Fastest woman to be decided today
Dinesh Weerawansa reporting from Germany
The world record for the fastest woman on earth could well be challengedwhen the finals of the women's 100m event of the 12th IAAF World Championships take place at the Olympic Stadium here in Berlin on Monday night.
The semi finals of the women's 100m are due at 7.05 p.m. local time and exactly 150 minutes later, the much looked forward to showpiece in women's events would be unveiled at the world athletic extravaganza. With seven women running under 11 seconds this year, Marion Jones' ten-year-old women's 100m World Championship record could well be shattered in the German capital tomorrow (17).
It was way back in 1999 that the American Jones, who later went from grace to disgrace following a doping scandal, became the fastest woman in the history of IAAF World Championship, clocking an impressive 10.70 seconds at the 7th IAAF World Championship in Sevilla. But except for Jones, who was 0.21 second short of all-time record, no other woman has come anywhere near American Florence Griffith-Joyner's world mark of 10.49 seconds, established in Indianapolis in 1988.
Though the men's 100m record has often been bettered by a galaxy of sprinters, the women's 100m world mark and the World championship records have been intact for 21 years and 10 years respectively. It was the Jamaican women who have produced the five fastest women's 100m timings this season and they could well make an attempt to better Jones' championship record after a decade.
In Sunday's first round heats, American Carmelita Jeter, who won the third of the eight first round qualifiers, registered the fastest timing of 11.22 second. She is enjoying the best season of her life at the age of 29. The 2007 World championship 100m bronze medallist has dipped below 11 seconds no less than eight times this season and an impressive victory in a personal best of 10.92 in her last outing in London suggests she is a genuine challenger for the title.
Debbie Ferguson of Bahamas who won the heat four had the second fastest timing of 11.26, followed by Jamaican Aleen Bailey, who clocked 11.29 to win heat five.
The Olympic 100m silver medallist Kerron Stewart, the winner of heat two with 11.31, appears to be the athlete with the stand out credentials having enjoyed an imperious year. The Jamaican has been defeated just twice over 100m this season and is on course to land a share of the $1m F Golden
League Jackpot with four wins out of four thus far in the series. Stewart's most impressive triumph came in Rome when she blitzed to victory in a stunning 10.75 - the fastest time in the event for nine years and a mark which elevated her to fifth on the all-time lists.
Stewart, however, has yet to land a senior global title and she will face the sternest of opposition. One of her two defeats this year came at the hands of her countrywoman Shelly-Ann Fraser and few would discount the diminutive Olympic champion. Fraser clocked an impressive season's best time of 10.88 to beat Stewart at the Jamaican championships and the 22-year-old was an impressive winner in Monaco - her last pre-Berlin outing - stopping the clock in 10.91.
A third Jamaican with legitimate claims on landing the 2009 World crown is defending champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, who has a season's best of 10.96. She clocked 11.34 to win today's heat No.6. American Lauren Williams who returned a timing of 11.34 to win heat 7, is another leading contender.
With two-time defending champion Tirunesh Dibaba sidelined with injury, last night's contest for the women's 10,000m world 'crown' was to signal a changing of the guard, but the conventional wisdom held that the successor to the throne would be a compatriot of the double Olympic medallist. But Masai, who finished fourth in Beijing Olympics, doesn't seem to go for conventional wisdom.
Illustrating tactical grace and aggressiveness that belie her 19 years - she doesn't turn 20 until 5 December - Masai chased down the daunting and favoured Ethiopian trio of Meseret Defar, Meselech Melkamu and Wude Ayelew over the final 300m to win in 31:30:51.24. It was Kenya's first victory in the event since Sally Barsosio's triumph in Athens 12 years ago and the first Kenyan medal in the event since 1999.
Meanwhile, Christian Cantwell edged 'the battle of the giants' in an epic shot put duel with Tomasz Majewski as the pair traded places from their Olympic finishing positions in Beijing. The American produced a monster World leading 22.03m to finally deliver his first outdoor global championship with the perfect counter-punch to Majewski's 21.91m in a thrilling round five.
Germany's popular European champion Ralf Bartels claimed an unexpected bronze with a new personal best of 21.37m to satisfy his home supports who were in their numbers. Reese Hoffa had to settle for fourth with 21.28m with his US team-mate and good friend Adam Nelson, the 2005 World champion, fifth with 21.11m. It was the first time since the 1987 edition of the championship that five men exceeded 21m in the event.
Kenya's launch for a clean sweep in the men's 3,000m steeplechase got underway without a hitch this morning, with the formidable East African foursome advancing easily to Tuesday evening's final. Last World Championship and Olympic Games bronze medallist Richard Mateelong won the first heat in eight minutes, 17.99 seconds, the fastest run of the morning.
His teammate Paul Kipsiele Koech, the Athens 2004 Olympic bronze medallist and this season's second fastest at 8:01.72, was just a step behind in a comfortable third.
Defending champion and reigning Olympic champion Brimin Kipruto was the easy winner in the second heat, clocking 8:18.07, ahead of European record holder Bob Tahri of France, the leading candidate to challenge to ruin the Kenyan podium romp.
BERLIN, Sunday.