There are three finals today including the women’s marathon and 400m and the men’s 100m. Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake of Jamaica and Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin should take center stage in the night’s biggest event.
Women’s Marathon: Two of the three fastest women ever to run the marathon, Liliya Shobukhova and Mary Keitany, will race the streets of London in search of Olympic gold. Shobukhova has not raced since she won the Chicago Marathon in 2:20:25 last year while Keitany won the London Marathon earlier this year in 2:18:37. But it’s anyone’s race as championships race can tend to be tactical races instead of fast-paced races. Americans Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher, who went 1-3 at the Olympic Trials in Houston, will look to factor into the race, but with rumors of Desiree Davila’s injury, don’t plan on her factoring into the race.
Women’s 400m: Sanya Richards-Ross is back and looking to win her first individual gold medal in three Olympics. The 2009 world champion is finally healthy and looked strong throughout the rounds. But 2011 world champion Amantle Montsho of Botswana might have something to say about that. And Antonina Krivoshapka of Russia ran a world-leading 49.81 in the semifinals. Americans Dee Dee Trotter and Francena McCorory along with ’08 gold medalist Christine Ohuruogu will also be in the mix.
Men’s 100: All three Jamaicans and all three Americans qualified for the men’s 100m semifinal and, out of 24 men, the top eight will move on to tonight’s final. Beijing Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt has looked vulnerable in recent months, specifically after his losses in the 100 and 200m to training partner Yohan Blake at the Jamaican Olympic Trials. Former world record holder Asafa Powell and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin should factor into the race as well. Not to be overlooked is 2007 world champion Tyson Gay and Ryan Bailey, who set a personal best in the heats.
Jamaica’s Usain Bolt easily wins his men’s 100m preliminary heat, moving on to the semifinals.
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