by Larry Eder
This is Justin Lagat’s preview of Day 7 of the Worlds. Justin is from Eldoret, Kenya, where he lives with his wife and two children. This is the first time that we have met, and Justin has written for me for a decade. His writing is thoughtful and crisp, and he has a wonderful sense of humor. Please enjoy!
Tonight, on Day 7 of the world championships in Budapest, the women in the 800m event will move closer to the finals in three heats that are set to be exciting.
Eight lanes are preserved for the finals, but there are still twenty-four of them battling it out for the places in the finals. Only the first two to cross the finish line get automatic qualifications.
Will the main protagonists all make it to the finals?
Unless it will be the fastest heat, one of the big names will finish outside the automatic qualifications in heat three. Mary Moraa of Kenya, who is ranked world number one, Athing Mu of the USA, who is the defending champion, and Halimah Nakaayi of Uganda, the immediate former world champion, are together in the last heat of the semi-finals.
Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain, the reigning world and Olympic silver medalist, and Catriona Bisset of Australia, the first to set a world-leading time for the event this year, are together in the first heat.
Jamaica’s Natoya Goule and Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie are in the second heat.
The program of the World Athletics Championships has been designed to have sprint finals on some days and distance finals on others.
The highlights of Day 7 evening will be the men’s and women’s 200m finals. And, as related to the 1500m to the 5000m, are the 100m to the 200m event. The medalists from the 100m will return in the 200m final tonight to seek another glory.
The podium finishers in the men’s 100m, Noah Lyles of the USA, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, and Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain, will meet again. Will the order of their medals change? It remains to be seen.
Sha’Carri Richardson will be on the same lane (lane 9) that she used to win the 100m gold medal on Monday. Sherica Jackson, who had won the silver medal, will be on lane 6. Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce, the bronze medalist, will be the only 100m medalist not featuring in the 200m race. Fourth-placed Talou will be in lane two as she gets a second chance to win a medal at the Budapest 23 Championships.
