Liu Xiang en route to his Good Luck Beijing victory (© Getty Images)
Another big day, with six finals but it is on the qualification round of one event that 1 billion Chinese will be concentrating, and that’s because of the presence of Liu Xiang.
The nation expects their reigning World and Olympic champion to uphold national pride by capturing gold when the 110m Hurdles final is played out on Thursday 21 August.
First though that irritating business of qualification! As we saw at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia this winter it’s not always that easy especially in the sprint hurdles.
Cuban World record holder Dayron Robles who fell victim at the World Indoors will we imagine have learnt for his mistake, and will be the Chinese’s main opponent but don’t forget another sub-13 man, USA’s David Oliver, who beat Robles in Berlin on 1 June. For that matter do not overlook any of the American trio.
Due to a hamstring injury, Liu Xiang hasn't finished a race since his 13.18 victory on 23 May in the Olympic stadium when he won the test event which inaugurated the 'Bird's Nest'.
Bolt bolts back to the nest
But drawing the public’s attention equally close will be the first two rounds of the men’s 200 metres, where we will get two more looks at the amazing Usain Bolt.
After his World record of 9.69 seconds* for his second-string event, the 100m – and eased up at that – we can only to wonder what Bolt might do at his usual distance, 200m. It was thought that Michael Johnson’s 19.32 in Atlanta might last for perhaps two decades, but now it’s possible to get a bet down that it might not last for two more days.
Still, although Bolt will run one race in the morning and another in the evening today, he and Liu Xiang aren’t likely to completely steal the show from such events as the three women’s finals – the 800 metres, the Pole Vault, and the Discus Throw.
Kenya vs Kenya
The 800m shapes up as a battle between 24-year-old Kenyan Janeth Jepkoskei, the 2007 World champion, who ran away and hid from everyone last year, and 18-year-old Kenyan Pamela Jelimo, who has been doing the same thing this year. If anyone beats these two, she’ll have be able to stay close enough to a likely blistering pace yet conserve some energy for the final 200 metres – easy to say, but difficult to do in exactly the right proportions.
Among those giving it a try will be Russians Tatiana Andrianova and Svetlana Klyuka, both having run 1:56 this year, Hasna Benhassi (MAR), silver medallist in 2004 at Athens and 2007 in Osaka, and 35-year-old Maria Mutola, the 2000 Olympic gold medallist, competing in her fifth straight Olympic 800.
Overwhelming favourite
In the women’s Pole Vault, Russia’s World record holder, 2004 Olympic champion and 2005 and 2007 World champion Yelena Isinbayeva is the overwhelming choice. Only American Jen Stuczynski appears able to mount a credible challenge, with her new American record of 4.92 at least within hollering distance of Isinbayeva’s latest World record of 5.04. After these two, it’s a scramble for the bronze medal.
Wide open Discus final
The women’s Discus Throw, with world leader Darya Pishchalnikova (RUS) and 2007 World champion Franka Dietzsch both absent, is truly wide-open. Closest to a favourite would be Yarelis Barrios of Cuba, Nicoleta Grasu of Romania, or Yelena Antonova of Ukraine, who finished 3-4-6 in the 2007 Worlds. There’s even a chance that Americans Stephanie Brown Trafton or Aretha Thurmond might win a medal. The last time that happened was 1932, when Lillian Copeland won the gold in Los Angeles.
Saladino and a fast runway
The men’s Long Jump has already made history: it is the first time in the Olympic Games that there is not an American finalist (Americans have won 21 of 25 long jump gold medals). There is however, Panamanian Irving Saladino, the 2007 World champion, who leads world this year with a new PB of 8.73m. With so many top jumpers falling short in Saturday’s qualifying round, Saladino’s chief competitors would appear to be Ibrahim Camejo of Cuba (8.46 this year) and Louis Tsatsoumas of Greece (8.44).
The Long Jump runways here are lightning fast, which is why some of the best jumpers had step trouble and didn’t qualify. Even Saladino fouled twice before qualifying with a “safe” 8.01. But, assuming he’s adjusted his run-up to the runway, we might see something special from him today.
Kenya again?
The men’s 3000m Steeplechase has virtually become Kenya’s property. Since 1988, Kenyan steeplers have won every Olympic gold medal and 12 out of 15 total medals. In last year’s World Championships in Osaka, Kenyans Brimin Kipruto, Ezekiel Kemboi, and Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong finished 1-2-3, and they’re back for an encore here (Kemboi and Kipruto also finished 1-2 in Athens in 2004).
Some Kenyan officials were annoyed when Saturday’s qualifying races were won by others while their trio were content to just qualify, but you can bet they won’t be playing games tonight. Closest qualifiers to the Kenyans on the 2008 world list are Tariq Mubarak Taher of Bahrain and Benjamin Kiplagat of Uganda.
US sweep?
In the evening’s final race, the men’s 400m Hurdles, shapes up as a possible U.S. sweep of all three medals. The American entrants, 2007 World champion Kerron Clement, 2005 World champion Bershawn Jackson, and 2000 Olympic champion Angelo Taylor have the three fastest PBs and the three fastest times this year.
It’s especially hard to imagine that one of them won’t win, but if any of them falters, 2004 Olympic silver medalist Danny McFarlane of Jamaica is the most likely to break into the medals. Note: in a fast race, and this should be one, even the best hurdlers may have trouble with the last two hurdles, so keep your eyes open as they come into the homestretch.
There’ll also be semi-finals in both women’s hurdle races, and qualifying competition in the men’s 400 metres, and Triple Jump, and in the women’s Hammer Throw.
James Dunaway for the IAAF
