LONDON, England – As world and Olympic champions and world record holders, Jamaica will be clear favourites on Saturday for the men’s 4x100m relay gold at London 2012, but USA have a proud tradition in this event having won the Olympic title 15 times and will be keen to get back on top of the podium for the first time since Sydney 2000.FavouritesContendersAlso

• Jamaica’s world record breaking victory in Beijing 2008 concluded fabulous Games for their sprinters, and Usain Bolt in particular. They have continued to dominate since, winning the world title in Berlin 2009 and lowering their world record to 37.04 seconds when winning at the 2011 world championships. Yohan Blake, the 100m silver medallist, will obviously play a part in London 2012 but the question is, how much will Jamaica miss the former world record holder Asafa Powell who suffered a groin strain in the 100m final and will miss the rest of the season.

• In contrast, USA have had a torrid time in this event at recent major championships. After losing the Athens 2004 title to Great Britain, they failed to finish their heat in Beijing 2008, were disqualified in the heats at the Berlin 2009 world championships, and did not finish in Daegu 2011 when Darvis Patton was obstructed at the last changeover. However, a US foursome including Athens 2004 sprint champion Justin Gatlin and former world champion Tyson Gay ran 37.61 at the Monaco Diamond League meeting to top the 2012 world lists.

• Assuming there are no accidents or upsets in the heats, the US coaches should have Gatlin and Gay to call upon again in the final as well as London 2012 100m finalist Ryan Bailey.

• France finished third in the 2012 European championships with 100m champion Christophe Lemaitre on second leg, but were missing the 100m silver medalist Jimmy Vicaut who anchored them to world silver in Daegu a year ago. France won Olympic silver in 1920 and have taken bronze four times, most recently in 1980.

• Trinidad and Tobago were silver medalists in Beijing, albeit almost a second behind Jamaica, and they also took silver at the Berlin 2009 world championships. They would have picked up another medal in Daegu but London 2012 100m finalist Richard Thompson was badly impeded on the last change.

• With 200m champion Churandy Martina on second leg, Netherlands took the European title in Helsinki this year with a display of slick baton changing which resulted in a national record of 38.34. They have never won an Olympic medal at this event and will need to improve the record again to make the podium but come to London as third quickest in the world behind USA and Jamaica.

• Germany and Great Britain have an outside chance of a medal but the chances of 2011 world championships bronze medallists St Kitts and Nevis repeating their Daegu feat have diminished considerably since the 2003 world 100m champion Kim Collins was sent home for disciplinary reasons.

• Germany have run 38.41 this year and were second at the European championships.

• Britain displaced USA as Olympic champions in Athens 2004 but were disqualified in the Beijing semi-final and failed to get the baton home in either the 2011 world championships final or 2012 European championships heat.