The United States are on for a fourth consecutive global victory in the women’s 4x400m Relay as they seek to inflict another defeat on Jamaica, silver medallists behind them at the last World Championships in Berlin.
The American runners will have taken much encouragement from this year’s result at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, where a US ‘A’ team containing Debbie Dunn, Allyson Felix, Natasha Hastings and Sanya Richards-Ross narrowly defeated what was effectively the US ‘B’ team of Deedee Trotter, Francena McCorory, Keshia Baker and Monica Hargrove to win in 3min 22.92, the fastest time recorded this year.
Back in third place, a Jamaican team of Shericka Williams, Novlene Williams-Mills, Christine Day and Kaliese Spencer – close to being Jamaica ‘A’ – clocked 3:23.82.
The differences in Daegu would appear only to strengthen the US prospects.
Firstly they will have McCorory in their squad along with 2009 members Natasha Hastings and 400m hurdles specialist Lashinda Demus.
Secondly they will have a version of Richards-Ross which is like the all-conquering figure who arrived at the Berlin World Championships with five sub-50 second runs to her credit and left having finally secured her first global title – rather than the runner who, at that early stage of the season, was still in tentative rehabilitation following the leg injury which effectively ruled her out of competition in 2010.
Richards-Ross announced her return to top form at the Samsung Diamond League meeting in London, where she won the 400m in style in a time of 49.66, the second fastest recorded this year behind the 49.35 run by Russia’s Anastasiya Kapachinskaya on 22 July and almost a full second faster than her previous best for the year.
Speaking after her London victory, Richards-Ross smiled broadly as she commented: “it’s taken longer than I thought to put things together, but now I feel ready to defend my title in Daegu.”
Felix, who is seeking a 200-400m double in Daegu, is also flying at the moment, and has a 49.81 400 to her credit this year.
Three of the four who finished third in Philadelphia on April 30 will be on hand for Jamaica in South Korea – Williams-Mills, Williams and Sinclair. Kaliese Spencer, who has run 50.71 this year, is also in the squad.
Russia will be seeking to move up from their bronze medal position in 2009, when their European indoor champion Antonina Krivoshapka was outsprinted in the final straight by Jamaica’s Williams.
As well as Kapachinskaya and Krivoshapka, who is sixth in this year’s world list on 49.92, Russia can field the European champion, Tatyana Firova.
The latter appeared in a Russian team which competed in Stockholm on 19 June, finishing in 3:27.17, narrowly ahead of a British quartet involving Kelly Massey, former World silver medallist Nicola Sanders, Lee McConnell and 400m hurdler Perri Shakes-Drayton, who also won the 400m flat event at the British championships and trials in a race where Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu finished third.
The latter’s form has been, by her own admission, very disappointing in the run-up to these Championships. But Ohuruogu has proved in the past how swiftly she can improve her form, and if she could get near to her best, Britain could be near to a medal.
Brazil have also indicated their potential for South Korea given the way a quartet comprising Aparecida Coutinho, Barbara de Oliviera, Joelma Sousa and Jailma de Lima performed in Sao Paolo on August 7, recording a time of 3:26.68.
Meanwhile teams from Ukraine and Germany have also established their presence to good effect this season. Ukraine have a best of 3:28.13, with Germany three places below them in the lists on 3:28.89.
Mike Rowbottom for the IAAF