Track and Field Blogs - Justin Kopunek

12th IAAF World Championship in Athletics – Berlin, Germany 2009

Preview of Day 8 – 22 August 2009

Day 8 gives us our first bit of relay action as the Men’s and Women’s 4x100s will highlight the night on the track. The Women’s 5,000m run is the only other event final on the track. The field will have some great showdowns. The Men’s Long Jump will see two greats butt heads for the first time that they are both on the top of their games. In the Men’s Pole Vault an injured Olympic Champion will try to muster up something magical to compete with a young French vaulter having a breakthrough season. The final women’s throwing event also takes place with the hammer. One of only two German defending champions will take to the throwing circle and you can be sure expectations will be high in the Olympic Stadium.

Event: Men’s Marathon 5:45 AM EST

Defending World Champion: Luke Kibet (Kenya) 2008 Olympic Champion: Sammy Wanjiru (Kenya) 2009 World Leader: Duncan Kibet Kirong (Kenya) 2:04:27

American Contingent: Dan Browne, Nate Jenkins, Justin Young, Matt Gabrielson, Edwardo Torres

Top International Contenders: Jaouad Gharib (Morocco), Deriba Merga (Ethiopia), Rashid Kisri (Morocco), Abel Kirui (Kenya), Tsegay Kebede (Ethiopia), Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya), Daniel Rono (Kenya), Benjamin Kiptoo (Kenya)

Outlook: Predicting a marathon in a major championship is not easy. Over those grueling 26.2, so much can go wrong. On top of that, people’s best times are not as finite as track events because they are run on different courses in different conditions all over the world. Abel Kirui has the fastest time in the field and is hoping to continue Kenya’s streak of male Marathon wins after taking the crowns in Osaka and Beijing. Daniel Rono, Robert Cheruiyot, Emmanuel Mutai, and Benjamin Kiptoo will be looking to do the same for Kenya. Tsegay Kebede and Deriba Merga are the top hopes for Ethiopia. They were third and fourth at the Olympics last year. Jaouad Gharib of Morocco won world title in Paris, Helsinki and was 2nds in Beijing, making him the most experienced in the field. One of the oldest in the race, Gharib set a personal best this year, so he is still a major competitor. His compatriot Rishid Kisri set a big personal best of 2:06:48 this year.

Likely Medalists: If there is a favorite, it would be Gharib.

1. Gharib 2. Kebede 3. Kirui

Event: Men’s Long Jump 12:05 PM EST

Defending World Champion: Irving Saladino (Panama) 2008 Olympic Champion: Irving Saladino (Panama) 2009 World Leader: Dwight Phillips (USA) 8.74m

American Contingent: Dwight Phillips, Brian Johnson, Miguel Pate

Top International Contenders: Irving Saladino, Godfrey Mokoena (South Africa), Mitchell Watt (Australia), Salim Sdiri (France), Yahyn Berrabah (Morocco), Fabrice Lapierre (Australia), Louis Tsatoumas (Greece)

Outlook: Don’t call it a comeback, at least not yet. Former Olympic and World Champion Dwight Phillips had been down for a few years, but he was not done putting his stamp on the long jump. He came storming back to the top this year. Not only has he returned to his championship form, he surpassed it jumping a stellar 8.74m jump. That mark has him at #5 all time. He has also improved his speed this year, lowering his 100m PR to 10.06. The only man that can stand in the way of this comeback is the reigning Olympic and World Champion, Irving Saladino of Panama. While Phillips was having his off years, Saladino took over the helm in the event. Last year he jumped 8.73m, which puts him right behind Phillips on the all time list. This will be one of those legendary long jump match-ups for the ages and we will hopefully see someone get over 8.75m.

Leading the charge for third is Godfrey Mokoena of South Africa. He is the silver medalist from Beijing and is having a great year setting a lifetime best of 8.50m. Greek Louis Tsatoumas has the third best PR of the field, but has not come near that this year. He jumped 8.66 back in 2007 and will find himself on the podium if he can perform like that in the final.

Likely Medalists: The top two could go either way depending on who is having the better day. Phillips has the slight edge because of the season he has been having.

