by Larry EderFriday, August 31, 2007 is the seventh day of the 11th IAAF World Championships, held in Osaka, Japan. This writer’s days mostly go like this: Breakfast in the morning, between seven and nine in the morning, off to either the track or for some interviews, a quick nap, then a mad rush to the stadium to catch the night session…tonight should be fantastic, with the women’s 200 meter final and men’s 400 meter finals..
August 31, 2007
Friday
9:45 PM, Local Time
Osaka, Japan
11th IAAF World Athletics
Championships
Sponsorship News–
IAAF extends sponsorship with TDK to 2019! Comments, well if you are going to close sponsors on extensions, do it a a world championships in their home country!TDK has been around since 1983. TDK will extend its World Record program, where Male Athletes who set world record at world champs get $100,000 bonus
plus World record trophy….
For more information: http://osaka2007.iaaf.org/news/kind=512/newsid=41214.html#iaaf+tdk+extend+sponsor+partnership+until+2019
More on the 400 meters hurdles from last night…..
Jana Rawlinson, formerly Jana Pittman, had a baby boy eight months ago! In fact, there were three recent mothers in the final: Jana, Tiffany Williams of the U.S. and Tasha Danvers-Smith.
The 400 meter intermediate hurdles is one of the most sadistic races in our sport. Combining the speed endurance of the 400 meter flat and the need to control one’s fatigue in order to hurdle, this race is one that requires strength, focus, speed and desire. Rawlinson’s race was excellent-she ran quite well until the eighth hurdle, but still had enough to hold off Russia’s Yuliya Pechenkina.
This was the second victory for Rawlinson, who won in 2003 under the name Pittman. Jana is coached by her husband Chris Rawlinson, a Brit, and their son’s name is Cornelis, who is being watched by the grandparents in the UK.
For a related story: http://osaka2007.iaaf.org/news/kind=2/newsid=41216.html#rawlinsons+brisk+comeback+from+maternity+leave
More on Lagat and the 5,000 meters
Bernard Lagat is on. The 1,500 meters showed that. His 5,000 meter round, while tough one day after the previous nights’ 1,500 meter victory, did not seem to cause any undo harm.
In fact, it is Lagat’s race to loose. He seems that on. My take is that it will be Mottram, Lagat and Kipchoge. Mottram will be smart enough to keep the pace hard and honest, and long drive, perhaps a sub four minute mile? could be part of the game.
For a related story on Bernard Lagat, please check: http://osaka2007.iaaf.org/news/kind=2/newsid=41094.html#speed+endurance+experience+lagat+finally+climbs+step
Rounds, Men’s 4 x 100 meters
In the first heat, Great Britain took a close second, in 38.33, to the team from Brazil, who ran 38.27, a world leader for about ten minutes!
In heat two, the team from Jamaica, lead by Asafa Powell, coasted to a world leading 38.03! In second was the U.S. team, with some nice hand off with their seasonal best of 38.10! In third, to the delight of the Japanese, crowd, was Japan, who ran 38.21 for the new Asian Record plus they moved on!
The final will be Jamaica, U.S., Japan, Brazil, Great Britian, Nigeria, Germany and Poland!
Women’s triple jump
Yargelis Savigne of Cuba, took the lead early into the first round, with an excellent 15.28 meters-the world leader!
Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia, the gold medalist from the long jump, made a game run of Savigne, moving up from the bronze to a 15.07 meters, in the fifth round, to take the silver.
Greece’s Hrysopiyi Devetzi, hit 15.04 meters in round one, fouled four times and then jumped 14.75 meters, to take the bronze.
Nice double for Lebedeva, who takes gold and silver home to Russia!
Some thoughts on the 200 meters…..for women
We are fifteen minutes away from the women’s final!
Allyson Felix declined running in the 100 meters to focus on the 200 meters. She has looked very tough in all of her rounds, and her 22.21 last night showed not only her scary talent but the possibilities of a sub 22 second 200 meters in the final?
The time, as we all know, is not important, the key is the the win, but this track is fast, and the conditions this evening are perfect. Much cooler, like ten degrees, pretty windy as well.
Sanya Richards ran 22.50 in the heats, and did not look supreme. However, those are the heats, and this is the final.
Athletes for the women’s 200 meters have come to the track, about seven minutes to go, checking their blocks, and doing their final warm ups. My picks:
Felix, Campbell, Richards.
Women’s 200 meter final
First, there was a false start! Then, the runners went back to their blocks. The gun was fired. A fair start. Allyson Felix went out hard, with Veronica Campbell of Jamaica and Torri Edwards in tow. Felix’s long legs were starting to extend and
she was executing perfectly.
Just off the turn, Campbell was nearly even with Felix, and Edwards was close as well. Well, close was about as far as they were going to get.
At the top of the turn, Allyson Felix started to take off, really take off, I mean, fly! At 150 meters, the party was over, as Allyson Felix widened the lead as she finished in 21.81 seconds, the world leader!
Felix’s speed was devastating. Veronica Campbell held on for second, running 22.34, but the rest of the field collapsed. Sanya Richards of the U.S. and Susanthika Jayasinghe of Sri Lanka moved up from near the back to fifth for Richards (22.70), and bronze medal for Jayasinghe! Susanthinka Jayasinghe of Sri Lanka took the bronze in 22.63.
Fastest response to the gun? Torri Edwards, who got out in .136. Veronica Campbell was second fastest out of the blocks in .161 while Allyson Felix’s reaction time was .172.
Slowest reaction to the gun? Sanya Richards, whose reaction time was .239. She just did not look like her normal self.
Torri Edwards of the U.S. held on for fourth, in 22.65, the second fourth of this competition for Edwards, who was fourth in the 100 meters.
Aleen Bailey of Jamaica, who ran 22.72, took sixth. La Shaunte Moore of the U.S. took seventh in 22.97 and Cydonie Mothersill of the Cayman Islands finished eight in the final in 23.08.
In the end, the stats tell it all. Allyson Felix is the best two hundred meter women’s runner in the world! Her 100 meter personal best, and 400 meter personal best this season only reinforce that once Allyson decides to move up to the 400 meters, the races with Sanya Richards should be made for TV productions.
For live coverage in the U.S. please check out: www.WCSN.com
For complete results from August 31, 2007:http://osaka2007.iaaf.org/results/bydate.html#racedate=08-31-2007
For complete coverage from American Track & Field: http://www.american-trackandfield.com/features/worldchamps07list.html
For the interactive digital version of American Track & Field resource guide:
http://www.flipseekllc.com/ATFguide.html
