Here's the 2nd section of my Men's WC Preview.
This one covers all the events whose Finals are from August 27th-30th.
Hope you enjoyed the first section!
(This follows the same format. See my Notes at the top of the 1st section!)
Triple Jump--August 27
(WR & MR-60-0.25 or 18.29)
Christian Taylor and PPPP (aka Pablo Pedro etc Pichardo) have the talent, youth, and momentum to challenge, if not break, the World and Meet Records, which are one and the same!
It would take a HUGE jump forward--about 9 or 10 inches past their PR's--but the Bird's Nest configuration--barring most of whatever wind there is--doesn't help.
Those two are a world apart from the rest.
However, Omar Craddock is having HIS year, and could go over 58 feet--even approach 59!
Others to watch are Will Claye, Marquis Dendy, and Manuel Oprea.
Teddy Tamgho (NOT here!!) beat Pichardo in Moscow with a jump of 59-2.25.
Pichardo reached just 58-0.25 then!
A 3rd athlete made it over 57 feet!
200--August 27
(WR & MR-19.19)
Yes, they're BAAACKKK!!
Justin and Usain are back for an encore!
(How was their first act??)
A different set of players are behind them--Rasheed Dwyer, Wallace Spearmon, Warren Weir, Chris Lemaitre, Alonso Edward, Isaiah Young, Anaso Jobodwana, Femi Ogunode, and Churandy Martina.
Forget any World or Meet Records!!
Bolt won Moscow in 19.66 over Weir's 19.79.
They were the only 2 under 20.
The fastest Heat was 20.17, while 19.97 won the fastest Semi!
Decathlon--August 28 & 29
(WR-9039 MR-8902)
Some people are suggesting an Ashton Eaton score of as much as 9300 points!!
Others suggest a WR, but more in the "human" realm!
Yet he COULD have had the London Olympic Games Meet Record, but decided to "jog" the 1500, thus missing the MR by a single digits point total!
Plus, he hasn't done a full Deca this year---or last!!
That said, I can EASILY see a World Record here!!
And almost 100% certain that Meet Record is a GONER!!
His challengers include Trey Hardee, Damian Warner, Michael Schrader, Eelso Sintnicolaas, and Kevin Mayer.
Eaton won Moscow with 8809.
There were 3 over 8500, 13 over 8300, and 17 over 8000.
110H--August 28
(WR-12.80 MR-12.91)
Word's out that WR holder Aries Merritt--who is in this field!!--will be undergoing a kidney transplant (!!!!!) soon after the meet!!
It's utterly AMAZING he's going to run here!!
But don't look for him to medal, or even make it to the Final!
(I hope I'm wrong!!)
David Oliver, Omar McLeod, Pascal Martinot-Legarde, Hansle Parchment, Sergey Shubenkov, Aleec Harris, and Ronnie Ash should be the main contenders, with Merritt, as noted, a question mark.
The MR has a SLIGHT chance of going down!
Also, maybe some Place marks!
Oliver won Moscow in 13.00.
Two were under 13.20.
Oliver won his Heat in the fastest Heat time ever, 13.05!!
The fastest Semi was 13.17.
50000 Walk--August 29
(WR-3:32:33 MR-3:36:03)
Walkers, for some reason, don't seem as affected by heat as Marathon runners.
Thus, the Meet Record could fall here.
(Yohan Diniz, the WR holder, isn't here!)
Look for Matej Toth to lead the way.
Jesus Garcia is the oldest entrant at 45!!
John Nunn, who finished LAST (46th place) in Moscow in 4:34:55, has the slowest PR in the field!!
That Moscow race was won in 3:37:56 by Robert Heffernan.
There were 2 under 3:40, 16 under 3:50, and 36 under 4 hours!
5000--August 29
(WR-12:37.35 MR-12:52.79)
I keep repeating myself, saying Big Meet distance records CAN go down.
Then I see Mo Farah's name on the list of entrants, and ZOOM!, there goes my dream!!
And ZOOM goes MoBot---in the final 150 meters of any race he runs!
Unless Degen Gebremeskal, Hagos Gebrhiwet, Isiah Koech, Albert Rop, Edwin Soi, Imane Merga, Caleb Ndiku, Nick Willis, or even Mo's NOP teammate, Galen Rupp, decide to challenge him!
