7 Medal Events on Day Eight of World Athletics Championships in Berlin

By Steve Schy

Berlin
21 August 2009

It's the next to last day of competition at the World Athletics Championship in Berlin with seven more medal events. The men's marathon is the first event of the day.

The weather is expected to be sunny and pleasant Saturday morning as the men take off on the 42.2 kilometer course that begins and ends at the Brandenburg Gate. With world record holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia and Kenyan Olympic champion Samuel Wanjiru both skipping the event, the race for gold should be wide open.

Men will also compete for medals in the long jump, pole vault, and four-by-100-meter relay.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt, who is expected to go for this third gold medal and possibly third world record of the championships in the four-by-100, says he is not taking anything for granted.

"I always hope for the best, I can't say a world record or not," he said. "But definitely I know my team and they are going to come out and try hard."

With Bolt's success and the Jamaican women sweeping the 100- and 200-meter gold, Jamaica could be the upset winner at the top of the medals table when the Championships end Sunday. Susumu Miwa of Japan's Tokyo Broadcasting System gave VOA his impression.  

"I expect the United States to win, but it depends on the sprinters because of the Jamaicans," said Miwa. "If the Jamaicans repeat the feat of the Beijing [Olympics] last year, then who knows?"

Saturday evening the women will try to win a place on the podium in the hammer throw, 5,000-meters and four-by-100-meters.

Meanwhile, athletes will also get their final chance to qualify for Sunday's finals in the men's and women's four-by-400-meters, the last two events at these 12th World Championships.