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OSTRAVA, Czech Republic – Much of the buzz in this sprawling eastern Czech city revolved around the first post-world record appearances by Usain Bolt and Tirunesh Dibaba.
- Bolt on WR: ‘I think it was close to a perfect race.’
Bolt, who clocked 9.72 in the 100m 12 days ago in New York, is cautiously optimistic about his first 200m race of the year.
“I’m feeling pretty good right now, being the (100 meter) world record holder,” said Bolt, who eclipsed fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell’s 9.74 by 0.02 seconds. “But I’m not ready to predict any times for the 200.”
Despite his record and everything the achievement brings with it, Bolt said that the half lap, is still where his heart is.
“I’ve dedicated my career to the 200. I’ve put a lot of work into it.” A prodigy, Bolt was the first junior to run under 20 seconds in the 200, setting the world junior record of 19.93 when he was 17. He has since improved his personal best to 19.75, and last year he finished second in the world championships, behind American Tyson Gay. “I still want to be the best in the 200. I love it. It’s very near and dear to my heart.”
He also characterized his 100m record dash as nearly flawless. “I think it was close to a perfect race. I think (coach Glen Mills) is trying really hard to find any mistakes.”
- Dibaba ‘well rested’.
Dibaba, who shattered the 5000m world record to 14:11.15 in Oslo five days ago, also didn’t predict any records, but did say that she has to produce a very fast 10,000m performance to ensure selection to the Ethiopian Olympic team.
“After the world record last week it’s not easy to run again,” said Dibaba, who arrived from her home in Addis Ababa early yesterday afternoon. “But I need to run well to get my qualification for the Olympics.” She said that a time between 30:40 and 31:00 should be sufficient for her to be considered for selection.
But this morning she told organizers that she was well rested and feeling good, and might try for something even faster. The pacesetter’s duties call for a 15:20 split at 5000m.
- Kaki-Rudisha rematch
The other hot race in Oslo was the men’s 800, featuring a battle between teen titans Abubaker Kaki Khamis of Sudan and Kenyan David Rudisha. Kaki’s 1:42.69 was the fastest performance in five years and a world junior record. Pacesetter Idriss Abdulgadir has been asked to bring the field through 400m in 50.0 flat, indicating another world junior record assault is in the works.
Other pacing matters: a 7:45 pace through the 3000m mark is the goal in the men's 5000m; and in Dire Tune's world record bid in the women's 1 hour run, pacesetters will be asked to run 79 seconds per lap for a 3:15 per kilometer pace, aiming for 32:30 for 10 kilometers, and 49:54 for 15 kilometers.
- Wariner savors ‘something different’
Five days after his world-leading 43.98 400m run in Oslo, Jeremy Wariner said he was looking forward to his first try at the rarely-run 300m.
I’m pretty excited,” he said, adding that he asked his manager Michael Johnson about how he should tackle the distance. Wariner will be aiming for Johnson’s world best of 30.85 set in Pretoria in 2000.
“I asked Michael how he ran his, and he said he ran it just like a 200; to start and just go.”
“It’s nice (to run an off distance) for a change of pace. Running different events like this is good at various points of the season. I don’t think it should happen every week, but it is fun to watch.”
Could he come close?
“That’s real fast,” he said of Johnson mark. “We’ll have to wait and see, I really can’t say at this point. I really don’t know how to run it.”
- Vlasic feels at home in Ostrava
Another World champion on the start list, Croatian high jumper Blanka Vlasic, will be aiming for her 27th consecutive victory, and hopes that her fifth appearance in Ostrava would include another attempt at Stefka Kostadinova’s 2.09m world record.
“I’ll be very happy if I have that opportunity tomorrow. Right now it depends on the weather. But I do think it’ll be a good competition for me.” One of the oldest records in the books, the mark was set at the 1987 world championships when Vlasic had not yet blown out the candles on her fourth birthday.
- One year later Spotakova on a new level
Perhaps attracting the most attention locally will be Czech star Barbora Spotakova, whose run towards the World title in the Javelin Throw went through Ostrava last year. But this year she’s looking for a performance that’s much better than the one which brought her the win last year.
"Last year I threw 64.94, but this year will not be happy with that kind of result,” she said. “I already threw 69 meters this year, so I can think about 70 meters now.”
The field is certainly the strongest of the season, a solid preview of the Beijing Olympic final. Germans Christine Obergfoll and Stefi Nerius, Briton Goldie Sayers, Czech No. 2 Nikola Brejchova, and Cuban Osleidys Menendez are all in the field.
- Trammell’s lone double of the season
Terrence Trammell, the two-time Olympic and twice world silver medallist in the 110m hurdles, will be contesting both the 100m and his specialty today, his only double of the season, as a solid prep for the upcoming Olympic trials. He’s currently the season’s second fastest after his 13.11 victory at the Reebok Grand Prix 12 days ago.
While the trials will certainly leave some of the world’s finest hurdlers off the Beijing squad, Trammell believes that fast early season performances will mean little in Eugene. “The trials are all about experience,” he said, adding that in his estimation, 13.14 or so will be enough to make the team.
Another near-capacity crowd is expected at the Municipal Stadium. The only concern at the moment is the weather: currently the temperature is on the cool side for mid June, 16 C. (62 F), with cloudy skies and a 20 percent chance of rain.
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