World Athletic Championships in Daegu:

Two gold medallists to be decided today

Dinesh WEERAWANSA reporting from South Korea

The much looked forward to eleventh edition of the IAAF World Championship will finally get underway at the Daegu Stadium here on Saturday with a total of 1,945 athletes from the 202 countries, including Sri Lanka, clashing for honours.

The World athletic extravaganza, which is second only to the Olympic Games, will be watched by billions of viewers in excess of 200 territories worldwide. Following the tradition established at previous IAAF World Championships, the IAAF Council today met the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the eve of the big event.

IAAF President Lamine Diack said the meeting gave an opportunity for them take stock of their problems, many of which are common.

This morning our meeting went very well. As usual we took stock of the general situation of the Olympic movement and the different deadlines like London next year.

We also discussed what will happen in Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, he said.

IOC President Jacques Rogge told media that the meeting between the IOC and the IAAF helped each other to understand future programs better. We discussed of course the up-coming Olympic Games, also the Youth Olympic Games. We discussed general issues of sport, like the new generation, doping, betting, and the court of arbitration, he said.

Asked whether the IAAF will be introducing blood testing for every competitor at the championships, the IOC President replied negative. We would absolutely be willing to collaborate with the international federations during the London Games. As you know, the blood passport requires frequent testing on a regular basis, he said.

Rogge said the IOC will do blood sampling for the athletes in London 2012 Olympics. But of course, this is only one time in a long series of tests for which we are going to work with the international federations, he said.

The world athletic chief Diack was happy with the arrangements in South Korea. All conditions have been fulfilled so that the athletes can perform to the highest level of their potential. I have been to the village, I am met the delegations, I have spoken to people who have told me that they have attended Paris, Helsinki, Osaka and Berlin, but the conditions offered here are absolutely perfect and even better at all levels, he said.

The Daegu 2011 World Championships will begin on Saturday with the women’s marathon scheduled for 9 am to produce the first gold medallist.

The second gold medallist in Daegu will be decided after the women’s 10,000m final scheduled for 9 p.m. on the same day.

Vivian Cheruiyot seeks to emulate Tirunesh Dibaba in winning the gold medal at the World championships 10,000 in the same year as her debut. In April, a week after she had won the World Cross Country title, Cheruiyot ran 31:07.02 in Pontevedra, Spain. Her only other race at the distance was the Kenyan trial, to make the team for Daegu.

Cheruiyot is eyeing for that elusive long distance double in Daegu. If she is to win the 10,000m title, she will have to thwart the similar ambition of her teammate Linet Masai. The pair have already had two memorable races over Cross Country this year, Masai winning the Kenyan championship, Cheruiyot triumphant on the bigger stage of the World Cross Country at Punta Umbria.

Who will be the lucky athlete to become the first gold medalist at the Daegu World Championship? The answer would only be known after the women’s marathon final which is going to be another keenly contested affair.

China’s Xue Bai won in Berlin 2009 meet two years ago, with Yoshimo Ozaki of Japan and Aselefech Mergia following close behind to take the minor medals. China also took the associated World Cup from Japan, Russia, Ethiopia and the USA. Bai is not in Daegu to defend her title but led by Asian Games champion and silver medallist, Zhou Chunxiu and Zhu Xiaolin, China will field a formidable team. Ozaki leads the Japanese team again, having won the Yokohama marathon in a personal best 2:23:56.

The Japanese selection was disrupted by the earthquake and tsunami which struck early in March, but the tradition of strong Japanese teams continues with Yukiko Akaba (sixth London, 2:24:09), Remi Nakazato (second Yokohama, 2:24:29), Azusa Nojiri (12th London, 2:25:29) and Mai Ito (second Osaka, behind Akaba, 2:26:55).

Another strong contenders for the women’s marathon title will be fielded by Ethiopia and Kenya.

Ethiopia will be led by Mergia, who won in Dubai in January clocking two hours, 22 minutes and 45 seconds.

Her teammates Bezunesh Bekele (2:23:42) and Atsede Baysa (2:23:50) were fourth and fifth in London, and Aberu Kebede was ninth. Dire Tune, second in Frankfurt last year in 2:23:44, completes the quintet.

Kenya will be led by London marathon third place getter Edna Kiplagat, whose 2:20:46 makes her the fastest entrant in the field. Priscah Jeptoo won the Paris Marathon in 2:22:55 and Sharon Cherop the 2010 Toronto Marathon in 2:22:43.

Commonwealth Games champion Irene Jerotich Kosgei and Caroline Rotich round out the team. However, the fastest two women’s marathon runners this year Kenyan Mary Keitany and Russian Liliya Shobukhova (RUS) are not entered to compete in Daegu. DAEGU, Friday