LRC: More Stirring Drama Ahead - Previews of Men's 10k, 400m, 200m and 110m Hurdles by: John Kellogg August 16, 2008
Welcome to the third installment in our series of Olympic Track and Field previews. We give you extensive overviews of upcoming distance events, followed by briefer looks at other events of interest. Following each event preview is a descending order list of the principal contenders and the American entrants, their best marks and their results in individual events in Olympic Games and World Championships. More installments will follow as start lists are determined.
To see our first installment, which previews the women's 10,000m, men's 1,500m, women's 800m, men's and women's steeples and men's 100m, click here. To see the second installment, which previews the women's marathon, the men's 400m hurdles and the women's pole vault, click here.
Men's 10,000m: Bekele Leads Ethiopia Sunday, August 17, 10:45 AM (East Coast Time)
Overview
On the heels of Tirunesh Dibaba's
gold-winning, Olympic record-setting performance in the women's
10,000m, the Ethiopian team is favored to strike gold again on the
men's side but hopes for better showings from their second and third
entrants. Kenenisa Bekele, the current King of
Distance, has won the last four global championships, owns 4 of the top
6 all-time performances (including the last two world records) and is a
massive favorite to defend his Olympic title. Bekele ran a US
all-comers record time of 26:25.97 at the Pre Classic in June and seems
as ready as ever to continue his stranglehold on the event. Collecting gold medals
may seem de rigeur for Bekele, but his victories have not been of the
wave-to-the-crowd variety, and he should be tested again in these Games.
As has been the case in the last three global championships, Bekele's closest pursuer is likely to be his countryman Sileshi Sihine,
nicknamed by track buffs as "Mr. Silver" for obvious reasons. The man
with the second-best finishing kick in the world is a clear pre-race
choice to occupy his customary position on the podium. Zersenay Tadese
of Eritrea was the bronze medallist in Athens and has remained within
striking distance of medals in the intervening World Championships, but
his greatest moment came in the boiling cauldron of Kenya when his won
the 2007 World Cross-Country title. The screaming Kenyan fans
celebrated the Eritrean's victory as if he was one of their own, owing
to the fact that the host nation's bitter Ethiopian rival Bekele, the
5-time champ coming in, succumbed to the sweltering heat and dropped
out shortly after losing ground to Tadese. The Eritrean has been
among the top five in the world on the track, road and cross-country
and is always there in the closing laps. Tadese has the Olympic bronze
from Athens, but the most recent global bronze medallist is Martin Mathathi of Kenya, who earned the medal behind Bekele and Sihine in Osaka last year. Boniface Kiprop
(Uganda) has come within one spot of the medal stand on two occasions,
his highest international honor coming with a gold medal at the 2006
Commonwealth Games. Two other athletes in the top 10 on the all-time
list are Ahmad Hassan Abdullah (Qatar), who has a bronze medal from the 2004 World Half and just missed in the 10,000m in the Athens Olympics, and Kenya's Micah Kogo (#6 all-time), who will be making his first global track appearance.
The real darkhorse stands to be Moses Masai of Kenya, who
tops the 2008 world list in the 5,000m with 12:50.55 and won the Kenyan
Trials at 10,000m in the altitude of Nairobi. Masai has no global
championship track experience at the senior level but was 5th in the 2008
World Cross-Country and has been far more imposing on the track this season.
The sentimental choice for a medal may be the Great One, Haile Gebrselassie,
in what will presumably be his international swan song in the event.
Geb has won six outdoor and four indoor global track titles, has set 18
world records on the track and 7 additional world bests on the road in
his unrivaled career, his latest global mark coming on Sept. 30th, 2007
in Berlin, when he averaged 4:44.75 per mile (2:56.94 per kilometer) to run
2:04:26 for the marathon. His last global championship came in the
Sydney Olympics; he passed the Olympic 10,000m crown to countryman
Bekele four years ago in Athens, finishing 5th in that race, and his
chances for a medal are marginal but remain alive.
