Watch list

[trackster]

I thought we might want a forum with an all-purpose watch list. I'll start one, and then if anyone wants to add to it, organize it better, add details or pictures, that's great. My list is a little geared towards the younger crowd, as I tend to be less excited by the guys in their mid-twenties and up who still haven't won a championship. However, I'll throw in a few older names that I know still interest people:

100M and 200m:
Christophe LeMaitre--9.98 and barely 20 yrs old. Need I say more?
Ramil Guliyev--Virtually step for step with LeMaitre when both were 19, but has been injured in 2010.
Martinas Jurgilas--Lithuanian. Ran 10.22 at age 21.
Felix Gotl--German 10.32 and 20.82 at age 19.
Robert Herring--German, same age as LeMaitre, 20.41.
Arnaldo Abrantes--Portuguese--10.19/20.4, 23yrs old.
Julien Watrin--Belgium--turned 18 then immediately ran 10.39.
Jamison Jordan--ran 10.45 in high school. Going to Cal San Luis Obispo.
Joe Fisher--Kansas h.s. 10.44. College?
Neill Braddy--Great h.s. sprinter, going to Arkansas. Likely moving to 400?
Jacob Lady-Schreiber--Texas h.s. Multiple 10.5's, and only a sophomore!
Alberto Gavaldi--young Portuguese sprinter
Stefan Schwab--fast young German
Christian Blum--oft-injured young German, 10.26/20.85.
Jared Connaughton--very roided-looking Canadian, 10.15, 20.34, both in 2008.
Paul Hession--Irish 200 specialist. Fast, but not championship level
Brandon Byram--fast collegiate 200m. FSU.
Tobias Unger--German. Old codger, but close to 10 flat.
Jenna Prandini--Dominant Cal high school girl

400m
Wariner--the LeMaitre of the 400
David Gillick--Irish runner challenging the best in the world
Martyn Rooney--English, has had injuries, highly regarded, but I think not as good as Gillick. Ran the fourth fastest 400 leg in the Olympic 4 x400.
Brady Gehret--Amazing h.s. career, despite always running multiple events (long jump, 200, 400, and 2 relays, at every event). Heading to Penn State, where he can focus, probably on the 400.
Patrick Farmer--Ridiculous natural talent, reeling off great h.s. times in his first year at track. Heading to VA for college.
Ben Offereins--Aussie
Jordan Boase--An up and coming 400 talent, with 20.37 200 speed. Still at U of Washington?
Kevin Borlee--not quite as fast as...
Jonathan Borlee--every bit the equal of Rooney and Gillick. NCAA champs as a freshman in 2009. I believe he has left college. Potentially the next Wariner?
Denis Alekseyev--second fastest 400 leg in the Olympics

800m
Johann Rogestedt--yeah, he's young and has suffered an injury that has kept him from running this year, but I believe this Norwegian has more potential than any other mid-distance guy out there. As a 16yrold, he beat the Kenyans at the world champs. Then, this past winter, still just 16, I think, ran a formidable 3:49 1500m INDOORS. Give him his health back and my prediction: he's the LeMaitre of mid-distance.
Andrew Wheating--most people would regard him as the more likely LeMaitre of mid-distance. The Vermont native didn't run until his senior year in h.s., then made the Olympics two years later. Won both the 800 and 1500 at the NCAA's this year, then smoked a 3:51 mile at the Prefontaine Classic Bowerman Mile. Has graduated and will be running with the Kenyans from now on.
Cas Loxsom--Penn State freshman from CT had great first season.
Robbie Andrews--VA freshman several times outkicked Wheating in phenomenal first year.
Elijah Greer--U of Oregon frosh with great credentials.
Zack Mellon--U. of Wisc frosh with great potential.
Robin Schember--German
Anton Asplund--Swedish
The two very, very fast young Poles with names that can't be spelled (Ksczot or something, for one)
Borzakovski--Russian Olympic champion, possibly also misspelled
Laura Roesler--Supergirl. Her phenomenal achievements at every distance imaginable are too much to type up. The girl that can win at any distance. Heading to Oregon.

