(click to see men’s chart)
fearless forecasting by T&FN staff & contributors
The 10-deep predictions for each event:
| 100 METERS |
| There’s a real roll-the-dice aspect to this one: at least half of our top 10 could be considered a potential winner, with any of the 10 having a legit shot at the podium… Thompson made herself the fave with a PR win at the Jamaican Trials, but subsequently it was revealed she was running with a bad hamstring (hence her poor 200 heat)… Should the favorite’s mantle devolve to Schippers?… 2-time defending champion SAFP has been notably off-form so far, but it really hurts not to make her the favorite… American sprinters nearly always run slower away from Eugene, but how much slower? |
| 1. Elaine Thompson (Jamaica) |
10.70 (’16) |
| 2. Dafne Schippers (Holland) |
10.81 (’15) |
| 3. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) |
10.70 (’12) |
| 4. Tori Bowie (USA) |
10.78 (’16) |
| 5. English Gardner (USA) |
10.74 (’16) |
| 6. Murielle Ahouré (Ivory Coast) |
10.78 (’16) |
| 7. Tianna Bartoletta (USA) |
10.78 (’16) |
| 8. Blessing Okagbare (Nigeria) |
10.79 (’13) |
| 9. Marie Josée Ta Lou (Côte d’Ivoire) |
10.96 (’16) |
| 10. Michelle-Lee Ahye (Trinidad) |
10.85 (’14) |
| 200 METERS |
| The absence of defender Allyson Felix from this event is a big thing, but the half-lapper nonetheless remains a huge attraction… Reigning world champ Schippers has done nothing to lose her No. 1 status, but with Thompson ascending to the favorite’s role in the 100 with her new PR there, the difference between may be even smaller than last year’s 0.03 in Beijing… Can Bowie move up a notch or two on the podium? |
| 1. Dafne Schippers (Holland) |
21.63 (’15) |
| 2. Elaine Thompson (Jamaica) |
21.66 (’15) |
| 3. Tori Bowie (USA) |
21.99 (’16) |
| 4. Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica) |
21.74 (’08) |
| 5. Dina Asher-Smith (Great Britain) |
22.07 (’15) |
| 6. Deajah Stevens (USA) |
22.25 (’16) |
| 7. Jenna Prandini (USA) |
22.20 (’15) |
| 8. Ivet Lalova-Collie (Bulgaria) |
22.32 (’15) |
| 9. Simone Facey (Jamaica) |
22.25 (’08) |
| 10. Michelle-Lee Ahye (Trinidad) |
22.33 (’16) |
| 400 METERS |
No longer having to worry about keeping anything in reserve for the 200, Felix can concentrate on the longest dash… Felix and Miller have only ever met once here, the American winning the WC old over the Bahamian last year…
Felix ran a world-leading 49.68 at the OT, but Miller quickly responded by lowering that to 49.55 with her PR run at the London DL… 800 fave Caster Semenya had originally talked about doubling here, which would have made things very interesting. |
| 1. Allyson Felix (USA) |
49.26 (’15) |
| 2. Shaunae Miller (Bahamas) |
49.55 (’16) |
| 3. Stephenie Ann McPherson (Jamaica) |
49.92 (’13) |
| 4. Phyllis Francis (USA) |
49.94 (’16) |
| 5. Natasha Hastings (USA) |
49.84 (’07) |
| 6. Christine Day (Jamaica) |
50.14 (’15) |
| 7. Shericka Jackson (Jamaica) |
49.99 (’15) |
| 8. Libania Grenot (Italy) |
50.30 (’09) |
| 9. Christine Ohuruogu (Great Britain) |
49.41 (’13) |
| 10. Floria Guei (France) |
50.84 (’16) |
| 800 METERS |
