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 throwing. Hopefully you will join in with your very own scoops – maybe there is something to learn that was missed.
Men – Shot Put
Tomasz Majewski (POL)
Reese Hoffa (USA)
Christian Cantwell (USA)
World-Track Dig: Hoffa believes he can go better than Majewski’s world-leading 21.95m, with him already going 19.89m this season, you wouldn’t against him doing so.
Women – Shot Put
Valerie Vili (NZ)
Natallia Mikhnevich (BLR)
Anna Avdeeva (RUS)
World-Track Dig: I truly think the silver and bronze medals are up for grabs.
Men – Discus
Gerd Kanter (EST)
Virgilijus Alekna (LTU)
Piotr Malachowski (POL)
Medal Dark-horses: Robert Harting (GER)
World-Track Dig: There are some athletes who stands above and beyond and Kanter shows he is one of them.
Women – Discus
Stephanie Brown Trafton (USA)
Natalya Sadova (RUS)
Aimin Song (CHN)
World-Track Dig: Three women with realistic chances of winning the gold medal, but a strong field ready for any slip-ups.
Men – Hammer
Krisztian Pars (HUN)
Primoz Kozmus (SLO)
Yury Shayunou (BLR)
World-Track Dig: Pars missed out twice in the last two worlds, but I think this is the year for him.
Women – Hammer
Betty Heidler (GER)
Anita Wlodarczyk (POL)
Tatyana Lysenko (RUS)
Medal Dark-horses: Martina Hrasnová (SVK)
World-Track Dig: Starting as the defending champion with the home support, I will give Heidler a slight advantage, but only just. Wlodarczyk has been consistent all year and Hrasnova is the world-leader so they are certainly gold medal contenders.
Men – Javelin
Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR)
Tero Pitkämäki (FIN)
Vadims Vasilevskis (LAT)
World-Track Dig: I can’t wait to see this one, Thorkildsen and Pitkämäki have been toe-to-toe all year and Berlin will be no different.
Women – Javelin
Christina Obergföll (GER)
Barbora Spotakova (CZE)
Steffi Nerius(GER)
Medal Dark-horses: Mariya Abakumova (RUS)
World-Track Dig: Home advantage will play a big part here
Askana miankova?N.OSTAPUCK?and andrei mikhnevich…they are best throwers…maybe winners he have good antecedents
In men’s javelin Tero Pitkämäki will probably be our second weakest link. Teemu Wirkkala will throw 88-90 meters, Antti Ruuskanen 87+ and Pitkämäki 86+. Tero Järvenpää is also capable of throwing about 85-86 meters like he did in Finnish national championships (foul) week ago, but most of his throws land between 70-80 at the moment. So the battle for gold is probably gonna be between Wirkkala and Thorkildsen.