2020s greatest victim, for sports fans, was the Tokyo Games. As sports fans wait for the 2021 Tokyo Games here’s a look at the fastest runners in the world as of 2020. Who the favorites are going into to the Olympics in the 100m and 200m sprints.

The last 3 games in men’s sprinting as been dominated by Usain Bolt and his fellow Jamaicans. But Bolt is out, retired from the sport. Who now is the fastest man in the world? Here are the top 5 sprinters in the world now. These are also the men you can expect to be favorites for gold in Tokyo.

Christian Coleman

American Christian Coleman has posted the fastest time in the 100m the last two seasons. He posted a 9.76 in 2019. He also won the World Championships in 2019 in the 100m and his time of 9.76 was enough to put him 6th fastest ever. Christian Coleman is the fastest man in the world now. But Coleman has been controversy. He has repeatedly missed drug tests and it was enough to gain him a 2 year ban in October of 2020. His sentence was reduced to 18 months, but he will still miss the Games. He won’t be on the American Olympic team in Tokyo, but his time is still the fastest time in the world.

Michael Norman

This USC stud posted the fastest 100m time in 2020 at 9.86. The amazing thing about it is, the 100m isn’t his event. He’s been the worlds best 400m runner for the last two years, the event he won for USC at NCAAs. But not only can he run on 44 seconds in the 400, but now under 10 in the 100 and under 20 in the 200. Norman may be unlike any runner track and field has seen in generations. But he has a lot of pure sprinters to get past to do it.

Noah Lyles

Another American, Noah Lyles is from Florida and he has been on Coleman’s heels for years. He has had top 3 times in the 100m in both 2018 (9.88) and 2019 (9.86). He sat right behind Coleman in 2019 for the fastest man in the world. He has been the top dog in the 200m for the last 3 seasons. He’s the defending World Champion in the event. At only 23, he’s one of the youngest of the sprinters in contention.

Justin Gatlin

Gatlin was America’s best sprinter through the Bolt years, with Bolt gone does he have time and the speed to finally win? Over the past three seasons he has posted only as high #4 in the world in the 100m with a time of 9.87 in 2019. Gatlin career has been a stain on track and field, though perhaps unfairly. He has twice been caught cheating, though only one of those was legitimate for steroids. But it was in his peak years. He has always played second-fiddle to the always-clean Bolt. When he did best his rival, it came with boos from the British fans as it was Bolts final race. The young talent may be too much for him and his time is past. But 2021 is probably his last chance for that gold.

The Jamaicans

With Usain Bolt as their leader, the Jamaican’s have dominated the sprinting events. But 2021 may mark a new era, an era without the green and yellow on top of the podium. Not a single Jamaican has posted a top time since the last Olympics in either the 100m or 200m sprints. Julian Forte is the top Jamaican sprinter in 2020, but he’s 6th in the world with a time of 10.03 and 14th in the 200m and not under 20 seconds.

Yohan Blake was who many thought would take Bolt’s place at the top of the world. However he has hovered around 10th in the world for the past three seasons. He has only the 34th best time in the world for 2020. But we must also remember, racing has looked different this year. 2021 may look a lot different.

Tokyo may see the United States reestablish themselves as the world fastest runners, as most of the top contenders over the past 3 years have been American. Going into 2021, the United States is the country with the best sprinters in the world.

Women’s Sprinting

Whereas the men’s Jamaican sprinting has fallen off, the woman still hold their dominance as the fastest women in the world. Jamaica is still the best sprinting country on the women’s side of the sport. Who will win gold at the Tokyo Games? Probably one of these women. Who is the fastest female sprinters in the world right now? Here is the list.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Jamaican Fraser-Pryce has been the best sprinter for the last 3 quads. In the 100m she won gold in in Beijing and London and a bronze in Rio. After having her son, she fell out of the top spots in the world. But her time of 10.71 in 2019 is as good as anyone has been since Rio. She isn’t as fast as Usain Bolt, but she is dominating the track like he did. She may be the greatest female sprinter of all-time. 2021 will be key.

Elaine Thompson-Herah

The only woman to have won both the 100m and 200m at an Olympics, Elaine Thompson-Herah is finally back to top form. She did the remarkable in Rio when she doubled in the sprints but since then has struggled with various injuries. She, with her countrywoman Fraser-Pryce, are the best female sprinters in the world. In 2019 it was Fraser-Pryce with the best time in the world and Thompson behind her by .02. In 2020, Thompson-Hera has the best time in the world at 10.85, just .01 ahead of her fellow Jamaican. Thompson-Hera is the best female runner of 2020. Thompson-Hera is not nearly as decorated as Fraser-Pryce, so the matchup at the Olympics ought to be epic. Thompson-Hera has the 3rd best time in the 200m, a position she has held in that event for the last 3 years.

Sha’Carri Richardson

Richardson is the best sprinter from the United States. In her freshman year at LSU she won the 100m NCAA’s and beat a 30-year-old record in the process. In 2020 she has the 3rd best time in the 100m behind the Jamaican duo. She has the 2nd fastest time in the 200m this year at 22.00. At 20 years old, she is certainly the youth in the group. She is the American’s best hope for gold in 2021. In April 2021, she posted an amazing 10.72 in the 100m, the 6th fastest run ever for a female in 100m. She’s a fresh face, and an American hasn’t been the fastest women in the world for nearly 3 decades, but these times are putting her at the top of the world.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo

Shaunae Miller-Uibo is from the Bahama’s and famously beat American Alyson Felix in Rio by diving over the finish line in the 400m. Of all the woman on this list, she has the distances. She is the best 400m runner in the world. She has been the fastest 200m runner in the world for the last two seasons. In 2020 she posted the 4th fastest 100m time in the world, the highest she’s ever been ranked in the event. Miller-Uibo is hoping to be able to double the 200m and 400m, something that will take OIC intervention to get the events on different days. Miller-Uibo is married to another track star, decathlete Maicel Uibo of Estonia. The two have been married since 2017 and met while both attending the University of Georgia. The chances of her being the fastest woman in the world seem faint, but look to see her compete in the 200m and 400m as the favorite.

2020 100m Men’s Top Times [World Record: Usain Bolt 9.58 2009]

1. Michael Norman (United States) 9.86
2. Trayvon Bromell (United States) 9.90
3. Akani Simbine (South Africa) 9.91
4. Andre De Grasse (Canada) 9.97
5. Ronnie Baker (United States) 10.00

2020 200m Men’s Top Times [World Record: Usain Bolt 19.19 2009]

1. Noah Lyles (United States) 19.76
2. Kenneth Bednarek (United States) 19.80
3. Steven Gardiner (Bahamas) 19.96
4. Divine Oduduru (Nigeria) 20.22
5. Clarence Munyai (South Africa) 20.23

2020 100m Women’s Top Times [World Record: Florence Griffith-Joyner 10.49 1988]

1. Sha’Carri Richardson (United States) 10.71
2. Elaine Thompson-Herah (Jamaica) 10.85
3. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) 10.86
4. Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bahamas) 10.98
5. Ajla Del Ponte (Switzerland) 11.08

2020 200m Women’s Top Times [World Record: Florence Griffith-Joyner 21.34 1988]

1. Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bahamas) 21.98
2. Sha’Carri Richardson (United States) 22.00
3. Elaine Thompson-Hera (Jamaica) 22.19
4. Jasmin Camacho-Quinn (Puerto Rico) 22.45
5. Lynna Irby (United States) 22.47