CHANCE TO MAKE AMENDS
Kenyan Beatrice Chepkoech topped the women’s 3,000m Steeplechase heats as she looks to redeem herself at the ongoing World Athletic Championships in Doha.
She finished Heat 1 unchallenged in a time of 9:18.01 to book her place in the finals. Her time was well off her world record time of 8:44.32 set last year, but was till more than 30 seconds ahead of the next fastest qualifier in the heats. American Courtney Frerichs won Heat 2 in a time of 9:18.42.
Two years ago, Chepkoech, missed the water jump and had to double back to clear it, and with it any hopes of a medal.
She came back strongly to break the world record and has established herself as the world’s best steeplechaser.
Freirichs, who was a silver medalist in London two years ago, looks set to give the Kenyan a fight for the gold.
Defending champion Emma Coburn, of America qualified sixth fastest but would be another athlete, who could derail Chepkoech’s golden hopes.
Hyvin Kiyeng, the 2015 world champion, is also through to the finals. She qualified with a slow time of 9:29.15. Another Kenyan finalist to look out for is Celliphine Chepteek Chespol, who only managed a 9:24.22 in her Heats. The world U18 and U20 champion is the only other sub-nine-minute woman in the field. Her 8:58.78 clocking – a world U20 record – was set back in May 2017.
PRICE IS RIGHT
American DeAnna Price as expected secured her place in the finals of the women’s hammer throw with a heave of 73.77m in the qualifying competition. The 26-year-old was expected to dominate the event with her teammates Brooke Andersen and Gwen Berry.
With four-time champion Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland missing the championships through injury the American trio, ranked as the best three athletes in the event wer expected to blow away their rivals. While Price gave an indication of her gold medal prospect, her teammates failed to impress.
The 26-year-old Price, who reached the 2016 Olympic and 2017 World Championships finals, has won five of her seven competitions this year. She produced the season’s two farthest throws, a 77.43m effort in Bloomington in late June and a 78.24m North American record to win the US title in late July. That’s nearly a metre and a half better than anyone else in the world.
Berry only managed a 71.72m distance, missing out on the qualifying distance of 72m. She made it into the finals as only nine athletes made the required qualifying distance.
As for Andersen, her 68.46 effort was only 20th best in the field and failed to make the cut for the finals.
Another pre-event favourite, Wang Zheng of China qualified seventh best with a throw of 72.65. Zheng, the bronze medallist in 2013 and runner-up in London two years ago, would be looking to improve on the effort to finish on the podium once again.
Wang has won 11 of her past 12 competitions, including the Asian title at Doha’s Khalifa Stadium in April.
STEFANDI LEADS AN OPEN FIELD
Defending champion Katerina Stefandi needed just one attempt to book her place in the finals of the women’s pole vault event. Her 4.60m effort was matched by 16 other qualifiers but there is no doubt on who would start as the odds on favourite to win the gold.
Since winning the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Stefanidi hasn’t lost a major outdoor title. She has since that victory also won the European crowns in 2016 and 2018, and the world title in London two years ago.
The 29-year-old Greek star has won six of her 13 outdoor competitions this year but will have to be wary of a number of other qualifiers.
2012 Olympic champion Jennifer Suhr, authorised neutral athlete Anzhelika Sidorova and American Sandi Morris, Canadian Alysha Newman, Katie Nageotte and Cuban Yarisley Silva, the 2015 world champion are all capable of denying her.
TRIPLE THREAT
Mariya Lasitskene qualified for the finals of the women’s high jump as she bids to become the first three-time high jump champion.
The 26-year-old authorised neutral athlete managed a leap of 1.94m to make the finals as seven other athletes also managed the same qualifying height.
The Diamond League champion has won 11 out of 12 outdoor competitions and holds a season’s best of 2.06m.Yuliya Levchenko, the 21-year-old Ukrainian who finished second in London two years ago, only managed a 1.92m in the qualifiers.
Teammate Yaroslava Mahuchikh, the world U18 and Youth Olympic champion is also through to her first senior finals.
Karyna Demidik of Belarus, the world U20 champion is also through to the finals together with American Vashti Cunningham, the 2016 world indoor champion.
