The penultimate event of the Athletics action today sees the final of the Men’s 400 metres, with Kirani James looking to defend the title he won four years ago.

This final is set to take place at around 21:00 Eastern Time, on the ninth day of Rio 2016.

How the field lines up

The two fastest people through to the final, defending champion James and LaShawn Merritt, race next to each other in Lanes Six and Five respectively; it will be interesting to see how much they can push each other.

LaShawn Merritt and Kirani James also ran next to each other in their semifinal, and greet each other after the race (Getty)
LaShawn Merritt and Kirani James also ran next to each other in their semifinal and greet each other after the race (Getty/Matthias Hangst)

Wayde Van Niekerk is out in Lane Eight after finishing second in his semifinal, but was easing down in his semifinal and should have plenty of energy. Inside of him in Lane seven is Matthew Hudson-Smith, who is in the biggest race of his career after finishing strongly in the third semifinal.

In the inside of Lanes One and Two are Karabo Sibanda and Ali Khamis, who made the final as fastest losers, whilst the third-fastest qualifier, Machel Cedenio is in Lane Three. The final runner, Bralon Taplin, is in Lane Four.

The likely medal contenders

Whilst it is certainly possible for any of the eight finalists to medal here, there seems to be four front runners for the podium.

Merritt, James and Van Niekerk were the favorites for the title coming in and all three should certainly be in contention for the title. All three were easing down in their semifinals, and should have plenty of energy coming into this. In the World Championships last year, all three ran under 44 seconds and that could well happen again.

However, it looks as if Cedenio could well be a factor in this race. The Trinidadian has been very impressive so far and certainly looks capable of not only pulling off a good time in this final but also challenging the three favorites.

Machel Cedenio after his impressive performance in the semifinals (Getty/Paul Gilham)
Machel Cedenio after his impressive performance in the semifinals (Getty/Paul Gilham)

Key features of the race

Perhaps the most interesting feature of this race is where the main four contenders are lined up. Van Niekerk, the current world champion, was comfortable in his heat but easing down has put him in arguably one of the worst lanes, and it will be interesting to see how he runs considering he will be unable to see the rest of the field.

The duel between Merritt and James, who race next to each other, should be extremely interesting as neither will want to give up ground on the other, and it would be no surprise if these two are leading around the final bend. Meanwhile, Cedenio is arguably in the best position as he will be able to see Merritt, James and Van Niekerk racing and should be to adjust if either of them three pick up the pace.

However, the one thing Cedenio is lacking is experience, and that could cost him as he may not be able to handle the pressure of an Olympic final; he may also be unsure on how to run the race at certain stages.

James could be under pressure to defend his title, and is also extremely erratic. He has not been at his best since his triumph four years ago and has ran some bizarre races; he must be stay close to the leader. Merritt is by far the more experienced of the contenders, but is also prone to mistakes and must be wary to not go off too quickly, as he will most likely not have too much energy left for the final sprint.

Meanwhile, Van Niekerk is a pretty consistent runner who is not prone to too many mistakes; his main issue is certainly his lane draw.

Wayde Van Niekerk in action during his semifinal (Getty/Paul Gilham)
Wayde Van Niekerk in action during his semifinal (Getty/Paul Gilham)

Assessment

At the World Championships last year, the men’s 400-meter final was arguably the race of the competition and we could well be saying the same after this final.

Whilst Cedenio is undoubtedly talented and should medal in the future, he probably does not have the experience to match Merritt, Van Niekerk and James and he will probably just miss out on a medal.

Though he does not have the best lane draw, Van Niekerk has had the most consistent season and, with plenty of energy in the tank, it looks as if he could take gold here, whilst Merritt’s consistency and experience should be able to see off the potentially erratic James.

Prediction

Gold- Wayde Van Niekerk

Silver- LaShawn Merritt

Bronze- Kirani James

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About the author
Oliver Dickson Jefford
20. English Literature student at the University of Southampton. Aspiring sports journalist from Hertfordshire.