Wallace Spearmon of the US in the 200m second round (© Getty Images)
Stuttgart, GermanyThe fifth edition of the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final takes place in Stuttgart, Germany, on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 September. We conclude our event category previews with the SPRINTS.
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The entry list of the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final (WAF) is decided according to the World Athletics Tour (WAT) Standings. The top 7 athletes with the greatest number of points from their five best results (4 for throws) will qualify for each event of the WAF. For races of 1500m and over, 11 athletes will be qualified. The IAAF reserves the right to invite a maximum of 1 wild-card Athlete per event.
It is a condition that athletes have scored points in at least 3 meetings, and in case of a tie the athlete with best seasonal best qualify for the Final. There have also been a number of Area Permit Meetings at which points could be scored for the World Athletics Final.
After the last qualifying meeting, the IAAF Golden League meeting in Berlin (Sunday 16 September), the process began to contact all the athletes concerned to ascertain that they are fit and willing to compete. Not until those answers are received, wild card entries are decided, and the usual technical meeting is held on the day before the World Athletics Final, can the final start list be made available. Consequently, our previews are as accurate as possible before that time.
Click here for the final World Athletics Tour Standings 2007
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100m
With one notable exception this season, Asafa Powell has again been the chased this year, and that will again be the case when the Jamaican World record holder returns to Stuttgart to defend his title on Saturday.
Two weeks after his disappointing bronze medal dash in Osaka, the 24-year-old bounced back with a stunning 9.74 run in Rieti to break his own World record and show that, at least against the clock, no one is faster.
Perhaps leading the chase will be Norwegian Jaysuma Saidy Ndure, who arrives in Stuttgart on the heels of his victory in Berlin and runner-up finish to Powell in Brussels. The 23-year-old Gambian-born Ndure has twice run 10.07, a Norwegian record. On the paper, the rest of the field is tightly bunched, with season’s bests in the 10-06-10.07 range. Among the most experienced is Briton Marlon Devonish, who’s been among the most consistent sprinters this summer, the best ever for the 31-year-old veteran. In Lausanne, he lowered his PB to 10.06, was sixth in Osaka, and a close runner-up to Ndure in Berlin last weekend. Notable too is the composition of the field. In Osaka, eight men from eight countries reached the final; in Stuttgart, seven countries will be represented including tiny Slovenia, with Osaka finalist Matic Osovnikar. Conversely, for the first time, no sprinter from the U.S. will toe the line.
200m
With World champion Tyson Gay still regrouping from his exhausting Osaka schedule, the class of the field over the half lap is his training partner, Wallace Spearmon. Following up on his bronze medal performance in Osaka - his second podium finish at the World championships in as many appearances - the 22-year-old arrives after victories in Brussels and Berlin –the former with a quick 19.88 - and a 19.82 season’s best to his credit. Spearmon apparently enjoys running late in the season; last year he produced his 19.65 career best in the waning days of September in Daegu.
Overshadowed by his compatriots, Rodney Martin has compiled a solid record this year. Since his third place finish at the notoriously difficult U.S. Championships in last June, we went on to finish fourth in Osaka, and last week was fourth and second in Brussels and Berlin. Jamaican veteran Christopher Williams, the silver medallist at the Worlds in 2001, was a finalist again this year and has run 20.17, making him a viable podium threat.
400m
With two-time World champion Jeremy Wariner deciding to wind down his season, the full lap will put the spotlight on his compatriot LaShawn Merritt. Last year Merritt finished third in 44.14, behind Wariner and Gary Kikaya, who ran to an African record 44.10. Merritt returns as the World silver medallist and considerably faster, having lowered his PB to 43.96 in the Osaka final.
Kikaya, the 26-year-old Congolese returns as well, but on the heels of a more low key season in which he failed to advance from the Osaka semi-final. More likely threats to Merritt is Angelo Taylor, the Osaka bronze medallist who lowered his PB this season to 44.05. Taylor has a busy weekend planned, contesting the flat 400 less than 55 minutes after the conclusion of the 400m Hurdles.
Also looking to be in the hunt are Canadian Tyler Christopher, who ran a near-PB 44.47 this year, and Australian John Steffensen.
WOMEN
100m
World champion Veronica Campbell, who captured the WAF double in 2004, has also decided to hang up her spikes for the season, given that her successful 2007 campaign, which also included a silver medal in the 200m, came on a return from serious injury. Despite her absence, a tightly-knit field promises a scintillating race.
Americans Lauryn Williams and Carmelita Jeter, second and third in Osaka, lead the field, along with Allyson Felix, the World 200m champion. Williams and Felix has season’s bests of 11.01, with Jeter just a hair behind in 11.02, although the latter arrives in Stuttgart after her victory in Berlin, a confidence-boosting first big race career win. Felix on the other hand arrives fresh to make her first appearance since her commanding Osaka triumph in 21.81.
Frenchwoman Christine Arron has also been enjoying a solid post-Osaka campaign, with a victory in Zurich and a runner-up finish in Brussels. Also in the race is double European champion Kim Gevaert of Belgium who beat Arron in Osaka.
200m
Minus Campbell and Felix, the women’s half lap is wide open. The fastest in the field this season is Muriel Hurtis-Houairi of France, who clocked 22.38 pre-Osaka, but didn’t illustrate similar form in Osaka.
Geveart and Williams arrive with the momentum of recent victories behind them; the Belgian took a resounding victory before a vociferous crowd in Brussels while Williams took the win in Berlin. American LaShauntea Moore has quietly lowered her career best to 22.46 this year, while Bahamian veteran Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie has run 22.47 this year, and recently finished second in Berlin.
400m
Whether she competed or not, Sanya Richards created the most headlines in the 400 this year, and is clearly the woman to beat. The 22-year-old American has produced the four quickest times of the season, has won virtually all of her races by significant margins, and last weekend sealed her perfect six-for-six Golden League season to collect a cool $500,000.
Her main challengers appear to be the British duo of Christine Ohuruogu and Nicola Sanders, who took gold and silver in Osaka in Richards’ absence. In Osaka, the pair lowered their career bests to 49.61 and 49.65 respectively, but have yet to mount a serious challenge to Richards. Jamiacan Novlene Williams, third in Osaka, is the fourth sub-50 gal in the field, and post-Osaka, finished second in Zurich and third in Brussels.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF