IAAF World ChampionshipsAug 17, 2015 by Taylor Dutch
IAAF World Championships Preview: Middle Distance
IAAF World Championships Preview: Middle Distance
Asbel Kiprop leads a star-studded field at Sainsbury's London Diamond League meeting.
2015 IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW
Men's 800m
Amel Tuka has been the man at 800 meters this year with a world lead that has stood since July 17. He led a blazing fast 800m at the Monaco Diamond league meeting when he beat Nigel Amos and Ayanleh Souleiman with a winning time of 1:42.51. Prior to the Monaco performance, Tuka broke the then-Bosnian national record in Madrid, and finished the race by lifting his bib for the cameras to show his handwriting with the message “Never Forget.” The symbol was meant to pay homage to the victims of the Bosnian Genocide that took place in the mid-1990s.
Tuka will have stiff competition with challengers like Olympic silver medalist Nigel Amos, 2013 World bronze medalist Ayanleh Souleiman, and Olympic Champion David Rudisha. Amos is returning from winning the London Diamond League meeting in a field that included Rudisha and marked his third Diamond League win of the season. Souleiman has been fighting for the world lead all season long with dominating performances at the Doha Diamond League meeting (1:43.78) and in Barcelona (1:43.08) on July 8. More recently Souleiman has been tackling the 1500m distance with wins at London and Stockholm Diamond League meetings. Reigning world record-holder and Olympic Champion Rudisha hasn’t appeared like the dominant force of 2012, but can always been counted on to contend through rounds in championship situations.
Men's 1500m
The biggest threat at 1500m will be Asbel Kiprop who has shown that he can win in almost any kind of tactical race setting. The Kenyan World Champion first displayed tremendous fitness at the Monaco Diamond League meeting when he took down the field in 3:26.69, the third fastest mark all time. He continued his winning ways with more bizarre race tactics at the London Diamond League meeting when he went from the front to the back, and front again for the win over Matt Centrowitz, proving he can pull out the victory even in the strangest race situations.
Kiprop’s biggest challengers will be 2012 Olympic Champion Taoufik Makhloufi, Souleiman, and Centrowitz who will look to dethrone the 2008 Olympic Champion. Makhloufi hasn’t raced very frequently this season, but clocked a personal best of 3:28.75 in the Monaco Diamond League race. Souleiman will look to bounce back from 800m rounds in order to perform the same double he did at the 2013 World Championships. Centrowitz was also pulled along to a personal best in the Monaco Diamond League 1500m with a time of 3:30, and looks to improve upon his silver medal from the 2013 World Championships.
Men's 3000m Steeplechase
2015 may be the first year that an American male has a legitimate chance at earning a World Championship medal in the event. Evan Jager showed that potential at the Paris Diamond League meeting when he clocked a personal best and American record in 8:00.45 despite falling off the final barrier. After Jager fell, Jairus Kipchoge Birech sprinted for the win in the final meters, and now holds the world leading mark at 7:58.83.
Two-time Olympic Champion Ezekiel Kemboi is always a factor in championship situations with three world titles to his name and the third-fastest time of 2015 from the Prefontaine Classic. Conseslus Kipruto should contend as well after clocking 8:05 at the Prefontaine Classic.
Women's 800m
2013 World Champion Eunice Sum will be the woman of the hour at this year’s World Championships after clocking a world lead of 1:56.99 at the Paris Diamond League meeting. The mark also stands as a new personal best and nearly a full second faster than the next closest competitor Rose Mary Almanza who finished second to her in the same race.
The American women have a strong chance in contention with Olympic finalist Alysia Montano, World bronze medalist Brenda Martinez and first-time World Championships qualifier Molly Ludlow. Montano famously made her return to national dominance after giving birth last year and winning her fifth USATF Outdoor title. Martinez qualified with a third-place finish at the USATF Outdoor finals, but hasn’t touched her personal best of 1:57 all season. Ludlow was invited into the fold after Ajee Wilson bowed out with an injury, but the fourth-place finisher at USATF Outdoors has met the opportunity with confidence.
Women's 1500m
The women’s 1500m will be all about world record-holder Genzebe Dibaba who famously broke the 22-year-old world record in the event at the Monaco Diamond League meeting with a time of 3:50.07. The Ethiopian World Indoor Champion will more than likely dominate the event along with the 5K at the World Championships.
Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands will also be one to watch after finishing second to Dibaba in Monaco in a new personal best of 3:56.05. She recently clocked 3:56 in a mixed race on August 12, which will not count because it included men, but is still a great indication of her fitness at this point. The American contenders should also make impressive showings in the event with the growing rivalry of Shannon Rowbury and Jenny Simpson. Rowbury most recently edged out Simpson for the American record in the 1500m in the same blazing fast race in Monaco, which stands as the third-fastest time in 2015. But Simpson, the 2011 World Champion is always a dangerous contender in championships situations.
Women's 3000m Steeplechase
Turkey’s Olympic silver medalist Habiba Ghribi showed her dominance in the event this year after taking down Kenyans Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi and Virginia Nyambura Nganga at the Monaco Diamond League meeting. Hiwot Ayalew should be in the mix as well with her 9:14 season’s best from the Rome Diamond League meeting, and the American hope Emma Coburn is currently riding a 9:15 season’s best from the USATF Outdoor Championships.
Ghribi, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist, has shown to be a standout favorite this year after clocking the world lead in Monaco, but she only has two races under her in the 2015 season, which either means she is fresh or that she is unable to race frequently. The U.S. will however have a medal contender in Emma Coburn, who holds the No. 5 fastest time in the world and has shown vast improvement in the last year.