The top throwers from around the globe will converge in Eugene, OR this Friday for the World Athletics Championships.
The hallowed ground of Hayward Field should set up for some great competitions and all-time performances.
Women’s Discus
The women’s discus looks to be a battle of two discus queens fighting for the crown. Last year’s Olympic champion Valarie Allman currently sits on the throne with her American record and world leading mark of 71.46m, but 2X Olympic champion Croatian Sandra Perkovic did beat Allman earlier this season and has won the world championships twice before. Other throwers to watch are Germany’s Kristen Pudenz, Shanice Craft, China’s Bin Feng and American Rachel Dincoff who have all thrown over 65m this year. Valarie has thrown over 68m in five meets this year and I’m picking the Tokyo Olympic Champion to stay queen of the discus.
Winner: Valarie Allman
Men’s Discus
The reigning Olympic Champ, Sweden’s Daniel Stahl, comes in as the old man at 29-years-old. Stahl has the world lead of 71.47m but is an underdog to Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh. The 23-year old Ceh has exploded on the scene this year beating Stahl five of six times this year and boasting a best over 71m himself. Taking the youth movement further, Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna is 19-years-old and owns the world number three mark of 69.81m. Andrius Gudžius and Lukas Weißhaidinger also have throws of over 69m this year that add to this incredible field of plate tossers. In the first year since 2008 with two men over 71m, one being Mykolas’s dad Virgilijus, I’m going with the 6’9” Ceh to dethrone Stahl as the discus king.
Winner: Kristjan Ceh
Women’s Hammer
The women’s hammer will be missing the two furthest throwers of all-time. 3X Olympic gold medalist and 4x world champ Anita Włodarczyk of Poland injured her leg while subduing a carjacker, and defending world champ American DeAnna Price is still recovering from a recent bout of Covid.
This means there will be a new champion in quite some time. The world leader is American Brooke Andersen with 79 meters followed closely behind by USA teammate Janee’ Kassanavoid who has thrown 78 meters. NCAA Record Holder Camryn Rogers of Canada is returning to the site of her record throw to compete for the title. Sara Fantini of Italy and Anita’s Polish teammate Malwina Kopron have both thrown over 75 meters and should contend for a medal.
I’m picking Brooke Andersen to cap her excellent season with a world title and potential 1-2 finish for the USA with Janee.
Winner: Brooke Andersen
Men’s Hammer
Although Poland’s gold medal hope in the women’s hammer is out, they have the top two entries in the men’s hammer in Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki and 4x world champ Paweł Fajdek. Nowicki’s world leading toss of 81.58m leads the field but Fajdek is within striking distance to add a fifth world title.
France’s Quentin Bigot, USA’s Daniel Haugh and Norway’s Eivind Henriksen are other athletes over 80m looking to shake up the podium.
Henriksen placed second at last year’s Olympics and Haugh is joined by US teammate and American record holder Rudy Winkler looking to win the first US men’s hammer medal at a world championships.
I see this being a Polish civil war for the top spot and picking Nowicki to break Fajdek’s streak of world titles and win.
Winner: Wojciech Nowicki
Women’s Javelin
The women’s javelin is wide open as the defending Olympic champion Liu Shiying of China has not registered a mark this year and defending World champion Kelsey-Lee Barber is ranked 25th.
So who steps up? The US have two athletes in world leader Maggie Malone and world number #5 Kara Winger who both look to become the first American to medal at this event.
Then you have Germany’s Christin Hussong who finished 4th at the last world championships and has thrown almost 65m this year.
Like the men’s discus with Alekna, there is a 19-year-old phenom in this event from Greece. Elina Tzengo threw 65.40 this year and will look to crash the party on the world stage.
Other throwers over 63 meters include Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi, India’s Annu Rani, Canada’s Liz Gleadle and Australia’s Mackenzie Little.
Winner: Christin Hussong
UPDATE: With Christin Hussong’s announcement that she will not be competing at this year’s World Championship, my pick to take the title is Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi.
Men’s Javelin
The men’s javelin is a standout event with six men over 89m led by defending world champ Anderson Peters of Grenada. His PR of 93.07m that he threw earlier this year ranks fifth all-time. The reigning Olympic champion from India, Neeraj Chopra, is rounding into form after setting a PB of almost 90m just a few weeks ago.
The second best mark of the year belongs to Olympic silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic who is the only other athlete over 90m this year. Other athletes grouped near the 90m mark are Finland’s Oliver Helander, Germany’s Julian Weber and 2012 Olympic champ Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago.
American Curtis Thompson recently set a PR of over 87m and is looking to crack the next level.
In this event, I am riding the hot hand and going with Chopra to continue his season of PR’s and win his first world title.
Winner: Neeraj Chopra
Women’s Shot Put
The women’s shot put has four women over 20m this year not including the Olympic champion from China, Gong Lijao, who is the twice defending world champion.
American Chase Ealey leads the world with 20.51m but has two other throwers within 20cm, those being Song Jiayuan of China and Sarah Mitton of Canada.
World indoor champion, Auriol Dongmo of Portugal, went over 20m indoors but has only thrown 19.68m outdoors.
Other Americans Maggie Ewen, Adelaide Aquilla and Jessica Woodard are all ranked in the top ten as well.
In this loaded field, I’m picking Chase to defend the home soil and bring home the gold.
Winner: Chase Ealey
Men’s Shot
The 2019 World Championships was perhaps the greatest shot put competition in history with three men over 75’. American Joe Kovacs won that day, but since then US teammate Ryan Crouser has taken the event to a new level setting the world record and throwing over 23m in six meets. Four of these meets in Eugene,OR including his WR throw.
Tom Walsh of New Zealand, the 2017 world champ and one of the men to throw 75’ in 2019, is still around but may need a PR to hang with the Americans.
Brazilian Darlan Romani is another man to watch who has thrown over 22.50m before.
This is looking like a battle of the giants, Kong vs Godzilla showdown between Kovacs and Crouser who both threw over 75’ at USA’s last month.
I think Joe will throw something huge but ultimately have to pick Crouser given his consistency of meets over 23m.
Winner: Ryan Crouser
