Now Gay has withdrawn, does Lemaitre have a shot at a podium position in Daegu?

Now Gay has withdrawn, does Lemaitre have a shot at a podium position in Daegu?

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Lemaitre has done nothing but surprise me, so I'm starting to think he'll surprise me again.

On the other hand i feel that Jamaica, have got 4 runners that on their day can beat him, and USA have got 3 going that on their day could beat him.

I guess it all depends upon 'on the day'. How about our Dwain Chambers? 9 places for the final or is it 8?

I don't think wwe've got a chance. Zimbabwe have a USA collegiate that has run sub 9.9s this year. On top of all the rest. It is a tough tough year for 100m. It will take some impressive times to qualify for the final.

The times for the semi-finals could well be quicker than those of the final, due to the intense competition, especially for the outside bets such as Chambers and Lemaitre.

Very little chance. Too many much faster athletes. He could make the final though, as could Chambers if is able to peak for this event.

Lemaitre will get in the final ( if he is able to hold it together psycholgically )...

Podium finish?! Much harder to say...there are a bunch of guys running very fast at the moment ( where did some of these guys come from?! LOL ). However, Lemaitre has it in him to take the European record in the next few years - you can see him getting stronger, and his starts are much better than they used to be...

Regarding Chambers; this is possibly his last year where age doesn't completely count against him. I'm hoping that everything he does prior to the Worlds is simply work in progress, and that he's able to put one last set of memorable performances out there; I'm a patriot and can't help but root for the underdog...Chambers on both counts everytime

Lemaitre is a young guy getting quicker all the time. Plus he now has some experience of how championships work. I doubt there will be much between 2nd and 5th now and I think he will be one of those guys in that bracket so he certainly has a medal chance in both the 100 and 200 IMO. Id maybe fancy him for a bronze in the 200.

I actually think both this year & over the longer term his best event will be the 200. I still think this year may be too soon for him in terms of winning medals but he should make both sprint finals.

Would be tough. Unless disqualified Bolt is virtually guaranteed gold. So that leaves only two medals up for grabs. Despite being a huge choker I fail to see anyway Powell would not get a medal. So for me really there is only 1 medal up for grabs. That would be fought for between Blake, Mullins, Dix, Gatlin and Lemaitre. My money would be on Blake or Mullins (resulting in a clean sweep for Jamaica).

bolt will win
powell will choke (as usual)
lemaitre won't medal in the 100m

Not so sure that Bolt is guaranteed to get gold - he has run 9.91 this season so far.

Steve Mullings, Mike Rodgers, Walter Dix and Asafa Powell are all capable of winning the 100m final at the worlds.

md

agreed (apart from powell obviously), but would you bet against bolt?
i wouldn't, even with your money

If Gay had been fit I wouldnt have been so sure about Bolt, but I think he can run 9.7 something in Daegu and Im not sure anyone else will quite manage to do that in a final.

Powell and Lemaitre are lining up tomorrow. Should be interesting.

md_fan wrote:Not so sure that Bolt is guaranteed to get gold - he has run 9.91 this season so far.

Steve Mullings, Mike Rodgers, Walter Dix and Asafa Powell are all capable of winning the 100m final at the worlds.

If Gay was taking part I would certainly not be so quick to say Bolt is guaranteed gold. In fact I would have put Gay down as the favourite. However, I expect that Bolt will be able to run around 9.78 at the very least in the final. The only other athlete that can do that on the day would be Powell but in a major final he is much more likely to run 9.99 than 9.78. Although he coped well enough with the pressure at the last World Champs and at the Jamaican trials I am still not convinced that he is no longer the ultimate choker.

I would love to see Powell win - definitely a huge talent and still able to win the Jamaican trials despite the challenges of all the youngsters.

Bolt may not be in the same shape he was 2 years ago. Why have we not seen him run more often this season? Not saying he won't rise to the occasion come Daegu - just think it's premature to hang the gold on him.

Problem for Bolt is that, in my view, he really doesn't need to push himself until he has to...and it is only at the Worlds and Olympics that he feels he really has to...( just my own personal view, of course )

What you have to take into account is that Bolt as reigning champ has a bye to the Worlds so only has to peak there. The other Jamaicans & Americans all had to peak for their champs just to qualify.

good point tiger

he's probably still working hard in training whereas his rivals are in effect, having to peak twice especially the usa and jamaican ones

Lemaitre may well take the European record this year - he is getting stronger and faster all the time; if he get's a good start he is more than capable of going out to very low 9.8s...may be even faster in the right conditions, with the right start, and with the right competition ( that start in the Lausanne 100m was woeful! )...

...going against what I though previsously, if Lemaitre does get the start right, he has every chance of a Bronze at Daegu...

First post here since 606 closed down so hi everyone. Good to see some of teh usual suspects are here.

I'll pin my colours to the mast and go for Powel gold, bolt to be disqualified with a false start, lemaitra to come 4th. Chambers to miss out on final.

I actually think Powell is getting close to his best, possible because the pressure has shifted to Bolt. Im just not sure Bolt is firing on all cylinders, I personally think he may be struggling to cope with the pressure to perform everytime he steps on a track. He may be trying to force it a bit too much. Im not sure we will see him challenging his world records again. Just my opinion (and i'm a Bolt fan).
Would love to see powell win, seems a genuine nice chap and deserves a break. If Bolt is off his best and with Gay out I think we may see him take it, he's good enough to beat the best of the rest. Wouldnt it be strange if, after the emergance of Bolt and Gay and the fact that most of us reckon he through away his best chances at a global gold when he appeared to be head and shoulders above the rest of the world, he finally won gold.

Would be great if Powell could get it - but he would need to run possibly 9.6s to be in with a shout. That would have to include a great tsart and possibly his best ever latter 40m - and even then, he would likely need Bolt to have had a bad start in the final...

Powell has a great first 60m - but in the last 40m, he struggles to maintain his speed and momentum, and in the past, he has crumbled when put under pressure by Bolt or Gay ( in the races that matter certainly )...even in the Lausanne win, towards the end, wasn't diffiuclt to notice how quick Lemaitre was coming back into the race and gaining ground on Powell...

Powell really needs to master the last 40m. If he is able to keep it together, combined with a great start, then he has a chance...otherwise, a tough, tough task...

"I'll pin my colours to the mast and go for Powel gold, bolt to be disqualified with a false start, lemaitra to come 4th. Chambers to miss out on final."

Well, almost got it right. Not the greatest 100m race I've ever seen but so happy to see Collins pick up a medal at 35....gives me hope lol!! Great run by the chap and just about held on for silver.