With the highly anticipated IAAF World Championships only a few weeks away, World Track and Field Web Site has put together a group with our own predictions based on who we believe have the strongest chances of winning medals in Berlin, Germany.
Breaking things down into groups will make it a little more interesting for you our viewers, as you will be able to interact more on specific distances and field events. Today it’s all about sprinting. Hopefully you will join in with your very own scoops – maybe there is something to learn that was missed.
Men – 100m
Usain Bolt (JAM)
Tyson Gay (USA)
Asafa Powell (JAM) (If he shows up to run like Asafa)
Medal Dark-horse: Daniel Bailey (ANT)
World-Track Dig: With Tyson back in the frame, Bolt will not have that Beijing winning margin, but a little birdie says he will break the world record.
Women – 100m
Kerron Stewart (JAM)
Shelly Ann Fraser (JAM)
Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM)
Medal Dark-horse: Camelita Jeter (USA)
World-Track Dig: Campbell-Brown will shock a lot of people in Berlin. She wouldn’t run this race if she was not confident.
Men – 200m
Usain Bolt (JAM)
Tyson Gay (USA)
Shawn Crawford (USA)
Medal Dark-horses: Alonso Edward (PAN) and Steve Mullings (JAM)
World-Track Dig: The race for the bronze medal will be wide open, but I am going to go with experiences.
Women – 200m
Allyson Felix (USA)
Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM)
Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (BAH)
World-Track Dig: Felix looks set to repeat and even if Campbell-Brown skips the 100m things will still tough for her. Maybe the rounds will help here.
Men – 400m
Jeremy Wariner (USA)
LaShawn Merritt (USA)
Chris Brown (BAH)
Medal Dark-horse: David Gillick (IRL)
World-Track Dig: Ok, so I like to take chances and yes I am going to go with Wariner, with the feeling that he will be ready.
Women – 400m
Sanya Richards (USA)
Antonina Krivoshapka (RUS)
Shericka Williams (JAM)
Medal Dark-horse: Novlene Williams-Mills (JAM)
World-Track Dig: Christine Ohuruogu says she will be ready, but I just don’t think so. I think this one will get away from her this year.
So there you have it. Please feel free to post your comments and add your very own modify pieces, as we all know, no person thinks exactly the same way.
CORRECTION: It’s Kerron Stewart, not “Simpson”. Your prediction of Felix winning the 200 appears to be logical but I don’t think she will be able to match Veronica Campbells speed, and if Shelly-Ann Frazer is entered for the event (She was 2nd in the Ja’ trials), thats another challenge for both Felix and Campbell-Brown.
I like most of your prediction.But like arthur says if SAF is in the 200m I think Debbie will have to fight for the bronze between she and fraser.
I believe you are correct with the men 100m & 200m. VCB will win a gold medal in one of the individual event . I am not sure which one though. She knows how to win…her history as a sprinter at all levels proves that she is tough to beat.
I am predicting 4X100 men and women. 1. Jamaica in both. 2. USA in both. In the men’s 3. Trinidad & Tobago. Women’s 3. Bahamas
Hahaha PC, I guess you made world-track’s work a little easier when its time for the relay predictions….I must say though that you are brave to put Wariner ahead of Merritt
Mark
Note I didn’t say anything about the 400m Men, as I haven’t done my homework as yet. I agree with Sanya for the women 400m with one of the Jamaican girls coming second.
I don’t think the 400M women is as clear cut as it seems. Antonina Krivoshapka has run very close to Sanya’s best time this year. Also, Sanya tends to fade after the early rounds. It is going to be a challenge for her, we saw what happened at the Olympics. The other results seem obvious based on the form of these athletes, but anything is possible on the day. The relays can never be a done deal, athletes are always dropping the baton or stepping out of lane when the pressure is on. I will not call the relays, even though Jamaica and the US has the best teams..drama always happens at major Championships….Let the fun begin….
I think there are a lot of surprises in store come Berlin…IMHO, VCB will medal only in the 200m…I can hardly wait!
Tyson Gay will take the 100m and the 200m with Bolt on his heels. I believe Gay would have won in Beijing. Gay’s top end speed is faster than Bolts. Gay will win the 200m. If he get a good start in the 100m he will win it also (i’m banking on that. If not Bolt wins. Asafa will not get third though, maybe 4th. Asafa can only run in one position, and that’s the front. Since we know he’s not going to win this race, he will not run up to his ability.
Also Jam will not sweep the 100m. They may win, they may even get 1 and 2, but not a sweep.
