Ali the greatest value to transfer her indoor form

The American track and field team haven’t had things all their own way in Estadio Olimpico at the Rio Games this week, but they have a chance to land a clean sweep of the medals in the women’s 100m hurdles. The key question, though, is: in what finishing order?

The absentee list from this event would have provided an impressive global final: London 2012 Olympic champion Sally Pearson of Australia (injured), 2008 gold medal-winner Dawn Harper Nelson (flopped at US trials), Jamaica’s world champion Danielle Williams (another who failed to survive her national trials), and Keni Harrison, the American who set the 12.20sec world record in London last month but only after she had missed selection in Oregon.

The Americans still have the three fastest entrants in Rio, though, with Brianna Rollins the deserved 3-10 favourite as the US champion and the 2013 world title-winner.