Things to look out for in Osaka: Women's Field.
August 23rd 2007 01:39
With just one day to go till it all kicks off we take a look at what the women’s field events have to offer.
The High Jump is surely the most eagerly anticipated of all the women’s field events.
Croatian Blanka Vlasic has simply been a revelation this season clearing a world leading 2.07m and having several decent attempts at a world record 2.10m to her name.
Defending champion Swede Kajsa Bergqvist (SB 2.02m) as well as the rest of the High Jump fraternity have had simply no answer to the lanky croat thus far but in an event as unpredictable as the high jump stranger things have happened with a potential world record only adding to the possibilities.
It’s been a long time since Russian Pole Vault superstar Yelena Isinbaeva has had any credible competition but that could be about to change with American Jennifer Stuczynski having a seasons best only 3cm shy of the defending world champion.
Isinbaeva has been far from her best this year so the time could be ripe for the young pretender to strike.
One event where the Russians seem guaranteed a world champion seems to be the long jump with the 3 furthest jumps all coming from there. Lyudmila Kolchanova (7.21m), Tatyana Lebedeva (7.15m) and Irina Simagina (7.11m) seem most likely to contest the medals.
Indeed only Portuguese Naide Gomes (7.01m) has cleared 7m this year from the rest of the world.
Lebedeva will be hoping to take two medals back east with her as she tops the pile in the Triple Jump standings with her 15.14m leap in Athens last month. Just 5cm behind her though lurks Cuban Yargelis Savigne and Slovenian Marija Šestak (14.92m) will also look to take home some hardware from Japan.
Nadzeya Ostapchuk 20.34m looks set to dominate the Shot Putt leading as she does the rest of the world by a full 30cm. There will be a battle for Silver though with German Petra Lammert (20.04m) taking on Valarie Vili of New Zealand who has a best throw of just one centimetre shorter than the German.
Moving onto the long throws and the Discus looks set to be a face off between German world leader Franka Dietzsch (68.06m) and American duo Suzanne Powell (67.67m) and Becky Breisch (67.37m).
In light of new world record holder Russian Tatyana Lysenko’s positive drugs test and subsequent withdrawal from these championships the favourite tag goes to compatriot Gulfiya Khanafeyeva who has a world leading throw of 77.36m.
Her main competition in Osaka will be in the form of Pole Kamila Skolimowska who goes into Osaka with a 76.83m best.
Rounding off our highlights package is the Javelin where German Christina Obergföll is the overwhelming favourite.
Seven out of the ten furthest throws this year have come from her leaving it likely that Czech Barbora Špotáková (66.08m), Germany’s Steffi Nerius (65.78m) and Britain’s Goldie Sayers (65.05m) will fight it out for the minor medals.
Get ready………… The wait is almost over.
The High Jump is surely the most eagerly anticipated of all the women’s field events.
Croatian Blanka Vlasic has simply been a revelation this season clearing a world leading 2.07m and having several decent attempts at a world record 2.10m to her name.
Defending champion Swede Kajsa Bergqvist (SB 2.02m) as well as the rest of the High Jump fraternity have had simply no answer to the lanky croat thus far but in an event as unpredictable as the high jump stranger things have happened with a potential world record only adding to the possibilities.
It’s been a long time since Russian Pole Vault superstar Yelena Isinbaeva has had any credible competition but that could be about to change with American Jennifer Stuczynski having a seasons best only 3cm shy of the defending world champion.
Isinbaeva has been far from her best this year so the time could be ripe for the young pretender to strike.
One event where the Russians seem guaranteed a world champion seems to be the long jump with the 3 furthest jumps all coming from there. Lyudmila Kolchanova (7.21m), Tatyana Lebedeva (7.15m) and Irina Simagina (7.11m) seem most likely to contest the medals.
Indeed only Portuguese Naide Gomes (7.01m) has cleared 7m this year from the rest of the world.
Lebedeva will be hoping to take two medals back east with her as she tops the pile in the Triple Jump standings with her 15.14m leap in Athens last month. Just 5cm behind her though lurks Cuban Yargelis Savigne and Slovenian Marija Šestak (14.92m) will also look to take home some hardware from Japan.
Nadzeya Ostapchuk 20.34m looks set to dominate the Shot Putt leading as she does the rest of the world by a full 30cm. There will be a battle for Silver though with German Petra Lammert (20.04m) taking on Valarie Vili of New Zealand who has a best throw of just one centimetre shorter than the German.
Moving onto the long throws and the Discus looks set to be a face off between German world leader Franka Dietzsch (68.06m) and American duo Suzanne Powell (67.67m) and Becky Breisch (67.37m).
In light of new world record holder Russian Tatyana Lysenko’s positive drugs test and subsequent withdrawal from these championships the favourite tag goes to compatriot Gulfiya Khanafeyeva who has a world leading throw of 77.36m.
Her main competition in Osaka will be in the form of Pole Kamila Skolimowska who goes into Osaka with a 76.83m best.
Rounding off our highlights package is the Javelin where German Christina Obergföll is the overwhelming favourite.
Seven out of the ten furthest throws this year have come from her leaving it likely that Czech Barbora Špotáková (66.08m), Germany’s Steffi Nerius (65.78m) and Britain’s Goldie Sayers (65.05m) will fight it out for the minor medals.
Get ready………… The wait is almost over.
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