| The race up front will probably be dominated by the brewing controversy over “intersex” athletes… It’s hard to imagine anyone seriously challenging Semenya (probably doubling back from the 400), though Wambui is claiming she can do it. She might have to break the World Record to do so, not to mention taking down Niyonsaba, who won World Indoor gold… Arzamasova shocked to win the Worlds last year—can she be in the mix again? |
| 1. Caster Semenya (South Africa) |
1:55.33 (’16) |
| 2. Francine Niyonsaba (Burundi) |
1:56.24 (’16) |
| 3. Margaret Wambui (Kenya) |
1:57.52 (’16) |
| 4. Melissa Bishop (Canada) |
1:57.43 (’16) |
| 5. Eunice Sum (Kenya) |
1:56.99 (’15) |
| 6. Ajee’ Wilson (USA) |
1:57.67 (’14) |
| 7. Maryna Arzamasova (Belarus) |
1:57.54 (’15) |
| 8. Lynsey Sharp (Great Britain) |
1:57.71 (’15) |
| 9. Kate Grace (USA) |
1:59.10 (’16) |
| 10. Nataliya Pryshchepa (Ukraine) |
1:59.08 (’16) |
| 1500 METERS |
| Several canceled races and the investigation of coach Jama Aden might perhaps raise some question marks around WR holder Dibaba, but she subsequently produced a 3:59.83 outing in early July… ’15 WC silver medalist Kipyegon has 3 DL wins this year, 2 very fast and 1 a tactical triumph… Simpson was razor sharp in her OT win and tends to move very well on the last lap. |
| 1. Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) |
3:50.07 (’15) |
| 2. Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) |
3:56.41 (’16) |
| 3. Jenny Simpson (USA) |
3:57.22 (’14) |
| 4. Laura Muir (Great Britain) |
3:57.49 (’16) |
| 5. Sifan Hassan (Holland) |
3:56.05 (’15) |
| 6. Dawit Seyaum (Ethiopia) |
3:58.10 (’16) |
| 7. Shannon Rowbury (USA) |
3:56.29 (’15) |
| 8. Brenda Martinez (USA) |
4:00.94 (’13) |
| 9. Angelika Cichocka (Poland) |
4:03.06 (’15) |
| 10. Meraf Bahta (Sweden) |
4:01.34 (’14) |
| STEEPLECHASE |
| Give the veteran Jepkemoi, the reigning world champ, a narrow edge over yearly leader Chebet, still only 19… Either way, figure the World Record is in danger… At 32, Ghribi doesn’t look like a WR threat, but she is the reigning Olympic champion and rated No. 1 in the world last year, so don’t count her out.… AR holder Coburn needs to knock off a few seconds if she’s to step onto the podium. |
| 1. Hyvin Jepkemoi (Kenya) |
9:00.01 (’16) |
| 2. Ruth Chebet (Bahrain) |
8:59.97 (’16) |
| 3. Habiba Ghribi (Tunisia) |
9:05.36 (’15) |
| 4. Emma Coburn (USA) |
9:10.76 (’16) |
| 5. Sofia Assefa (Ethiopia) |
9:09.00 (’12) |
| 6. Hiwot Ayalew (Ethiopia) |
9:09.61 (’12) |
| 7. Gesa-Felicitas Krause (Germany) |
9:18.85 (’16) |
| 8. Beatrice Chepkoech (Kenya) |
9:17.41 (’16) |
| 9. Etenesh Diro (Ethiopia) |
9:14.07 (’12) |
| 10. Courtney Frerichs (USA) |
9:20.92 (’16) |
| 5000 METERS |
| The runaway World Champs winner by more than 17 seconds last year, Ayana scared the WR at the Rome DL… The 32-year-old Cheruiyot will double back from the 10K but is a 4-time world track champ, 2 at 5K, 2 at 10K, and for that gets a narrow nod over WC silver medalist Teferi… One way or another, look for a lot of Ethiopian and Kenyan jerseys at the front of the pack. |
| 1. Almaz Ayana (Ethiopia) |
14:12.59 (’16) |
| 2. Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) |
14:20.87 (’11) |
| 3. Senbere Teferi (Ethiopia) |
14:35.09 (’16) |
| 4. Mercy Cherono (Kenya) |
14:33.95 (’16) |
| 5. Hellen Obiri (Kenya) |
14:32.02 (’16) |
| 6. Yasemin Can (Turkey) |
14:37.61 (’16) |
| 7. Yeshaneh Ababel (Ethiopia) |
14:41.58 (’16) |
