Rohit David Brijnath says athletes think it'll be hard to pick an absolute favourite.

THE swimming at Beijing is in the morning. So is the gymnastics. Makes for perfect prime-time viewing in America. But track and field is in the evening. Is it too important an event worldwide for the timing to change, or does America not care that much about track?

One race everyone cares about is the 100 metres men's final. Even the women athletes.

Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell and Usian Bolt sprinting against each other for the title of "fastest human in the world" has everybody's attention but no one is absolute favourite.

Said Sanya Richards, the dominant 400 metres runner, on Wednesday: "I'm looking forward to it definitely. It's the first time all three will be healthy. I was talking to Tyson and he said he's feeling very good. I'm excited to see all three go for it. But I can't call it."

Allyson Felix, the 200 metres world champion, agreed: "You can't call it. Which is why it's so exciting. We know something amazing is going to happen."

But LoLo Jones, fastest over the 100 metres hurdles this year, wasn't so easily impressed.

"I'm prejudiced", she grinned. "I'm a hurdler". And with Lui Xiang, Dayron Robles and Terence Trammell in the men's 110m hurdles, she said: "I think this is the race of the Olympics".

China would agree.