Friday, August 12, 2011

IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011 – Two Weeks To Go

Monte-Carlo - In just two weeks time, the focus of the sporting world will fall firmly on Daegu, Korea, as the 13th edition of the IAAF World Championships gets underway on 27 August.

Over nine thrilling days of competition, more than 2000 athletes from more than 200 countries will be competing at the world’s largest sporting event in 2011. Here’s just a brief sampling of some of the sizzling action to watch out for when competition begins two weeks from today:

Men’s 100 and 200m – Can Usain Bolt defend?
It’s difficult to imagine that any athlete will be more closely watched than double World record holder Usain Bolt. While the Jamaican’s legendary World records of 9.58 and 19.19 from the last edition of the World

Championships have clearly set him apart, Bolt will still face a significant challenge.

At the moment, Bolt isn’t even the fastest of the season in the 100m. That honour belongs to his compatriot Asafa Powell, the former World record holder, at 9.78, sho is determined to win his first World title. Look too for U.S. champion Walter Dix, the reigning Olympic bronze medallist, who will be looking to spring a surprise.
With a 19.86 to his credit this season in the 200m, Bolt will arrive in Daegu as the world’s fastest, and again it will be Dix, the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist in this event as well, who’ll pose the biggest threat.

Women’s 100 and 200m – Once again, U.S. vs. Jamaica

Double ambitions figure prominently in the women’s sprints, where U.S. 100m champion Carmelita Jeter and Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown, a twice Olympic 200 champion, are expected to figure prominently.
Jeter’s been the top 100m sprinter in the world over the past few seasons, but has yet to win a World title. Campbell-Brown, who struck World title in 2007, improved her career best to 10.76 this year, second only to Jeter’s 10.70. Campbell-Brown emerged victorious at their two most recent meetings, and holds a significant 17-6 lifetime edge over Jeter, the second fastest woman in history at 10.64 (2009).

In the 200m, it will be Campbell-Brown who will be looking for her first World gold in her favourite event. Jeter, who recently improved to 22.20 with her victory in Monaco, will be a significant factor here while both will be trying to unseat Allyson Felix (USA), who’ll be chasing an unprecedented fourth consecutive 200m title. Felix has double ambitions of her own and will kick off her fifth World Championships appearance in the 400m.

Men’s and women’s sprint Hurdles – too close to call?

With history’s three fastest men – Dayron Robles (12.87), Liu Xiang (12.88) and David Oliver (12.89) – taking to the line, the men’s 110m Hurdles may just be THE race of the championships. Underscoring the rivalry, the trio will be arriving in Daegu as the three fastest of the season. But look out for Jason Richardson of the U.S., a former World youth champion who is catching up quickly. World leader Oliver (12.94) beat Xiang (13.00) in Eugene; Robles (13.04) beat Oliver in Paris and London; and Richardson (13.08) beat Oliver in Stockholm.

The women’s 100m Hurdles promises to be just as close and unpredictable as the men’s. Olympic silver medallist Sally Pearson is the world leader at 12.48, a scant .02 quicker than rising U.S. star Kellie Wells. With a 12.52 career best this season, veteran Danielle Caruthers is in the midst of her finest season. The third U.S. entrant, Dawn Harper, is the reigning Olympic champion. The form chart however is clearly with Pearson at the moment who, with her injury woes behind her, will arrive with a 10-meet winning streak.

Men’s Pole Vault – Hooker vs Lavillenie

Bolt’s historical double aside, one of the most compelling moments at the 2009 World Championships came when Olympic champion Steve Hooker, clearly injured and battling pain, managed to secure the title with only two jumps. Taking the bronze was rising French star and his fellow 6-metre club member Renaud Lavillenie, who in the interim has become the world’s No. 1 pole vaulter. Lavillenie will arrive as the world leader at 5.90m, while Hooker, who only began his season in late July, arrives largely untested this season. Can the Australian’s big meet heroics continue?

Women’s Javelin Throw - Three going for gold

Another keenly contested event, which will bring together the event’s big three, with the gold clearly up for grabs: Olympic champion and World record holder Barbora Špotáková of the Czech Republic, the current world leader at 69.45m; Germany’s Christina Obergföll, the winner in Eugene, New York, Paris and London; and Russia's Maria Abakumova, the Olympic silver medallist and World bronze medallist in 2009. Together, the trio have produced 19 of the season’s 20 best throws.

Men’s 800m – Rudisha vs Kaki

They’re both only 22 years old, yet Kenyan David Rudisha and Abubaker Kaki of Sudan have already created one of the fiercest rivalries in the sport: Rudisha, the World record holder at 1:41.01 and Kaki, the two-time World indoor champion whose 1:42.23 ranks him as the fifth fastest of all-time. Respectively, the first and fifth fastest men of all-time, but neither has won a World title outdoors. Lifetime, Kaki has a 5-4 edge head-to-head, but in their last three meetings, Rudisha has had the upper hand, most recently in London where Rudisha extended his winning streak to 23.

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