But forget Rupp as a player.
Insert Ben True in his place as the best American in Beijing's 5K.
(He has only the 13th fastest PR, however!)
Ali Kaya is a dark horse!
Mo jogged to his Moscow Gold in 13:26.98.
Maybe he should recruit Genzebe Dibaba to pace him through the first half!!
In Moscow, 8 finished under 13:30.
The Heat & Semi were faster than Mo's Final--13:20.82 & 13:23.22.
Discus Throw--August 29
(WR-243-0 or 74.06 MR-230-2 or 70.15)
Despite the BIG names of Piotr Malackowski, Gerd Kanter, Robert Harting, Ehsan Hadadi, and Zoltan Kovago, this might be one of the "worst" events of the meet.
No Records seem ready for the chopping block!
Harting won Moscow with 226-9.
Two got over 220 feet.
NO Americans made the Final!
High Jump--August 30
(WR-8-0.50 or 2.45 MR-7-10.75 or 2.41)
Too bad this meet wasn't held in 2014!!
In the "Year of the High Jump", the World and Meet Records both would have been challenged!!
By SEVERAL athletes!!
But things seem to have dried up in this event in 2015.
Mutaz Barshim, who normally would be THE star here, has been in a MAJOR slump recently.
Can he revive himself here?
Will Bogdan Bondarenko ALSO return to form?
Look also for Derek Drouin, Erik Kynard, Gianmarco Tamberi, Andrey Protsenko, Ivan Ukhov, Robbie Grabarz, Jesse Williams, and even "new" American star JaCorian Duffield, to "rise" (pun intended!!) to the occasion!!
And the meet being held in China, don't forget Guomei Zhang as a possible contender with overwhelming home country support!!
Place marks MIGHT fall.
Bondarenko won Moscow with a jump of 7-10.75!
There were 7 over 7-7!
1500--August 30
(WR-3:26.00 MR-3:27.65)
Can we transport the Monaco DL race to the Bird's Nest---PLEASE??
You remember that one, right?
Asbel Kiprop winning in 3:26.69, over a field where Matt Centrowitz took 10th in 3:30.40!!
POP goes THAT bubble!!
Yet the WC Meet Record IS 3:27.65!
And with Kiprop in this field--and with many/most/all??--of that Monaco field here--who knows what might happen?!
Taoufik Makhloufi, Abdelelah Iguider, Nick Willis, Silas Kiplagat, Ayanleh Souleiman, Elijah Manangir, and Aman Wote, as well as Centro, are the ones to watch.
Souleiman apparently has decided to NOT double, dropping from the 800, so he might be a bigger factor here than if he were doubling.
Kiprop beat Centro in Moscow, 3:36.28 to 3:36.78.
The fastest Heat was 3:38.15.
Fastest Semi was 3:35.88.
(That Semi section had EIGHT under 3:37, whereas only 4 got under 3:37 in the Final!!)
4X100 Relay--August 30
(WR-36.84 MR-37.04)
Here we go---AGAIN!!
According to rumors and gossip, Gatlin and that other guy are due to battle it out on the anchor legs of this Relay!
IF---and for the US, that's NOT an insignificant "if"!!--IF the US gets the baton around the track, look for a Battle Royal between the US and Jamaica---for the Gold, and maybe even for the World Record!!
The other teams to watch for---with a telescope??--are Japan, Antigua, Trinidad & Tobago, Canada, France, Brazil, Great Britain, and yes, China!
Jamaica beat the US 37.36 to 37.66 in Moscow's final.
Three teams got under 38.00.
The fastest Heat was 38.06.
4X400 Relay--August 30
(WR & MR-2:54.29)
Despite a few sub-44 guys this year, forget that World & Meet Record going down!
(Too bad all those sub-44's weren't on the same team!!)
The US, Bahamas, Belgium (the Borlee clan + one!!), Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Great Britain, France, Brazil, Cuba, Poland, and Russia will battle for Finals spots and medals.
The US won Moscow in 2:58.71.
Three teams were under 3:00.
The fastest Heat was 2:59.85.
And that's a WRAP for the MEN!!
Watch for the first of two WOMEN'S Previews to follow in 2 to 3 hours!!
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