No middle or distance event finals but 'none the less', glorious sprints in the Women's 200m and Men's 400m, the high hurdles and a new champion 'maybe' emerging in the Decathlon, as well as a simply sublime wins in the Winner's javelin and triple-jump.
The Women's 1500m semis did not make a case for who the outright favourite for the final should be. The athlete with the best credentials in the final is Russia's Yelena Soboleva. Soboleva is the World Leader in 2007 with 3:57.30. Maryam Yusuf Jamal is a great competitor but is yet to prove herself at the top level. These 2 athletes came out the semis as the athletes to watch. However, we shall still go with Yuliya Fomenko. The Ukraine's Iryna Lishchynska is always there or thereabouts and on the day can beat everyone. Bring it on.
In the Men's 800m semi-finals, Bahrain had the disappointment of both their representatives exiting. 2005 Champion was never in the race, while Youssef Saad Kamel was out foxed by the Saudi athlete, Mohammed Al Salhi. In semi 3, Salhi was again up against Yuriy Borzakovskiy and Wilfred Bungei again. I am not altogether clear on how the semi fields are put together (it seems as though the winners from ht1 and 2 race semi1, the winners from ht3 and 4 race semi 2 and the qualifiers of ht5 and 6 race semi3) Whereas you need to beat everyone assembled to win a medal, it seems strange to have 3 athletes race against one another in the very next race. Kenya's Bungei, so oft a front runner, qualified with a kick in semi3, one wonders what tactic he shall employ in the final. Canada's Gary Reed has looked the most competent in both rounds, being the winner in each. He is taking the pace from 300m out and applying early pressure. I believe if an athlete is strong enough and can hold on down the last 100m, then they can win the race down the backstretch of the 800m. Each of the athletes who set the pace over the first 400m of the semis failed to qualify. In Bungei we have an athlete who can win the race from the front, in Borza we have an athlete who can win the race over the last 100m. This all makes Sunday's race all the more intriguing.
That was all on Day in the form of Middle to Distance running, but certainly not all in the form of stunning athletics. In the Women's Triple Jump, Cuba's Yargelis Savigne won with her first jump of 15.28. This was enough to keep long jump winner Tatyana Lebedeva at bay. This was Cuba's first Gold of the Champs.
In the Women's Javelin, I was most impressed with the Czech winner's big match temperament. Barbora Špotáková threw a National Record of 66.40 in her first throw and then followed this up with another NR throw of 67.07. The German favourite had a last throw of 66.46 which would have won Gold if Špotáková had been content to settle on her first throw. A great achievement. For entertainment in this final, we had to look no further than Greece's Sávva Líka who finished 5 with a Personal Best of 63.13. Anyone would have thought she had won the contest, such was her delight in her own performance. Even going as far as kissing the television camera on one occasion. However do note, her behaviour was never directed at her opponents but more at the sheer joy of competing.
Moving on to brilliance of Allyson Felix. What a superb, majestic performance. She obliterated the rest of the field leaving 100m Champion, Veronica Campbell, in her wake. The American recorded 21.81 and in the process established the greatest winning margin in a 200m final at the highest level since 1948. The highest level being the finals of the Olympic Games and/or the World Championships.
A great result was Bronze, a shiver fluttered down my spine when watching Sri Lanka's Susanthika Jayasingherealise she had grabbing 3rd for her country, after witnessing the result display on the stadium's big screen. She had beaten the USA's Torri Edwards with her dip. A brilliant reward.
How can athletics bring tears to the eyes?
As for Felix, there is talk of her considering a few other events, either the 100 or 400. In Felix we have something special, a joy to behold. A poise and person with direction. There can only be one Allyson Felix and we wait for the future. 400 anyone?
Now the much anticipated 400m Final. Was Jeremy Wariner going to take a crack at Michael Johnson's record? Well, at the end of the day, it never happened however we still witnessed a simply dazzling performance by the 'heir apparent'. In the race, compatriot and winner of the Men's 400m hurdles title in Osaka 2007, LaShawn Merritt, attempted to place pressure on the young shoulders of Wariner. The winning time was 43.45, placing Wariner 3rd on the all-time list behind Johnson's 43.18 and Butch Reynolds' 43.29. Merritt went sub 44 for the first time with his 43.96, making him the 8th fastest 400m runner on the list.
China's Xiang Liu, won his country's first Gold (but expected) in the Men's 110m hurdles, coming through from the unfavourable lane 9 to take the win. This man must be a superstar in his country and the expectation must be enormous. .
