Tokyo 2020: day eight preview

As we near the end of the Tokyo Games, the action on the track is really starting to ramp up. There have already been some exciting results for Team Canada, including Andre De Grasse and Damian Warner’s gold medal performances, but there are still several Canadians who are preparing to compete for a spot on the Olympic podium. Check out what’s going on over the next couple of days, and get ready to cheer on our athletes in their quest to bring home a medal for Canada.

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RELATED: Canadians in Tokyo: results roundup

There are several finals taking place Friday that Canadian track fans won’t want to miss. First on the track is the men’s 5,000m at 8 a.m., in which Mohammed Ahmed and Justyn Knight will be vying for a spot on the podium. One week ago, Ahmed ran a strong race in the men’s 10,000m, but ended up off the podium in sixth. He placed second in the 5,000m heats earlier this week in 13:38.96, and as the 2019 World Championships bronze medallist, he will be looking for his first Olympic medal. Knight and Ahmed will have their work cut out for them, however, as they’ll be toeing the line against some talented athletes like Kenya’s Nicholas Kimeli, Mohammed Katir of Spain, Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, American Paul Chelimo, and Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei.

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Next up is the women’s 1,500m final, and Canada’s Gabriela DeBues-Stafford will also be gunning for her first Olympic podium finish. She will be up against some formidable competitors, including American Elle Purrier and the U.K.’s Laura Muir, but the match-up everyone will be watching for will be between the 2016 Olympic champion in the event, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, and Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan, who’s currently ranked number one in the world, and who’s already won her first gold medal in the 5,000m in her quest for the 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m triple. The final will take place at 8:50 a.m. ET on Friday.

RELATED: Hassan nabs first gold in her quest for the triple crown

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One hour after the women’s 1,500m is the men’s 4 x 100m relay, where De Grasse, Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake and Brendon Rodney will compete for a spot on the podium. The quartet placed second in their heat behind China, and while they have one less team to worry about with the American squad out of the final, they’ll still have Jamaica and the U.K. to contend with if they want a medal.

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RELATED: Natasha Wodak’s triumphant return to the marathon

Finally, the women’s marathon is set to start at 6 p.m. ET when Malindi Elmore, Natasha Wodak and Dayna Pidhoresky will be lining up against the world’s greatest distance runners in what will likely be a hot, grueling race. All eyes will be on Brigid Kosgei of Kenya, the current world record-holder, and her fellow Kenyan teammates, Peres Jepchirchir (the two-time world half-marathon champion) and Ruth Chepngetich (world champion who took third at the London Marathon). If all three women perform at their best, we could see Kenya sweep the podium.