E. G. Palmer
You are doing some serious smoking….Have you not seen the way Bolt distroyed Gay in New York last season?….The times Gay is running with wind-assists are the times Bolt is running against the wind in some tough conditions. Had it been nice when Bolt ran 9.79 this year, the world record would have been gone. I love Gay he is a great talent, but look at the way the two runs. Bolt last 50m is way…way..way more dangerous than Gay’s. Better yet Gay will not see that 19.58 range again.
Dawn,
I’m dead serious. 1st off wind-aid is the biggest crock going in track, outside of steroids. No REAL runner of track pays attention to it. I bet Bolt doesnt care if it was win aided or not. A 9.7 is a 9.7. For wind-aided times to be a factor you have to take in account height, weight, and stride legnth. And besides all that, it was +.4. WOW!! A whole lot of wind. Bolt’s 9.79 +.2 Ooooooo. Talking about not seeing a time again 19.30 will never be run by Bolt again. Did you watch the 19.58? Gay shut it down!! As far as the ONLY time Bolt has ever beaten Gay. Gay was walking him from 75 to the finish, Bolt just got out way better.
Dawn,
I’m dead serious. 1st off wind-aid is the biggest crock going in track, outside of steroids. No REAL runner of track pays attention to it. I bet Bolt doesnt care if it was win aided or not. A 9.7 is a 9.7. For wind-aided times to be a factor you have to take in account height, weight, and stride legnth. And besides all that, it was +.4. WOW!! A whole lot of wind. Bolt’s 9.79 +.2 Ooooooo. Talking about not seeing a time again 19.30 will never be run by Bolt again. Did you watch the 19.58? Gay shut it down!! As far as the ONLY time Bolt has ever beaten Gay. Gay was walking him from 75 to the finish, Bolt just got out way better.
PC,
4×1 relay Men 1 USA (if they can get the stick around), 2. Jam
Women’s 1. Jam, 2. USA (I agree)
Gay has run every race all out this season and the 9.72 when Bolt beat him he had no chance, watched the race again….Better yet, check the IAAF Top list again Bolt’s 9.79 was done with -0.2m/s….I guess we will just see. And if you truely believe that Gay will beat Bolt then you are drunk….Bolt might now run 19.30 again this year, but I bet he will run faster than 19.59…Even Ato Boldon himself believes so….Watch Bolt’s 400m strength kicks in after the 150m
I agree with E.G. Palmer…the wind aided thing is a bunch of crock, at least to some degree. The men’s 100m will be an upset, as well as the women’s 100m!
Rectpecs and E.G. Palmer
Suddenly wind aided races shouldn’t matter. Tyson has never run close to 9.72 with a legal wind. Usain has three legal times faster than Gay’s, 9.69, 9.72, 9.76, so if you do the maths, how can he beat Bolt who has run faster than him. Did you watch the finals of the 100m in Beijing? Go look at it again. See Bolt ease up at 75m and jogs to 9.69. I like Tyson but he has reached his peak, he is 26. He will never beat a fit and ready Bolt again.
I tell you what, lets all come back after Berlin and see.
Bolt will beat Gay by at least 2 meters. Compared to the rest of the field of 100m sprinters, including Gay, Bolt is ‘out of this world’. And that really is no hyperbole, Bolt IS ‘out of this world’. Simple translation – no one can touch him unless he trips. A full-out, in-shape Bolt wins a 108 meter race against the second fastest man running a 100 meter race. Gay’s fastest legal mark is an all-out 9.77 with a +1.6 tailwind helping him (Bolt ran a 9.77 into a -1.3 headwind), while Bolt’s WR of 9.69 was run with no wind helping or hindering and, as video record shows, he shut it down well before the finish line for pre-tape celebrations. Bolt has beaten Gay only once because he is younger, has only recently come to prominence, and you can only beat someone if they make it past the semi-finals (Gay failed to qualify in Beijing). In addition, however you interpret that lack of Bolt-Gay duels this year – Gay avoiding Bolt so as not to destroy any confidence following a loss; lack of meet funding to pay both athletes; training targets not allowing for them to compete in the same race – the fact is that Bolt will race Gay whenever Gay chooses to sign the dotted line, and this willingness, on the part of Gay, seems unreciprocated. In any event, Bolt will win, it will probably be a World Record since he will run to the tape, and Gay will most likely be second, noticeably behind.
We’ll see. 🙂
There’s nothing sudden about wind-aided times not mattering, its been a topic for years. I you research and do the logic and science, it make very little difference unless the wind is gusting.
5 m/s wind is at 11.25 mph
4 m/s 9 mph
3 m/s 6.75 mph
2 m/s 4.5 mph
1 m/s 2.25 mph
I’m saying that the wind doesnt matter. However it is only half way complete. Either do it fully or dont do it all.