American Abdi Abdirahman has not posted the sub-27:00
marks the others boast, but is a veteran of two Olympic Games and three
Worlds, with a best finish of 7th in the 2007 Worlds. Fresh off a 27:16.99 near-American record and a US Trials victory, Abdirahman hopes to move up the global ranks in Beijing.
Picks
1.) Bekele 2.) Sihine 3.) Masai
Major Contenders
Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) 2008 Best: 26:25.97 Lifetime Best: 26:17.53 (world record) (2005) Global Championship Highlights:
2004 Olympic Champion, 2003, 2005, 2007 World Champion, six-time World
Cross-Country long course Champion, five-time world Cross-Country short
course Champion
Sileshi Sihine (Ethiopia) 2008 Best: 26:50.33 Lifetime Best: 26:39.69 (2004) Global Championship Highlights: Silver medal in 2004 Olympics, silver medals in 2005 and 2007 World Championships, bronze medal in 2003 World Championships
Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia) 2008 Best: 26:51.20 Lifetime Best: 26:22.75 (#2 all-time) (1998) Global Championship Highlights:
1996 and 2000 Olympic Champion, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999 World Champion,
silver medal in 2003 World Championships, bronze medal in 2001 World
Championships, 5th in 2004 Olympics
Leonard Komon (Kenya) 2008 Best: 26:57.08 Global Championship Highlights: No prior global appearances in 10,000m, silver medal in 2008 World Cross-Country
Kidane Tadasse (Eritrea) 2008 Best: 27:06.16 Global Championship Highlights: No prior appearances
Abdi Abdirahman (USA) 2008 Best: 27:16.99 Global Championship Highlights: 7th in 2007 World Championships, appearances in 2000 and 2004 Olympics and 2001 and 2005 World Championships
Boniface Kiprop (Uganda) 2008 Best: 27:19.26 Lifetime Best: 26:39.77 (2005) Global Championship Highlights:
4th in 2004 Olympics, 4th in 2005 World Championships, 10th in 2007
World Championships
Ahmad Hassan Abdullah (Qatar) 2008 Best: 27:35.67 Lifetime Best: 26:38.76 (#10 all-time) (2003) Global Championship Highlights:
4th in 2003 World Championships, bronze medal in 2004 World Half
Marathon Championships, 8th in 2008 World Cross-Country, 12th in 2007
World Cross-Country
Galen Rupp (USA) 2008 Best: 27:43.11 Lifetime Best: 27:33.48 Global Championship Highlights: 11th in 2007 World Championships
Jorge Torres (USA) 2008 Best: 27:46.33 Lifetime Best: 27:42.91 (2007) Global Championship Highlights: No global appearances in 10,000m, finalist in 5,000m in 2003 World Championships, 19th in 2008 World Cross-Country
Moses Masai (Kenya) 2008 Best: 28:02.03 (5,450 ft. altitude) Lifetime Best: 26:49.20 (2007) Global Championship Highlights: No prior global appearances in 10,000m, 5th in 2008 World Cross-Country
Martin Mathathi (Kenya) 2008 Best: 28:03.95 (5,450 ft. altitude) Lifetime Best: 27:08.42 (2005) Global Championship Highlights: Bronze medal in 2007 World Championships, 5th in 2005 World Championships
Micah Kogo (Kenya) 2008 Best: 28:08.92 (5,450 ft. altitude) Lifetime Best: 26:35.63 (#6 all-time) (2006) No prior appearances
Zersenay Tadese (Eritrea) 2008 Best: No mark Lifetime Best: 26:37.25 (#8 all-time) (2006) Global Championship Highlights:
Bronze medal in 2004 Olympics, 4th in 2007 World Championships, 6th in
2005 World Championships, 2007 World Cross-Country Champion
Men's 400m:The Rubber Match Is Here
Sunday, August 17, 9:00 PM (East Coast Time)
Overview
Olympic and 2-time World Champion Jeremy Wariner
has had only the stopwatch as competition since his Olympic triumph in
Athens as a 20-year-old rising junior at Baylor. This season, however,
the 3rd-fastest 400m runner of all time is finally faced with a serious
challenger in LaShawn Merritt, runner-up to Wariner
in last year's Worlds and a member of the select sub-44 fraternity. The
growing rivalry has seesawed throughout the year, with Merritt
defeating Wariner in Berlin on June 1st and again at the US Trials,
casting doubt on the Olympic Champion's continued supremacy, but Wariner made the latest statements via first a photo finish win and
then a convincing triumph over Merritt in Europe, the latter producing
the year's fastest time. As a sidebar, Wariner's early losses to
Merritt generated head shaking among track fans concerning his
decision to leave his coach Clyde Hart, perhaps the
greatest 400m guru in history, over a contract dispute. But the
defending champ has apparently regained his control of the event and
heads into the Olympics as a slight favorite. The decisive showdown is
up next.
