Olympic Track & Field 2012: 7 Most Exciting Races of London Games

The 2012 London Olympic Games are upon us.

Track and field will highlight the second week of the Olympics, but there is still plenty to talk about before the first runner takes a place on the blocks. From Usain Bolt to Oscar Pistorius to Amantle Monsho, there are plenty of storylines to sift through.

But which races will be the most exciting?

Men's 100-Meter Dash

What is more exciting than watching the fastest man alive win his title?

Usain Bolt has been the undisputed king of the 100-meter dash for years, but challengers have watched the throne and waited for their chance to take his crown.

One of his own countrymen might do it this summer. 

Yohan Blake seems to have overtaken Bolt as the top sprinter in the world, beating him in the Jamaican Olympic trials. Asafa Powell is also in top form.

Bolt will not relinquish his title easily, however. He told reporters Thursday (h/t Washington Post) he is in top form and plans to "become a legend" in London.

Can Americans Tyson Gay or Justin Gatlin even medal against this trio of Jamaican speedsters?

Women's 100-Meter Dash

Before the men can get their race on, Carmelita Jeter, Tianna Madison and the rest of the women's field will duke it out in their 100-meter dash.

The reigning world champion Jeter beat Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown by a hair's breadth at the 2011 World Championships, and the latter will look to return the favor in London.

Madison nearly beat her at the U.S. Olympic trials, however, setting up a scintillating showdown next week.

Men's 400-Meter Dash

History will be made in the 400-meter dash this summer as Oscar Pistorius will become the first Olympian to participate while utilizing a prosthetic.

The Blade Runner, as they call him, did not technically meet South Africa's qualification requirements to participate individually on behalf of the nation, but they would have been remiss not to allow him to run.

Outside of Pistorius, the race will generate buzz with the likes of LaShawn Merritt and Grenada's Kirani James vying for gold. Merritt barely lost to James at the 2011 World Championships, but he headlines a strong U.S. team and looks to capture gold.

Women's 400-Meter Dash

Amantle Monsho was the first athlete from Botswana to win a gold medal in track and field when she narrowly defeated America's Allyson Felix at the 2011 World Championships.

The 400-meter sprint specialist is no stranger to Olympic competition, having mad the 2004 and 2008 Games. She was a finalist in Beijing but did not medal.

She will not have to contend with Felix in London, but Sanya Richards-Ross will be waiting. The reigning indoor world champion is coming off a blistering 49.28-second victory at the Olympic trials. It should be a fun finish.

Men's 110-Meter Hurdles

You know it is going to be a good event when it has two contenders who can lay claim to being the best ever.

China's Liu Xiang and Cuba's Dayron Robles—two of three runners to ever crack the 12.9-second barrier—will vie for gold in London. They will not be facing the third man to beat 12.9 seconds, David Oliver, because he was beat out by three other countrymen.

One of them includes the surprising world champion, Jason Richardson, who was gifted the medal after Robles was disqualified at the 2011 championships.

Xiang recently won the event at the Prefontaine Classic with a blistering time of 12.87 seconds. He seems like the man to beat, but it will be a fun final if the major contenders all get there.

Men & Women's 5,000-Meter Runs

Kenya's distance domination begins in the 5,000-meter run.

Vivian Cheruiyot is the reigning world champion and has dominated this race since 2009, perhaps fueled by a fifth-place finish in Beijing. 

On the men's side, what could be more exciting than the top three racers finishing within 0.6 seconds of each other?

That is what happened at the 2011 World Championships, where Great Britain's Mo Farrah edged out America's Bernard Lagat and Ethiopia's Dejen Gebremeskel for gold. He will have the home crowd behind him in London, making for some wild cheering as the race wears on.