See you all on August 23rd!! No excuses on whoever wins, not matter what!!!!!
😀
Just to chime in my predictions. I do think that a fit Tyson Gay will make Usain’s 100m run a lot more difficult than his Beijing performance, but nonetheless Bolt WILL win..and not by a photo-finish either. Can someone say WR?! Another 9.6 for Bolt is on the cards with Tyson in his wake. The race for the bronze is wide open but I’m afraid Asafa will disappoint again and fail to medal. Fourth is his for the grabbing since Daniel Bailey of Antigua will be coated in bronze.
As for the women’s 100m, it is tempting to predict another Jamaican sweep a-la-Beijing, but I’m afraid Carmelita Jeter will ensure that that doesnt happen by pipping VCB for the bronze as Ver once again will be undone by her customary unimpressive start. The “running-from-behind” heroics of Osaka will just fall short this time, just good enough for 4th. Jeter however wont be able to prevent a Jamaican 1, 2 as the Olympic champ Shelly-Ann Fraser looks poised to also become the world champ. With her reliable fast start and quick acceleration the gold is her’s for the taking, but with a margin somewhat smaller than her 0.2s from Beijing. Kerron Stewart, unless she can duplicate that Rome 2009 race wont be able to match Fraser, and will be in Fraser’s wake bagging another major silver.
Lauryn Williams, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie and Chandra Sturrup are all worth mentioning since they will be in the Berlin final but I’m afraid thats all they will have to celebrate.
Thanks for all of your predictions, but Jamaica will win ALL sprint events in Berlin. Currently there is no competitiion for Bolt or Frasier. Hopefully the U.S. will take the bronze in some fields, but this year again, it’s all about JAMAICA!
Carmelita who? will beat VCB. You gotta be kidding. Check VCB’s credentials again!! Let talk after the finals!!!
people, bolt loves the challenge in case non of you realized. he feeds off it. tyson gay will only bring out the bolt in the kid. just watch and you’ll all see. the man is a raw born warrior.
I have to intervene and get a word in on these thoughts. First off I have a bold prediction for all. asafa will get out of the blocks first and pressure Bolt right to the line. bolt will catch him but Gay will have to settle for third, with Daniel Bailey coming in fourth. fith sixth, seventh and eight will be between mike rogers, churandy martina, richard thompson, michael frater and darvis patton. of course one of these nine will not make the final. too many people have been fooled by Asafa’s Sub Par performances due to his ankle injury. he still has the second fastest time of all time. tyson gay has the sixth fatest time of all time. I also have a hunch that both Asafa and Bolt will go below the world record in the same race. As for the womens 100m, it will be as predicted above, however VC will have to get a better than usual start in order to secure third ahead of Jeter and debbie ferguson mckenzie of Bahamas. baptiste is also a serious threat from T&T. mens 200m will see bolt, Gay and third is wide open. but i will take churandy martina of Netherland antilles or Steve Mullings over S. Crawford. womans 200m is VC all the way. because she is a big Race runner and I think her conditioning is right where it needs to be for that race. Felix will run better than she did in beijing but her fate will be no different from a year ago because after losing the 100m VC will want this one real bad. third will be close finish between Ferguson Mackenzie and Shelly ann Fraser but fraser will prevail in the end. and for E. G. Palmer, wind aided times over 2m/s are illegal for a reason. i’ve been around track and field enough to know that while the look good on the clock, runners can be significantly faster when the wind is behind them than when it is against them. you may not feel the drag while you run, but the clock will tell the Story. but we will see once the playing field is leveled.
Is E G Palmer drunk don’t he look at Tyson face how hard he has to run and how relax Bolt is he hasn’t been tested yet
Is Yohan Blake running in Berlin? Where is he?
Yohan Blake is back in jamaica along with the other four athletes that are involved in the positive drug test issue. They are bussy sorting out a positive drug test for a substance that is not even on the Banned substance list. how unfair.
Hmmm…after watching the semis , I think it’s going to be a tall order for Gay to beat Bolt…a real tall order.
Good run. Bolt did his thing.
Congrats to Bolt “the real big man”. Tyson tried his best but at the end of it all Usain proved that as long as he is fit and healthy the final result almost certainly rest on his spike. As for the women’s 100m my prediction from a week ago was spot on. A fast-starting Shelly Ann Fraser was always going to be hard to beat, even if your name is Kerron Stewart. And VCB, despite having the heart of a champion simply could not overcome her propensity to always be left in the blocks, plus her early-season injury woes left her less than race sharp. Still, brilliant performances by the black green and gold…again.