With less than two weeks to go, here's who's in, not quite in, and needs some help for Budapest...
With less than two weeks to go before the world championships qualifying period concludes on July 30th, here's the list of folks with Washington ties who've locked their places to Budapest and the National Athletics Centre (photo courtesy WAC Budapest Organizing Committee) for next month's World Athletics Championships, along with those who might need to help themselves by moving up in the world rankings:
KATIE MOON:
Moon earned her place in Budapest at last year's world championships as a wild card entry by virtue of winning the women's pole vault in Eugene.
All champions from Oregon22 earned the right to defend their titles in Budapest.
The former Pullman resident won the US national title by clearing 16-0.75 (4.90m) on July 9th, which currently is the best mark in the world, and easily topped the Olympic qualifying standard of 15-6.25 (4.73m).
CJ ALLEN:
Washington State alum CJ Allen (Paul Merca photo) was a solid second place finisher at the US championships on July 9th, running 48.18. His time at nationals also is under the Olympic qualifying standard of 48.70.
NIA AKINS:
The former University of Pennsylvania standout and member of the Seattle based Brooks Beasts, who owned the world championship standard of 1:59.80 before going into the national championships, took care of business by winning the USA championship in 1:59.50.
LINDSAY FLANAGAN:
Washington alum Flanagan was selected by USA Track & Field for her second appearance at the world championships based on her 2:24:43 mark at last year's Gold Coast Marathon in Australia.
IZZI BATT-DOYLE:
Washington alum Batt-Doyle, who was a Tokyo Olympian in the 5000 meters, makes her world championship debut after receiving selection by the Australian federation based on her 2:27:54 mark at the Nagoya Marathon on March 12th.
(note: the qualifying period for the marathon ended May 30th. Both USATF and Athletics Australia selected their teams based on the descending order list. Several runners from both federations declined the position).
SAM TANNER:
Tanner, who already had the world championships standard, was officially selected in March after winning the New Zealand national championship in the 1500 meters.
The former Husky recently set a personal best in the 1500 of 3:31.24 on July 16th in Silesia, Poland at the Diamond League meet to get the Olympic qualifying standard of 3:33.50 out of the way.
GIANNA WOODRUFF:
The Washington alum was a finalist at both the Olympics and last year's world championships in Eugene for Panama, and there's no one close to her from her federation.
Her best time in the 400 hurdles since the qualifying period began is 53.72, set in Zürich on September 8th of last year at the Diamond League finals.
Barring an injury between now and the start of the world championships on August 19th, there's no way you won't see Gianna in Budapest.
ALL BUT IN
The next group of athletes mentioned are those who we feel confident will be selected to compete at the world championships, but we will hold off saying that they're going to Budapest until their federations formally announce it, most likely after the final Road to Budapest rankings are released on August 2nd.
BRIAN FAY:
The recent UW grad all but locked up a spot not only for Budapest, but for next year's Tokyo Olympics after he set an Irish national record in the 5000 of 13:01.40 on July 15th in Heusden, Belgium.
In one fell swoop, Fay, whose previous personal best was 13:16.52, took care of the world championship standard of 13:07.00 and the Olympic standard of 13:05.00.
Ireland's national championship is scheduled for July 29-30th. We expect him to get named shortly after their nationals.
JOSH KERR:
Kerr, a member of the Brooks Beasts and Olympic bronze medalist for Great Britain, is one of three Brits with the world championship standard of 3:34.20 in the 1500 meters.
With the announcement a few weeks ago that defending world champion Jake Wightman won't go to Budapest due to injury, Kerr becomes the top hope for the Brits in the event.
At the recent British championships, he did not run the 1500, opting to run the 800. We believe that Kerr will formally be named to the team after the qualifying period ends.
AMY-ELOISE MARKOVC:
The Washington alum got under the world championship standard of 14:57.00 in the 5000 meters at last year's Commonwealth Games, where she ran 14:56.60.
Markovc was second at the British championships to Jessica Judd, running 15:58.87. The only two Brits with the standard are Eilish McColgan at 14:42.14, and Laura Muir at 14:48.14.
We feel confident that Markovc will earn selection to her second world championship team.
KENNETH ROOKS:
What can you say about the Walla Walla native, who took a fall over a barrier early in the race, and won the USA national title in the steeplechase in a personal best 8:16.78, drawing publicity from media outlets far beyond the traditional running/track & field media for the way the Brigham Young University student overcame the fall?
Rooks is just short of the world championship standard of 8:15.00, but he's currently in the world rankings quota at number 18, and 36 athletes are needed to complete the field in the steeple.
Short of a large number of runners jumping past him in the rankings and/or hitting the qualifying standard between now and July 30th, we're confident Rooks sees the start line in Budapest.
ISAIAH HARRIS:
As of now, the other athlete with Washington ties that is in the world rankings quota we feel confident saying "all but in" is Isaiah Harris of the Brooks Beasts, who finished second at the USA championships in the 800 in 1:46.68.
In the world championships qualifying period that began July 31, 2022, Harris has a best time of 1:45.11 set at the USATF New York Grand Prix last month.
He's currently 26th in the Road to Budapest standings, with the top 56 runners (maximum 3 per country, except Kenya, who gets 4 with defending world champ Emmanuel Korir the recipient of a wild card) gaining entry. Barring any major shuffling in the standings, or 30 new athletes getting the qualifying standard of 1:44.70, Harris should get a spot on the line at worlds next month.
KYLE LANGFORD:
Langford, who joined the Brooks Beasts late last year, is one of two Brits currently with the world championship standard of 1:44.70 in the 800 meters, not counting the injured Geoff Wightman. Langford got the standard in Rovereto, Italy on August 30th of last year, running 1:44.49.
He's raced sparingly this season due to injury, with his best outdoor time a 1:47.63 mark in the prelims of the British championships, where he didn't make the finals.
Given how fickle the British federation is with their selection process, it's not a slam dunk to say Langford will be on the line in Budapest, though in theory, he should be. He was originally on the start list for Sunday's Diamond League meet in London for a national section men's 800 comprised solely of British athletes, which appears to be a race set up to get the 1:44.70 standard (rabbit du jour Erik Sowinski from Iowa is entered as the pacer), but is no longer in the field. It's possible his earlier injury is more serious than what people think.
In addition to the group of six who we feel are "all but in", there is another tier of athletes who either need to get the standard outright, and/or move up significantly in the Road to Budapest rankings. That group includes the UW's Joe Waskom and Sophie O'Sullivan, Husky alum Kieran Lumb, incoming Husky pole vaulter Hana Moll, and Marta Pen Freitas of the Brooks Beasts.
There's also three who could sneak into the conversation, including Carley Thomas of the UW, UW grad Ed Trippas, and UW volunteer coach Sam Prakel, who was fourth at the US nationals.
To filter the rankings, select the event to see who has qualified by time standard, and who is in the quota for a possible invitation by World Athletics.
Below the filters are the complete explanation on who goes to the world championships, including the entry standards, the entry number, the maximum quota per federation, and number of athletes needed to fill the field to run the proper heats or flights.
NOTE: World Athletics contributed to this report.
paulmerca.blogspot.com may receive a commission for any purchases made from links clicked. Please support this site and our sponsors by clicking on the links. You can also support the site by clicking the yellow "Buy Me A Coffee" link below.
Comments