| 8. Meraf Bahta (Sweden) |
14:49.95 (’16) |
| 9. Steph Twell (Great Britain) |
14:54.08 (’10) |
| 10. Shelby Houlihan (USA) |
15:06.14 (’16) |
| 10,000 METERS |
| Ayana’s lifetime experience in the 10K: 1 race! But since that moved her to No. 7 on the all-time list and squashed a known entity like Burka by almost 30 seconds, she’s our pick… As a 2-time world champ, Cheruiyot obviously isn’t just going to throw up her hands in surrender… 2-time defender Dibaba didn’t race on the track at all in ’14, or anywhere in ’15, but “The Baby-Faced Destroyer” can’t be ignored… As in the 5000, look for a lot of Ethiopian and Kenyan jerseys, but also keep an eye out for Huddle, as Americans have enjoyed a surprising amount of success in this event of late in the OG and WC. |
| 1. Almaz Ayana (Ethiopia) |
30:07.00 (’16) |
| 2. Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) |
30:30.34 (’12) |
| 3. Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) |
29:54.66 (’08) |
| 4. Gelete Burka (Ethiopia) |
30:28.47 (’16) |
| 5. Alice Nawowuna (Kenya) |
30:26.49 (’16) |
| 6. Molly Huddle (USA) |
30:47.59 (’14) |
| 7. Betsy Saina (Kenya) |
30:57.30 (’14) |
| 8. Yasemin Can (Turkey) |
31:12.86 (’16) |
| 9. Emily Infeld (USA) |
31:38.71 (’15) |
| 10. Ayuko Suzuki (Japan) |
31:18.16 (’16) |
| 100 HURDLES |
A sweep for Team USA? Even without new WR holder Keni Harrison, who failed to make the Rio trio? Yes, Rollins (pictured), Castlin & Ali (not necessarily in that order!) truly seem to be the cream of the crop…
Roleder’s WC silver seemed an anomaly last year, but she has been Europe’s best so far. |
| 1. Brianna Rollins (USA) |
12.24 (’14) |
| 2. Kristi Castlin (USA) |
12.50 (’16) |
| 3. Nia Ali (USA) |
12.48 (’13) |
| 4. Cindy Roleder (Germany) |
12.59 (’15) |
| 5. Alina Talay (Belarus) |
12.63 (’16) |
| 6. Tiffany Porter (Great Britain) |
12.51 (’14) |
| 7. Cindy Ofili (Great Britain) |
12.60 (’15) |
| 8. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (Puerto Rico) |
12.69 (’16) |
| 9. Phylicia George (Canada) |
12.65 (’12) |
| 10. Cindy Billaud (France) |
12.56 (’14) |
| 400 HURDLES |
| Muhammad had a nifty breakthrough at the OT, then confirmed it with a London DL win. She’s back for her first international title meet since winning WC silver back in ’13… None of last year’s WC podium trio are projected to return to the steps this time around, with reigning world champ Hejnová struggling with a balky Achilles and having only a single race in this event on her chart… Peterson and Doyle were 4th and 6th in Beijing last year… No matter where she ends up, 16-year-old McLaughlin is sure to be a media and fan darling. |
| 1. Dalilah Muhammad (USA) |
52.88 (’16) |
| 2. Sara Slott Petersen (Denmark) |
53.99 (’15) |
| 3. Eilidh Doyle (Great Britain) |
54.09 (’16) |
| 4. Zuzana Hejnová (Czech Republic) |
52.83 (’13) |
| 5. Ashley Spencer (USA) |
54.02 (’16) |
| 6. Sydney McLaughlin (USA) |
54.15 (’16) |
| 7. Wenda Nel (South Africa) |
54.37 (’15) |
| 8. Ristananna Tracey (Jamaica) |
54.52 (’13) |
| 9. Kaliese Spencer (Jamaica) |
52.79 (’11) |
| 10. Kemi Adekoya (Bahrain) |
54.12 (’15) |
| MARATHON |
No, she’s not related to the track-famous Dibabas, but Mare has impressive chops of her own, ranking No. 1 in the world last year after a No. 2 the year before.
