July is often a period of lull in the American sports calendar. The NFL regular season will not start until September, basketball and hockey in October leaving the marathon baseball regular season to dominate the landscape. However, beginning on Friday, July 15, Eugene, Oregon will host the World Athletics Championship. The competition will end on Sunday, July 24, and will be the first time the United States will host the prestigious event. If you have never watched track and field, the action can be exciting and exhilarating to see the world’s best going head-to-head. In this article, we will preview the top 5 events you want to mark in your calendar to watch.
5. Men’s 5000m and 10,000 meter-these races take a while to conclude but they can be the most exciting events because the finals can be the most chaotic and thrilling moments in the sport. Athletes from Africa tend to dominate the middle and long-distance races. Therefore, the favorite that you will want to remember is Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda. Joshua is currently the reigning 5000m and 10000m champion. He is also the world record holder for the 5k and 10km races. It was a big shock that he failed to win the double by losing the 5000 meters at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega, who won the event by less than half a second. It sets up two exciting races in Eugene to decide who is the better man.
4. 100 meters hurdles women-the sprint hurdles is a hard contest to predict because of the unpredictability of hitting a hurdle. The 2022 championship will feature the Olympic Champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn from Puerto Rico who broke the Olympic record last year in Tokyo to claim gold. Jasmine will face competition from America’s Kendra Harrison and Alaysha Johnson. Kendra defeated Alaysha at the national trials in June by 1 second in a tight contest and is the world record holder in the event by clocking 12.20 back in July 2016. Kendra will be looking for revenge because she finished 2nd to Jasmine at last year’s Olympic games setting up an incredible race.
3. 100m and 200m men-the question of who is the fastest man in the world is often the most important headline heading into a major championship. At last year’s Olympics, Marcell Jacobs of Italy shocked the world by capturing the event in a new European record of 9.80. Jacob’s main challenge will come from the American trio of Fred Kerley, Travon Bromwell, and Christian Coleman. Kerley is an emerging force on the track after running a world-leading 9.76 at the U.S. trials. Also, expect Jamaica’s Yohan Blake and Oblique in the mix, you can expect fireworks from this event in Eugene. The 200-meter also sets up to be a showdown between Andre De Grasse and the American duo of Noah Lyles and Erriyon Knighton. The Canadian, De Grasse, captured the gold medal last year but Knighton has the fastest time in 2022 by clocking 19.49 seconds in April. However, Lyles has the psychological edge over Knighton having never lost to his compatriot in a final. Lyles continued the streak over Knighton with a come-from-behind victory at the U.S. championships and punctuated it by pointing to the clock at the tape. The athlete who comes out on top in Eugene will be must-see TV.
2. 100m and 200m women-the 100 meter for women is a showpiece event of any major championship. Heading into this event, all the buzz appears to surround the Jamaican trio of Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Shericka Jackson. Shericka defeated Elaine in the Jamaica national trials in the absence of Shelly-Ann who was not required to run the finals as the reigning world champion. However, it would be a mistake to rule out Thompson-Herah, who lost at the trials last year only to peak at the right time and stun the world at the Olympics by emerging as the double champion in the 100m and 200m events. It will be interesting to see if Aleia Hobbs or Melissa Jefferson from America can disrupt a potential Jamaican sweep. The 200 meter appears more wide open but Shericka Jackson and Thompson-Herah are the favorites. Jackson has recorded the fastest time of the year but Americans can lookout for 22-year-old Abby Steiner to potentially claim her first major championship medal.
1. 400-meter hurdles men and women- these events traditionally are not the headliners but are number 1 on our list because of the potential for world record runs. Yes, we all love to see WORLD RECORDS broken! In the men’s event, we have a heavy favorite in Karsten Warholm of Norway. The 26-year-old is still entering his prime and is the reigning World Champion in the event. Last year, he took this event to a new level by capturing gold in a world record 45.94 seconds. Warholm became the first man to run under 46 seconds and is poised to lower that time in Eugene. In the women’s event Americans can look out for the irresistible Sydney McLaughlin. Sydney captured the heart of fans stateside when she dominated the field to capture gold in a world record 51.46 seconds. At the national trials in June, she threw down the gauntlet with a stunning 51.41 seconds run and shaving .05 off her world record.
Yes, when Karsten and Sydney hit the track keep your eyes on the clock because you may be witnessing history in the making.