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Previews19 Aug 2008


Beijing 2008 – Day 5 PREVIEW

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Lolo Jones blasts a 12.43 PB to qualify for the 100m hurdles final (© Getty Images)

There will be five finals today, plus two important semi-final rounds, and qualifying rounds in five other events.

Lolo Jones - stunning season

In the women’s 100m Hurdles, World Indoor 60m champion Lolo Jones (USA) has been having a great season so far this year, and her stunning 12.43 semi-final victory Monday evening was not only the year’s fastest time, but also two metres faster than any other semi-finalist. If she can repeat in the final this evening, it’s hard to see anyone beating her; but that’s, of course, why they have races. Her chief rivals should be her fellow-American Damu Cherry, Jamaicans Bridgitte Foster-Hylton and Delloreen Ennis-London, and Canadian Priscilla Lopes-Schliep.

Richards, alone at sub-50 in the semis

The other women’s final is the 400 metres. The USA’s Sanya Richards was the only semi-finalist to break 50 seconds, and she says she’s ready to go into the 48s in the final. Most likely of the other finalists to beat Richards are 2007 World champion Christine Ohuruogo (GBR) and African champion Amantle Montsho of Botswana. Oh, and let’s not forget the Jamaicans, who are sizzling hot right now; two of them, Shericka Williams and Rosemarie White, can’t be ignored in the medal hunt.

Ramzi, the odds on favourite

In the first round of the men’s 1500 metres, 2005 World 800m and 1500m champion Rashid Ramzi (BRN) won his heat in a sizzling 3:32.89 (and a 50-second final 400m). Almost immediately, London bookmakers’ odds made Ramzi a 6-5 favourite to win the gold medal, even before the semi-finals had been run! Ramzi then won his semi-final easily, while reigning World champion Bernard Lagat (USA) failed to make the final. Ramzi’s main threat should come from the four men in the field who have run 3:32 or better this year: Kenyans Augustine Choge (3:31.57) and Asbel Kiprop (3:31.64), Moroccan Abdelati Iguider (3:31.88) and France’s Mehdi Baala (3:32.00). But off his present form, to beat Ramzi they’ll have to run even faster.

Holm to repeat?

The men’s High Jump starts off the evening programme, and Stefan Holm of Sweden hopes to add a second Olympic gold medal to the one he won in Athens. His chief challengers would seem to be Russia’s Andrey Silnov (RUS), who leads the world list this year with 2.38 to Holm’s 2.37, and consistent Yaroslav Rybakov, whose PB is 2.35. No other jumper in the field has gone higher than 2.31. Of course, the Olympic High Jump is an event where a “good” jumper can have a “great” day and take the gold; but the big question is: will the relatively short (1.81) 32-year-old Swede have enough spring in his legs to make it two in a row?

Alekna vs Kanter, once more

The men’s Discus Throw was expected to be a three-way contest of giants between 2000 and 2004 Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna of Lithnuania, and 2007 World champion Gerd Kanter of Estonia, and Iran’s Asian record holder Ehsan Hadadi, the only man to beat both of them this year.  But Hadadi shockingly failed to qualify for the final, leaving Kanter and Alekna presumably to battle it out for the win. Can the 36-year-old Alekna come through to win his third straight gold medal? Or can the 29-year-old Kanter confirm his Osaka victory here? Closest to those two – but a couple of metres short so far this year -- are Robert Harting (GER) and Marion Pestano (ITA).

Qualifications...

There are some important semi-finals today, too.

They include the men’s 200 semis, where Jamaica’s 100m winner Usain Bolt is after a second Olympic gold medal.  Although one can no longer call Bolt a “200-metre specialist,” it’s still the race he’s best-known for. In hs semi, Bolt will face 2004 Olympic champ Shawn Crawford and 19.65 man Wallace Spearmon, with all three expected to make the final. The other semi will see two former Florida State teammates, Walter Dix (USA) and Brian Dzingai (ZIM), pitted against each other as well as Churandy Martina of the Netherlands’ Antilles. Nobody has gone under 20 seconds yet, but it’s quite possible in these two races.

The first round of the men’s 400 metres was an amazing display of sustained speed– with six men running under 45 seconds, and 22 of today’s 24 semi-finalists under 45.50.In today’s three semi-finals, which will qualify eight men for the final (the first two in each race plus the next fastest two), the speed will have to be tempered by experience and judgment: run the first 200 metres too fast and you may fade at the end; run the first 200 too slow and you may never catch up.  Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt of the U.S. are still the favourites, but it’s hard to guess who the other six finalists might be.

With the 110-metre hurdles field shattered by first-round injuries to 2004 gold and silver medalists Liu Xiang of China and Terrence Trammell of the U.S, the second round today will show if anyone can arise to challenge World record holder (12.88) Dayron Robles of Cuba. The most likely are Americans David Oliver, whose PB is 12.95, and David Payne (13.02), and France’s 2005 World champion, Ladji Doucoure (12.97) but the latter hasn’t been anywhere near his top form this year..
 
Two rounds of the women’s 200 metres will give us an idea if the 2004 medallists – Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM), Allyson Felix (USA), and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (BAH) – can go 1-2-3 again. Brown will be especially motivated after failing to make the Jamaican 100-metre team, despite running 10.88 in the Jamaican trials. Trying their best to stop them will be Jamaicans Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart, who finished 2-3 in Monday’s 100m final, and Americans Muna Lee (4th in the 100 final) and Marshevet Hooker. They all advance to Wednesday’s semi-finals.

Other qualifying rounds will take place in three other women’s events: the 5000 metres, the Long Jump and the Javelin Throw.

James Dunaway for the IAAF

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