If the men’s 100m final seemed a bid one-sided than what can be said about the 400m women’s final? Amantle Montsho (PB and SB: 49.33s) has been extremely dominant in the 2013 Diamond League meets and she only misses the 2013 World Championships gold to have the perfect track season.
Who are the favorites?
Montsho is miles ahead of the competition in the Diamond League after wins in Doha, Eugene, Rome and Monaco. She also has posted the best result of the season (49.33s), which is an all-time personal best for the Botswanian sprinter. This is no small feat for a 30-year old athlete.
The only serious competition that Montsho will face in the 400m World Championship final will come from the 2008 Olympic Champion Christine Ohuruogu (PB: 49.61s and SB: 49.75s) from Great Britain. Ohuruogu goes into the final as the second best athlete in the semi-finals – her 49.75s was not good enough to match Montsho’s 49.56s. As the most successful individual sprinter besides Montsho, however, Ohuruogu should never be written out.
Who is missing?
The big miss here is Sanya Richards-Ross (PB: 48.70 and SB: 51.43). The 2012 Olympic Champion took time off after London to heal some of her ongoing injuries and mentally relax. Richards-Ross time off during which she was also involved with her own reality show, however, resulted in her not making the cut during the 400m US Trials.
A notable, if not as successful, miss from the World Championships’ final is the Jamaican Patricia Hall (PB and SB: 50.71s). Hall was the master of the World Challenge meet this season but finished last in the first semi-final heat and now can only keep her fingers crossed for fellow Jamaicans Novlene Williams-Mills and Stephanie McPherson.
Prediction:
Montsho takes an easy win in the low 49s. If she is seriously challenged by Ohuruogu, the Botswanian might take a shot at the African Record (49.1s).
Sources: IAAF, Athletics Africa, Daily Mail, Slate, UT Sports