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Diamond League Brussels 2013

Brussels DL Preview: One last big hurrah? Let's make it World Champs Part III

Brussels DL Preview: One last big hurrah? Let's make it World Champs Part III

Sep 4, 2013 by Mitch Kastoff
Brussels DL Preview: One last big hurrah? Let's make it World Champs Part III
We played some word association at the Flotrack HQ. First one: Belgium.

“Waffles.”
“Beer.”
“Chocolate.”

Everyone has his or her vices. All right, what about Brussels?

“Sprouts.”
“Manneken Pis.”

Everyone has his or her favorite Brussels landmark. It’s simply a matter of priorities for which one comes to mind first. (Brussels sprouts, ew. Statue of a naked little boy urinating into a fountain is fine, though.)

The Brussels Diamond Meeting or the Memorial van Damme is the final stop on the DL tour. That’s it, people. There is still one more IAAF World Challenge in Rieti, Italy, but then track is really, seriously over. We hope you got your fix.

I would have been a bit upset to miss Brussels DL. You see, I’ve been totally off the grid for the last 10 days. Two nights ago, I tried to catch up with all the news I’ve missed by refreshing my Twitter feed. Here’s what happened in the world: there may be a military strike against Syria, Egypt is on the brink, Zurich DL and Berlin were quick, the last two episodes of Breaking Bad were mind-blowing, Competitor Group eliminated all support for elite athletes (I won’t beat the dead horse into a pulp), Gareth Bale was sold to Real Madrid for enough money to fund Rock N’ Roll’s elite athletes for 277.89 years, Miley Cyrus did something at the VMAs, and Tim Tebow lost his third job in 18 months. Thanks a lot, Obama.

Since its inaugural event in 1977, there have been an astonishing 16 world records set at the King Baudouin Stadium. In a totally non-coincidental prophecy, the meeting will also see the sixteen DL champions be crowned and awarded a cool $40,000 or 30,374.36 €.

Let’s see who’s going to end the season a few euros richer.

What: Brussels Diamond League (Memorial van Damme)
When: Friday, September 6th
Where: King Baudouin Stadium
How to Watch: Universal Sports, starting at 2:00pm ET

The Men’s 5k: This has everything in the world, except for one thing.

27.05.1990
ETH
12:48.77
12:54.95
27.12.1984
AUS
13:09.57
13:27.35
17.10.1990
USA
13:09.04
13:09.04
14.01.1994
ETH
13:03.69
13:03.69
15.12.1974
BEL
13:28.05
13:28.05
11.05.1994
ETH
12:47.53
12:55.73
03.11.1985
USA
13:20.01
13:20.01
31.01.1990
USA
13:14.22
13:14.22
08.03.1989
USA
13:14.60
13:14.60
19.12.1993
KEN
12:48.64
12:56.08
12.12.1974
USA
12:53.60
13:07.76
14.01.1988
KEN
12:49.04
12:59.81
01.01.1982
KEN
13:21.96
 
20.12.1994
BRN
12:51.96
12:51.96
08.05.1986
USA
12:58.90
13:05.17
03.03.1986
KEN
12:51.34
12:51.34
07.11.1981
AUS
13:10.08
13:10.83
20.12.1978
FRA
13:12.29
13:17.42
12.10.1987
ETH
13:12.64
13:12.64

The men’s 5k has something for everyone. If you like watching the Ethiopians and Kenyans duke it out, that’ll be in Brussels. If you like watching the best Americans stick their noses in it (some more than others), that’ll be in Brussels. If you want to watch Mo Farah stalk the field until he makes his decisive and ultimately final move, well, that won’t be in Brussels.

If having ten of the top 20 in the world isn’t a bit impressive, then we’ll narrow down the range and tell you that seven of the ten fastest men in 2013 will go at it at the Memorial van Damme. That group includes the top six fastest in the world.