Assuming Wariner and Merritt wage their own private battle ahead of the
field, there is still another medal up for grabs. The man who all
summer has looked set to claim it is Chris Brown
of the Bahamas, who has finished behind Wariner twice in Europe but
ahead of all other medal hopefuls, and ranks a decisive 3rd on the
yearly descending order list with a 44.40 mark. Brown finished 4th in
the 2007 Worlds behind an American medal sweep and, with Osaka bronze
medallist Angelo Taylor running the
hurdles in Beijing, Brown seems favored to grab some hardware, but it
will not be without a battle. Only 0.01 seconds behind Brown in Osaka
was Frenchman Leslie Djhone, who clocked a PR of
44.46. Djhone has been nearly a half second slower this season, his
44.95 mark coming in a losing effort in Monaco, but he has been a
finalist in three global championships and should be a medal threat if
healthy.
Former Indiana Hoosier David Neville
came up big to grab the final Olympic spot with a PR 44.61 at the US
Trials. The Americans produced a clean sweep of the medals in Athens four years ago,
underscoring the fact that the USA's 400m runners face many of their
toughest tests in the States and are superbly prepared for the
Olympics. Hence, any man who makes the US squad in this event has a chance for a
medal, and Neville is no exception. Tyler Christopher,
2005 Worlds bronze medallist, won the gold at this year's World Indoors
but looked flat and finished well back in the field in Stockholm, where
Wariner won over Brown in 44.29. Nonetheless, the Canadian is the only
entrant besides Wariner to own an individual gold medal and
should make a run at the podium. Great Britain's Martyn Rooney has had a breakout year, lowering his PR by 0.63 seconds to 44.72 and putting himself in the fray. Former Florida State star Ricardo Chambers of Jamaica, Renny Quow of Trindad and Tobago, and Nigeria's James Godday have all competed in World Championships and likewise seek to at least make the final.
Picks
1.) Wariner 2.) Merritt 3.) Brown
Major Contenders
Jeremy Wariner (USA) 2008 Best: 43.86 Lifetime Best: 43.45 (#3 all-time) (2007) Global Championship Highlights: 2004 Olympic Champion, 2005 and 2007 World Champion
LaShawn Merritt (USA) 2008 Best: 44.00 Lifetime Best: 43.96 (#8 all-time) (2007) Global Championship Highlights: Silver medal in 2007 World Championships
Chris Brown (Bahamas) 2008 Best: 44.40 Global Championship Highlights: Bronze medals in 2006 and 2008 World Indoors, 4th in 2007 World Championships
David Neville (USA) 2008 Best: 44.61 Global Championship Highlights: Semifinalist in 2008 World Indoors
Andretti Bain (Jamaica) 2008 Best: 44.62 Global Championship Highlights: No prior appearances
Tyler Christopher (Canada) 2008 Best: 44.71 Global Championship Highlights: 2008 World Indoor Champion, bronze medal in 2005 World Championships, 6th in 2007 World Championships
Martyn Rooney (Great Britain) 2008 Best: 44.72 Global Championship Highlights:
Eliminated in first round in 2007 World Championships
Ricardo Chambers (Jamaica) 2008 Best: 44.84 Lifetime Best: 44.62 (2007) Global Championship Highlights: Semifinalist in 2007 World Championships
Renny Quow (Trinidad and Tobago) 2008 Best: 44.89 Global Championship Highlights: Eliminated in first round in 2007 World Championships
James Godday (Nigeria) 2008 Best: 44.90 Global Championship Highlights: Semifinalist in 2005 World Championships
Leslie Djhone (France) 2008 Best: 44.95 Lifetime Best: 44.46 (2007) Global Championship Highlights: 5th in 2003 and 2007 World Championships, 7th in 2004 Olympics, eliminated in first round of 2005 World Championships
Men's 200m:Could The Unthinkable Record Really Fall?
