In part 1, we covered the unassuming stars of our sport, the mitochondrial monsters racing from 800 to 3k. Let’s get to the more visibly freakish.

Eleven men have ever jumped cleared a bar that was 2.40 meters (roughly 7-10.25) in the air outdoors. Four of those eleven will be in Lausanne: Supermen Mutaz Barshim and Bohdan Bondarenko (2.42 each), Olympic gold medalist  and internet superstar Ivan Ukhov (2.41), and Canadian (Happy Belated Canada Day!) Derek Drouin (2.40). At 2.37, Erik Kynard has the best American PB in the field. Kynard took some healthy looks at 2.41 (1cm better than the current American record) in Sacramento, and will look to become a Superman, or at least a member of the Justice League in Lausanne.

While Renaud Lavillenie owns the best vault mark in history at 6.16m, he technically only set the indoor world record. Nothing is a formality in the unpredictable pole vault, but ministers specializing in last rites are definitely waiting by the phone for a call from friends or relatives of Bubka’s 6.14m outdoor record.

The running internet must be getting tired of hearing this, but Kirani James-LaShawn Merritt is simply an exemplar of what individual rivalries can and should be in track. They bang heads again on Thursday night in the 400.

Quick hits:

- Kiwi Valerie Adams is halfway to one hundred consecutive victories in the women’s shot put. She goes for win #51 Thursday.

- World leader and British record holder Greg Rutherford (who was recently force-fed some sour grapes) goes against the entire Moscow WC podium in the long jump.

- Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin will race for the title of “America’s Fastest Ex-Doper” in the 100; The Beast and GWH are the main attractions in the 200.