RUSSIA

Russia’s athletics squad will be led by its women stars.

At the 2004 Athens Games, they accounted for five of the six golds, with the “Queen of Pole Vault” Yelena Isinbayeva setting the only world record in the athletics competition then.

She is again heading into prime form ahead of the Beijing Games, having just claimed another world record, 5.04m.

The long jump event is also dominated by Russians, who enjoyed a podium sweep at the 2007 world championships in Osaka.

Moreover, Olga Kaniskina in 20km walk, Yekaterina Volkova in 3,000m steeplechase, Anna Chicherova in high jump, and Yuliya Pechenkina in 400m hurdles will all be gold medal prospects in Beijing.

JAMAICA

The Caribbean nation has always produced top-class sprinters, and in this Olympics, it boasts not one but two potential world-record beaters in the men’s 100m race.

Former record holder Asafa Powell, who finished fifth at the 2004 Games, is looking in top form heading into Beijing, winning the last two Grand Prix races.

However, he has been known to choke when there is too much spotlight on him, and he has tried to remain cool about his gold-winning chances.

Jamaica’s current 100m world record holder at 9.72sec, Usain Bolt, may not even run in the most highly-anticipated event.

Bolt’s specialty remains the 200m, and he and his coach have not decided whether to run in both races in Beijing, and it would be a massive disappointment should Bolt not run in the century sprint.

Jamaica also boasts a top sprint women’s quartet which will hope to defend their 4x100m relay title. Veronica Campbell-Brown will also be eager to defend her 200m title, despite suffering disappointment in failing to qualify for the 100m.

ETHIOPIA

The top nation when it comes to long-distance running, Ethiopia may be looking at a sweep of both the men’s and women’s 5,000m and 10,000m titles.

In Kenenisa Bekele, it has one of the greatest long-distance runners of all time. Holder of both the 5,000m and 10,000m world records, he is aiming to do one better than his accomplishment at the 2004 Games, where he won the 10,000m gold.

However, he faces stiff competition in both categories. In the 5,000m, he faces United States’ Bernard Lagat, winner at last year’s world championships.

And in the 10,000m, he will run against his former mentor, Haile Gebrselassie, who has skipped the marathon to focus on this race.

In the women’s category, it is all about two Ethiopian women, Tirunesh Dibaba and Merseret Defar.

Fierce rivals who will not show mercy for either, they will battle hard for supremacy in the 5,000m and the 10,000m.

CHINA

Finally, the hosts. All eyes will be on one athlete, who has symbolised the nation’s hopes for sporting excellence.

Hurdler Liu Xiang will be under immense pressure to repeat his gold-winning performance of the 2004 Games, where he became China’s first track and field gold medalist.

Yet, his recent form has not be sparkling, and he is hampered by a niggling injury.

And, to make things worse, up comes one of his toughest opponents, Cuba’s Dayron Robles.

Robles claimed Liu’s two-year-old world record in the 110m hurdles, slashing it by 0.01sec. He has said he will gladly suffer abuse from Chinese fans if it means he could win the gold in Beijing.

Through it all, Liu remains unfazed, calm and confident about his chances.

The 110m hurdles race could even eclipse the 100m, should Liu send the world’s most populous country into a frenzy with a win.

It would be a climax worthy of the magnitude of the Games.

(China Daily August 4, 2008)