RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The quality is so high in the 400 meters right now that Kirani James really isn't comfortable with his defending Olympic champion tag. He doesn't want that target on his back in a hot-shot field like this.
The way James sees it, Wayde van Niekerk is the current world champion and LaShawn Merritt won the 2013 world title. So go pick from one of those two for the favorite in Rio de Janeiro. There's hardly anything to choose between any of them for Sunday night's final.
"It's gonna be competitive. Really looking forward to it," James said.