Bernard Lagat, Ebba Jungmark, and Kara Patterson open competition in Daegu Thursday...
Wednesday, the only competition was on the roads of Daegu, as Russia's Olga Kaniskina won her third straight women's 20 kilometer race walk title in 1:29:42.
Washington State hall of famer Lagat runs in the heats of the men's 5000 Thursday morning, an event in which he's made the podium in two straight championships, winning in Osaka in 2007, and finishing second two years ago in Berlin.
Another former Cougar, Ebba Jungmark of Sweden, who won an NCAA indoor title at Washington State in 2008, competes in the qualifying round of the women's high jump.
Four time US national champion Kara Patterson from Vancouver will throw in the qualifying rounds of the women's javelin Thursday morning, as she looks to regain the magic of her 2010 season, where she made a big breakthrough on the world scene.
In advance of Thursday's qualifying round, paulmerca.blogspot.com talked to Kara about her 2011 season leading up to these world championships.
2010 Rainier Beach HS graduate Michael Berry is part of Team USA's pool in the men's 4 x 400 relay. The semifinals of that race closes the Thursday morning session; however, the decision on whether he will run in the preliminary round will be made shortly before race time by the USA coaching staff.
Thursday night, former University of Washington standout Ingvill Måkestad from Norway will run in the finals of the women's 1500 after finishing fourth in her semifinal race Tuesday night.
As a result of making the finals in the 1500, Måkestad, who was entered in the 800 by the Norwegian federation, will not run in the opening rounds of that event Thursday morning.
NOTE: Special thanks to Asics and Annie Adams for their assistance in the Kara Patterson interview.
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