Still, it’s a consolation race without the great Farah. If they’re not racing to take down the “World’s Best,” then a small boatload of money will have to fill that void. Because we all know that if there’s anything that’ll make people happy, it’s money.

World Championships 5k silver medalist Hagos Gebrhiwet enters the final Diamond League Meeting as the leader in the event with 13 points. The only other man that can catch him is his compatriot Yenew Alamirew. Alamirew has had Gebrhiwet’s number for most of the season, but when it counted in Moscow, it was Gebrhiwet who prevailed.


 Yenew Alamirew Hagos Gebrhiwet
Rome 12:54.95 (1st) 12:55.73 (2nd)
Birmingham 13:14.71 (2nd) 13:17.11 (3rd)
Lausanne 13:06.69 (1st) 13:07.11 (2nd)
Moscow 13:31.27 (9th) 13:27.26 (1st)

Based on their most recent form, Gebrhiwet should walk away with the cash prize. But will he come away with the win?

The Kenyan trio of Isiah Koech, Thomas Longsiwa, and Edwin Soi are obvious challengers. The three went a neat third, fourth, and fifth in the Moscow 5k. The one to watch will be the “former” Kenyan, Albert Rop.

Rop, who now competes for Bahrain (edit: When did he make the switch? Someone told us it was around May), has had a very interesting 2013. He’s run six 5ks this year and in each one, he’s set a new season’s best. His last two marks have been national records.

Prior to 2013, the 18-year-old Rop had never broke 13:00. This year, he’s done it twice – 12:59.43 in Heusden and 12:51.96 in Monaco.

Though he ran a big 8-second PR in Monaco, Rop didn’t win. The first to cross the line was Soi, whose ~56-second last lap left Rop just a step behind. Expect something quick in Brussels.

What about the Americans?

Team USA will be out and about in Brussels. All three World Championships 5k finalists will make another appearance together on the world stage. Add in Chris Derrick, Garrett Heath, and Evan Jager, and things will be interesting.

To be honest, we’re most excited to see Jager. Last summer, Jager ran one race after the Olympics, which was a 7:35.16 3k in Stockholm. We think he was slated to run a 5k afterwards and take a shot at his 13:22.18 personal best, but he shut it down for 2013. This year, he’s already run a big PR of 13:14.60 at Payton Jordan, but there’s more in his tank. Plus, we’re always interested to see what steeplechasers can run for the 5k.

It’s also one last showdown (for now) between Bernard Lagat and Galen Rupp. The two have gone head-to-head in 11 races with Lagat coming out on top nine times. It’s like Rupp is the Macbeth of the 5k and Macbeth always loses. He seemed destined to one day be king of the event. Now, he's always so close, but so far from that throne. Except for the Olympic Trials last year and Lagat’s DNF this season in Monaco, it’s always been Father Time who has come out on top. Except the first American to once again be Kip.

Even though he had a tough battle before him, Brussels has a special place in Rupp’s heart. It was at this meet two years ago that he set the American 10k record of 26:48.00. Maybe there’ll be some Brussels magic and a third victory against the other American record holder? It’s doubtful, but crazier stuff has happened (like the Great Birnam Woods moving to Dunsinane Hill. Too early for Macbeth references? Sorry).

The Men’s 800m: Moscow, Part II

10.01.1994
ETH
1:42.53
1:43.31
30.11.1989
KEN
1:44.38
1:44.38
20.11.1994
KEN
1:42.53
1:44.45
13.06.1987
POL
1:43.79
1:43.79
07.01.1991
KSA
1:44.10
1:44.10
19.02.1988
GBR
1:43.77
1:44.36
28.12.1984
USA
1:42.82
1:43.27
20.02.1980
NED
1:43.45
1:48.21
03.12.1992
DJI
1:43.63
1:43.63
30.12.1983
USA
1:42.95
1:43.55

Even with no David Rudisha or Nijel Amos, we’ve been absolutely enthralled with the men’s 800m this season. It seems that every week, some combination of the finalists from Moscow line up against one another to put on a show(this includes before and after the World Championships).