1500m
Rogestedt, and Wheating--see above
Ryan Gregson--young Aussie, amazing talent. 3:53 mile at the Pre, and younger than Wheating.
German Fernandez--once a h.s. phenom, now injured a lot, but young enough to bounce back.
Allen Webb--an uber-talent, was destined for Olympic gold before the non-stop injuries hit. Not as young as Fernandez, but one can still hope he returns to form someday.
Evan Jager--skipping college to run professionally
David Busto--young Spaniard, had great indoor season.
Andrew Baddely--solid English vet.
A.J. Acosta--another young U of Oregon runner with great speed.

5000 and 1000
Lukas Verzbicas--yes, still has another year in h.s., but he is the great hope for the future in beating the Kenyans. Obsessed with triathlons, he can be the best if he ever focuses on the track.
Chris Solinsky--A record-setting start to the year (U.S.). Way under 27 for the 10k
Dathan Ritzenheim--injuries a problem, but he's sort of the Webb of distance. Went sub 13 in the 500 last year.
Galen Rupp--a collegiate star, but I'll be surprise if he can hang with the world elite.

 

[albinosprint]

Great list trackster!

 

[white lightning]

Very nice work mate. Excellent job.Joe Fisher still has another year of high school. The kid has some very nice talent along with Schreiber.

I have agood feeling about Julian Watrin. He just seems to fit the bill when it comes to the physical requirements. He reminds me a little of Lemaitre although not as fast at his age. Still one to keep a close eye on.

Ryan Hall should be watched out for as well. He has run a 3.42 in the 1500 so far.Edited by: white lightning

 

[trackster]

I accidentally left Aaron Rouge-Serret off the list. Young Aussie. I believe he's only behind LeMaitre this year.

 

[trackster]

Should add Niall Brooks to the list, too. He's a young Brit mid-distance guy.

At 16, he ran a 1:50
800m; 3:49 1500m</span></font></font>
At 17, he ran a 3:41
1500m. The week before he ran a 1:48 800m.
At 18, he ran </span></font></font>a 1:47.29 800m .</span></font></font>
</span></font></font>Two days after his 19th birthday, ran 3:38.62.

He has to be considered comparable to Gregson.

</span></font></font>

 

[white lightning]

It's funny because I believe that we need more Mottram types in the distances. He has always said that he doesn't fear racing against the african runners. Just like with Lemaitre it's a mind set. You cannot be intimidated even when your outnumbered. Just go out there and run your race. Coe would never back down from anyone. We need alot more young guys to have the attitude. Good find on Brooks. I hadn't heard of him. I am so glad your here. Alot of us know the sprints very well but we need more expertise on the middle to longer distance races. I hope we can learn from you and also get just as excited to watch these guys race.

The US seems to be having a resurgence of men and women from the 800 all the way up to the 10,000 meters. Paula Radcliffe is still the marathon world record holder so that alone shows that whites can run at any distance!

 

[white lightning]

http://www.thebowerman.org/news/eaton-wheating-whiting-up-as-finalists-for-the-bowerman

 

[white lightning]

Can Wheating run a p.b. two times in a row. He is one of the slowest qualifiers and he is stepping up in competition but this kid has some courage. It would be great to see him finish in the top 5 or 6 guys. The key is to gain that experience each and every race.

 

[trackster]

Wheating has been THE big hope in US mid-distance running for a year or so. Everyone feels like he has phenomenal untapped potential. Until the Bowerman mile, it was unclear how much potential he really had. He'd spent four years at Oregon lazily trotting around the track and kicking past incredibly weak non-Kenyan opposition. The 3:51 suggests the potential may be legit after all. He's an impressive specimen, 6'5. You don't see a lot of guys like that in the mile (Ryun, of course). We'll see. I'd be a bit worried about jet lag in this race, as it will be his first overseas and Oregon is a loooong way from London.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

there is only one White male athlete for the USA Junior World's Team in the sprint events, and he just happens to be the youngest member of the team.

the World Junior Track and Field Championships are restricted to competitors no older than twenty, and as such the US team is made up mostly of collegiate athletes. Johnathan Cabral (the link goes to his personal website) just completed his junior year of high school,

and he justmight be America's future in the 110-meter hurdles.

this yearCabral ran a windy 13.54 and a wind-legal 13.58. that time ranks as the second-fastest high school time in the nation this year, the fastest by an under-classman.he didn't lose a high school race all season. (he is the top underclassmen in the nation in the 300-hurdles, as well.)

