Dayron Robles (r) and David Oliver (l) fight it out in Paris - Meeting Areva (© Errol Anderson)
29 August 2011Daegu, Korea – Five titles will be up for grabs on the third day of action at the IAAF World Championships, Daegu 2011, with a strong spotlight falling on the gathering of giants in the men’s 110m Hurdles.
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Cuban Dayron Robles, Lius Xiang of China and David Oliver of the U.S. are the three fastest high hurdlers in history, and this season’s three fastest. Robles is the World record holder and Olympic champion, Liu Xiang the man Robles supplanted as both. And Oliver the dominant hurdler last season and this year the only man – so far – to have dipped under the 13 seconds. Given those heavy superlatives, it’s no surprise that to many, tonight’s showdown has been dubbed THE event of the Championships.
Throw in the rapidly improving American Jason Richardson, whose confidence is growing with each appearance, and you truly have the ingredients for an all-time classic.
But first they’ll have to survive the semi-finals which kick off the evening session at 7 p.m. local time.
Women’s 100m – Jeter vs Jamaica
Yohan Blake struck gold in the men’s 100m last night; will the title of ‘World’s Fastest Woman’ remain Jamaican property as well? The Caribbean Island nation certainly comes well armed with reigning World and Olympic champion Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce and Veronica Campbell-Brown, the twice Olympic 200m champion and World 100m winner in 2007. They’ll have to take down American Carmelita Jeter, this year’s fastest at 10.70, who’s very eager to improve on her two successive bronze medal finishes.
Yesterday’s opening round revealed little that wasn’t already known about their current form; the semis at 19:30 will reveal a bit more. The final is set for 21:45.
Women’s 400m - Richards-Ross vulnerable?
Three athletes managed to retain their 2009 titles in yesterday’s six finals. Sanya Richards-Ross will hope to add her name to that list in tonight’s 400m final, but she faces an uphill task. Standing in her way is this year’s most consistent, Amantle Montsho of Botswana, who has looked most impressive in the heats and semis. Allyson Felix, who is chasing a 200/400 double, looked comfortable as well.
Lavillenie ready to move up?
In the men’s Pole Vault, high-flying Frenchmen Renaud Lavillenie and Romain Mesnil will be looking to move up a step or two from their finishes in Berlin two years ago. The favourite remains Lavillenie, the world leader at 5.90m, but remember this is an event where surprises have been sprung in the past!
Adams gunning for title No. 3
Valerie Adams, one of only seven athletes to have won World titles as a Youth, Junior and Senior, will look to add to her legacy by becoming just the second three-time winner in the Shot Put. Her chief competition remains last year’s No. 1, Nadezhda Ostapchuk of Belarus, who’ll be looking for a second title to add to the one she captured in 2005. This year’s been all about Adams, though, who arrives undefeated in 10 competitions this year.
Heptathlon begins, focus on Ennis
Yesterday, Trey Hardee of the U.S. was recrowned the men’s ‘World’s Greatest Athlete’. Today Jessica Ennis will begin her quest to retain her title in the Heptathlon. The 25-year-old is the current world leader with a 6790-point tally in Gotzis, Austria, in May and has put up some impressive marks in individual events this season. Can she put it all together and become only the fourth woman in history to break the event’s magical 7000-point barrier?
Semis and Qualifying
Attention in the semis of the men’s 400m now fall squarely on defending champion Lashawn Merritt, whose blistering 44.35 run yesterday was the fastest opening round run ever at a global championships. Was it a mis-judged fast run on his part? Or a sign of faster things to come?
Meanwhile, competition gets under way with the qualifying rounds in the men’s and women’s 400m Hurdles, the men’s 3000m Steeplechase and men’s Discus Throw.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
