Seattle Times list of 10 athletes to watch

Seattle Times list of 10 athletes to watch




It is nice to see a list of non-US athletes for a change. Here is Ron Judd’s list of The Seattle Times.


1. Liu Xiang, hurdler, China

See here for more articles on Liu Xiang

2. Yelena Isinbaeva, pole vaulter, Russia

Current world record holder of the women’s pole vault and first woman to jump more than 5 meters. Her final is on August 18th.

See here for more articles on Yelena

3. Haile Gebrselassie, distance runner, Ethiopia

Holds the men’s world record for the marathon, but won be competing in the marathon at the Beijing Olympics because of concerns over the pollution, he will run the 10,000 meters however.

4. Marta Vieira da Silva, soccer player, Brazil

Considered to be one of the best female footballers in the world.

5. Roman Sebrle, decathlete, Czech Republic

Sebrle won silver in Sydney and gold in Athens. He recovered from a javelin accident to win the world championships.

6. Usain Bolt, sprinter, Jamaica

Sore more on Usain Bolt here.

7. Libby Trickett, sprint swimmer, Australia

Trickett is world-record holder of the 50 and 100 meters is sure to be favorite for those events in Beijing.

8. Hiroshi Hoketsu, equestrian, Japan

Beijing Olympics’s oldest athlete. See here for more on Hiroshi Hoketsu.

9. Guo Jingjing, springboard diver, China

Athen’s gold medalist in springboard and synchronized springboard is a local favorite.

10. Veronica Campbell-Brown, sprinter, Jamaica

While the men’s sprints tend to grab most of the headlines, Campbell-Brown is favorite for the 100 and 200 meters in Beijing. She faces American favorite Allyson Felix.