The Memorial van Damme will have all three World Championships medalists plus the next three finishers. Could we just be lazy and predict that the same result from Moscow will happen in Brussels? Probably, but that wouldn't be much fun.

It comes down to which of the following two post-Worlds performances you think were more dominant. In Berlin, gold medalist Mohamed Aman continued his near season-long unbeaten streak with a 1:43.97 win. In Zurich, silver medalist Nick Symmonds was full of confidence as he ran an aggressive 1:43.56 for the win.

Aman has the Diamond League title wrapped up with 14 points (the next one who’ll be in Brussels in Duane Solomon, who has four points), but can Symmonds get a little end of the season retribution? We’re not one’s to condone gambling, but someone in our office did bet on Symmonds when he was at 5/1 to win in Moscow. If we get those same odds, we’ll take it again.

The Women’s 1500m: Speaking of repeats from Moscow...

25.06.1986
USA
4:01.48
4:01.48
05.07.1990
SWE
3:56.54
3:56.60
26.07.1989
BEL
4:06.87
4:12.33
21.12.1988
AUS
4:04.82
4:04.82
07.05.1991
KEN
4:02.31
4:06.3h
06.03.1987
GBR
4:01.89
4:03.38
01.01.1993
ETH
4:03.73
4:03.73
02.05.1986
MAR
4:01.33
4:02.16
22.12.1983
KEN
3:59.25
4:00.76
08.07.1986
NED
4:05.38
4:05.38
29.11.1987
KEN
4:03.18
4:03.56
13.12.1989
KEN
3:58.58
3:58.58
05.02.1985
POL
4:03.50
4:06.39
14.09.1984
USA
4:00.33
4:01.28
06.08.1986
RUS
3:59.49
4:04.55
23.08.1986
USA
3:59.90
4:00.48

Too. Good. For the final hurrah of the season, we’ll get to see Abebe Aregawi (gold), Jenny Simpson (silver), and Hellen Obiri (bronze). If you just threw in the American duo of Gabe Anderson and the red-hot Shannon Rowbury, we’d be sold. But then you add Hannah England (fourth at Worlds), Yekaterina Sharmina (sixth), Viola Kibiwot (fourth in the 5k in Moscow and sixth in Zurich), and we’re more than happy to pay up.

Those are the easy picks. The one to watch to be the 5k silver medalist from Worlds, Mercy Cherono. While she’s mainly stuck to the 5k this season, she did run 8:31.23 for second in Stockholm and has run 4:06.3 for the 1500m. Mind you, that time was at altitude in Nairobi.

After moving up to the 5k and running a PR, Jenny Simpson will take one more shot at Aregawi. Even though the Swede has the money in the bank (she has 20 points compared to Simpson’s 5 and Obiri’s 4), it’s yet another consolation prize for the American. Keep an eye on Shannon Rowbury, who’ll be finally running her “main” event after a small debacle lead to her running the 5k in Moscow. Her last few races have been very, very impressive and something big here would be quite the ending to her season.

Women’s 400m: The best race from World Champs happens one more time
12.07.1983
ITA
50.30
50.47
23.07.1986
USA
49.84
49.94
21.07.1987
RUS
49.16
49.57
20.10.1988
USA
49.86
49.86
25.11.1988
JAM
49.92
49.92
04.07.1983
BOT
49.33
49.33
17.05.1984
GBR
49.41
49.41
19.04.1987
RUS
49.80
49.80
26.04.1982
JAM
49.63
50.01

We voted the women’s 400m showdown between Botswana’s Amantle Montsho and Britain’s Christine Ohuruogu as the best race from the World Championships. If Montsho hadn’t stayed upright at the line, one of the most dramatic finish from just a few weeks ago would have been just a pipe dream. Instead, when I was in London last week and told people I worked in track and field, they immediately mentioned Mo Farah being up for knighthood and Captain Christine's incredible win.

