7
Trinidad and Tobago have slowly built their Olympic presence in sprints through elite athletes such as Ato Boldon and Richard Thompson.
Between the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics, Boldon helped his country outrun the leggy shadows of its higher-profile rivals like the United States and Jamaica by winning four medals.
Thompson also brought his country a silver medal in the 100-metre dash at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
#3 Canada
Total Medals Won - 9
Canada holds a prominent place in the world of Olympic sprinting with nine medals.
Its strongest-ever performance in the domain can be traced back to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics when Donovan Bailey brought home a gold medal in the 100-metre dash.
As a team, Canada excelled in the the 4x100m relay competition in 37.69 seconds – 0.29 seconds off the world record, in the same year.
#2 Britain
Total Medals Won - 14
British athletes have earned their hardware over the course of each Olympics. They have so far collected fourteen medals in sprinting events.
One of the most decorated British athletes of all time, Linford Christie added a gold medal to Britain's kitty in 100m at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
#1 Jamaica
Total Medals Won - 15
The island of Jamaica has emerged as a sprinting powerhouse in recent years. Ever since it made its first appearance at the Olympics, Jamaica has maintained its position as the second-best nation in sprinting.
Usain Bolt is considered the benchmark for greatness in sprinting. He holds the record for the most overall Olympic medals with eight in track and field.
Also Read: Usain Bolt, Carl Lewis headline most dominant Olympic male sprinters list
The likes of Yohan Blake and Asafa Powell have also established the nation's supremacy on the field, with a plethora of Olympic medals.
With the Summer Olympics signalling its entry later this year, athletes like Blake, Nickel Ashmeade and Michael Frater are psyched up to sprint to a new high.
