Washington: Reigning world 100-metre and 200-metre champion Tyson Gay leads a star-studded American squad into the world championships with hope of redemption after struggling at the Beijing Olympics.
With Beijing producing the worst US men’s athletics showing in Olympic history and star turns by Jamaican sprinters, the Americans have a chance to show how much ground they have made up and how much more is left cover. Gay’s anticipated showdown with Olympic star Usain Bolt, who set world records to win 100 and 200 gold, will be the main attraction.
Gay figures a run at the Jamaican’s world record of 9.69 seconds is within reach.
“You have got to run 9.59 to beat him. That’s how I look at it,” Gay said. “I have the mechanics. I have the coaching. It’s all there.”
Gay ran the fastest 100 in the world this year, 9.77 seconds, in Rome on July 10 and tops the 200 world list with a 19.58, the third-fastest in history, at New York in May.
After winning in London in a wind-aided 9.79 two weeks ago, Gay said, “This race proved that I’m in form and was important in terms of the world championship.”
Allyson Felix, Jeremy Wariner, Kerron Clement, Michelle Perry, Reese Hoffa, Brad Walker and Bernard Lagat will all defend world titles from two years ago at Osaka, where the US lineup matched a meet record with 14 titles.
The meet comes six months after USA Track and Field unveiled a revamp plan aimed at producing 30 US athletics medals at the 2012 London Olympics and critical of the way past squads were assembled and supported for big meets.
American athletes will wear the initials “JO” on their uniforms in honor of iconic hero Jesse Owens, who defied onlooking Adolf Hitler in the same stadium by winning four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
“These World Championships are special,” said USA Track chief executive Doug Logan.
“It’s Team USA’s chance to come back strong in the post-Olympic year and it’s an opportunity to honor the incredible legacy of Jesse Owens.
“Our team roster will represent the United States well on both counts.” Reigning Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt and Sanya Richards each have the world’s best 400m times this year, 44.50 for Merritt and 49.23 for Richards. Other world leaders in 2009 include long jumpers Dwight Phillips, a two-time world champion, and Brittney Reese; 400 hurdler Lashindsa Demus, men’s high jumper Andra Manson and Olympic women’s discus winner Stephanie Brown Trafton.
Felix won the biggest 200m finals blowout in world meet history in addition to helping the US women’s 4x100 and 4x400 relays win gold while Lagat won an unprecedented 1,500-5,000 world double in 2007. Clement, the Olympic 400 hurdles runner-up at Beijing, and Perry, seeking her third consecutive world 100 hurdles crown, also defend their crowns on the track while pole vaulter Brad Walker and 2006 world indoor shot put champion Reese Hoffa attempt the same in field events.
lSydney: Olympic medallists Steve Hooker, Sally McLellan and Jared Tallent are rated Australia’s best hopes of adding to the country’s select list of world champions in Berlin.
Australia have won seven gold medals at the world championships but their winning chances in 2009 have been hard hit by the injury withdrawals of defending world champions, Jana Pittman Rawlinson and Nathan Deakes. But Beijing Olympic pole vault champion Hooker is viewed as the team’s best chance to add a world title to his imposing resume in Berlin. Hooker, 27, set an Olympic record of 5.96 metres and became Australia’s first-ever field gold medallist when he won in Beijing last August.
Hooker is the second-highest vaulter of all time behind the six-time world champion Sergey Bubka (6.15m) with a best clearance of 6.06m in Boston last year.
“Physically, I’m just better and better each day,” Hooker said on his website recently.
“The injuries I had (a knee problem as a result of a training accident, and strained pectoral muscles) before leaving for Europe are not really a concern any more.
“Every day that I’m here (in Europe) is another solid day of training behind me without having to worry about those things.”
A Hooker victory in Berlin will emulate Dmitri Markov’s world championship triumph in the pole vault at Edmonton in 2001. The Belarus-born Markov cleared 6.05m to become world champion. McLellan, a silver medallist behind American Dawn Harper in the 100m hurdles at Beijing, set a new Australian record time of 12.50 seconds in Monaco late last month. Underlining her form claims for Berlin gold was her finishing ahead of Olympic bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep of Canada and in-form American Lolo Jones.
McLellan is bidding to be the third Australian woman to become world champion after the double successes of Cathy Freeman in the 400m in 1997-99 and Jana Pittman Rawlinson in the 400m hurdles in 2003-07. Tallent, 24, is Australia’s strong medal contender in the 20km and 50km walks following the injury withdrawal of defending world champion Nathan Deakes. Tallent claimed medals in both disciplines at the Beijing Games, a silver medal in the 50km event and bronze in the 20km. Deakes was forced to pull out of the Berlin championships following a setback in his comeback from hamstring surgery which also forced him out of the Beijing Olympics. - AFP |