Now, the two battle over 400m once more. Not to get lost in the duel are a few other Moscow finalists. Americans Francena McCorory and Natasha Hastings are coming off small wins in Valence (McCorory – 50.53) and Linz (Hastings – 50.92). The third fastest in the world and World bronze medalist Antonina Krivoshpka will also be in the race. She too took a small win after Moscow (50.86 in Padova).

Men’s 100m: Bolt runs the dash, once again

10.01.1992
JAM
9.93
9.93
08.03.1988
TRI
9.86
10.02
21.08.1986
JAM
9.58
9.77
10.11.1985
JAM
9.78
9.87
05.04.1976
SKN
9.97
9.97
05.09.1987
GBR
9.91
9.91
10.02.1982
USA
9.79
9.85
24.04.1985
USA
9.85
9.93
27.02.1992
FRA
9.95
9.95

He didn’t look superhuman in Zurich, but Usain Bolt’s 9.90 win did the trick. Fellow Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade finished second in 9.94 and Justin Gaitlin, who ended up winning the Diamond League title, was third in 9.96.

Is this just "one more race" for Bolt or will he have to earn it? With bronze medalist Nesta Carter in the race, we say that once again, Bolt will be pushed to the line.

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, the Brussels DL website has a link to Usain Bolt’s all-time top ten songs. For those who were invited, he’ll be DJ’ing the Jamaican after party.

Men’s 200m: One favorite and one prop bet
07.04.1990
JAM
19.85
20.00
31.01.1986
USA
19.53
20.16
06.09.1985
GBR
20.42
20.42
06.10.1993
GBR
19.98
19.98
03.07.1984
NED
19.85
20.01
27.06.1986
USA
19.98
20.26
01.07.1984
NOR
19.89
20.33
19.04.1987
UKR
20.42
20.42
31.10.1989
JAM
19.79
19.79

Jamaica’s Warren Weir is the favorite to take the win in Brussels and the Diamond League crown. Weir currently leads with 10 points while Bolt is second with eight (but running the 100m) and Nickel Ashmeade is third with four points. If finishes outside the top three and Ashmeade wins, then Ashmeade will take the surprise win. Since we don’t see this happening, we’d rather bet on something more interesting.

Instead we ask, “Who will be the top American: Walter Dix or 400m man LaShawn Merritt?” Dix ran a season’s best of 20.16 at Prefontaine and most recently had another season’s best with a 10.07 ninth place finish in the Zurich DL 100m. Merritt, who has beaten King Kirani James on two consecutive occasions, drops down to the 200m for an end of the season laugh. Back in May, Merrit ran a SB of 20.26 at the Cayman Invitational. Who do you have?

Men’s 400mH: Another epic finish from Moscow and how many times can we write the same tagline?

19.11.1989
CUB
47.93
47.93
25.07.1984
PUR
47.72
48.14
13.12.1986
USA
48.46
48.46
15.12.1991
TRI
47.69
47.69
10.10.1986
SEN
48.50
48.50
30.08.1977
DOM
47.25
48.10
21.04.1984
USA
47.70
47.70
15.01.1992
BEL
50.01
50.63
27.02.1984
GBR
48.84
48.84

We didn’t include this in our original preview, but we’ve come to love the 400mH so much this year, that we had to include a small blurb. 21-year-old gold medalist Jehue Gordon may have just been given a mid-sized house, free airline tickets on Caribbean Airlines,  $800,000, and a bunch of other goodies from the Trinidad and Tobago Sports Cabinet, but he’ll have to deal with Michael Tinsley one more time before he can take a little R&R.

Remember – Gordon won his gold with a national record and world leading time of 47.69. Tinsley, who set a personal best of 47.70 in that race, had to settle for second. Sometimes, these stories just write themselves.

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