1. Phillips 2. Saladino 3. Mokoena

Event: Men’s Pole Vault 12:15 PM EST

Defending World Champion: Brad Walker (USA) 2008 Olympic Champion: Steve Hooker (Australia) 2009 World Leader: Renaud Lavillenie (France) 6.01m (Steve Hooker 6.06m Indoors)

American Contingent: Brad Walker, Jeremy Scott, Derek Miles, Toby Stevenson

Top International Contenders: Renaud Lavillenie, Steve Hooker, Romain Mesnil (France), Alexander Straub (Germany), Malte Mohr (Germany), Maksim Mazuryk (Ukraine)

Outlook: Defending World Champion Brad Walker of the USA did not start in the qualification round and reigning Olympic Champion Steve Hooker of Australia comes into the competition fighting with an injury. Because of this, it is Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie’s competition to lose. He has the top two jumps in the world this outdoor season soaring over 6 meters in a huge breakthrough year. His championship mettle has yet to be shown, however, as this is his first major final. Hooker is the only other man in the final who has been over 6 meters. After his win in Beijing, he has an amazing indoor season where he went 6.06m. Unfortunately, the Aussie comes into Berlin under 100% with an injury problem. He took only one jump in the opening round to get himself into the finals and nobody knows where he may end up. France may have two men on the podium as Romain Mesnil is an experienced and talented vaulter. He was 2nd in Osaka and has the third best vault this year. The German team also has two capable athletes in the final here. Alexander Straub and Malte Mohr will certainly have extra adrenaline flowing through their veins, looking to perform well for the home crowd.

Likely Medalists: Hooker could place anywhere from first to last in this final as his injury is still a huge question mark. If he is even at 80% he will likely be in medal contention. Straub will certainly have the crowd on his side.

1. Lavillenie 2. Mesnil 3. Straub

Event: Women’s 5,000m Run 1:35 PM EST

Defending World Champion: Meseret Defar (Ethiopia) 2008 Olympic Champion: Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) 2009 World Leader: Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) 14:33.65 (Meseret Defar 14:24.37 Indoors)

American Contingent: Jen Rhines, Julie Culley

Top International Contenders: Meseret Defar, Meselech Melkamu (Ethiopia), Sentayehu Ejigu (Ethiopia), Vivian Cheriuyot (Kenya), Sylvia Kibet (Kenya), Iness Chenonge (Kenya)

Outlook: This looks to be setting up like a dual meet between Kenya and Ethiopia. After the surprise Kenyan win in the 10,000m, the Ethiopian women will be looking for redemption. Meseret Defar ran a 14:24.37 indoors and has a personal best of 14:12.88, which is 10 seconds ahead of the next fastest, Vivian Cheriuyot of Kenya. Defar will certainly be motivated to win this race after running out of gas in the last steps of the 10,000m. It was only her third 10k and first in a major championship, but Defar knows how to win championship 5Ks. If the race is tactical, she will leave the door open for slower runners with superior kicks. Cheriuyot has run 14:22 and will have fresher legs, since she did not run the 10,000m. They other two Kenyans in the race have set PRs already this season. Sylvia Kibet and Iness Chenonge went 14:37.77 and 14:41.62, respectively. Ethipoian Meselech Melkamu will certainly be out for blood after being edged out for gold at the line in the 10,000m. She has run the second fastest time in the field this year and the fastest outdoors. Her compatriot, Sentayehu Ejigu is also in contention with a season best of 14:40.00 and a PB that is 5 seconds faster.

Likely Medalists: Defar has much more experience at this distance and will likely be much higher up in this event, but she has never attempted this double before.

1. Defar 2. Cheriuyot 3. Melkamu

Event: Women’s Hammer Throw 1:30 PM EST

Defending World Champion: Betty Heidler (Germany) 2008 Olympic Champion: Aksana Miankova (Belarus) 2009 World Leader: Anita Wlodarczyk (Poland) 77.20m

American Contingent: Jessica Cosby, Amber Campbell, Erin Gilreath

Top International Contenders: Anita Wlodarczyk, Martina Hrasnova (Slovakia), Betty Heidler, Tatyana Lysenko (Russia)

Outlook: The German throwers have been on fire in front of their home crowd. Betty Heidler will certainly have the Olympic Stadium roaring as the attempts to defend her world championship in front of thousands of her compatriots. She will have stiff competition from Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland. Wlodarczyk not only leads the world, she has been the most consistent woman over 75m. She has been over that mark 8 times this season, while only 3 other women have even hit that mark at all this year. Heidler is one of the others, as well as Martina Hrasnova of Slovakia and Tatyana Lysenko of Russia. Both are in great position to get that first major medal.

