Tim Montgomery in the 100m heats (© Getty Images)
Well if you thought the 9th IAAF Championships in Athletics, Paris 2003 Saint-Denis have produced two days of top flight competition, in particular the world best in the men’s 20km race walk, the youthful brilliance of Klüft and Brown, and the lightning pickup of Kelli White, well as the saying goes, ‘you haven’t seen nothing yet’ because six World titles are at stake today.
Wide open dash clash
A World Junior record for Darrel Brown of 10.01 seconds was the performance of the quarter final stage of the men’s 100m, but World record holder Tim Montgomery’s season’s best of 10.04 could be of more significance to the end result of today’s final. He looked relaxed and beat Bernard Williams, the double US sprint champion into second (10.12).
The fourth heat was the most weighted with favourites, and brought a win for Commonwealth champion Kim Collins (SKN) in 10.02, from Dwain Chambers (GBR) the European record holder in 10.03, and reigning World and Olympic Maurice Greene (USA) in 10.04, and all three should be in with a shout of gold in this the most open World 100m final in living memory.
Isinbayeva goes for gold
We have the gold, silver and bronze medallists from Edmonton ready to leap high in the women’s Pole Vault but events have overtaken USA’s Stacy Dragila, Svetlana Feofanova of Russia and Poland’s Monika Pyrek this summer. The world has moved on thanks to the effervescent grace and skill of the 21 year-old Russian Yelena Isinbayeva.
Her 4.82m World record on the 13 July in Gateshead has taken a firm hold of the psychological high ground over the rest of the world’s best, and the wise money is on her adding the World senior gold to the European Under 23 crown she took on the 19 July.
Holm – World Ranked number one
Then standard of men’s High Jumping has been slowly creeping up this summer, and the last two men responsible for that increase, current season’s leader Poland’s surprising Aleksander Walerianczyk (2.36m) the European Under 23 champion, and his predecessor at the top, South Africa’s Jacques Frietag (2.35m) both qualified well.
European gold medallist Yaroslav Rybakov of Russia and Pan Am Games champion Germaine Mason of Jamaica are jumping well. However, Sweden’s Stefan Holm, the double World Indoor champion, who leads these two men at the top of the IAAF Event Ranking is a major championships performer par excellence, and gets this writer’s vote for the win.
Edwards’ swan song
Moving on to sheer emotion, we will witness the last competition of the greatest ever Triple Jumper, as World and Olympic champion, and World record holder Jonathan Edwards of Britain, takes his sign from the heavens and makes way for a younger generation of jumpers.
Sweden's European champion Christian Olsson at 23 years of age leads this group as the outstanding favourite for gold having at worse jumped 17.16m in all his twelve competitions this summer, with a national record best of 17.77m.
Murofushi set to hammer home his credentials
Japan’s Koji Murofushi is the firm favourite for the men’s Hammer after his 84.86 metres Area Record heave in Prague which leads the world in 2003. Of his seven competitions so far this season only once has he not managed to exceed 82 metres, and that’s a harsh comment because his last ‘competition’ is not over yet, as it was the 79.45 metres throw with which he qualified for today’s final.
Watch out for Ivan Tikhon of Belarus who this year moved his personal best beyond 80 metres, sending the Hammer out to 84.32m in Minsk on 8 August, and of course Hungary’s Adrian Annus the European champion.
European podium repeat in Discus?
The women’s Discus is the other throwing final on the card, and after eleven competitors eased unspectacularly into the final by throwing over 60.00 metres to automatically qualify, we hope the fireworks have been left for today. The two Greek’s are good big time competitors and it would be no surprise if the medal positions from last summer’s Munich European championships are repeated here – Ekaterini Voggoli, gold, with her compatriot Anastasia Kelesidou in bronze, and reigning World champion Natalya Sadova of Russia splitting the two.
So cancel all your plans, as you won't want to miss even a moment of exciting action of another day in the Stade.
IAAF