Cabral won both the 110 and the 300-meter hurdles at the CIF Divisional Championships and the Masters Meet. he also won both events at the Arcadia Invitational. Cabral ran a 13.70 in the USA Junior Championships, finishing just a body length behind University of Arkansas runner Caleb Cross, who won the race in a time of 13.64.

the 6-foot-3 Cabral was a talented football player, as well, but his father put a stop to his playing on the gridiron fearing an injury might ruin his track career.

Johnathan Cabral

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

speaking of the 110-meter hurdles, Great Britain's Jack Meredith has the top junior time in the world this year, 13.32 (UKjunior record), so he'll be the guy to beat at the World Junior's. he's also only 17.

i believe mastermulti has mentioned him before.

the future looks bright in the hurdles.

 

[trackster]

Good catch on Cabral, Jimmy. I haven't seen a list of who's going. Do you know who's representing the US at the 800, 1500, or 5000?

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

trackster,

in the 800, USA has Casimir Loxsom and Robbie Andrews, in the 1500, Peter Callahan, and in the 5,000 Trevor Dunbar.

you can find a complete USA team list here.

i should add that the list has some errors on it, though. for example, Eric Harris is not from Conway, AR; he's from Marietta, GA and runs for UGA. Edited by: Jimmy Chitwood

 

[trackster]

Thanks. It looks like the premier events will be the 800s. I think supergirl (Laura Roesler) will dig deep and do whatever it takes to win in the girls event. In the men's, I love Loxsom and Andrews. This will be their baptism by fire, going against young Africans who don't dawdle and kick. We'll see if they learn something. I really feel like, if Americans are going to compete at mid-distance, they need to adapt tactically. They day of sit and kick is over, and the sooner they learn it, the better.

On a related note, Kaki is planning on a ferocious pace in the Diamond League 800. So another baptism by fire for Wheating, Symmonds, and Lewandowski.

 

[white lightning]

Here is a guy that might just end up being better than Cabral and Merridith in the long run.Vladimir Vukicevic has already run a legal 13.42 in the hurdles. While that is a little slower than Meridtith at the moment, this guy has star written all over him. Cabral and Vukicevic both have the ideal build for a high hurdler. They both are built like Artur Noga who is coming into his own on the senior level. It's only a matter of time before a few of our guys make a run at a flat or sub 13 time. It is not impossible just like Lemaitre proved a sub 10 was not either.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB5wD33aJhwEdited by: white lightning

 

[white lightning]

Here is the epic race between Meridith and Vukicevic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xlLrv-X_pU

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Here is the epic race between Meridith and Vukicevic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xlLrv-X_pU

i think that's the third time i've seen this race linked.

i did it earlier in this thread, and after thinking about it ( i just knew i'd seen it before) i went back and found that mastermulti had already posted it when he first mentioned Meredith.

i wonder what the flat speed of these hurdlers is ...

i seem to recall there being some flat-400 runners who started out running the hurdles (Nicola Sanders did it for the women, too).

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

another guy i didn't see included is Vladimir Krasnov. at just 19 years of age, he's on the verge of a sub-45 400 meters. he set the Russian under-23 record in June, runninga 45.12.

that's the number-five fastest time in all of Europe this year. not bad for a teenager!

 

[white lightning]

Great find Jimmy. That is another new name to keep an eye on. That is flying for anyone, let alone a teenager! The 400 meters is with out a doubt one of our guys best events. I want to see many more sprinters, middle distance to distance guys, and the hurdlers.

There is so much white talent out there already. I believe we are going to see some fantastic times in all of the events over the next decade. The Wariner effect has really shown kids world wide that they can be the best in the 400 meters. Now it is time for the Lemaitre and Gulivey effect to do the same in the shorter sprints.

