Team GB have sent 77 track and field athletes to Tokyo, which makes it more than twice the size of the next biggest sporting delegation sent from Britain. The question is whether they will deliver much in the way of medals.
While Dina Asher-Smith will have three strong shots in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, and Laura Muir is a serious threat in the 1500m, there are major doubts over the competitiveness of world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson as she feels her way back from a ruptured achilles tendon.
That leaves only a handful of reasonable medal contenders, many of whom are young. There are fears within the sport that they could win as few as four medals — the same haul they managed in Athens in 2004, which was their lowest since the single medal in 1976.
Riath Al-Samarrai gives his verdict on the prime medal prospects...
Dina Asher-Smith will have three strong shots of securing a medal at this summer's Olympics
Dina Asher-Smith
Age 25
Events Women’s 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.
Finals 100m Sat, Jul 31, 1.50pm; 200m Tue, Aug 3, 1.50pm; 4x100m relay Fri, Aug 6, 2.40pm
The 200m world champion faces stacked fields in the 100m and 200m and has not dropped a blistering time in 2021, but is unbeaten in 12 races this season and will be a major threat.
Laura Muir
Age 28
Event Women’s 1500m Final 1500m Fri, Aug 6, 1.50pm
The 1500m field is brutally tough but
