Refer to Part 1 for whatever guidance is needed!
This part covers all the Finals dating from August 10th through August 13th!
TJ (August 10) (WR & MR 60-0.25)
Is Jonathan Edwards a "Sir"?
Seems to be a shitload of "Sir's" around nowadays!
Also a "Dame" or 2---but Heh, "There ain't nothing like a Dame"!--right??
ANYWAY, Mr Edwards might be seeing his vaunted WR (& MR) go down here!!
And with the way Will Claye has been performing, it could be him instead of Christian Taylor who gets it!!
Taylor came within 3.25 inches of tying it, but 3.25 inches sometimes SEEMS like 3 FEET!!
With everything needing to be perfect, give these Records 40-60 odds!
Max Hess, Bin Dong, Alexis Copello, Chris Benard, and Andy Diaz might hit the 57's, but probably no farther!
NOTE: Bin Dong has scratched, due to an injury! I'm reporting this BEFORE the meet begins, so not cheating!!
200 (August 10) (WR & MR 19.19)
Forget the Records!!
And forget any "showdown" between Andre De Grasse and Usain Bolt--with Bolt doing only the 100 & a Relay leg, and ADG dropping from the meet (See my 100 Preview!).
That said, we still have a pretty fair "showdown"--with 400 WR holder Wayde Van Niekerk going up against recent 19.77 man, Isaac Makwala!!
Give the edge to Makwala here!!
Yohan Blake is (sort of) back, but nowhere near his 19.26 PR shape!
Top Americans should be Ameer Webb and Isaiah Young!
HT (August 11) (WR 284-7 MR 274-4)
The MR actually gets 60-40 odds of falling!!
To the guy who didn't even make the Final in Rio last year!!
Pawel Fajdek won't allow that to happen---again!!
Steady in the 270's, a 275 isn't out of the question!!
But trying to find someone to push him might be!!
"Closest" should be Wojciech Nowicki, but watch also for Dilshod Nazarov and Russian Valeriy Pronkin!!
A small chance to shock could come from Bence Halasz, the Age 19 record holder at 258-8.
He turns 20 tomorrow, the opening day of the WC's!!
JT (August 12) (WR 323-1 MR 304-5)
Kenyan Julius Yego shocked the World when he ALMOST got Jan Zelezny's MR in Beijing!!
But he hasn't hit 300 since, while Thomas Rohler and Johannes Vetter have hit a few!!
Toss a coin!!
But give the MR 70-30 odds, conditions permitting!
Yego is here, as is Keshorn Walcott, another fairly recent shocker--also not near that level in 2017!
Jakub Vadlejch could surprise, while Tero Pitkamaki is probably the best of the "vets"!
5000 (August 12) (WR 12:37.35 MR 12:52.79)
Like the 10000, this MR is breakable!
Until you look at the entry list, and see Mo Farah's name there!!
If HE has any say, the record will survive!
After all, why RUN, when you can just lay back, admire the scenery, then move into WVN mode at the bell??!!
Mo's a nice decent dude, but Man, I sure wish he'd use his last Track races to "MO down" some Records!!
(Nice little pun, yes?? LOL)
Oh yes, watch for Muktar Edris to possibly push Mo into overdrive BEFORE that bell clangs!!
Some also say American (via Kenya!) Paul Chelimo has a chance!
I'll believe it when I see it!
Decathlon (August 12) (WR & MR 9045)
The date is the Dec's 2nd day, when the Medalists are known!
Other than Usain Bolt, no one's absence from the sport will be felt more than Ashton Eaton's!!
In early retirement (as is his wife Brianne!), it leaves this event an open field, with lots of space to roam!
Trey Hardee WOULD be Eaton's likely "replacement", but, well, let me put it this way--I give Trey 40-60 odds of even FINISHING all 10 disciplines!!
But IF he finishes--and finishes healthy!--watch out!!
If not, this should be a 2-man show, with Damian Warner and Kevin Mayer the stars!
Russian Ilya Shkurenev could be a threat, but so can Rico Freimuth, who recently scored enough to close in on Dad Uwe's World-listed PR!!
