WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PICKS FOR MOSCOW 2013

It’s the eve of the 14 IAAF World Athletic Championships in Moscow. Jamaicans are a bit disappointed that some of their stars like Veronica Campbell Brown, Yohan Blake, Sherone Simpson and Asafa Powell will not be in action over the nine days of intense track and field activity but there are others who I believe will shine for this country.

Overall, I expect Jamaica to do well enough – perhaps three or four gold medals, a handful of silver medals and a bronze or two – a medal count that we should all be happy with.

Here are my picks for medals for Jamaica.

Men’s 100 metres

Usain Bolt – gold

Nesta Carter (silver or bronze)

I expect all four Jamaicans – Bolt, Carter, Kemar Bailey Cole and Nickel Ashmeade to be in the finals.

Women’s 100 metres

Shelly Ann Frazer-Pryce – gold.

Shelly will have her hands full against a quality field but I believe she will deliver gold in a new personal best of 10.67 seconds.

Men’s 200 metres

Usain Bolt – gold

Warren Weir silver (and new personal best somewhere between 19.68 and 19.59)

(Nickel Ashmeade could take the bronze here but Churandy Martina and LeMaitre could make it hard for him)

Women’s 200m

Shelly Ann Frazer Pryce – silver

Men’s 400m

Javere Bell and Javon Francis are Jamaica’s best medal hopefuls in this event but gold or silver are out of the question. Barring injury Kirani James and Lashawn Merritt will battle for those places. However, Tony McQuay from the USA is a good pick for bronze but I feel that if either Bell or Francis can make it to the finals and deliver a time of 44.70 or better, something I feel is possible, Jamaica could come away with a bronze medal here. It is unlikely but possible.

Women’s 400m

Novelene Williams Mills and Stephanie McPherson are Jamaica’s best bets in this event but the field is deep. Francena McCorory, Amantle Montsho,  Antonina Krivoshapka, Ksenyia Ryzhova, Natasha Hastings and Christine Ohurougu all stand in the way of our Jamaican girls winning a medal but McPherson has shown steady progression this season and if she can stay well within herself during the early rounds and then let it all out in the finals but running smart and running to her strengths, I feel she could medal.

Williams Mills is a brave warrior and I wouldn’t rule her out but something tells me this field, even without Sanya Richards-Ross is just a little too deep for our brave but aging champion.

Women’s 800m

Natoya Goule is unbeaten so far this season. The NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Champion has made a name for herself this year but this is a big step forward. I think she can make the finals but there she will find the going a little too fast for her now. The experience however will serve her well for the future. Look for her to set new personal bests.

Men’s 110m hurdles

Hansle Parchment is the second fastest man in the world in the event this year and he is coming off an injury that will make him race rusty in Moscow. If he can get back to the form that saw him run 13.05 in June and be aggressive in the rounds to get back his race sharpness, he could very well get under 13 seconds which should see him win either gold or silver.

Women’s 100m hurdles

Sisters Shermaine and Danielle Williams represent Jamaica’s new wave of women sprint hurdlers taking over from the likes of 2009 World Champion Brigette Foster Hylton and bronze medallist Deloreen Ennis. Danielle, the younger of the two is Jamaica’s most likely contender for a medal this trip but with the likes of Briana Rollins (12.26) the fastest women in the world this year, Sally Pearson who is recovering well from injury, Dawn Harper, Queen Harrison and others, the going could be really rough for her. Look for her to do well however, perhaps a new personal best but no medals this trip.

Men’s 4x100m relay

Jamaica – gold

Women’s 4x100m

Jamaica – silver

Women’s 4x400m

Jamaica – bronze

Women’s 4oomh

Two-time Diamond League champion Kaliese Spencer has looked a shadow of herself this season while Ristanana Tracey is on the rise. If either of them can put together a run of 53.4 or faster then a medal could be theirs. Spencer who has run as fast as 52.7 doesn’t even look like coming close so our best bet for a medal is young Tracey but maybe it’s a little too early to expect this big a jump from the spirited youngster.

Men’s LJ

The best jump in the world this year is 8.46m. If Damar Forbes can get to the 8.35 (w) he used to win the NCAA Championships this year, he could factor among the medals. I think however, there are just too many people for him to beat to get into the top three.

Women’s triple jump

Kimberly Williams has been jumping well all year but she needs about 20 additional centimetres on her season best 14.38m to factor among the medals. Maybe in Beijing in 2015.