Atheltics Weekly

IAAF WORLD CHAMPS 2017
WLODARCZYK FORM OMINOUS
HAMMER
AT THE Rio Olympic Games
last year Anita Wlodarczyk
of Poland broke the world
record to win the Olympic title,
while Britain’s Sophie Hitchon
smashed her national record
to take bronze. Will we see the
same fireworks in London in the
coming days?
With the six best throws in
the world this year, Wlodarczyk
looks unbeatable as the
31-year-old seeks to add to a
medal tally that includes two
Olympic golds from 2012 and
2016 and two world titles from
2009 and 2015.
The Polish athlete broke the
80m barrier at her own national
championships and then
82.87m on the eve of London
– the second longest throw in
SARA KOLAK versus Barbora
Spotakova could produce one
of the great head to heads of
the championships.
Spotakova, of the Czech
Republic, won Olympic titles in
history and only 11cm away
from her world record.
Hitchon, meanwhile, threw
74.54m in Rio and has been
2008 and 2012 and holds the
world record, while Croatia’s
Kolak won the Olympic title
in Rio last year and owns the
biggest throw in the world
this year, albeit only by a few
centimetres.
The duo have swapped
victories this season, too. Kolak
won in Lausanne. Spotakova
beat her rival at the Anniversary
Games in London.
At the European Team
Championships in Lille in June,
Spotakova also prevailed but
by just 2cm in an ultra-close
contest.
If Kolak wins in London in
the coming days, maybe it will
signify a changing of the guard.
At 22, the Croatian is 14 years
younger than Spotakova, after
all.
The pair might not have it
all their own way, though. Eda
around half a metre short of her
best going into London as the
Blackburn athlete strives to win
her first World Championships
medal following fourth place in
2015.
Chinese athletes could
be Wlodarczyk’s biggest
challengers. Zhang Wenxiu has
been the perennial bridesmaid
at recent major championships
with silver at Rio 2016, Beijing
2008 and Beijing 2015, plus
bronze medals at London
2012 together with three world
championships.
Maybe London can be her
moment – and she is joined
in the Chinese team by Wang
Zhen, who was fifth at the last
World Championships.
US champion Gwen Berry
has also been in good form this
year. The 28-year-old set an
Tugsuz of Turkey has thrown
within a metre of the big two
in 2017 and will be ready to
pounce if either of the pair are
underpar.
Look out too for Liu Shiying
of China, Kathryn Mitchell
of Australia and Tatsiana
Event statistics
World record: 82.98m Anita
Wlodarczyk (POL)
Champs record: 80.85m Anita
Wlodarczyk (POL)
Defending champion: Wlodarczyk
British interest: Sophie Hitchon
AW prediction: 1 Wlodarczyk; 2
Wang Zheng (CHN); 3 Kopron (POL)
History: Cuban Yipsi Moreno won
three titles and that should be
equalled by Wlodarczyk, who won
in 2009 and 2015 and was second
in 2013.
American record last year but
disappointed in Rio, so making
a global podium would be a
step up for her.
There will be no Betty
Heidler this year, though, as
the German, who used to hold
the world record and won silver
at London 2012, retired after
the Rio Games. JH
A POSSIBLE HEAD TO HEAD TO SAVOUR
JAVELIN
Sara Kolak:
Olympic champion
Anita Wlodarczyk: 80-metre form
Barbora Spotakova:
world record-holder
Event statistics
World record: 72.28m Barbora
Spotakova (CZE)
Champs record: 71.99m Maria
Abakumova (RUS)
Defending champion: Kathrina
Molitor (GER)
British interest: None
AW prediction: 1 Spotakova (CZE);
2 Kolak (CRO); 3 Mitchell (AUS)
History: There have been three
double champions – Cuban Osleidys
Menendez, Norwegian Trine
Hattestad and Greek Mirela Tzelili.
Khaladovich of Belarus. The
latter, for example, beat Kolak
in Eugene in May and is the
reigning European champion.
Sadly there will be no Brits
to cheer, however. Following
Goldie Sayers’ retirement this
is the only women’s throwing
event at the championships
without a home nation
contender. JH
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