Athletics

[isaiah]

saw the aussie champs today. celia in the 5000 took about 1 min and eleven seconds off her pb to win. from 16.45 to 15,34. thats about 3 seconds a lap. unbelievable. now since the city to surf breakthru win, took five minutes off her previous best to win the melb marathon, just missing selection in the comm games marathon, qualified for the comm games at 10k and won the 5k national title v two experienced class athletes. either fishy or making great strides. she is 25.

 

[Danish]

saw the aussie champs today. celia in the 5000 took about 1 min and eleven seconds off her pb to win. from 16.45 to 15,34. thats about 3 seconds a lap. unbelievable. now since the city to surf breakthru win, took five minutes off her previous best to win the melb marathon, just missing selection in the comm games marathon, qualified for the comm games at 10k and won the 5k national title v two experienced class athletes. either fishy or making great strides. she is 25.

Taking 5 mins off a marathon PB is not that crazy, especially if she hasn't been running the distance long as there is so much time you can gain/lose by getting your strategy right/wrong at that distance.

Taking over a minute of the 5k time is a bit more crazy. There is still strategy in the 5k, but thats a big leap.


The implosion of Hale was a sad thing to see. He's been a genuine speedster at a junior level so its a shame that he won't be in the commonwealth games

 

[isaiah]

Watching the live stream last night of the Grand Prix event in Brissie. Funny commentary after the men's 100. One Stawell regular led at halfway, faded so badly to run last, and one commentator said 'protecting his Stawell handicap' and the other two cracked up laughing.

 

[isaiah]

Reading the entry lists for the commgames, yohan Blake is not running the 200 and Elaine Thompson not the 100

 

[isaiah]

Here is my preview for the men's 200 at the upcoming comm games-
The 200 should have been one of the highlights of the athletics program, but with de grasse and van niekirk not competing, makwala only running the 400, and yohan blake concentrating on the 100, it makes it a wide open affair. The depth of world 200 metre running is sorely tested with only 9 men entered who have run 20.20 or quicker over the last 15 months. Eight of these nine will
make the final with a Trinidad and Tobago athlete now the favourite. Jereem Richards should win unless Clarence Munyai of South Africa can convert some hometown results into 3 world class runs over the next ten days. Jamaican Rasheed Dwyer is the next quickest, well ahead of the Canadian Aaron Brown who has looked sadly out of form here in Queensland this last week. The second best runners from three of these 4 nations should make up most of the other 4 places in the final unless the Englishman Zharnel Hughes or Teray Smith of the Bahamas run well in their semi-final.

 

[isaiah]

Women's 100 preview-
With Elaine Thompson concentrating on the 200, the medalists in the blue ribbon 100 are already set in stone barring injury. There is daylight between the fastest three and the other entries. Michelle Ahye of Trinidad will win with the minor medals fought out between Christiana Williams of Jamaica and Carina Horn of South Africa. Three others will be finalists, Asha Philip of England, the next fastest Jamaican Morrison, and the second Trinidadian St Fort. The last two finalists are a lottery.

 

[isaiah]

Men's 100, the blue ribbon event. Yohan Blake will need to be at his best on the night of the final to take home the gold for Jamaica. Any few hundredths of a second off his fastest times will put him in a blanket finish for medals with countryman Julian Forte and South Africa's Akani Simbine. All three have multiple times under ten seconds over the 2017 season and have a few metres gap back to the rest of the finalists. Four of the other five spots in the final should be filled by Greene of Antigua, Bledman of Trinidad and Tobago, Gemili of England, and the other South African, Bruintjies. Our own Trae Williams could grab the last position ahead of Callender of Trinidad and Tobago or Lehata of Lesotho.

 

[isaiah]

Women's 400 metres-
With Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas and Shericka Jackson of Jamaica concentrating on the 200, the olympic silver medallist, Stephenie McPherson of Jamaica, looks like being a sure gold medallist. Minor medals should go to Africans: Montsho of Botswana and Patience George of Nigeria. Kenyan Maximila Imali seems to be the only other threat. Our own Morgan Mitchell will make the final along with 3 others among Yinka Ajayi of Nigeria, Anastasia Le-Roy of Jamaica, Eleni Artymata of Cyprus and Ashley Kelly of the British Virgin Islands. Emily Diamond and Onuora of England could be others in the mix..

