World Championships Men's Track Event-by-Event Preview
Posted Friday, 5 August, 2005
HELSINKI, Aug 3 - Men's event-by-event track preview for the Helsinki world championships from August 6-14:
100 metres
Olympic champion: Justin Gatlin (U.S.)
World champion: Kim Collins (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
World record holder: Asafa Powell (Jamaica) 9.77 seconds
World leader: Powell 9.77
The anticipated showdown between Gatlin and Powell will not take place after the world record holder pulled out with a groin injury sustained in the London Grand Prix last month. Gatlin went on to win that race in 9.89 seconds for his fastest time of the year. Olympic 200 metres champion Shawn Crawford and Leonard Scott could also make the podium for the United States. Collins will probably have to improve on his lifetime best of 9.98 if he is to retain his title.
200 metres
Olympic champion: Shawn Crawford (U.S.)
World champion: John Capel (U.S.)
World record holder: Michael Johnson (U.S.) 19.36 seconds
World leader: Wallace Spearmon (U.S.) 19.89
The quickest man this year, Spearmon, made the U.S. team for the event only after Crawford pulled out to concentrate on the 100 and relay. Completing a strong American line-up are Tyson Gay, Justin Gatlin and defending champion John Capel. Jamaican teenager Usain Bolt will be the main challenge to the Americans.
400 metres
Olympic champion: Jeremy Wariner (U.S.)
World champion: Jerome Young (U.S.)
World record holder: Michael Johnson 43.18 seconds
World leader: Wariner 44.20
Another American sweep is in prospect with Wariner and his training partner Darold Williamson the fastest pair this year. Andrew Rock completes the U.S. line-up. Grenada's Alleyne Francique and Canada's Christopher Tyler are the only non-Americans to feature in the year's top 10.
800 metres
Olympic champion: Yuriy Borzakovsky (Russia)
World champion: Djabir Said-Guerni (Algeria)
World record holder: Wilson Kipketer (Denmark) 1:41.11 seconds
World leader Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (South Africa) 1:44.08
Mulaudzi is South Africa's best hope of a track medal. Second at the Olympics and third in Paris two years ago, Mulaudzi has beaten Kenya's Wilfred Bungei, who has the year's second fastest time, and Borzakovsky. Said-Guerni has not made an impact this season, finishing last in the Rome Golden League and sixth in Lausanne and Madrid.
1,500 metres
Olympic champion: Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco)
World champion: El Guerrouj
World record holder: El Guerrouj 3:26.00
World leader: Rashid Ramzi (Bahrain) 3:30.00
Four-times world champion El Guerrouj is not in Helsinki because of health problems. Kenyan-born Olympic silver medallist Bernard Lagat is also missing because he is not yet eligible to represent the United States after switching nationalities. Portugal's Rui Silva is the only athlete from the Athens podium in the event. Ramzi set the year's fastest time when winning in Rome ahead of Kenyan Daniel Kipchirchir Komen, who took the Paris Golden League race.
5,000 metres
Olympic champion: Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco)
World champion: Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya)
World record holder: Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) 12:37.35
World leader: Bekele 12:40.18
In the absence of El Guerrouj, Bekele's main competition for the gold will come from Kipchoge and Isaac Songok, who has the second fastest time of the year. Bekele's younger brother Tariku is also in the field.
10,000 metres
Olympic champion: Bekele
World champion: Bekele
World record holder: Bekele 26:20.31
World leader: Bekele 26:28.72
As in the women's event, Ethiopia could sweep the medals led by Bekele. Olympic runner-up Sileshi Sihine and Abebe Dinkesa, who has the second fastest time in the world this year, are Bekele's team mates.
Marathon
Olympic champion: Stefano Baldini (Italy)
World champion: Jaoaud Gharib (Morocco)
World record holder: Paul Tergat (Kenya) 2:04:55
World leader: Martin Lel (Kenya) 2:07.26
Tergat and Lel are absent from Helsinki. Spain's world silver medallist Julio Rey has the second fastest time of the year, behind Lel. Baldini and Gharib are both in the field as is Tokyo marathon winner Toshinari Takaoka of Japan.
Steeplechase
Olympic champion: Ezekiel Kemboi (Kenya)
World champion: Saif Saaeed Shaheen (Qatar)
World record holder: Shaheen 7:53.63
World leader: Shaheen 7:56.34
An interesting battle is in prospect between Kenyan-born world champion Shaheen and his former compatriot Paul Koech. Shaheen, who has not lost since 2002, was pushed hard by Koech at the Rome Golden League, where the pair ran the fastest two times of the year. They will be up against Olympic champion Kemboi.
110 hurdles
Olympic champion: Liu Xiang (China)
World champion: Allen Johnson (U.S.)
World record holders: Liu/Colin Jackson (Britain) 12.91 seconds
World leader: Ladji Doucoure (France) 12.97
All eyes will be on American four-times world champion Johnson and Liu Xiang. Johnson beat Liu in New York last month but the joint world record holder won their previous meeting in Oregon after Johnson was disqualified. Doucoure could spring a surprise. He has the fastest time of the year and beat the other two in Paris this month. The Frenchman also won in Oslo last week, where Johnson could only manage fourth.
400 hurdles
Olympic champion: Felix Sanchez (Dominican Republic)
World champion: Sanchez
World record holder: Kevin Young (U.S.) 46.78
World leader: Kerron Clement (U.S.) 47.24
Sanchez has a foot injury but is determined to compete. His rivals for gold are likely to be U.S. champion Clement, who has the fastest time of the year, and his compatriots Bershawn Jackson and James Carter, the winner of the two Golden League meetings.
4x100 relay
Olympic champions: Britain
World champions: U.S.
World record holders: U.S. 37.40
World leaders: Trinidad and Tobago 38.38
Only a dropped baton is likely to prevent the United States from winning the title for the eighth time. Canada are the only other country to have won at the world championships, in 1995 and 1997 when the Americans failed to finish their heat. Britain were the surprise Olympic champions when Mark Lewis-Francis held off Maurice Greene on the final leg. Asafa Powell has said he will run for the Jamaican team if fit.
4x400 relay
Olympic champions: U.S.
World champions: U.S.
World record holders: U.S. 2:54.20
World leaders: Britain 3:00.51
Given the strength of their individual athletes, the United States are favourites to retain the title they have won at every world championships since 1993. The Soviet Union, in 1983, and Britain, in 1991, are the only other countries to take the gold.
20 km walk
Olympic champion: Ivano Brugnetti (Italy)
World champion: Jefferson Perez (Ecuador)
World record holder: Perez 1:17:21
World leader; Nathan Deakes (Australia) 1:17.33
Brugnetti showed he was back to his best after a pelvis injury by setting an unofficial world best in the 10 kms in his final race before the championships. Athens bronze medallist Nathan Deakes has the fastest time of the year ahead of China's Zhu Hongjun and Olympic and world runner-up Francisco Javier Fernandez.
50 km walk
Olympic champion: Robert Korzeniowski (Poland)
World champion: Korzeniowski
World record holder: Korzeniowski 3:36:03
World leader: Han Yucheng (China) 3:36.20
Three-times world and Olympic champion Korzeniowski retired after his Athens triumph last year. Chinese and Russian athletes dominate the year's best times led by Han Yucheng.
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