Day 3

Day 3 of the World Championships was very exciting with 6 finals. The 3 track finals were very anticipated. The Women's 400, Men's 110 hurdles and Women's 100.

The first final of the night was the hammer throw. Koji Murofushi of Japan the 2004 Olympic Champion won with a throw of 81.24m in the third and fifth rounds. Krisztián Pars of Hungary won the silver medal with a throw of 81.18m in the sixth and final round. The 2008 Olympic Champion Primož Kozmus was the best of the rest winning the bronze with a seasons best throw of 79.39m.

The first final on the track was the women's 400. This was one of the highlight finals with Allyson Felix going for the 200-400 double, Sanya Richards-Ross defending Champion, Amantle Montsho the most consistent woman in the world this year, the Jamaicans, Shericka Williams and Novlene Williams-Mills, who have World and Olympic medals. The Russians who are always fast and then the fast rising american Francena McCrory. The final was very entertaining with Felix and Montsho fighting for the gold with Montsho prevailing in an outstanding time and new national record of 49.56, .03 ahead of Felix who got silver in her quest for the sprint 200-400 double in 49.59 a personal record. The Bronze went to the Russian Champion Anastasiya Kapachinskaya in 50.24. McCrory was fourth in 50.45. Richards-Ross finished seventh in 51.32 to add to her bad season.

The next final contested was the men's 100 hurles. All of the favorites made it to the final with relative ease. Dyron Robles the World Record holder and Olympic Champion going in as the favorite over Liu Xiang and Jason Richardson. David Oliver, the American record holder has not been in the same form as he was last year and was in no form to be considered a gold medal contender. Also making the final was the European Champion Andy Turner of Great Britain. In the final the gold medal went ot Robles with Richardson and Xiang in silver and bronze, but the Chinese put in a protest after Robles and Xiang hit between the final two hurdles. This protest disqualified Robles and gave the Gold medal to Richardson and the silver to Xiang, also moving Turner into the Bronze.

Then there was the Women's Shot Put. This competition west to form with Valerie Adams defending her title and Nadzeya Ostapchuk taking the silver and Jillian Camerena-Williams with the bronze.

The Men's Pole Vault was exciting, but the huge favorite Renaud Lavillenie finished in the bronze medal positon. This meant there was an unexpected winner, and that was Pawel Wojciechowski of Poland with Lázaro Borges of Cuba taking the Silver both cleared 5.90m but the Pole won on count back.

The Women's 100 the excitement of the night. Carmelita Jeter went in as the favorite and she didn't disappoint. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce got the best start, but Jeter ran her down and passed her in the last 30 meters. Fraser-Pryce looked like she would hold on for the silver, but she was out leaned by country woman Veronica Campbell-Brown and Trinidad and Tobago's Kelly-Ann Baptise. This left the defending champion in fourth. Jeter ran a 10.90 into a -1.4m headwind. The difference between second and fourth was 10.97, 10.98, 10.99.

World Championships Day 2

During the men's 100m final Usain Bolt was disqualified for a false start. Yohan Blake won the title in the absence of his countryman. Walter dix won the silver with Kim Collins taking the bronze 8 years after winning his world title.

In the Decathlon Trey Hardee defended his world title over Ashton Eaton giving the USA a gold and silver. The bronze went to Leonel Suarez of Cuba.

Brittney Reese successfully defended her world title in the long jump. Olga Kucherenko of Russia was second with Latvia's Ineta Radevica in third.

Mo Farah of Great Britain was out kicked in the last 100 by Ethiopia's Ibrahim Jeilan. The bronze went to Imane Merga of Ethiopia.

In the Women's Discus Yangfeng Li pf China won with a throw of 66.52 meters. Nadine Müller of Germany won the silver with Yarelis Barrios of Cuba winning the bronze.

More to come later.

Count Down to World Champs!

Each day I am going to count down to thee world championships by previewing events and making my predictions.

11 days left until the start.

Todays events are the women's throws.

Shot Put

My Prediction

Gold - Valerie Adams (NZL)

Silver - Nadezhda Ostapchuk (BLR)

Bronze - Lijiao Gong (CHN) or Jillian Camarena-Williams (USA)

The defending World and Olympic Champion will prevail again and win her third straight world title. Ostapchuk will put up a good fight, but it wont be enough. Although Ostapchuk has the farthest throw this season with a 20.94 to Adams 20.78. Adams is undefeated on the season and has beaten Ostapchuk in all of their meetings.