Still, her claim to the top spot is a tenuous one, as she has only a 6th in London on her résumé this year… That title went to Sumgong, who at 31 has broken 2:25 only 5 times in her career… Despite her modest credentials as a 26-miler, Flanagan is tabbed for No. 3 by “Professor Marathon,” Sean Hartnett. |
| 1. Mare Dibaba (Ethiopia) |
2:19:52 (’12) |
| 2. Jemima Sumgong (Kenya) |
2:20:41 (’14) |
| 3. Shalane Flanagan (USA) |
2:21:14 (’14) |
| 4. Helah Kiprop (Kenya) |
2:21:27 (’16) |
| 5. Tigist Tufa (Ethiopia) |
2:21:52 (’14) |
| 6. Tirfe Tsegaye (Ethiopia) |
2:19:41 (’16) |
| 7. Eunice Jepkirui (Bahrain) |
2:21:41 (’12) |
| 8. Desiree Linden (USA) |
2:22:38 (’11) |
| 9. Kayoko Fukushi (Japan) |
2:22:17 (’16) |
| 10. Amy Cragg (USA) |
2:27:03 (’11) |
| 20K WALK |
| Liu made the top 10 in our World Rankings 7 times before breaking through last year with a World Record, WC gold and her first No. 1. She had a brief 1-month doping suspension this year, but is undefeated and the fastest non-Russian on the yearly list… González whacked almost 2 minutes off her PR in finishing 2nd to Liu in the World Team race in May. |
| 1. Hong Liu (China) |
1:24:38 (’15) |
| 2. Maria Guadalupe González (Mexico) |
1:26:17 (’16) |
| 3. Shenjie Qieyang (China) |
1:25:16 (’12) |
| 4. Eleonora Giorgi (Italy) |
1:26:17 (’15) |
| 5. Erica DeSena (Brazil) |
1:27:18 (’16) |
| 6. Xiuzhi Lu (China) |
1:25:12 (’15) |
| 7. Elisa Rigaudo (Italy) |
1:27:12 (’08) |
| 8. Inês Henriques (Portugal) |
1:29:00 (’16) |
| 9. Mirna Ortiz (Guatemala) |
1:28:31 (’13) |
| 10. Ana Cabecinha (Portugal) |
1:27:46 (’08) |
| 4 x 100 |
| Jamaica won at the ’15 Worlds, easily, but this time, as at London ’12, the U.S. may have a slight edge on depth, with a probable ordering of Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, English Gardner & Torie Bowie… Barring passing disasters, the race for bronze should be fierce… Germany and Britain have broken through with new national records that make them the Nos. 6 & 7 countries ever… Note: the “PRs” listed here are the best by the nations in 2015 or 2016. |
| 1. United States |
41.68 (’15) |
| 2. Jamaica |
41.07 (’15) |
| 3. Germany |
41.62 (’16) |
| 4. Great Britain |
41.81 (’16) |
| 5. Holland |
42.04 (’16) |
| 6. Trinidad |
42.03 (’15) |
| 7. Brazil |
42.59 (’16) |
| 8. Ukraine |
42.50 (’15) |
| 9. France |
42.94 (’16) |
| 10. Switzerland |
42.87 (’16) |
| 4 x 400 |
| Based on open times this season, the United States would seem to have an advantage of a second or two. In real life, the Jamaicans could make it a lot closer… The key to the race might be usual second-leg star Allyson Felix, about whom there will be both fatigue (after 400 and potential 4×1 duty) and health (dodgy ankle) concerns… Note: the “PRs” listed here are the best by the nations in 2015 or 2016. |
