Gay, Asafa won't meet in final

Rick Broadbent, Athletics Correspondent, Osaka

These are testing times for British sport. Tim Henman has finally accepted that he is more suited to the life of fireside tabby cat, Andrew Flintoff is still treading water long after being rescued from his pedalo and the athletics team have been written off even before touching down in the land of the rising sun :rolleyes: .

So it was good to hear Marlon Devonish, the Great Britain team captain at the World Championships, talk of getting involved in “something historical” ahead of one of the most eagerly awaited clashes in recent times.

The men’s 100 metres gets under way in Osaka on Saturday with Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay squaring up for a potentially explosive ten seconds.

It is Jamaica versus the United States, the world record-holder against the fastest man in 2007. The British No 1, meanwhile, insisted that he did not intend to be a bit-part player.

“I probably shouldn’t say this but I don’t think Powell and Gay will both turn up for the final,” Devonish said. “I think Francis Obikwelu might wreck the party, and I’ve beaten him this season. I see myself as an outside medal chance.”

Devonish will probably need to break the ten-second barrier for the first time to realise that ambition, but he is more relaxed than ever.

Flushed with confidence after a summer in which he peaked with a run of 10.06sec, the late-blossoming 31-year-old believes that his spell winter training with Obikwelu has facilitated his progress.

However, UK Athletics did not want him to make the trip and that raises question marks about the British system. “It was my own choice to go there,” Devonish said.

In his ideal world, Devonish would have had UKA’s backing before being entered for the 200 metres in Osaka as well as the shorter sprint.

He would also not be rated out of ten by Dave Collins, the performance director. “I’m not a big fan of targets and the ratings system,” he said. “I don’t want to be marked out of ten after a year’s worth of training and flogging your guts. It’s something that Dave can use as a gauge, but I think it would be best if he kept it to himself.

“Yes, I’m disappointed not to be running the 200 metres because I consider myself a 100 and 200 specialist. Carl Lewis, Linford Christie — those guys did both and it made them stronger.”

The 100 metres may be the defining race of the championships.

Gay’s progress, running 9.84sec at the US trials as well as a wind-assisted 9.76sec, surpassing Powell’s world mark of 9.77sec, has inevitably led to suspicion.(edit) the sport craves a good, clean fight.

“There’s the top two and then Francis and a cluster of guys like myself,” Devonish said.

Having secured one of the four vice-presidency seats on the IAAF congress, Sebastian Coe talked yesterday of the need to sell athletics to the next generation. A sprint hero would be the foolproof way to achieve that, but the chances are slim and a place in Sunday’s final would constitute a significant achievement for any of the Britons.

However, Devonish said: “I want to win and want to be part of something special, something historical. I had the post-trial blues and the amount of races caught up with me, but I feel rested. You have to get through that because with the heat and number of races, you’re going to have to run when you feel flat in Osaka.”

How these championships could do with a breathtaking 100 metres to set the ball rolling.

The likes of Liu Xiang in the 110 metres hurdles and Jeremy Wariner in the 400 metres are capable of setting world records, but Powell and Gay have the first chance to test the optimism flowing around Osaka, while Devonish has the first stab at pricking the bubble of pessimism surrounding the British team.

KK, you are the master of news. Yea Devonish probably shouldn’t say that. Gay and Powell could beat him wearing a weight vest.

Agreed. Powell will beat him by 3 metres minimum.

Yes…with weight vest plus isorobic …

He will if he reads any of this crap. It never ceases to amaze me how athletes get sucked into statements by the press that can only bite them on the ass. Why put pressure on yourself when, really, you shouldn’t have any at all!

While I agree it’s stupid to speculate - I think Devonish might actually do something this year and next. Watch out for an outside medal chance.

let me translate that for you.

“I dont think that the two fastest men in the world right now, both sub 9.8 guys at their best, will even come in the top EIGHT in the world championships, despite there only being two other sub10 guys this season. oh and did i mention that their slowest times this season are faster than my pb?”
marlon devonish

words of wisdom…

btw i dunno about gays slowest times, he may have run slower than 10.06 in heats or bad conditions or something.

Yeah but it’s good for the rest of us to know :slight_smile: what he’s thinking even if it is a bizarre :eek: thing to say on the eve of the meet.

The sport can be as stiff and dry as old parchment, with so many stats and lists and BOFs banging on about correct biomechanics bla bla.

It needs enlivening, personalities to bring a spark to the stats.

Anyway, I say the 100 should be run on the infield during the javelin competition. It would save heaps of time in the program and could be a colorful crowd-pleaser.

By running his mouth instead of his legs, he IS doing the 100m in the Javelin sector.

:smiley: damn straight! :smiley:

maybe that’s the only way he felt he could write himself into the script…run at the mouth. Here’s hoping he can run at the legs too

Well, today’s the day - let’s look at the Heats seriously. Who could make it to the final?

Heat1: Gay of course
Probale surprises: Collins pretty much out of form this season, but always showed his best runs at Maj. Champs, Asahara not very likely, but it’s a home WC

Heat2: Atkins seems sure for me, Fasuba, quite possible - only PJ knows his current form ;-), maybe Pickering

Heat3: Obikwelu, maybe Devonish, I still wait for a surprise from Osovnikar, but not very likely

Heat4: Weak heat, probably nobody, probably Jelks

Heat5: Prob nobody, weak as well, maybe J-Mee is getting in from? Campbell of JA has his best season so far…

Heat6: Asafa got a very easy heat - nobody else there to mention.

Heat7: Samuel Francis? How much is his recent sub10 performace worth?

Heat8: another Heat without any “stars”. prob nobody, surprises from Ross, Martina or MLF possible…

So I only see 5-6 strong guys, not too much danger for the favorites. Thoughts?

Burns is in heat 8 and I think he is a dark horse. He has done well in his last 2 major champs, the worlds and commonwealths. After a relatively poor 2006 (post commonwealth) and little to show for 2007, it will be interesting to see what he can do! I read an article today in the Guardian I think, saying if MLF doesn’t final, it will be viewed as a failure!!! Not sure how they can say that!!

Got up this morning at 5 and watched Round 1 on Eurosport…Devonish indeed looked very strong (definately in PB form), another very strong performance by Martina and a strong run by Asahara in front of his home crowd. But Asafa seemed to do a little 30 meter accel work only, so we can’t tell. Gay looked comfortable too, but somehow it looked like both favourites are not on top of their form.
Devonish looked like 9.95-10.00 would be possible in good conditions, but will that be enough? Anyhow Devonish or Martina look like medal contenders to me. Fasuba QFied as fastest looser out of one of the toughest heats with 4 good sprinters I’d say.

WTF happened to the true believer from Oman Samuel Francis?

Once again we can see how little wind readings tell. Does anyone believe heat 2 had a +1.0 support while heat 3 was run into a -1.5?

Besides: Sorry I can’t help asking myself why in major Championships in Round 1 we have to see so many guys who can hardly break 12 or 11 seconds and who are only good to cause some false starts only to help big names getting DQfied.

There should be a limit - even modest 10.30 or 10.40. So many (NED, FRA, GER) Nations leave their best sprinters at home and then we see some 11.50 guys causing false starts or rolling on the ground holding their shoulder.

QF in one hour…