The battle for Bronze will be a good one between the number three and four throwers on the season Camarena-Williams and Lijiao Gong. Gong is the world bronze medalist from 2009 and Camarena-Williams who just tied the American Record this year. Also Michelle Carter the US Champion has an outside chance at a medal. If she is on her game she could challenge Gong and Camarena-Williams, but she has been very inconsistent.

Discus

My Prediction

Gold - Yarelis Barrios (CUB)

Silver - Nadine Müller (GER)

Bronze - Yanfeng Li (CHN)

Barrios has a Bronze from 2007 and a Silver from 2009. I believe she will go one place better and win the Gold. Although she may not have the farthest throw of the season she is consistent and places in the top two when she competes. Müller has beaten Barrios this season in winning in Monaco, but with the medals from Barrios its hard to bet against her. Then there is Li from China who has the farthest throw of the season, but can she throw big when it counts?

the Olympic Champion Stephanie Brown-Trafton of the US has not thrown well and has been very inconsistent since her breakout 2008 season.

Javelin

My Prediction

Gold - Barbora Špotáková (CZH)

Silver - Christina Obergföll (GER)

Bronze - Mariya Abakumova (RUS)

Špotáková will take her world title back, but he does have to be very aware of Obergföll and Abakumova. If Špotáková is off her game the other two women will be ready to pounce.Obergföll is very inconsistent though. She is a great thrower, but when it comes championship time she has always faltered.

Hammer

My Prediction

Gold - Betty Heidler (GER)

Silver - Anita Wlodrczyk (POL)

Bronze - Kathrin Klass (GER)

Betty Heidler is the clear favorite after she threw a world record of 79.42 earlier this year. The woman who had the world record before her was Woldrczyk at 78.30 in 2010. Although Woldrczyk has not thrown so well this season her experience in high pressure situations will help her, especially being the defending champion. Klass has been very consistent this season with many good throws and top 3 placings.

Tyson Gay has surgery

Tyson Gay has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his hip. He will be out for the rest of the season. 

Article

One thing in the article bugs me, they put that gay is the reigning world 100m bronze medalist, He is the silver medalist from 2009 not bronze. It was Bolt winning Gay second and Powell third.

This is probably the best thing Tyson could have done. This gives him the most amount of time to be prepared for the olympics in a years time.

Paris Picks

Track Events

Women's 100 - Veronica Campbell-Brown (VCB) who false started in her last race in Reims will look to run the race this time. VCB will have competition from her countrywoman Kerron Stewart. The Olympic silver medalist will be looking for revenge after finishing second to VCB at the Jamaican Trials. Sherone Simpson could make it a Jamaican sweep. Also in the race is the woman who took advantage of VCB's false start, Kelly-Ann Baptise of Trinidad and Tobago. Don't count out Shalonda Solomon and Ivet Lalova.

Result: 1.VCB 2.Stweart 3.Baptise

Women's 400 hurdles - This race is loaded with the top hurdlers in the world. The only name missing from the list is the World Leader Lashinda Demus. In her absence there are three Jamaicans, the reigning World and Olympic Champion Melanie Walker, World Number 2 from 2010 Kaliese Spencer, and Ristananna Tracey a new up and coming runner who can run anything from 200 to 800. Also in the race is Zuzana Hejnová and Vania Stambolova. Without Demus The 2 favorites are Walker and Spencer. 

Result: 1.Spencer 2.Hejnová 3.Walker

Women's 800 - 4 of the 5 fastest women in the world this year are in this race including the top 3 fastest. Kenia Sinclair of Jamaica is the third fastest woman in the world this year but one of only 2 women to run 2 sub 1:59's this year. she also has run some 1500's most notably winning the 1500 in NY. the World leader Svetlana Usovich of Belarus is in the race along with Alysia Montano of the USA and the controversial 2009 World Champ Caster Semenya. This race is very open with how close the times are this year. 

