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Women’s 800m, Men’s High Jump Highlight Action in Birmingham Sunday

Published by
DyeStatPRO.com   Aug 22nd 2014, 8:49pm
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Five Events to Watch in Third-to-Last Diamond League Meeting

By Scott Bush

As the Diamond League rounds the final curve and sprints into the homestretch, the world’s best athletes converge in Birmingham, all eyes set on earning some very valuable points in the league standings. Great head-to-head match-ups, and a few unique races, once again make this a can’t miss event.

Here are five events to keep an eye on…

Men’s High Jump

Arguably the most exciting event in 2014, the men’s high jump is once again a featured event in a Diamond League meeting. The top two high jumpers in the world this season, Bohdan Bondarenko (UKR) and Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT) resume their intense rivalry. Both athletes hold seasonal bests of 2.42m and both continue to seek the world record of 2.45m. For much of the season, these two and a handful of others have challenged the vaunted 2.40m barrier week in and week out. Bondarenko eclipsed the barrier four times so far this season, while Barshim holds two 2.40m+ performances to his name.

Right on their heels, North American rivals Derek Drouin (CAN) and Erik Kynard (USA) seek a late season charge. Drouin’s best of 2.40m came at the Drake Relays back in April, while Kynard’s seasonal best of 2.37m came in Doha two weeks later. Needless to say, these two hope to challenge the 2.40m mark and round out their season on high notes.

While fellow superstars Ivan Ukhov (RUS) and Andriy Protsenko (UKR) are not entered, the attendance of Bondarenko, Barshim, Drouin and Kynard make this arguably the best event of the evening. With a world record possibility, and promised drama for the win, the men’s high jump is a can’t miss.

Women’s 800m

If you’ve listened to the Diamond League coverage on Universal Sports this season, you’d know the commentators see Eunice Sum (KEN) as a can’t-lose competitor in the women’s two-lap event. Week after week announcers hyped up the Kenyan starlet. Of course she’s the defending world champion in the event, but the competition has been quite fierce in the 800m this season.

American middle distance running fans rejoiced last month, as 20-year old Ajee’ Wilson upset Sum in Monaco, claiming a huge Diamond League victory, 1:57.67-1:57.92. Sum will obviously eye revenge in Birmingham, but Wilson continues to rise to the top of the event, so another clash on Sunday is all but expected. There are some great rivalries in track and field this season, but the end of the season could see the most fireworks from these two.

Women’s 100m Hurdles

Here’s a fun fact about Sunday’s women’s 100m hurdle field. Of the top 28 fastest times in the world this season, 25 were earned by athletes in the field. If Lolo Jones found her way into the field, it would be 28 for 28.

Coming off a huge win in Stockholm Thursday, Queen Harrison enters with the slight edge. Harrison has quietly had a career year, winning a few Diamond League meetings, finishing a very close second at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, while running the second best time of her career in Paris earlier in the season with a 12.46 effort.

Harrison’s chief competition comes from fellow Americans Dawn Harper-Nelson and Brianna Rollins. Harper-Nelson owns four of the six fastest times in the world this year, including the world leader of 12.44. In addition, she won the U.S. title. Meanwhile, the American record holder Rollins has been relatively quiet. She picked up a win over Harper-Nelson in Rome earlier in the season, but hasn’t put up a performance worth discussing since late July.

Add in Stockholm Diamond League runner-up and indoor world champion Nia Ali, Sally Pearson (AUS), Tiffany Porter (GBR) and Cindy Billaud (FRA) and you have the makings of a World Championship caliber final. The trio of Pearson, Porter and Billaud are the only non-Americans ranked on the list of top 25 performances this season.

Men’s 600m Dash

The world record for the seldom run (at least outdoors) event is 1:12.81 set by American Johnny Gray nearly 30 years ago in 1986. While Gray’s pupil, Duane Solomon, nearly broke the mark last year with a 1:13.28 effort, the mark still stands.

This year, 800m world record holder David Rudisha takes his shot. While Rudisha may not be in equal shape to where he was two years ago at this time, he’s in fine form and assuming the weather to be good, has an excellent shot to take down the mark. Rudisha holds a top ten all-time mark in the event, running 1:14.28 en route to winning an 800m race in 2011.

Rudisha isn’t alone in this race, as two-lap superstars Adam Kszczot (POL), Marcin Lewandowski (POL), Andre Oliver (RSA) and Americans Cas Loxsom and Erik Sowinski look to upset the champion. Kszczot and Loxsom have bests of 1:14.55 and 1:14.84, while Sowinski holds the American indoor record in 1:15.61.

A world record attempt is obviously the focus of this event, so expect a blazing start and even more exciting finish.

Men’s Mile – Emsley Carr Mile

Ayanleh Souleiman (DJI) is the man to beat in the mile event Sunday in Birmingham. The Djibouti star not only won the star-studded mile field at the Pre Classic in a world leading time of 3:47.32 earlier this season, but he also won the Oslo Dream Mile. He’s been in contention in nearly every race he’s raced in 2014 and could very well seek to break the meet record of 3:45.96.

Souleiman is guaranteed to be followed closely by Kenyans Silas Kiplagat and Asbel Kiprop. Kiplagat and Kiprop are the top two ranked 1,500m runners in 2014. They may have lost to Souleiman in the mile at Pre, but they’ve beaten him over the 1,500m distance this season. These two love a fast pace and look to grind down their competition.

Aman Wote (ETH) has a mile best of 3:48.60, while James Kiplagat Magut (KEN) and Homiyu Tesfaye (GER) also hold the speed/strength talent to pull off the upset. This field is deep!

Not to be overlooked, Americans Leo Manzano and Matt Centrowtiz look to mix it up. Manzano won the event in 2011, while Centrowitz already has a 3:50 clocking to his name this season. While Alan Webb’s American record of 3:46.91 seems safe for now, these two are the most likely of competitors to take a real stab at it.  

Fun Fact: Emsley Carr was started in 1953, named after News of the World editor Emsley Carr (his son founded the race). Since then, the race has been won by ten different Olympic gold medalists, including Sebastian Coe, Kip Keino, John Walker, Hicham El Guerrouj and Haile Gebrselassie. El Guerrouj holds the event record of 3:45.96 set in 2000. Kenyan Augustine Choge won the event last year in 3:50.01 and Leo Manzano was the last American to win with a 3:51.21 effort in 2011.



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