| 1. United States |
3:19.39 (’15) |
| 2. Jamaica |
3:19.13 (’15) |
| 3. Great Britain |
3:23.62 (’15) |
| 4. France |
3:24.86 (’15) |
| 5. Italy |
3:27.07 (’15) |
| 6. Ukraine |
3:25.94 (’16) |
| 7. Canada |
3:26.14 (’15) |
| 8. Poland |
3:27.60 (’16) |
| 9. Australia |
3:28.61 (’15) |
| 10. Brazil |
3:29.38 (’15) |
| HIGH JUMP |
| High jumping is frequently thought of as a youngsters’ game, but Lowe is 32 and Beitia 37 as each appears in her third Olympics, looking for her first medal. Lowe was 6th the last two times around after a DNQ in Athens; Beitia was likewise an Athens DNQ, then finished 7th and 4th. We’ll give the nod to the American… At the other end of the spectrum is 18-year-old Cunningham, with nowhere (you’ll pardon the tired pun) to go but up. She won the World Indoor, but with many of the big names missing. |
| 1. Chaunté Lowe (USA) |
2.05 | 6-8¾ (’10) |
| 2. Ruth Beitia (Spain) |
1.97 | 6-5½ (’12) |
| 3. Kamila Licwinko (Poland) |
2.02 | 6-7½ (’15) |
| 4. Vashti Cunningham (USA) |
1.99 | 6-6¼ (’16) |
| 5. Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch (Germany) |
2.00 | 6-6¾ (’16) |
| 6. Mirela Demireva (Bulgaria) |
1.97 | 6-5½ (’16) |
| 7. Blanka Vlasic (Croatia) |
2.08 | 6-9¾ (’09) |
| 8. Airine Palsyte (Lithuania) |
1.98 | 6-6 (’14) |
| 9. Svetlana Radzivil (Uzbekistan) |
1.97 | 6-5½ (’12) |
| 10. Michaela Hrubá (Czech Republic) |
1.95 | 6-4¾ (’16) |
| POLE VAULT |
 Former world champ Murer will obviously be the crowd favorite and she may be inspired to busting the chart a little, but for now she’s on the outside looking in… We’d say that at 35 Murer is too old, but defending champ Suhr is 34 and has jumped higher than ever this year… Silva is the reigning world champ, but Morris is coming on so strongly we see a U.S. 1–2. On the year, Morris has 7 meets at 15-9/4.80 or higher, compared to the Cuban’s 1… Last year’s No. 1 Ranker Kiriakopoúlou hasn’t won a single outdoor competition this season. |
| 1. Jenn Suhr (USA) |
5.03 | 16-6 (’16) |
| 2. Sandi Morris (USA) |
4.95 | 16-2¾ (’16) |
| 3. Yarisley Silva (Cuba) |
4.91 | 16-1¼ (’15) |
| 4. Fabiana Murer (Brazil) |
4.87 | 15-11¾ (’16) |
| 5. Ekateríni Stefanídi (Greece) |
4.90 | 16-¾ (’16) |
| 6. Alana Boyd (Australia) |
4.81 | 15-9¼ (’16) |
| 7. Eliza McCartney (New Zealand) |
4.80 | 15-9 (’16) |
| 8. Nicole Büchler (Switzerland) |
4.80 | 15-9 (’16) |
| 9. Nikoléta Kiriakopoúlou (Greece) |
4.83 | 15-10 (’15) |
| 10. Martin Strutz (Germany) |
4.80 | 15-9 (’11) |
| LONG JUMP |
Reigning Olympic champ Reese has a fabulous collection of metal; in addition to her Games gold she has 3 each from the World Outdoor and World Indoor.
