Osleidys Menendez of Cuba wins gold in the women's javelin (© Getty Images)
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The start-list of the World Athletics Final is decided according to the IAAF World Rankings, with athletes who are in the top 7 positions (11 positions for the races of 1500m and over) in each event automatically qualifying.
The date upon which the IAAF Rankings are calculated with respect to the World Athletics Final, is after the TDK Golden League meeting in Berlin on Sunday 12 September, which is the last IAAF outdoor meeting of the season.
Consequently, our previews are as accurate as possible given that no one can predict the results which might occur during the course of the next week or if an athlete is available or fit enough to compete.
Click here to go to the current IAAF World Rankings------------
Throws
Men - Shot, Discus, Javelin
With compelling Olympic throws competitions that began at the ancient stadium at Olympia and ended with a upset Javelin win on the final day, along with a near wWrld record in between, a repeat throws performance in Monaco is perhaps too much to ask for. But with virtually all Athens medallists expected next weekend, a spectacular curtain call is indeed very much in the works.
After their historic competition at Olympia, the top five finishers in the Olympic Shot Put bring their battle to Monaco. Olympic champion Yuriy Bilonog of Ukraine leads the field, along with silver medallist Adam Nelson and Dane Joachim Olsen, who captured bronze. The animated Nelson, whose best effort at the Olympics equalled that of Bilonog, hopes for some measure of revenge here.
The rest of the field is solid as well. Spaniard Manuel Martinez and World champion Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus, fourth and fifth in Athens, promise to make the season’s final showdown an intense one. American Reese Hoffa, who didn’t advance to the final in Olympia, hopes to end his solid season, one which saw him claim the silver medal at the World Indoor championships, in a big way. Perhaps having the biggest score to settle is world leader Christian Cantwell (22.54), whose only off day of the year came on the worst of days, the U.S. Olympic trials. This year’s World Indoor champion, Cantwell returns to Monaco to defend his title, the first major win of his young career.
The three Olympic medallists in the Discus top the field in Monaco, led by Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna. The Lithuanian dominated the field in Athens, setting an Olympic record 69.89 en route to his second consecutive Olympic title. Alekna has waged a nearly flawless campaign this year. The 32-year-old, also the World champion in the event, will be a prohibitive favourite in Monaco.
Hungary’s Zoltán Kövágó and Aleksander Tammert of Estonia, the silver and bronze medallists, will provide the strongest attack on Alekna’s dominance. Spaniard Mario Pestano and German legend Lars Riedel, have each thrown beyond 68 metres this year, and always remain viable threats.
Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen, whose 86.50 personal best captured Olympic gold, leads the field in the Javelin. The 22-year-old World Junior record holder’s lead-up to Athens included solid wins in Stockholm and London, and in Monaco aims to show that he can sustain his bi meet credentials.
Bronze medallist Sergey Makarov, who won here last year after claiming the World championship in Paris, returns to defend his title. Russian Alexandr Ivanov, the world leader at 87.73, Andrus Värnik of Estonia and Latvian Eriks Rags, fifth, sixth and seventh in Athens, are all expected here as well. Of the four men who have throw 87 metres or further this season - Ivanov, Värnik, American Breaux Greer and German Peter Esenwein - only the injured Greer in unlikely to compete in Monaco.
Women - Shot, Discus, Javelin
A parade of Olympic finalists is expected in the women’s throws as well. In the shot put, the top five six finishers at Olympia have earned their ticket to Monaco, led by Olympic champion Yumileidi Cumbá. The 29-year-old Cuban, bronze medallist at the World Indoor championships, opened the season with two runner-up finishes in the spring, but has been unbeaten since.
Silver medallist Nadine Kleinert of Germany, who reached a season’s best 19.55 at Olympia, leads the challenge. Russian Svetlana Krivelyova, the Olympic bronze medallist, looks to improve on her runner-up performance here last year. The Belorussian duo of Nadezhda Ostapchuk and Natalia Khoroneko, fourth and fifth at Olympia, are expected as well, along with Poland’s Krystyna Zabawska.
The Discus competition is expected to feature the top five finishers from Athens, topped by gold medallist Natalya Sadova. Capping a sensational season, the 32-year-old Russian, also the 2001 World champion, took top honours in Athens with a 67.02 effort, a distance surpassed by only three others this year.
Sadova, who threw a season’s best 68.63 at July’s Znamensky Memorial, has won seven of her nine competitions this year. Sadova, number two on the yearly performance list, will be joined by silver medallist Anastasia Kelesídou of Greece, and bronze medallist Irina Yatchenko of Belarus. The 38-year-old Yatchenko is the world leader after her personal best 69.14 throw in July while Kelesídou, who threw 67.03 in June, has the year’s fifth farthest throw.
Czech Vera Pospíšilová-Cechlová, fourth in Athens, is looking to defend her World Athletics Final title. Ukrainian Olena Antonova, fifth in Athens, U.S. champion Aretha Hill, and Greek national record holder Ekateríni Vóggoli, whose 67.72 is the year’s third best effort, are expected as well.
Olympic champion Osleidys Menéndez tops a solid field in the Javelin, one that boasts at least six of the seven top finishers from Athens, and at least seven of the season’s farthest throwers. After her 71.53 Olympic record toss in Athens, an effort that was a mere centimetre shy of her own World record and nearly six metres better than the rest of the field, the 24-year-old Cuban is truly in a class by herself.
With Menéndez’s dominance this season, Germany’s Stefi Nerius, who threw a personal best 65.82 to claim silver in Athens, should be satisfied to duplicate her runner-up finish from last year. Czech Nikola Brejchová, Cuban Sonia Bisset, and Bahamian Laverne Eve, fourth, fifth and sixth in Athens, should also show.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
The men’s Discus, women’s Shot Put and Javelin throw will be contested on Saturday, with the men’s Shot Put and Javelin and women’s Discus competition scheduled for Sunday.
IAAF World Athletics Final
Monaco, MON, 18 and 19 September 2004.
