Six medals for Team USA in two races ?

With three men in the 400m final and three women in the 200m final Campbell seems to stand in the way of a possible six medal sweep in the two big sprint track finals for Friday at the World Athletic Championshps.

www.200m.com says thats not going to happen with Campbell on such good form but 5 out of 6 on offer would be a good days work for the Americans.

Team USA for all the medals in 400m on Friday ?

Friday's final of the men's 400 meters sees all three Americans easily ahead.

2000 Olympic 400m hurdles gold medalist Angelo Taylor took the first semifinal in 44.45, defending champion Jeremy Wariner winning the second in 44.34.

Showing he is true to his word LaShawn Merritt took Heat 3 in 44.31. In recording the fastest time of the day Merritt is in it to try and win it, despite the obvious status of Wariner as the top dog.

Australia gets a World Champion over 400m Hurdles

Australian Jana Rawlinson prevailed over defending champion and world record holder Yuliya Pechenkina in the 400 meters hurdles at the track and field world championships.

Rawlinson,2003 champion ran 53.31 seconds to be the first person to beat Pechenkina in 2007.

Pechenkina went home with silver in a time of 53.50 and Anna Jesien of Poland took bronze with a 53.92.

Will Beijing see the best in the World ?

Christine Ohuruogu's 400-metre win at the World Championships in Osaka raises as many questions as it answers but nothing can detract from an amazing run and a much needed boost for British athletics.

A 49.61 seconds best ever time for her saw Nicola Sanders, who also finished with a personal best of 49.65 edged into second for a superb British one-two.

In London the Times's chief sports writer asked .... "How fast do you have to go if you want to outrun your past?" Well Ohuruogu is giving it a really good go and she has come out on top of the world.

The Sun ran with :

"Please don't make this the face of our London Olympics" being more concerned about the London Olympics, years away, than any victory today in Osaka that put a British athlete on the top of the podium. If the Brit World Champion races in Beijing and takes home gold the mood will change.

Kerron Clement storms to win

In a surprise to most in Osaka up and coming 21 year old American Kerron Clement took 400m Hurdles Gold. He became World Champion with a 47.61 second run to beat Olympic gold medal holder Felix Sanchez into the Silver slot; Marek Plawgo of Poland took Bronze.

This shakes up the betting for Beijing in what's not normally the most exciting event on the track.

Merrit Talks The Talk

LaShawn Merritt who qualified with 44.78sec has his mind right in the zone against the backdrop of an anticipated world record breaking performance by Wariner. Who can or should knock the 44.06 man when he says :

"In the final, I am going to be in the battle for the gold medal, not only in the battle for the silver and bronze medal."

Benjamin hits form

Welshman Tim Benjamin rediscovered his best form to reach the 400m semi-finals at the World Championships in Japan.

The 25-year-old, back after an ankle injury, booked his place in Wednesday's semis with a time of 45.44 seconds.

"It's not my goal achieved," said Benjamin. "If I can go under 45 seconds and get into the final, that's great."

Team-mates Martyn Rooney (45.47) and Andrew Steele (45.54) failed to advance with Rooney missing out on a fastest losers' spot by 0.3 of a second.

Benjamin's build-up to the Worlds was hampered by an ankle injury and his training was also affected when he split from coach Colin Jackson last month.

The Cardiff runner only secured his place in the squad for Osaka after running 45.38 at the London Grand Prix earlier this month, but now he is ready to push on.

"I am pleased to have done that from lane one," said Benjamin.

"I have had a poor preparation. I made some coaching decisions that just didn't work out and also because of injury so hopefully I can put that behind me.

"The competition this year is the toughest Championships I have been it by far. I'm going to have to go all out in the semi-final, that time is not going to get me through."

American LaShawn Merritt was the fastest man through to the next round in 44.78 while defending champion Jeremy Wariner eased through in 45.10.

"I shut it down at 250m. So, you'll see about it on Wednesday," he said. "I'm ready to go in the semis. The track is so fast."

Despite recent indicators, Wariner taking nothing for granted

Osaka, Japan - Three weeks ago at Stockholm’s DN Galan, World and Olympic 400m champion Jeremy Wariner sped to a 43.50 performance to become the third fastest man ever. More recently, he produced training times faster than those of Michael Johnson in the World record holder’s lead up to his legendary 43.18 dash at the 1999 World Championships in Seville.
But the 24-year-old American is taking nothing for granted as he makes his final preparations for his title defence which begins on Tuesday (28).

“This year the competition’s even stronger than what it has been,” Wariner said. “The way Angelo [Taylor] and Lashawn Merritt have been running, I’m going to have to go out there and run my race like I did in Stockholm.”

Stockholm performance worth ’43.3’ on Osaka’s track...

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Jeremy Warnier vs Xaiver Carter Rome 400m

Michael Johnson prodigy 23 year old Olympic bound Jeremy Wariner has the right stuff and he's getting the right advice too :

"... go out there and run every race like I'm going for the world record. Not just at one meet, but every time I'm on the track my goal is to get the world record."

The 1999 record of 43.18 seconds might just fall to him on the fast Osaka track at the IAAF World Championships 2007 in Japan.

Best 400m times

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Women