As the athletics action in Rio is about to begin, here are our 1-2-3 predictions for every event

MEN

100m

Gold: Usain Bolt (JAM)

Silver: Justin Gatlin (USA)

Bronze: Trayvon Bromell (USA)

200m

Gold: Usain Bolt (JAM)

Silver: Justin Gatlin (USA)

Bronze: LaShawn Merritt (USA)

400m

Gold: Kirani James (GRN)

Silver: Wayde van Niekerk (RSA)

Bronze: LaShawn Merritt (USA)

800m

Gold: David Rudisha (KEN)

Silver: Alfred Kipketer (KEN)

Bronze: Adam Kszczot (POL)

1500m

Gold: Asbel Kiprop (KEN)

Silver: Elijah Manangoi (KEN)

Bronze: Matt Centrowitz (USA)

5000m

Gold: Mo Farah (GBR)

Silver: Caleb Ndiku (KEN)

Bronze: Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH)

10,000m

Gold: Mo Farah (GBR)

Silver: Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN)

Bronze: Yigrem Demelash (ETH)

Marathon

Gold: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN)

Silver: Stanley Biwott (KEN)

Bronze: Tesfaye Abera (ETH)

110m hurdles

Gold: Omar McLeod (JAM)

Silver: Devon Allen (USA)

Bronze: Dimitri Bascou (FRA)

400m hurdles

Gold: Kerron Clement (USA)

Silver: Nicholas Bett (KEN)

Bronze: Michael Tinsley (USA)

3000m steeplechase

Gold: Conseslus Kiruto (KEN)

Silver: Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN)

Bronze: Brimin Kipruto (KEN)

High jump

Gold: Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT)

Silver: Bohdan Bondarenko (UKR)

Bronze: Derek Drouin (CAN)

Pole vault

Gold: Renaud Lavillenie (FRA)

Silver: Shawn Barber (CAN)

Bronze: Sam Kendricks (USA)

Long jump

Gold: Greg Rutherford (GBR)

Silver: Jeffrey Henderson (USA)

Bronze: Jarrion Lawson (USA)

Triple jump

Gold: Christian Taylor (USA)

Silver: Will Claye (USA)

Bronze: Pedro Pablo Pichardo (CUB)

Shot put

Gold: Joe Kovacs (USA)

Silver: David Storl (GER)

Bronze: Ryan Crouser (USA)

Discus

Gold: Robert Harting (GER)

Silver: Piotr Malachowski (POL)

Bronze: Philip Milanov (BEL)

Hammer

Gold: Pawel Fajdek (POL)

Silver: Krisztian Pars (HUN)

Bronze: Dilshod Nazarov (TJK)

Javelin

Gold: Thomas Rohler (GER)

Silver: Julius Yego (KEN)

Bronze: Julian Weber (GER)

Decathlon

Gold: Ashton Eaton (USA)

Silver: Damian Warner (CAN)

Bronze: Kaz Kazimirek (GER)

4x100m

Gold: Jamaica

Silver: United States

Bronze: Great Britain

4x400m

Gold: United States

Silver: Botswana

Bronze: Great Britain

20km walk

Gold: Wang Zhen (CHN)

Silver: Chen Ding (CHN)

Bronze: Alvaro Martin (ESP)

50km walk

Gold: Yohann Diniz (FRA)

Silver: Jared Tallent (AUS)

Bronze: Matej Toth (SVK)

WOMEN

100m

Gold: Elaine Thompson (JAM)

Silver: Dafne Schippers (NED)

Bronze: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM)

200m

Gold: Dafne Schippers (NED)

Silver: Torie Bowie (USA)

Bronze: Elaine Thompson (JAM)

400m

Gold: Allyson Felix (USA)

Silver: Shaunae Miller (BAH)

Bronze: Phyllis Francis (USA)

800m

Gold: Caster Semenya (RSA)

Silver: Francine Nyonsaba (BUR)

Bronze: Melissa Bishop (CAN)

1500m

Gold: Genzebe Dibaba (ETH)

Silver: Faith Kipyegon (KEN)

Bronze: Laura Muir (GBR)

5000m

Gold: Almaz Ayana (ETH)

Silver: Hellen Obiri (KEN)

Bronze: Yasemin Can (TUR)

10,000m

Gold: Almaz Ayana (ETH)

Silver: Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH)

Bronze: Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN)

Marathon

Gold: Jemima Sumgong (KEN)

Silver: Mare Dibaba (ETH)

Bronze: Tigist Tufa (ETH)

100m hurdles

Gold: Brianna Rollins (USA)

Silver: Kristi Castlin (USA)

Bronze: Nia Ali (USA)

400m hurdles

Gold: Dalilah Muhammad

Silver: Zuzana Hejnova (CZE)

Bronze: Eilidh Doyle (GBR)

3000m steeplechase

Gold: Ruth Jebet (KEN)

Silver: Hyvin Kiyeng (KEN)

Bronze: Habiba Ghribi (TUN)

High jump

Gold: Chaunte Lowe (USA)

Silver: Ruth Beitia (ESP)

Bronze: Kamila Licwinko (POL)

Pole vault

Gold: Jenn Suhr (USA)

Silver: Yarisley Silva (CUB)

Bronze: Ekaterini Stefanidi (GRE)

Long jump

Gold: Brittney Reese (USA)

Silver: Ivana Spanovic (SRB)

Bronze: Sosthene Moguenara (GER)

Triple jump

Gold: Caterine Ibarguen (COL)

Silver: Yulimar Rojas (VEN)

Bronze: Olga Rypakova (KAZ)

Shot put

Gold: Valerie Adams (NZL)

Silver: Christina Schwanitz (GER)

Bronze: Gong Lijiao (CHN)

Discus

Gold: Sandra Perkovic (CRO)

Silver: Denia Caballero (CUB)

Bronze: Yaime Perez (CUB)

Hammer

Gold: Anita Wlodarczyk (POL)

Silver: Zhang Wenxiu (CHN)

Bronze: Betty Heidler (GER)

Javelin

Gold: Barbora Spotakova (CZE)

Silver: Tatsiana Khaladovich (BLR)

Bronze: Linda Stahl (GER)

Heptathlon

Gold: Jessica Ennis-Hill (GBR)

Silver: Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GBR)

Bronze: Brianne Theisen-Eaton (CAN)

4x100m

Gold: United States

Silver: Jamaica

Bronze: Great Britain

4x400m

Gold: United States

Silver: Jamaica

Bronze: Great Britain

20km walk

Gold: Liu Hong (CHN)

Silver: Lu Xiuzhi (CHN)

Bronze: Erica de Sena (BRA)

Agree or disagree with our picks? Let us know via social media. Also, see our August 11 magazine for lots more Olympic previews, statistics and rankings.