Mirela Demireva of Bulgaria, the Olympic silver medalist and two-time European silver medalist and Poland’s Kamila Licwinko are the other finalists.
Alessia Trost of Italy, who jumped to world indoor bronze last year, however, failed to make the finals.
SURPRISE LEADER
Despite not having won any races this year, American Paul Chelimo is the surprise fastest qualifier for the finals of the men’s 5,000m race. Chelimo finished in a time of 13:20.18 to qualify ahead of Ethiopian Tetahun Haite Bekele in Heat 2.
Chelimo, who finished on the podium at the 2017 World Championships and 2016 Olympic Games, has not been at his best but base don his run today, he cannot be discounted to spring a surprise in the final.
Bekele leads this year’s world list following his 12:52.98 victory at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Rome. However he finished in a time of 13:20.45 to qualify second fastest overall. The Ethiopian’s only prior major championships experience was last year’s World U20 Championships where he finished fifth.
Norwegian Ingebrigtsen brothers – Henrik, Filip and Jakob – have all qualified for the finals. Filip, the world bronze medalist over 1,500m is the fastest of the brothers with a time of 13:20.52, to qualify third fastest for the finals.
Henrik qualified seventh fastest while Jakob, the youngest of the brothers qualified 12th fastest. Despite the qualifying results, Jakob cannot be brushed aside as he won the senior European 1500m and 5000m titles last year at the age of 18.
NOT EXPECTED
Only two athletes managed to get past the qualifying mark of 17.10m in the men’s triple jump heats and it is not the favourite American duo of Christian Taylor or Will Claye.
Instead it was Portuguese Pedro Pablo Pichardo (17.38m) and Burkina Faso’s Hugues Fabrice Zango (17.17) who took the honours.
Since making their debut at the 2011 championships the two Americans have been regular podium finishers. Taylor only managed 16.99 to qualify for the finals while Claye’s 16.97 put him in fifth spot behind another American Donald Scott (16.99)
Despite the setback, the American duo are still expected to shine in the finals. Claye heads to Doha as the world leader, having sailed to a 18.14m June and a 18.06m to win at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Paris at the end of August.
He would be looking to upstage Taylor, the defending champion in the event. Their career head-to-head record is even closer. Taylor has the edge in the triple jump, 26 to 23, but add in their long jump record and Claye has the advantage, 31 to 29.
Hoping to derail their hopes would be Pichardo, the third Doha-bound 18-metre performer, who is the only other man apart from Claye to have beaten Taylor this year. The two-time world silver medalist jumped a season’s best of 17.53m at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in London.
USA’s Omar Craddock who won Pan American Games and the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Rome failed to make the cut.
Zango goes into the final with confidence, having set the African record of 17.58m during the indoor season.
Eighteen year old prodigy Jordan Alejandro Diaz Furton is also in the finals, Diaz has emerged as one of the most exciting young talents in the sport. He won the 2017 world U18 title with a world U18 best of 17.30m and extended that mark to 17.41m last year.
TRIO THROUGH
The trio of the world’s four quickest men in history are through to the next round of the men’s 400m hurdles.
Leading the pack is home favourite Abderrahman Samba, who won his heat in a time of 49,08, the fastest among all qualifiers.
Samba together with Norwegian Karsten Warlhom and American Rai Benjamin are the only runners in the field with sub-47-times in the distance. Like Samba, the other two also eased into the next round without much hassle.
Samba is looking to be a world champion in front of his home fans and has a personal best of 46.98. Injury has restricted his 400m hurdles outings to just the Asian Championships and Shanghai Diamond League. He has still managed a 47.27 and would be looking to improve as the championships goes on.
Defending champion Karsten Warholm, who is aiming to join an exclusive club, containing Ed Moses, Felix Sanchez and Kerron Clement, as back-to-back world champions in the event, won his heats in a time of 49.27.
He is unbeaten this year including five victories at IAAF Diamond League meetings. The 23-year-old’s holds the European record of 46.92 to climb, second on the world all-time list behind Kevin Young.
Finishing just 0.06 adrift of Warholm in Paris – to himself elevate himself to joint-third on the world all-time list – is US sensation Rai Benjamin. The 22-year-old clocked 49.62 to finish tops in his heats to move on to the next round.
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