Sunday, August 17, 10:05 PM (East Coast Time)
Overview
Usain Bolt is of course the new Olympic Champion with an utterly shocking world record
in the 100m, but it is in the longer sprint where the "Lightning
Bolt" generates perhaps even more excitement, if possible, as it seems the world has
not yet seen him unleash the hounds in the 200m. The imposing Jamaican
has gracefully galloped to two of the most impressive performances in
the history of the event this season, embarrassing some of the world's
best 200m men and posting the 5th-fastest mark of all time with such
apparent ease that talk of Michael Johnson's seemingly untouchable world record began to emerge even before these Olympics. Then came the 100m final. The sight of Bolt's monster 9.69 with a celebration in the final 15 meters may unbelievably supersede the memory of Johnson's awesome dash in Atlanta. It seems Bolt has the dynamic power of a horse among mere men and could trot to gold in the 200m. The world has never seen such a sprinting specimen. The question remains, "How fast can this incredible man run all-out?"
The USA is somewhat more dominant in this event than in the short dash,
producing the only men besides Bolt to clock sub-20 marks this season. Tyson Gay,
last year's World Champion, will not contest the 200m at the Olympics
as a consequence of his injury DNF at the US Trials, which is
particularly unfortunate inasmuch as he holds down the #2 spot on the
all-time world list (19.62) and a showdown between a healthy Gay and the truly unbelievable Bolt in the long sprint
would have been an epic event, although Bolt does look invincible at this point. Not to worry; the USA does not lose much
firepower, if any, with Gay's absence. The Yanks bring to the Games the
defending Olympic Champion in Shawn Crawford and the #4 and #7 performers in history, Wallace Spearmon and Walter Dix.
Any of the trio could be a potential spoiler to Bolt, but the
Jamaican's iron-fisted rule of the event this season has been so
authoritative that it seems a jaw-dropping performance may be needed to
challenge him. Dix, the new bronze medallist in the 100m, won the US Trials over Crawford in an extremely
tight race, with the top 4 under 20 seconds, and the Americans seem
poised to haul in a couple of medals.
The list of challengers to Bolt and the Americans is a short one. Marvin Anderson (Jamaica) and Churandy Martina
(Netherlands Antilles) were both finalists in last year's Worlds and
odds are good they will reach the Olympic final, but either would need
a breakthrough performance to garner a medal. Martina may be on track with his superb 4th-place showing in the 100m, but he faces extremely stiff competition. Former Texas standout Brendan Christian
(Antigua and Barbuda) has limited international success, his highest
honor coming with a win at last year's Pan American Games, yet he finds
himself in good position with the 5th-fastest 2008 clocking among the
Olympic contestants, and could make some noise.
