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Previews19 Aug 2008


Beijing 2008 - Day 6 PREVIEW

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Usain Bolt dwarfs the opposition in the 200m quarter finals (© Getty Images)

BeijingThe men’s 200metres finalwhich has been building since Jamaica’s Usain Bolt set his 9.69 seconds world record while winning the 100 metres last Saturday – is finally here. It should be the high point of a day which has two other finals, two key semifinals, and qualifications in three events.

In his 200 semifinal on Tuesday, Bolt ran the turn hard, and raced side by side down the straightaway with 2004 Olympic gold medalist Shawn Crawford (USA). Both were running at far less than top speed; Bolt “won,” 20.09 to 20.12, with Wallace Spearmon charging up to take third in 20.14.  In the other semi, Curandy Martina (AHO) ran the turn hard and kept it up down the straight to post a 20.11 and edge Brian Dzingai (ZIM, 20.17) and his former Florida State University teammate, American Walter Dix (20.19), who came out of the curve in fifth and had to run hard to get up for third. 

All the above is provided as background for Wednesday’s final. After four rounds of 100s and three 200s, Bolt admits he is tired, but he also says, “I’m going to run my heart out,” in the final. And unless he is injured in the process or makes a really terrible mistake in the final, he is expected to win as he pleases. Many of the other finalists, one suspects, may be saying to themselves what Zimbabwean Dzingai said openly, “I’m not going to beat him, I’ll just do my best.”

One thing you can figure is that the race should be fast. With four of the finalists having run sub-20-seconds --  Spearmon, 19.65; Bolt, 19.67; Dix and Crawford, both 19.86 -- and Martina and Dzingai close to 20 flat, on this fast racing strip, how can it not be fast!

Jamaica v USA in women's 400m Hurdles

The other final on the track is in the women’s 400-metre hurdles, and it should be a  sizzler. The women with the three fastest times this year  are Melaine Walker (JAM) at 53.48, Tiffany Ross-Williams (USA) at 53.54, and Sheena Johnson Tosta (USA) at 53.58. The next fastest in the race is Poland’s Anna Jesien at 54.30, so unless one of more of them makes a serious mistake, the top three should get all the medals. And with only 0.10 second between them, it’s impossible to guess which will take the gold – which makes it all the better for watching!

The women’s hammer has come a long way since 2000, when 17-year-old Kamila Skolimowska won the gold medal with a throw of 71. 16m. This year’s leading thrower going into the final is the 77.32 by Aksana Miankova of Belarus, and three others are close – Martina Hrasnova (SVK, 76.82), Darya Pchelnik (BLR, 76.33), and 2004 silver medalist Yipsi Moreno of Cuba, 76.16.  Two others who must be considered in the mix are 2007 World champion Betty Heidler of Germany (74.11 this year) and China’s home favourite Zhang Wenxiu, only 73.52 this year, but third in the 2007 Worlds behind Heidler and Moreno.

With China’s 2004 gold medalist, Liu Xiang, and two-time Olympic silver medalist Terrence Trammell both out of the 110-meter Hurdles, the semifinals should give co-favourites Dayron Robles of Cuba, World record holder at 12.87, and American David Oliver (12.95 this year), the chance to get more familiar with this very fast track and the problems it can create for very fast hurdlers by bringing them too close to the hurdles.

The women’s 200-metres semifinals will move us another step closer to the anticipated showdown between 2004 Olympic gold medalist Veronica Campbell of Jamaica and 2007 World champion Allyson Felix of the U.S.

There will also be qualifying heats in the men’s 800 metres and the men’s 5,000 metres, where 15 will advance directly to Saturday’s final. Among the entrants in the 5,000 are two already-crowned Beijing gold medalists – 1,500-metre winner Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain and 10,000-metres champion Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia. And finally, the qualifying round for the men’s Pole Vault will be held in the evening.

James Dunaway for the IAAF

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