Monday, 22 August 2011

Daegu forecast: women's predictions


100m – Jeanette Kwakye (SB 11.15), Anyika Onuora (11.18), Laura Turner (11.23)
Kwakye's been re-approaching her 2008 form and she's a champs performer (PBs over 60m at the World Indoors and 100m at the Olympic Games.) She probably needs a PB to make the final and she's on course for this. Onuora hasn't backed up her 11.18 (second fastest time is 11.32w) and Turner didn't look too great at the trials. Won't be surprised if they don't make the semi-finals.

200m – Onuora (23.06)
Probably Onuora's better distance and she should make a round.

400m – Lee McConnell (51.01), Christine Ohuruogu (51.49), Nicola Sanders (51.84)
Ohuruogu seemed to be on the up after a season's best of 51.49 in Barcelona but she's regressed since then
Even though she times her peak well, I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't make the final and the event does seem to have moved on a bit. Sanders has been trying to get back to form too but she's also short of her best level. McConnell ran her fastest time in seven years at CP although I'd be surprised if she makes the final.

800m – Emma Jackson (1:59.97), Jenny Meadows (1:58.60), Marilyn Okoro (1:59.53)
Meadows prevailed in a tactical race at the UK Champs and won a fast-paced race at CP and she knows what to do in major champs semi-finals. Should make her second world final and has a fair chance of a medal. I think the pace in the final will be fast and this should play to her advantage. Okoro front-ran to a 1:59.53 season's best and she's running herself into form at the right time. Jackson is a very strong finisher and should make a round.

1500m – Lisa Dobriskey (4:04.76), Hannah England (4:01.89)
Both athletes are capable of claiming a medal if they run tactically well which is something they don't always do.

5000m – Helen Clitheroe (15:06.75)
The depth behind the leading Ethiopians and Kenyans isn't particularly laudable and Clitheroe, while not lightning fast, has enough pace to handle herself on the last lap of a heat. She's not that experienced at 5000m but she's in shape to make the final.

3000m steeplechase – Barbara Parker (9:35.46)
Parker's in good shape but her CP performance wasn't her best and she sometimes struggles in hotter climates. If she can regain form and cope with the conditions, she has a reasonable chance of making the final.

100m hurdles – Tiffany Porter (12.60)
Porter's finished in the top three of all but one of her 100m hurdles races since June and she's ranked No.5 in the world. This event hasn't been as competitive as it has been and Porter has showed good championship mentality when she smashed the UK record at the European Indoor Championships. I think she has a good chance of taking a medal especially in the absence of Jones, Lopes-Schliep etc.

400m hurdles – Eilidh Child (55.67), Perri Shakes-Drayton (54.62)
Shakes-Drayton is rounding into good form with a 400/400H double at the UK Champs which was followed by her second fastest run ever at CP where she also took the scalp of Hejnova. Making the final will be a good platform for next year. Been a bit disappointed with Child after Euro and Commonwealth finals last year. She was sixth in her SF in Berlin and I don't see her improving on that.

Pole vault – Holly Bleasdale (4.70m), Kate Dennison (4.61m)
Bleasdale holds the world age-19 record at 4.70m and she's looked far from over-awed in Diamond League competitions this year. The medals might be a few centimetres beyond her current capabilities though. Dennison has improved to 4.61m and Britain ought to field two pole-vault finalists for the first time in global competition.

Long jump – Shara Proctor (6.81m)
Proctor hasn't really backed up her 6.81m PB from June although she's been consistent in the mid-6.60m range and this should be good enough to make the final although she'll probably need a bit more to improve on her sixth-place finish from Berlin.

Triple jump – Yamile Aldama (14.30w/14.20m)
Something in the region of her season's best will suffice for the final but she's not yet in the shape to make the top eight.

Javelin – Goldie Sayers (64.46m)
Sayers has been very consistent but the medals will be beyond her if Spotakova, Obergfoll and Abakumova throw at their best. While she beat Spotakova and Abakumova at the European Team Champs, I wouldn't count on a repeat of that result but a top-five finish is a very realistic target. Perhaps a UK record?

Hammer – Sophie Hitchon (69.59m)
A UK record will probably be necessary to make the final but she has a good champs record with world junior gold and a national record at the European U23s.

Heptathlon – Jessica Ennis (6790), Louise Hazel (6166)
Ennis has been in superb form and while the competition will be of a higher standard than it was in Berlin, Ennis always knows how to peak for major champs. She's set PBs at the 100m hurdles, 800m, 200m and shot put this year and her other events have been in good nick too. Hazel seems to have grown in confidence after the Commonwealths and a top-ten finish is a reasonable goal.

4x100m – Douglas, Kwakye, Onuora, Oyepitan, Philip, Porter, Turner (43.50)
The Brits made the final in 2007 and 2009 and they will probably need to run close to their best in order to ensure another final placing.

4x400m – Child, McConnell, Meadows, Ohuruogu, Okoro, Okyere, Sanders, Shakes-Drayton (3:27.21)
Even at their best, it would be difficult to finish ahead of the USA, Jamaica or Russia. They look to be the best of the rest though.

Marathon – Alyson Dixon (2:34:50), Susan Partridge (2:34:13)
Same with the guys. PBs are out of the question but sensible pacing will reward them with respectable placings.

20km walk – Johanna Jackson (1:31:50)
Jackson finished tenth at the European Championships last year and she's been showing the same seam of form this year. A top-15 finish is attainable.

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