 

[albinosprint]

another guy i didn't see included is Vladimir Krasnov. at just 19 years of age, he's on the verge of a sub-45 400 meters. he set the Russian under-23 record in June, running a 45.12.
<div> </div>
<div>that's the number-five fastest time in all of Europe this year. not bad for a teenager!</div>

damn, that boy is flying!

 

[white lightning]

He sure is. I like the new avatar. Is that Armin Harry?

 

[albinosprint]

yes it is.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

has anyone heard anything about Wilhelm van der Vyver? the youngster from South Africa took homethe silver medalin the World Juniors in 2008, as an 18-year old ...
i know that white lightning posted that he set a new pb of 10.30 last summer, but it's been silence since then ... i don't see him listed for the World Juniors this year (although he is still eligible), despite his beingsignificantly faster than the 100-meter sprinters that South Africa is sending ...

any news would be appreciated.

 

[white lightning]

You know that is the million dollar question. He seems to be mainly focused on school. It's a shame as he has so much talent. I think the last I heard of him was him running an occasional relay leg. If I hear anything, I will let you guys know.

 

[freedom1]

A New Korean Record in the 100-meter Sprint Set in 31 Years2010-06-08
A new milestone has been set in Korean track and field history. Sprinter Kim Gook-young set a new Korean record for the 100-meter sprint, breaking a long-standing record of 31 years. Although Korea's new 100-meter record is not even close to the world record in the 9-second range, the nation can take great encouragement from the fact that the old record has been broken and intense competition is improving Korean track and field athletes, who have traditionally turned in less-than-stellar performances. With Korea hosting the 2011 International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Daegu, the latest sprinting achievement has boosted Korean interest in this very basic of all sporting activities. Hope runs high for great progress in Korean track and field as well as a successful hosting of the IAAF World Championships next year.

Korea's new 100-meter record holder Kim Gook-young is the youngest member of the national track and field team. At the National Athletics Championships held on Monday in Daegu 19-year-old Kim broke Korean records twice in a row. First, he clocked in at 10.31 seconds in the preliminary round, shaving 0.03 seconds off the previous Korean record set by Seo Mal-kuì„œë§ÂÂ구 in 1979. He soon topped his own record when he crossed the finish line at 10.23 seconds in the men's semifinals. At the end of the day Kim took 0.11 seconds off Seo's record set at the 1979 Summer Universiade in Mexico City and delivered Korea's 100-meter sprint time to the 10.2-second range.
Of course, Kim's new record falls far short of Jamaican Olympic champion Usain Bolt's world record of 9.58 seconds clocked in at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany. There is a huge 0.65-second gap between the Korean and the world records, and even a 0.24-second difference with the Asian record. But there's no reason to be disappointed, because the outlook for Korean athletics is quite promising. What do we base that projection on?
First, Korean athletes face fierce competition and are psyched up for the challenge. Together with record-setting Kim, his teammates Lim Hee-namìž„í¬남 and Yeo Ho-suahìâ€â€Ã‚¬Ã­ËœÂ¸Ã¬Ë†ËœÃ¬-„ also beat Seo's record with 10.32 seconds and 10.33 seconds, respectively. Their commitment to the sport and intense competition are creating a synergy effect, which may result in more new records.
Korean track and field enthusiasts hope that the 2011 IAAF World Championships will propel the sport to the next level. Given the symbolic importance of the 100-meter sprint in the sport of track and field, the local sports circle has long expected a young and promising athlete to set a new record and that expectation has been fulfilled at last. As a matter of fact, Jang Jae-geun, director of the Track Events Development Committee of the Korea Athletics Federation, promised a new 100-meter record in June. It seems that he kept his promise. Local sport officials hope that this significant achievement will motivate athletes in 47 track and field events to reach for higher goals.
The 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu is Korea's first shot at hosting a world-class track and field competition. The nation is gearing up to make this international competition a resounding success by running the games and events without a hitch. However, the meets will be even more memorable and meaningful if Korean athletes produce results.