Picks
1.) Bolt 2.) Dix 3.) Crawford
Major Contenders
Usain Bolt (Jamaica) 2008 Best: 19.67 (#5 all-time) Global Championship Highlights: Silver medal in 2007 World Championships, 8th in 2005 World Championships, 2008 Olympic 100m Champion
Walter Dix (USA) 2008 Best: 19.86 Lifetime Best: 19.69 (#7 all-time) (2007) Global Championship Highlights: No prior global appearances in 200m, bronze medal in 100m in 2008 Olympics
Shawn Crawford (USA) 2008 Best: 19.86 Lifetime Best: 19.79 (2004) Global Championship Highlights: 2004 Olympic Champion, 2001 World Indoor Champion, bronze medal in 2001 World Championships
Wallace Spearmon (USA) 2008 Best: 19.90 Lifetime Best: 19.65 (#4 all-time) (2006) Global Championship Highlights: Silver medal in 2005 World Championships, bronze medal in 2007 World Championships
Brendan Christian (Antigua and Barbuda) 2008 Best: 20.12 Global Championship Highlights:
Semifinalist in 100m and 200m in 2007 World Championships,
quarterfinalist in 2004 Olympics, semifinalist in 60m in 2008 World
Indoors
Marvin Anderson (Jamaica) 2008 Best: 20.17 Lifetime Best: 20.06 (2007) Global Championship Highlights: 6th in 2007 World Championships
Churandy Martina (Netherlands Antilles) 2008 Best: 20.17(A) Global Championship Highlights: 5th in 100m and 200m in 2007 World Championships, 4th in 100m in 2008 Olympics, quaterfinalist in 100m in 2004 Olympics and 2005 World Championships
You've heard it many times: "The pressure of 1.3 billion people." No
track event triggers as much anticipation in China as the 110m hurdles,
where defending Olympic and World Champion Liu Xiang
carries the hopes of the host nation that he can retain his title in
Beijing. The fairy tale ending may be in great jeopardy, however, as
Liu faces a few obstacles which loom perhaps even higher than the
barriers on the track. A hamstring injury, a hurdler's nightmare, has
reportedly hampered Liu the entire season. Whether he will be at full
strength or tentative and at risk is not known, as the great champion
has shown no cards of late. But even if 100% ready, Liu is vulnerable,
as a new superstar has arisen in Dayron Robles, the
Cuban who rarely touches a hurdle and has obliterated world-class
fields this season with three wind-legal races at 12.91 or faster,
including a 12.87 barnburner in June which snatched away Liu's world
record by a hundredth. Add to the mix the bulky American upstart David Oliver,
who squeaked by Robles in early June, was undefeated until Robles toyed
with him in Stockholm, and who sits at #2 on the yearly list (and tied
for #9 all-time) with a 12.95 mark (also 12.89w), and you have a
pending drama that could not be scripted with any more tension.
Not to be excluded from the suspense is Terrence Trammell,
the American who has come agonzingly close to gold in two Olympic Games
and two World Championships. His PR is equal to that of Oliver and he
comes in with far more experience on this stage than any of his
competitors. A gold medal is his only possible step up and would be a
fitting culmination for his career. David Payne, the
other American, is also a proven medal threat. Originally left off the
2007 Worlds team, Payne arrived in Osaka the day before the first round
and personified the term "opportunistic," making it through to the
final and earning the bronze in a clutch performance.
Come resolution time, if Robles produces his best race, he may be
unbeatable. Only Liu has soared to that stratospheric level and must
return to it to make his country's dream come true.
Picks
1.) Robles 2.) Liu 3.) Oliver
Major Contenders
Dayron Robles (Cuba) 2008 Best: 12.87 (world record) Global Championship Highlights:
4th in 2007 World Championships, semifinalist in 2005 World
Championships, 2007 World Athletics Final Champion, silver medal in 60m
hurdles in 2006 World Indoors
David Oliver (USA) 2008 Best: 12.95 (= #9 all-time) Global Championship Highlights: Semifinalist in 2007 World Championships and 2008 World Indoors
Terrence Trammell (USA) 2008 Best: 13.08 Lifetime Best: 12.95 (= #9 all-time) (2007) Global Championship Highlights:
Silver medals in 2000 and 2004 Olympics, silver medals in 2003 and 2007
World Championships, 5th in 2005 World Championships, 2001 and 2006
World Indoors 60m hurdles Champion
Liu Xiang (China) 2008 Best: 13.18 Lifetime Best: 12.88 (#2 all-time) (2006) Global Championship Highlights:
2004 Olympic Champion, 2007 World Champion, silver medal in 2005 World
Championships, bronze medal in 2003 World Championships, 2008 World
Indoors 60m hurdles Champion
David Payne (USA) 2008 Best: 13.22 Lifetime Best: 13.02 (2007) Global Championship Highlights: Bronze medal in 2007 World Championships
Ladji Doucouré (France) 2008 Best: 13.33 Lifetime Best: 12.97 (2005) Global Championship Highlights: 2005 World Champion, 8th in 2004 Olympics, semifinalist in 2003 and 2007 World Championships
