Joshua Cheptegei wins the 10,000m title at the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 (© Getty Images)
Three gold medal events on opening day, five on day two, but it’s a veritable gold rush on day three with seven up for grabs, including a men’s distance double with the early-morning marathon and a late-morning 10,000m final. Remember the days when distance runners could – and did - do both events. Strictly speaking, you could double in Eugene, but it would be tough with just a few hours recovery between marathon finish and 10,000m start.
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Uganda or Ethiopia in men’s 10,000m?
Two years ago in Doha, Joshua Cheptegei and Rhonex Kipruto ran Yomif Kejecha ragged before Cheptegei went on to take the gold medal. At the Olympics last year, Selemon Barega kicked early and hung on to defeat Cheptegei and Kiplimo.
The three Olympic medallists are back in Eugene, as are the next four finishers – Berihu Aregawi, Grant Fisher, Moh Ahmed and Rodgers Kwemoi. Fisher has the world lead at 26:33.84, just ahead of Ahmed when the pair went 1-2 in San Juan Capistrano on 6 March. The next three on the list – Barega, Tadese Worku and Aregawi were the first three across the line in the Ethiopian trial in Hengelo.
With the race in the middle of the day, much will come down to conditions. Hot, clear and sunny may dictate a cautious race, but if it is a little cooler, the two Ugandans, Cheptegei and Kiplimo, will be looking for the opportunity to run the kick out of the others. Cheptegei knows how successful that tactic was against Kejelcha in Doha. Cheptegei has a decent kick but he probably won’t want to let it come down to a last-lap sprint unless, of course, he has done some damage to the kickers by then.
Can Jamaica repeat Olympic sweep in the women’s 100m?
Yes, they can. Last year in Tokyo it was Elaine Thompson-Herah first, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce second and Shericka Jackson third. On form it could be a repeat in Eugene: the trio sit atop the world list. But the order could change as all three have claims to the gold medal. Of course, there are rounds to negotiate first, including a semi-final tonight, but again, these three have plenty of experience in championship racing.
Looking for those who might disrupt the Jamaican order, Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji is in great form and Aleia Hobbs cannot be discounted despite finishing 0.03 behind teammate Melissa Jefferson who ran a wind-aided 10.69 in the US Trials.
Hayward Field may have built its reputation on distance running, Steve Prefontaine and Bill Bowerman’s Men of Oregon, but in recent years it has produced a slew of fast sprint times, too. It helps that the major US national championships – both Collegiate and Open – have been run there, but the combination of a fast track, championship rounds and a trio of super-fast Jamaicans could produce something special.
... a US men’s hurdles sweep, too?
If a Jamaican 1-2-3 is ‘on’ in the women’s 100, the Caribbean nation may be beaten to the punch in the preceding event – the men’s 110m hurdles. World champion Grant Holloway and world leader – at 12.84, if you don’t mind - Devon Allen are a good thing to go 1-2 and Trey Cunningham and Daniel Roberts sit in second and third behind Allen on the world list.
This is the hurdles, however, where things can go horribly right in one race and horribly wrong in another. Look no further for an example than the difference between Holloway’s blitz of the final in Doha 2019 and his run in the Olympic final. Favoured to win and leading until the latter stages, Holloway lost form and tied up badly to be grabbed by Hansle Parchment. Ronald Levy also pipped Allen for the bronze medal. Parchment looks best placed to deny the US a medal sweep at home.
One to watch is 20-year-old world U20 champion Sasha Zhoya of France. Zhoya has already run 13.17 over the senior barriers in winning the French title and has shown he can rise to the big occasion.
Len Johnson for World Athletics