Often faulted for her “poor” technique, she still manages to jump farther than most people ever have… 2-time world champ Bartoletta added her second gold in Beijing last summer, but since then has gone 0–5 against Spanovic. Still, the timing is good for the American, as the LJ falls conveniently between the 100 and 4×1, with no overlap, so the margin is a small one… Spanovic is too steady to allow for any fantasies about a U.S. medal sweep. |
| 1. Brittney Reese (USA) |
7.31 | 23-11¾ (’16) |
| 2. Ivana Spanovic (Serbia) |
7.07 | 23-2½ (’16) |
| 3. Tianna Bartoletta (USA) |
7.14 | 23-5¼ (’15) |
| 4. Janay DeLoach (USA) |
7.03 | 23-1 (’12) |
| 5. Shara Proctor (Great Britain) |
7.07 | 23-2½ (’15) |
| 6. Sosthene Taroum Moguenara (Germany) |
7.16 | 23-6 (’16) |
| 7. Christabel Nettey (Canada) |
6.99 | 22-11¼ (’15) |
| 8. Jazmin Sawyers (Great Britain) |
6.75 | 22-2 (’16) |
| 9. Brooke Stratton (Australia) |
7.05 | 23-1¾ (’16 ) |
| 10. Darya Klishina (“Russia”) |
7.05 | 23-1¾ (’11) |
| TRIPLE JUMP |
| Jumping ahead of the gold-medal analysis for a moment, note that NCAA/USATF champ Orji is picked to make it to the final 3 rounds. Not only would that be an Olympic first for an American woman, just making the final at all would equally be so… Ibargüen’s 33-meet win streak was stopped by Rypakova in June, but we still don’t see the defending champ Kazakhstani any better than bronze at this point, as 2-time world champ Ibargüen is still the cream of the crop… Rojas wasn’t on anybody’s radar until this winter when she won the World Indoor… |
| 1. Caterine Ibargüen (Colombia) |
15.31 | 50-2¾ (’14) |
| 2. Yulimar Rojas (Venezuela) |
15.02 | 49-3¼ (’16) |
| 3. Olga Rypakova (Kazakhstan) |
15.25 | 50-¼ (’10) |
| 4. Kim Williams (Jamaica) |
14.62 | 47-11½ (’13) |
| 5. Patricia Mamona (Portugal) |
14.58 | 47-10 (’16) |
| 6. Paraskeví Papahrístou (Greece) |
14.73 | 48-3¾ (’16) |
| 7. Liadagmis Povea (Cuba) |
14.56 | 47-9¼ (’16) |
| 8. Keturah Orji (USA) |
14.53 | 47-8 (’16) |
| 9. Olha Saladukha (Ukraine) |
14.99 | 49-2 (’12) |
| 10. Anna Michalska (Poland) |
14.33 | 47-0 (’16) |
| SHOT |
| 2-time reigning champ Adams was knocked out of the ’15 WC by knee surgery. After a slow start to her return year (“only” a bronze at the World Indoor) she has ramped up her game and again looks like she could be dominant, even though Gong has the farthest throw of the year… World Indoor gold medalist Carter has developed a penchant for big tosses on her final attempt. |
| 1. Valerie Adams (New Zealand) |
21.24 | 69-8¼ (’11) |
| 2. Lijiao Gong (China) |
20.43 | 67-½ (’16) |
| 3. Michelle Carter (USA) |
20.24 | 66-5 (’13) |
| 4. Christina Schwanitz (Germany) |
20.77 | 68-1¾ (’15) |
| 5. Raven Saunders (USA) |
19.33 | 63-5 (’16) |
| 6. Anita Márton (Hungary) |
19.49 | 63-11½ (’16) |
| 7. Gao Yang (China) |
19.20 | 63-0 (’16) |
| 8. Emel Dereli (Turkey) |
20.14 | 66-1 (’14) |
| 9. Yuliya Leantsiuk (Belarus) |
19.79 | 64-11¼ (’08) |
| 10. Natalia Ducó (Chile) |
18.80 | 61-8¼ (’12) |
| DISCUS |
| Defending champion Perkovic showed she still is the master of the big meet by winning her fourth Euro title by more than 4m… It’s hard to imagine who could beat the Croatian superstar, but last year Caballero surprised everyone at the WC… Germany has a very powerful trio. |
| 1. Sandra Perkovic (Croatia) |
71.08 | 233-2 (’14) |
| 2. Denia Caballero (Cuba) |
70.65 | 231-9 (’15) |
| 3. Julia Fischer (Germany) |
68.49 | 224-8 (’16) |