Result: 1.Sinclair 2.Monano 3.Semnya  

Women's 5000 - There are some big names like Meseret Defar, Shalane Flanagan, Sentayehu Egiju, Genzebe Dibaba, and Mercy Cherono. Flanagan looks to be in the shape of her life. She won the 10,000 at USA's and looked very comfortable. She should challenge the AR set by Molly Huddle last year, especially since it is only a few hundredths better than the previous, Shalane's PR. 

Result: 1.Defar 2.Egiju 3.Dibaba or Cherono with Shalane in fifth in a new AR. 

Men's 110 hurdles - This race is the first time David Oliver and Dyron Robles meet this year. Oliver has the world lead at 12.94 and Robles' fastest this year is 13.07. Oliver is the only man to break 13 seconds this year wit Liu Xiang running a 13.00. 

Result: 1.Oliver 2.Robles 3.Terence Trammell

Men's 200 - The featured race of the day. This race will be won by Usain Bolt, but the question is how fast can he run. He has not looked race sharp as of yet this season, but with him training through the Jamaican Trials and not running, that may have given him the time he needed to get ready for the rest of the summer. The race should be for second with Christophe  Lemaitre the home country's star, Darvis 'Doc' Patton, Shawn Crawford the 2004 Olympic Champion, and Mario Forsythe

Result: 1.Bolt 2.Patton 3.Lemaitre

Men's 400 - Can Jeremy Wariner Run like the Jeremy Wariner of 2004-2007? Wariner was beaten at the US Championships, and has only run 44.88 this season. His challengers in this race should be Jermaine Gonzales of Jamaica, Jonathan Borlée of Belgium, Chris Brown of the Bahamas and Calvin Smith of the US. 

Result: 1.Wariner 2.Gonzales 3.Brown

Men's 1500 - There are 4 American's in the race Bernard Lagat, Leo Manzano, Andrew Wheating, and Matt Centrowitz. Centrowitz recently won the USA Championships with Manzano in second Lagat in third and Wheating in 4th. Since Lagat is going to focus on the 5000 Wheating will get to go to South Korea if he gets the A standard. Also in the race is Amine Laalou, Asbel Kiprop the Olympic Champ, and Mekonnen Gebremedhin.

Result: 1.Kiprop 2.Laalou 3.Lagat

Men's 3k steeple - With Paul Koech not running the Favorite is Ezekiel Kemboi.

Result: 1.Kemboi 2.Roba Gary 3.Benjamin Kiplagat

Field Events

Women's Javelin - Barbora Špotáková of the Czech Republic the world record holder has not been the best thrower this season that would be Christina Obergföll of Germany. But Mariya Abakumova of Russia is the world leader. All three women have PR's over 70m, so this should be a good fight for the win. ALso in the field is Kara Patterson, the American Record holder. 

Result: 1.Obergföll  2.Špotáková 3.Abakumova 4.Patterson

Women's Tripple Jump - Yargelis Savigne is the favorite and I think she will win over Cuban compatriot Mabel Gay. 

Result: 1.Savigne 2.Gay 3.Olha Saladukha of Ukraine

Women's Shot Put - 4 of the top five in the world are competing. Nadezhda Ostapchuk of Belarus the world leader, Valerie Adams of New Zeland, Michelle Carter and Jillian Camarena-Williams both of the USA. 

Result: 1.Adams 2.Ostapchuk 3. Camarena-Williams

Men's Pole Vault - Brad Walker of the USA has been very inconsistent this year, he has meets with no heights or a meet where he gets the world lead. Renaud Lavillenie has also been the same way this season after clearing 6.03m in indoors. 

Result: 1.Lavillenie 2.Walker 3.Romain Mesnil

Men's High Jump - Kyriakos Ioannou of Cypres it the DL leader, Ivan Uhkov of Russia has been one of the best over the last couple of years, along with Jaroslav Baba of the Czech Republic. 

Result: 1.Ioannou 2.Baba 3.Ukhov

Start Lists

Reims

Dayron Robles wins the 110 hurdles in a 13.16 into a 2.0 m/s head wind.
Kelly-Ann Baptise won the 100m in 11.11 after Veronica Campbell-Brown was DQ'd for a false start.
Daniel Bailey won the Men's 100 over the 2004 Olympic Champ Justin Gatlin 10.05 to 10.08.

Full Results

Provisional Entry Lists

Provisional Entry Lists available for Paris