Bolt, Isinbayeva make London bow
The cream of men's sprinting and Russian pole vaulting legend Yelena
Isinbayeva will make their bow on the second day of the athletics
programme of the Olympics on Saturday.
Defending Olympic champion Usain Bolt and Jamaican teammates Yohan
Blake and Asafa Powell will run heats and round one of the 100m
alongside US rivals Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin, with the semi-finals
and final scheduled for Sunday.
The 100m remains the premier track and field event, and arguably of
the whole Olympics, with an especially thrilling final in prospect in
London.
"Everyone's been waiting for this for four years. It's going to live
up to expectations," said Blake, who edged Bolt in the Jamaican trials
and has been tipped as a genuine title contender.
The women's 100m gold will also be decided following Friday's
qualifying heats and a semi-final early in Saturday's evening session.
In the women's pole vault, double Olympic champion Isinbayeva will
bid to safely negotiate qualifying for Monday's final.
The 30-year-old Russian world record holder has suffered rare but
bitter defeats during the last three seasons.
Isinbayeva heads to London boosted by gold in the 2012 World Indoor
Championships but with another failure to clear 4.70m in the Monaco
Diamond League meet on July 20.
"I'm physically and mentally ready for the Games, of course, but as a
human, I'm worried like any other competitor," said Isinbayeva, who
failed to record a height in a tear-stained 2009 world championships in
Berlin and came just sixth in last year's worlds in Daegu, South Korea.
Home hopes will be riding with pin-up heptathlete Jessica Ennis,
provided she safely negotiates Friday's opening day.
The heptathletes will take part in the long jump and javelin in the
morning session before completing the gruelling seven-discipline event
with the 800m.
Another of Saturday's six finals will see Ethiopian running star
Kenenisa Bekele in the men's 10,000m. Bekele has not had an ideal run-in
to the Games, and appears to have just the one medal chance in London,
given he has been named as a replacement only for the 5,000m.Events
(qualifying heats unless specified) Men 100m, 400m, 400m hurdles;
10,000m (final), long jump (final), 20km walk (final) Women. AFP |
