Stakes are high in Stuttgart

The IAAF World Athletics Final takes place in Stuttgart, Germany this weekend. The culmination of the World Athletics Tour (WAT) – 24 IAAF Permit Meetings including all the Golden League and Super Grand Prix events – boasts a prize purse of over $3 million, and the biggest names in World Athletics in attendance.

The World Athletics Final entry list is decided according to the WAT Standings, with the top 7 athletes with the greatest number of points from their five best results (4 for throws) qualifying for each event of the final.

On the track, Europe boasts a number of strong performers fresh from Golden League celebrations. Belgium’s double European Sprint Champion, Kim Gevaert, delivered an impressive home-crowd victory in the 200m last weekend, while Christine Arron’s spectacular 100m sprint wowed the crowd in Zurich, with America’s Veronica Campbell missing from the 100m and World Champion, Allyson Felix absent from the 200m, the two speedy European’s have everything to play for.

In the men’s 100m, World record holding Jamaican, Asafa Powell, is the unquestioned favourite to win, but Norwegian, Jaysuma Saidy Ndure, still buzzing from his Golden League victory in Berlin and second place ranking to Powell in Brussels, will certainly put up a tough challenge. Briton’s Marlon Devonish, will also be a likely challenger. The highly experienced Championship performer has had a great season that saw him run a life time best of 10.06.

The women’s 400m will definitely be a race to watch, with the expected show down between World leader and US Golden League victor, 22-year-old Sanya Richards, and the British double act of Christine Ohuruogu and Nicola Sanders, who took silver and gold in Osaka in Richards‘ absence. Ohuruogu’s best time from Osaka is still 0.34 seconds outside of Richards‘ best, but the British sprinters have proven that they perform well under pressure in the past.

There could also be a battle in the women’s 100m Hurdles, where Sweden’s European Champion, Susanna Kallur, seems to have found her mojo again. Despite solid performances and good times, the 26-year-old Swede finished fourth in last years WAT, and then fourth again in Osaka, yet ever since missing out on her World Championship podium slot the Swede has fought back with a vengeance.

Kallur destroyed World Champion, Michelle Perry’s hopes for a share of the Golden League jackpot, by storming to a decisive victory in Zurich, a streak which continued in Brussels, and saw her run a new lifetime best of 12.49 in Berlin. Now better rested and with something to prove, Perry will take to the starting blocks, ready to challenge Kallur’s string of comfortable victories.

In the 400m Hurdles, Poland is really flying the flag for Europe. World bronze medalists Anna Jesien, and Marek Plawgo were the surprise podium finishers in Osaka, but both Poles have gone on to prove this was not a one time lucky run, with wins in Rieti and Rovereto, and Plawgo’s 49.01 (0.01seconds ahead of James Carter USA) Berlin win.

In the middle distances, Spain’s 800m super star, Mayte Martinez, leads the way for Europe’s women. Martinez has had an outstanding season so far, with her trademark sprint finishes an increasing challenge to the seemingly unbeatable World Champion, Janeth Jepkosgei (KEN).

In the 1500m, World silver medallist, Yelena Soboleva is poised to break her Bahrain rival Maryam Yusuf Jamal’s winning streak. The Russian World leader has been out run by Jamal in her last three competitions, and will be on fighting form this weekend.

Another Russian leads the field in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase. World champion, Yekaterina Volkova, ran a lifetime best of 9:06.57 to win her Osaka title and prove that she was in a league of her own in this punishing event. While in the men’s Steeplechase, all eyes will fall on Swedish record holder Mustafa Mohamed, whose fourth place finish in Osaka and string of solid performances throughout 2007, makes him the most likely European challenger on the Kenyan Steeplechase stranglehold.

In the technical events, three names come to mind: Blanka Vlasic, Yelena Isinbayeva and Tatyana Lebedeva. These three women have provided us with a year of truly spectacular athletics – a trend set to continue at the Stuttgart final.

All three jumpers perform in a league of their own; Blanka Vlasic (CRO) has won 16 of her 17 competitions this season, and come tantalizingly close to smashing the 20-year High Jump record of 2.09m on much more than one occasion, similarly, Russia’s Pole Vault queen, Yelena Isinbayeva, has racked up a complete set of global honours, a half share of the Golden League Jackpot and remains unbeaten since Stockholm last July.

After winning the Golden League last weekend Isinbayeva said,

„In Stuttgart I want to jump the World record. Victory only is not enough for me any more.“

For both Isinbayeva and Vlasic, smashing their respective records seems the only fitting way to close such impressive seasons, the capacity Stuttgart crowd will certainly be doing their best to encourage the two women.

While Tatyana Lebedeva cannot boast the same flawless record cards as Vlasic and Isinbayeva, the versatile Russian has managed to obtain top honours or podium positions in both the Triple and Long Jump events. The newly-crowned World Long Jump Champion and World Triple Jump silver medallist is expected to tackle both events again in Stuttgart, in an attempt to re-create last year’s $60,000 Stuttgart double victory.

In the men’s events Olympic High Jump Champion, Stefan Holm, comes to Stuttgart with something to prove. The hugely experienced and gifted jumper, will be looking to bury all thoughts of his disappointing fourth finish in Osaka, with the type of technically perfect, seemingly effortless jumps we have come to expect of the Swede.

In the Pole Vault Europe’s best hopes lie with the German trio of Danny Ecker, Tim Lobinger, and Bjorn Otto. Ecker’s World bronze and home-crowd victory last weekend in Berlin will be a huge confidence boost going into this final, where he will challenge the new World Champion, Brad Walker (USA).

Another World Champion getting set to defend his title is Portugal’s Nelson Evora. The 23-year-old’s impressive Osaka leap of 17.74m set new Portuguese records and made Evora a national hero. However since returning home, Evora’s three Golden League jumps have resulted in second and third placing, so the young star will be keen to make his stamp on Stuttgart, closing the season as the undisputed Champion of Triple Jump.

Finally, in the throws, there is one athlete that you will not have to look out for – just listen to the roar of the Stuttgart audience as home-grown Javelin legend, Christina Obergföll, makes her appearance.

The entire Osaka Javelin podium will again be reunited at the Stuttgart stadium, but this time the 26-year-old World silver medallist, who was hotly tipped to take World gold, will have the home-crowd very much behind

Despite not taking the World title in Osaka, Obergföll has had a really strong season and the women’s Javelin promises to be a close event between the Czech World Champion, Barbora Spotakova and Obergföll’s team mate, Osaka bronze medallist Steffi Nerius. A confident Obergföll appeared relaxed about the competition ahead,

„I know that many people from Offenburg will travel in buses to see me compete this weekend. This is a great motivation and I am looking very forward to it. I will give everything I have at the World Athletics Final, but also want to enjoy the competition.“

IAAF World Athletics Final Cash Prizes

Place / Prize (all amounts are in US$)

1st 30,000

2nd 20,000

3rd 12,000

4th 7000

5th 5000

6th 4000

7th 3000

8th 2000

Athletes competing in 1500m, 5000m, 3000m, 3000m Steeplechase who finish from 9th to 12th place will receive prize money of US $1000 each.

World Record Bonus

Any Athlete who sets a new World Record in the World Athletics Final will be awarded US $100,000.

Source/Courtesy
European Athletics (EAA)
https://www.european-athletics.org/
EAA