I wholeheartedly agree with the need to focus our energies on Olympic
predictions:
here's my early prognostications:
Men's 100m:
1. Greene, because he was so impressive on Friday night, and J.Smith ain't
gonna get it wrong
2. Surin, got a great championship record
3. Drummond, doesn't, but also looked very solid on Friday also
4. Chambers, on the twisted logic that some Brit has to get up
5. Boldon, a better 200m runner
6. Obikwelu, was my tip for silver a month ago, but he seems to have the
start problems of Christine Arron and has also lost a bit of pace
7. Johnson
8. Shirvington, which'll give the press far too much to talk about, but he
did look as impressive as he's ever looked running 10.11 in a cold olympic
stadium at Aus trials a month ago
Time: 9.89
Men's 200m
1. Obikwelu, if he can pull out a run like his semi in seville
2. Boldon, just doesn't get the best out himself in championships (can
anyone say m.ottey?)
3. Capel, just a bit underdone
4. Heard, love him to get a medal
5. Thompson, making up somewhat for two breaks in 100m semi :) (only way i
could get shirvo in)
6. Fredericks, although he wouldn't normally run except when fit his last
Olympics may cloud his judgement
7. Miller
8. da Silva
Time 19.78, sub 20 down to 5th belying myth that this is a soft event
Men's 400m
1. Johnson, with an extremely low 43s WR
daylight
2. Haughton, i've got a feeling about him, back to form of a few years back
3. Cardenas, consistently good
4. Harrison
5. Pettigrew
6. Blackwood
7. Baulch
8. Dwyer
Time 43.05, but only first 4 inside 45s
Men's 800m
1. W.Kipketer, cos i want him to win
2. Said-Guerni, cos he's a superb racer with about the second quickest leg
speed in the field
3. Borzakovskiy, cos he has the quickest and will be able to pick off the
tiring front runners
4. Kimutai
5. Bucher, leaving his best run in Zurich
6. Tellez
7. Cremer
8. Sepeng
Time 1.42.16 (blanket finish, all under 1.44)
Mens 1500m
1. El Guerrouj, simply the best
2. Ngeny, has suprisingly under-raced this year, he may produce something
special
3. Redolat (because of the spanish traditon, although there is some
contention as the trio's idenities - see report on IAAF page)
4. Sullivan
5. Diaz
6. Shabunin
7.Lagat
8. Rotich
9. Maazouzi
10. Silva
11. Bosch
12. Baba
Time. 3.28.56
Um, that's enough for now... may come back with some field event and
women's shorter races tips later... paid work to do and all that...
If folks have the bug for such soothsaying come and try out our aths team's
tipping comp... no life-altering prizes, just a whole heap of bragging
rights...
André Sammartino
Reckon you know your stuff?
Come try our Olympics track and field tipping comp
http://surf.to/bayside
