GOLDEN GIRLS

Dina Asher-Smith and Laura Muir lead the Team GB medal charge as track-and field takes centre stage

- IAN MACEWAN, SEAN MARLAND

This year, for the first time ever, there are more women than men in the Team GB squad for the Olympics – and our female athletes look like being Britain’s biggest medal hopes this week as the track and-field events begin in earnest at Tokyo’s National Stadium.

We asked Olympic 1500m silver medallist and BBC expert, Steve Cram, to pick the most likely Brits to make it on to the podium, while Eurosport presenter Reshmin Chowdhury selects the best of the overseas athletes…

DINA ASHER-SMITH

Women’s 100m (Saturday) and 200m (Sunday-Tuesday)

‘Dina will be running in both sprints and is our number-one opportunity for gold on the track. She’s the world 200m champion, so you would think that would be her best chance, but she’s running very well in the 100m, and people forget that she nearly won the 100m as well at the World Championships.’

LAURA MUIR

Women’s 1500m (Sun, Wed & Fri)

‘Laura ran the second-fastest 800m by a British woman in July – and the fastest by a European woman since 2008 – but has sensibly decided against doubling up in Tokyo and will concentrate on running the 1500m. She has already won European indoor gold over that distance and is determined to win an Olympic medal – and I think she will be very, very close.’

KATARINA JOHNSON-THOMPSON

Heptathlon (Tuesday-Thursday)