Atheltics Weekly

IAAF WORLD CHAMPS 2017
FIREWORKS IN BOLT’S FINALE?
4x100m RELAY Jamaica’s team of 2015:
Nickel Ashmeade,
USAIN BOLT has formed part Asafa Powell,
Usain Bolt
of Jamaica’s medal-winning
and Nesta
quartets since the 2007
Carter
championships in Osaka, but
the sprint superstar is set to
hand over the baton for good
following this year’s event.
Event statistics
World record: 36.84 Jamaica
Champs record: 37.04 Jamaica
Defending champion: Jamaica
British interest: Aikines-Aryeetey,
Gemili, Hughes, Mitchell-Blake,
Prescod, Talbot, Ujah
AW prediction: 1 Jamaica; 2 USA;
3 Japan
History: USA have the most titles
but GB’s Marlon Devonish has the
most individual medals at five
along with Usain Bolt. Devonish has
also made the most finals with six
and appearances numbering eight.
The 30-year-old plans to
hang up his spikes after the
championships and will be
looking to bow out on a high
on the penultimate day of
competition as he is joined on
the Jamaica team by athletes
including Yohan Blake and
Warren Weir.
Among those looking to
deny the nation from claiming
a record fifth successive win in
this event is the US team, which
includes Justin Gatlin. America
won the first four men’s 4x100m
titles from Helsinki 1983 through
to Stuttgart 1993 so are level
with Jamaica on that record,
but will be looking to bounce
back on the global stage after
disqualification at the Rio
Olympics and 2015 Worlds.
Great Britain has the world
leading time with 38.08 from the
European Team Championships
and if the team can keep
composed in front of a home
crowd they could be in the mix
along with Japan, Canada and
China. JW
USA KEEN TO CONTINUE DOMINANCE
4x400m RELAY
AT THE IAAF World Relays in
April, USA held off Botswana
while Jamaica was third and
our prediction is that the final in
London could end in a similar
way.
However, Botswana’s
sprinters have continued to
impress this summer and
with the team including Isaac
Makwala, who clocked the
quickest ever 200m and
400m double in a single day
with 19.77 and 43.92 last
month, plus Baboloki Thebe
and World Relays anchor
Karabo Sibanda, they are set
to be a force to be reckoned
with.
But the US squad has great
experience within it and will be
LaShawn Merritt (right) will be helping the United States’ title defence
looking to continue the nation’s
dominance, with six-time world
relay gold medallist LaShawn
Merritt and Tony McQuay
joined by the likes of current
2017 400m No.2, Fred Kerley.
Jamaica may also battle
with Bahamas for a place on
Event statistics
World record: 2:54:29 USA
Champs record: 2:54:29 USA
Defending champion: USA
British interest: Chalmers, Cowan,
Green, Hudson-Smith, Rooney,
Williams, Yousif
AW prediction: 1 USA; 2 Botswana;
3 Jamaica
History: USA have dominated the
event from a team point of view but
the top individual has been LaShawn
Merritt, who has won six gold medals
and will be after a seventh in London.
the podium, while other medal
contenders include GB, with
a quartet of Rabah Yousif,
Delano Williams, Jarryd Dunn
and Martyn Rooney having
finished third two years ago.
The Belgium team again
includes the Borlee brothers
Kevin, Jonathan and Dylan. JW
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