The Grenadan pair of Kurt Felix and Lindon Victor are 200-300 points from serious contention--and Lindon has already done THREE full Dec's this year!!
Watch for Kai Kazmirik and Eelco Sintnicolaas!
Records are safe!
4X100 Relay (August 12) (WR 36.84 MR 37.04)
Unless he UNretires, London's sprint relay will be Usain Bolt's last appearance in a WC or OG event!!
While he may be short of Bolt-ian shape, he is still USAIN BOLT!!
And you just do NOT mess with DA MAN on a Relay's anchor leg!!
I give this one to Jamaica, and not just for sentimentality's sake!
No, I give it to them because the US of A sometimes (OFTEN-times!!!) has problems getting the "batten" around!!
Even odds on THAT---or maybe it should be 40-60!!
Also, Canada is sans Andre De Grasse!!
Other Nations, such as Germany, France, Trinidad, and China, just don't have the wheels!
MR odds are also 40-60!
50000 Walk (August 13) (WR 3:32:33 MR 3:36:03)
This will be a "mixed" race, as the Women's 50K starts at the same time, on the same course!!
Thus, some of the Men will have the Women to PACE them!!
Even so, don't expect any Records to fall!!
5-95 on the MR!
As has been noted elsewhere, WR holder Yohan Deniz is 39 years old!
(Is that a problem in the 50K Walk??)
But the big question is, does Australian Jared have the Tallent to win??
(Thank you, thank you!! LOL)
Robert Heffernan is another 39 year old guy, so count him out too??
Hiroki Arai and Evan Dunfee might surprise!
20000 Walk (August 13) (WR 1:16:36 MR 1:17:21)
Give short odds on this MR too!
But for the British, this one might have a happy ending!!
Tom Bosworth is on T&FN's formchart in 7th place!!
Dane Bird Smith (GREAT name!!!) is given the starring role here!
But always watch the Chinese, especially Kaihua Wang!!
Miguel Lopez and Ben Thorne are others to watch!
HJ (August 13) (WR 8-0.50 MR 7-10.75)
Mutaz Barshim SEEMS to be edging back toward 2.40 shape, aka 7-10.50!
Bogdan Bondarenko is still short of that level!
After those two, the "bars" made might be few and far between.
Best of the rest might be Erik Kynard and Derek Drouin, though Drouin was hurting earlier this summer!
Andriy Protsenko and Mateusz Przybylko could surprise!
(Nothing against him personally, but I hope the latter doesn't make it---Just what we need, another EASY name to spell!! LOL)
Give the MR 30-70 odds!
1500 (August 13) (WR 3:26.00 MR 3:27.65)
Do NOT expect a Rio Redux race!!
But also don't expect a new MR!
Odds are 5-95!!
Also don't expect Matthew Centrowitz to win Gold again!!
With Elijah Manangoi and Tim Cheruiyot having run under 3:30 this year--and Centro at 3:34-ish--he might have to work just to make the final!!
Old standby's Ayanleh Souleiman and Asbel Kiprop are here, but better bets for podium finishes might come from Ron Kwemoi and Sadik Mikhou!!
IF they make the final, and IF it becomes a Rio repeat, watch for Americans Robby Andrews and Johnny Gregorek!!
4X400 Relay (August 13) (WR & MR 2:54.29)
Several legs will be in the 43's--guaranteed!!
But the Records are safe--Give them 20-80 odds!
I don't think South Africa even has a team, so no WVN!!
Botswana has a good 4-some, but if the US goes with LaShawn Merritt and Fred Kerley on the last 2 legs, no one else stands a chance!!
(The fastest-ever known leg is Michael Johnson's 42.94!! Can THAT be beaten??)
Great Britain will have home crowd advantage, which COULD get them to the podium--but that's doubtful!
The B-boys of Belgium--aka the Borlees--return!
Jamaica and the Bahamas are contenders!
(Not much chance of a baton fail here!)
Well, friends, that does it for the Men's Preview!!
I'll have the Women up soon!!
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