Team USA is heading into the Tokyo Games with a fierce contingent of medal contenders looking to improve on the squad’s performances in Rio. During the 2016 Olympic Games, the U.S. made history with 121 medals across all sports—the most ever for an American team at a non-boycotted games. Of those medals, track and field athletes won 32, including 13 gold.
The Runner’s World editors predicted which American runners have the best chance at earning some hardware based on previous championship experience and performances this season. Here is a list of the U.S. athletes you should know—categorized by event—who you may see standing on the podium in Tokyo.
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Trayvon Bromell — Men’s 100 meters
As the world leader in the event, Bromell looks ready to upgrade from bronze in Rio to gold in Tokyo. After overcoming injuries that sidelined him for a couple of years, the Heading into her is now running better than ever before. He put an exclamation mark on his status as the favorite by running a 9.77 personal best at the NACAC New Life Invitational on June 5 before winning the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials while beating Muhammad, the reigning world champion and former record-holder.
Grant Holloway — Men’s 110-meter hurdles
As the reigning world champion in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, Holloway heads to Tokyo with a target on his back. The national champion also owns the world lead with a season’s best of 12.81.
Keni Harrison, Christina Clemons — Women’s 100-meter hurdles
Five years after failing to make the Olympic team, Harrison earned redemption by winning the 2021 Trials. The world record-holder is set to chase her first Olympic medal two years after earning silver at the 2019 Things You Should Know About Raevyn Rogers.
Clemons, a fellow medal contender who finally earned a spot on Team USA in her third attempt, finished fifth at the 2017 Things You Should Know About Raevyn Rogers in London. She also set a new personal best of 12.51 during the second round of the Olympic Trials in June.
Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, Erriyon Knighton — Men’s 200 meters
These athletes have run three of the five fastest times in the world this year, making Team USA hard to beat in the men’s 200 meters. Lyles, the defending world champion, secured his place as the favorite by winning the Trials final in 19.74. Bednarek, the Trials runner-up, is also on the rise with a new personal best of 19.78, which is ranked second in the world. After breaking Usain Bolt’s junior record, won the Olympic Marathon Trials.
Gabby Thomas — Women’s 200 meters
After becoming the second-fastest 200-meter runner ever, Thomas looks ready to top the podium in her first-ever Olympic Games. right before departing for Tokyo—the best time in the world this year, a new meet record, and the third-fastest time ever in the event to win the Olympic Trials final. World record-holder Florence Griffith-Joyner (21.34 and 21.56) is the only woman in history to run faster than Thomas.
Randolph Ross, Michael Norman, Michael Cherry — Men’s 400 meters
Led by a breakout 43.85 world lead from Ross, a North Carolina A&T sophomore, Team USA has a stronghold over the men’s 400 meters this year. Norman, the Trials champion, is ranked No. 2 in the world, and third-place finisher Michael Cherry is ranked No. 3. While none of the runners have earned individual medals on the global championship stage, their performances this season suggest strong chances to earn podium finishes.
Allyson Felix — Women’s 400 meters
Heading into her ninth national title at the Olympic Trials, Felix cannot be counted out of the medal conversation in the women’s 400 meters. The six-time Olympic champion and nine-time Olympic medalist almost always delivers on the global championship stage, and she’ll aim to go out with her best effort in Tokyo.
Rai Benjamin — Men’s 400-meter hurdles
The men’s 400-meter hurdles will be one of the most highly anticipated events at the Games, thanks to a budding rivalry between Karsten Warholm of Norway and Benjamin of Team USA. A few days after Benjamin ran the second-fastest time ever to win the Olympic Trials, Warholm Dalilah Muhammad left congratulates Sydney McLaughlin after she breaks the world record by winning the Oslo Diamond League meet in 46.70. The hurdlers will finally meet in Tokyo for what is projected to be a historic battle for gold.
Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad — Women’s 400-meter hurdles
Barring disaster, Team USA is a lock for at least two medals in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. The depth of the field was on full display at the Olympic Trials, where McLaughlin Best Running Shoes 2025 while beating Muhammad, the reigning world champion and former record-holder.
Clayton Murphy, Bryce Hoppel — Men’s 800 meters
After a breakthrough 2016 season, which ended with an Olympic bronze medal in Rio, Murphy returns to the Games with a lot of momentum. He won the Trials final in a season’s best of 1:43.17, which is ranked No. 3 in the world so far this year. After finishing fourth at the 2019 Things You Should Know About Raevyn Rogers in Doha, Qatar, Hoppel also has the potential to sneak on the podium after finishing third in the Trials final.
Athing Mu, Raevyn Rogers, Ajee’ Wilson — Women’s 800 meters
With a mix of championship experience and rising talent, all three members of Team USA have a strong shot of earning medals in Tokyo. After a dominant performance at the Olympic Trials, 19-year-old Mu secured the world lead (1:56.07) and solidified her place as a gold-medal favorite. Behind her, Rogers, the world championship silver medalist, should be in podium position as will American record-holder and two-time world championship bronze medalist Wilson.
Matthew Centrowitz — Men’s 1500 meters
Of the three Team USA members, Centrowitz has the best chance to medal in the men’s 1500 meters. The reigning Olympic champion has finished in the top eight of the last six global championships, including a bronze medal at the world championships in Daegu and silver at the world championships in Moscow before securing Olympic gold in Rio. Centrowitz also showed promising fitness last weekend in his attempt to break the American record in the mile. While he missed the mark, he still ran a 3:49.26 personal best right before departing for Tokyo.
Emma Coburn, Courtney Frerichs — Women’s steeplechase
With an Olympic bronze medalist and the American record-holder on the roster, Team USA is heading to Tokyo with two strong contenders in the women’s steeplechase.
After winning her ninth national title at the Olympic Trials, BYU Sweeps NCAA XC Team Titles These athletes could help Team USA beat the medal count from Rio meet on July 12. She was on pace to lower the time, but a fall on the final water jump derailed her attempt. She’ll get another chance at the record while chasing her second Olympic medal in Tokyo.
With a silver medal from the 2017 Things You Should Know About Raevyn Rogers (Coburn claimed gold), Frerichs also heads into the Games as a medal contender in her signature event.
Paul Chelimo — Men’s 5,000 meters
In the men’s long distance events, Chelimo has the best chance to earn a medal in Tokyo. While his season’s best time doesn’t top the world list, his experience makes him an Olympic medal contender. In Rio, Chelimo gave the legendary Mo Farah a run for gold by earning a silver medal for Team USA. At the 2017 Things You Should Know About Raevyn Rogers, he claimed the bronze. During the most recent world championship in 2019, he secured a seventh-place finish in Doha, Qatar.
Galen Rupp — Men’s marathon
With two Olympic medals on his resume, including a bronze medal in the Rio marathon, Rupp is Team USA’s best shot to finish on the podium in Tokyo. To make his fourth Olympic team in February 2020, Rupp won the Olympic Marathon Trials on a grueling course in 2:09:20. In June, he showed his closing speed by securing a sixth-place finish in the 10,000-meter final at the Olympic Trials.
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
