Zhou Chunxiu on her way to her London win (© Getty Images)
BeijingToday’s finals include, among other things, the finals of the shortest and longest women’s races – the 100 metres and the Marathon – along with the men’s 10,000m and Hammer Throw, the women’s Triple Jump, and the first-ever Olympic women’s 3000m Steeplechase. There will also be semi-finals in the men’s 1500 metres and the women’s 400 metres, and qualifying rounds in the women’s 100- and 400-metre Hurdles races, and the men’s High Jump.
Women's Marathon starts the day
The day starts at 7:30 a.m. with the women’s Marathon. It is a stunning field, with 13 starters having run under 2:23 and four of history’s eight sub-2:20 performers: Paula Radcliffe (GBR, 2:15:25); 2007 World champion and Athens silver medallist Catherine Ndereba (KEN, 2:18:47); Athens bronze medalist Deena Kastor (USA, 2:19:36); and Chinese star Zhou Chungxiu (2:19:51), who ran second to Ndereba in Osaka a year ago.
Ordinarily Radcliffe, three minutes faster than anyone in history, would be an odds-on favorite, but she has had a series of nagging injuries – most recently, unbelievably, being bitten on the toe by a poisonous spider – and we can’t be sure that she’ll start, or how far she might be able to run. On the other hand, she IS Paula Radcliffe if she runs, she will probably go as hard as she can for as far as she can. Ndereba, Zhou and Reiko Tosa (JPN) staged an epic 1-2-3 battle in that steamy Osaka race, and if Radcliffe falters one of them, or Kastor, have to be favoured. And you have to believe than the cheers of hundreds of thousands of Chinese along the course will inspire Zhou, and could make the difference.
And of course, in a Marathon, anything can happen. Check the leaders at the 30 km mark and place your bets.
At the other end of the speed scale, we’ll find out who the world’s fastest woman is.
Women's Triple Jump, men's Hammer Throw Champions to be crowned
With the four longest active jumpers in the field, the women’s triple jump should be all that we’ve come to expect in Olympic and World championship competition in this event. That means lots of 15-metres-plus jumps and frequent lead changes throughout all six rounds. The four are Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS, 15.34), 2004 Olympic bronze medallist and 2007 Worlds silver medallist; Hrysopiyi Devetsi (GRE, 15.32), second in Athens and third in Osaka; Francois Mbangi (CMR, 15.30), 2004 Olympic champion; and Yargeris Savigne (CUB, 15.28). They may not win all the medals between them, but whoever else jumps her way into the top three will become an instant star.
One name stands out in the men’s Hammer Throw final: Belarus’ Ivan Tikhon (Tsikhan), whose PB of 86.73 metres is second on the all-time list and whose best this year of 84.51 is more than two metres better than anyone else this season. Behind him are four men only 50 cm apart this year – Krisztian Pars (HUN, 81.96), Koji Murofushi (JPN, 81.87), Vadim Devyatovskiy (BLR, 81.70), and Primoz Kozmus (SLO, 81.46).
Bekele on tap to defend 10,000m
Last race of the evening will be the classic men’s 10,000 metres. Can two-time Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie (1996, 2004), now 35 years old, come back to challenge his fellow-Ethiopian, 2004 gold medallist and current World champion and World record holder Kenenisa Bekele? Also to be considered are 2004 silver and bronze Olympic medallists Sileshi Sihine and Zersenay Tadesse. Bekele, whose best time this year is a stunning 26:25.97, a full 24 seconds faster than anyone else, has to be a strong favourite. But many watchers will be cheering for the sunny-faced smiler Gebrselassie, who has won millions of fans in his more-than-a-decade at the top.
The women’s 3000-metre Steeplechase brings back the top four Osaka finishers – 1-2 Russians Yekaterina Volkova and Tatiana Petrova, and 3-4 Kenyans to to avenge the loss - Eunice Jepkorir and Ruth Nyangau. They figure to be in at the finish, and if the weather isn’t too hot, the winner could be the first to go under nine minutes. World record holder Gulnara Galkina-Samitova (RUS, 9:01.59) who faded to seventh in Osaka, also has to be given a good chance to win this historic race.
Lagat and Ramzi lead 1500m semis
Both men’s 1500m semifinals should be “hot.” World champion Bernard Lagat (USA) and Rashid Ramzi (BRN), 1-2 in the 2007 Worlds, are both in the second semi here, and Ramzi is burning to avenge the loss, witness his 3:32.89 (with a 50-second last 400 metres) in Friday’s first round.
James Dunaway for the IAAF