| 4. Dani Samuels (Australia) |
67.99 | 223-0 (’14) |
| 5. Nadine Müller (Germany) |
68.89 | 226-0 (’12) |
| 6. Shanice Craft (Germany) |
65.88 | 216-2 (’14) |
| 7. Yaimí Pérez (Cuba) |
68.86 | 225-11 (’16) |
| 8. Xinyue Su (China) |
65.59 | 215-2 (’16) |
| 9. Whitney Ashley (USA) |
64.80 | 212-7 (’15) |
| 10. Mélina Robert-Michon (France) |
66.28 | 217-5 (’13) |
| HAMMER |
| Wlodarczyk may well be the surest thing on the women’s side. The WR holder has the 10 farthest meets of the year and a 28-meet unbeaten streak that stretches back to June of ’14. The 2-time world champ figures to move up a notch from her London silver… The Chinese battle for 2nd should be fun: Wang has a monstrous 47–8 lifetime edge over her compatriot, but Zhang has won 3 of their 4 meetings this year… The veteran Heidler, winner of London bronze, will be in her fourth Games and the quality after her seems to drop off markedly. |
| 1. Anita Wlodarczyk (Poland) |
81.08 | 266-0 (’15) |
| 2. Zheng Wang (China) |
77.68 | 254-10 (’14) |
| 3. Wenxiu Zhang (China) |
76.99 | 252-7 (’12) |
| 4. Betty Heidler (Germany) |
79.42 | 260-6 (’11) |
| 5. Hanna Skydan (Azerbaijan) |
74.21 | 243-5 (’12) |
| 6. Gwen Berry (USA) |
73.81 | 242-2 (’13) |
| 7. Zalina Marghieva (Moldova) |
74.21 | 243-5 (’16) |
| 8. Amber Campbell (USA) |
74.03 | 242-10 (’16) |
| 9. Alexandra Tavernier (France) |
74.39 | 244-0 (’15) |
| 10. Sophie Hitchon (Great Britain) |
73.86 | 242-4 (’15) |
| JAVELIN |
| Why isn’t 7-time No. 1 World Ranker and 2-time defending champion Spotáková in the top spot? Because this spring she broke a bone in her foot playing tennis and her throwing has been severely compromised, her 5 meets on the year averaging 207-8 (63.30). But with another month in which to heal, we still think she’s podium material… Khaladovich began the year lightly regarded, but set an NR in winning the Euro title then produced the second-best throw of her life in winning the Monaco DL… Stahl, the Euro runner-up, picked up bronze in London 4 years ago. |
| 1. Tatsiana Khaladovich (Belarus) |
66.34 | 217-8 (’16) |
| 2. Linda Stahl (Germany) |
67.32 | 220-10 (’14) |
| 3. Barbora Spotáková (Czech Republic) |
72.28 | 237-2 (’08) |
| 4. Sunette Viljoen (South Africa) |
69.35 | 227-6 (’12) |
| 5. Kathryn Mitchell (Australia) |
66.10 | 216-10 (’14) |
| 6. Christina Obergföll (Germany) |
70.20 | 230-4 (’07) |
| 7. Madara Palameika (Latvia) |
66.15 | 217-0 (’14) |
| 8. Lingwei Li (China) |
65.11 | 213-7 (’12) |
| 9. Christin Hussong (Germany) |
66.41 | 217-10 (’16) |
| 10. Huihui Lu (China) |
66.13 | 216-11 (’15) |
| HEPTATHLON |
Another battle of the hyphens! JEH, BTE & LIA went 1-2-3 in Beijing and that’s how they stack up again this time… Ennis-Hill is the reigning world and Olympic champion and her seasonal best of 6733 is her best total in 5 years…
 Theisen-Eaton is the yearly world leader, but she had that status heading into Beijing last year and the Briton beat her by a solid 115 points. |
| 1. Jessica Ennis-Hill (Great Britain) |
6955 (’12) |
| 2. Brianne Theisen-Eaton (Canada) |
6808 (’15) |
| 3. Laura Ikauneice-Admidina (Latvia) |
6622 (’16) |
| 4. Nadine Broersen (Holland) |
6532 (’15) |
| 5. Nafissatou Thiam (Belgium) |
6508 (’14) |
| 6. Anouk Vetter (Holland) |
6626 (’16) |
| 7. Caroline Schäffer (Germany) |
6557 (’16) |
| 8. Barbara Nwaba (USA) |
6500 (’15) |
| 9. Akela Jones (Barbados) |
6307 (’16) |
| 10. Nadine Visser (Holland) |
6467 (’15) |