Likely Medalists: Wlodarczyk will have to take on the entire stadium for this one. She will definitely not win this easy, but it will be well deserved if she comes out on top.

1. Wlodarczyk 2. Heidler 3. Hrasnova

Event: Women’s 4x100m Relay 2:00 PM EST

Defending World Champion: United States 2008 Olympic Champion: Russia 2009 World Leader: United States (Williams, Felix, Lee, Jeter) 41.58

American Contingent: Carmelita Jeter, Muna Lee, Lauryn Williams, Alexandria Anderson, Jessica Young, Shalonda Solomon, Marshevet Hooker, Charonda Williams, Allyson Felix

Top International Contenders: Jamaica, Bahamas, Russia, Nigeria, Germany

Outlook: Last year at the Olympics, the top two teams on paper had worst case scenarios. Both had bad baton exchanges that cost them a medal. The Jamaican women are looking even stronger than last year with 2 women at 10.75 of better. Add to the Olympic and former World Champ Veronica Campbell-Brown and you have a team that could get close to that 24 year old world record 41.37 and definitely set a national record. The US women, who dropped the baton in the heats last year are certainly the second best team in the field as long as they can avoid what happened last year. They squad has already run a very quick 41.51 to put them at #8 All Time, so the Jamaican team will not have the gold medal just handed to them. The 100m final had 4 Jamaicans, 2 Americans and 2 Bahamans, making them the likely picks for third as long as their other 2 legs are suitable. When the top two faltered last year, Russia capitalized and won Olympic Gold. This year they will certainly be looking to get back on the podium. Nigeria has had strong teams the past few years and Germany will look to impress at home.

Likely Medalists: When just three nations dominate the 100 meters, you have to think they will dominate the 4x100 as well.

1. Jamaica 2. USA 3. Bahamas

Event: Men’s 4x100m Relay 2:50 PM EST

Defending World Champion: United States 2008 Olympic Champion: Jamaica 2009 World Leader: Jamaica (Bailey, Blake, Forsythe, Bolt) 37.46

American Contingent: Tyson Gay, Michael Rodgers, Darvis Patton, Monzavous "Rae" Edwards, Travis Padgett, Shawn Crawford, Terrence Trammell, Wallace Spearmon

Top International Contenders: Jamaica, Great Britain, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Italy, France, Canada

Outlook: Will it be 3 for 3 for Usain Bolt? Not just wins, but world records. Last year the Jamaican sprint domination on the men’s side was mostly Bolt, as he won the only individual medal for the country. This year, the supporting cast has stepped up its game a tad and anchor man Asafa Powell is running great. If they do not get the stick around cleanly, the team that will be there to capitalize is the United States. Tyson Gay rested an injury just for this race, so hopefully he will be ready to go. These two teams are far clear from the field. The 100m final had 2 men from both of these countries, as well as Trinidad and Tobago. Those two strong legs give them the edge for the bronze. Great Britain boasts 100m finalist Dwain Chambers and Germany was unfortunately a casualty with a dropped baton in the prelims. With perennially strong squads, Japan will most be the lone country not from Europe or North American/Caribbean regions.

Likely Medalists: The US and Jamaica will clash yet again. Great Britain looked great in the prelims putting them in contention for the bronze with Trinidad and Tobago. Edit: The IAAF has decided to DQ the US squad for a baton exchange out of the zone. Normally, I would hate this, but move on. The fact that it was done hours later is what makes me angry. If it is not called on the track, that should be that. If we went back and looked at every football and baseball game afterward to try to correct calls that were made and adjust the score accordingly people would flip out.

1. Jamaica 2. Great Britain 3. Trinidad and Tobago

Preliminary Action to Watch For

The only Prelims today are the Women’s 4x100, with the final in the afternoon, and the 4x400m relays for both genders. It will be business as usual for the top relay squads. Many will run B teams in order to figure out who will take those last undecided spots for the final.