 

[isaiah]

Women's 100 preview-
With Elaine Thompson concentrating on the 200, the medalists in the blue ribbon 100 are already set in stone barring injury. There is daylight between the fastest three and the other entries. Michelle Ahye of Trinidad will win with the minor medals fought out between Christiana Williams of Jamaica and Carina Horn of South Africa. Three others will be finalists, Asha Philip of England, the next fastest Jamaican Morrison, and the second Trinidadian St Fort. The last two finalists are a lottery.

20 minutes until the heats and i see Carina Horn is not running. pity. Medals now are set- trinidad gold, jamaica silver, and either trinidad, jamaica, or england the bronze. top 5 athletes are in heats 1-5, one in each, so no real competition until the semis after 5pm

 

[isaiah]

Men's 400 heats this afternoon. Three from Botswana fighting out medals with Cedenio of Trinidad and Tobago when the final comes around. other 4 finalists should be Taplin of Grenada, McDonald of Jamaica, Gaye of Jamaica, and Hudson-Smith of England. Only other chances are the second Englishman, Javon Francis of Jamaica and Quow of Trinidad and Tobago.

 

[isaiah]

Here is my preview for the men's 200 at the upcoming comm games-
The 200 should have been one of the highlights of the athletics program, but with de grasse and van niekirk not competing, makwala only running the 400, and yohan blake concentrating on the 100, it makes it a wide open affair. The depth of world 200 metre running is sorely tested with only 9 men entered who have run 20.20 or quicker over the last 15 months. Eight of these nine will
make the final with a Trinidad and Tobago athlete now the favourite. Jereem Richards should win unless Clarence Munyai of South Africa can convert some hometown results into 3 world class runs over the next ten days. Jamaican Rasheed Dwyer is the next quickest, well ahead of the Canadian Aaron Brown who has looked sadly out of form here in Queensland this last week. The second best runners from three of these 4 nations should make up most of the other 4 places in the final unless the Englishman Zharnel Hughes or Teray Smith of the Bahamas run well in their semi-final.

Got this completely right, except Dwyer

 

[isaiah]

Women's 200 after the semis: miller-uibo will win it, Thompson will need to find one her best ten times from the last two years to hold off Asher-smith or shericka jackson for the minor medals, daylight to the others headed by the Canadian Emmanuel. Riley Day really blew a finals spot by not dipping at the line, rattled by racing the commonwealth's best two.

 

[isaiah]

saw the aussie champs today. celia in the 5000 took about 1 min and eleven seconds off her pb to win. from 16.45 to 15,34. thats about 3 seconds a lap. unbelievable. now since the city to surf breakthru win, took five minutes off her previous best to win the melb marathon, just missing selection in the comm games marathon, qualified for the comm games at 10k and won the 5k national title v two experienced class athletes. either fishy or making great strides. she is 25.

interesting listening to bruce and lord coe commentate the 10k. neither rated her before or during the race, but know her now. especially her unusual style and dogged determination. took another 40 sec off her zatopek time.

 

[isaiah]

Fave moment was the gold medalist who as soon as she beat dame valerie Adam's in a field event, went over and showed the respect she deserved

 

[isaiah]

2am tomorrow is the first diamond league of the season , interest for me is mens 200 and 400, women's 100

 

[isaiah]

In the men's 200 I believe it will be between lanes 4 and 6; de grasse and Richards, hopefully in around 20.08 if conditions suit

 

[isaiah]

Men's 400: lanes 5 and 6, Gardiner chasing makwala, with thebe battling Americans for third

 

[isaiah]

Men's 400: lanes 5 and 6, Gardiner chasing makwala, with thebe battling Americans for third

Hopefully they can challenge the best time of last year, 43.62 by van niekirk. That time is equal 11th fastest all-time, might be too early in the season, but you can live in hope.

 

[isaiah]

in the women's 100, I presume the Elaine Thompson who ran on the Gold Coast will be replaced by the real deal. She will need to be 'on' to match the cote d'ivoire pair

 

[isaiah]

Hopefully they can challenge the best time of last year, 43.62 by van niekirk. That time is equal 11th fastest all-time, might be too early in the season, but you can live in hope.

Gardiner in 43.87, then a Qatari, then makwala