FINALS

Men’s pole vault
6:30 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Derek Miles (Jonesboro, Ark.), Tim Mack (Knoxville, Tenn.)
THE SCOOP: Mack was ninth at the 2001 World Champoinships, shortly before winning the Goodwill Games gold medal. Miles and Mack each has won a U.S. indoor title, and each has shown consistency as well as the ability to turn in big heights. Whether the U.S. will win a medal is a crapshoot in one of the most unpredictable races in track and field, but a medal would not be a surprise.

Women’s hammer throw
8:45 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Melissa Price (Lincoln, Neb.), Anna Mahon (Orange, Conn.)
THE SCOOP: Mahon and Price qualified seventh and 10th, respectively, in Tuesday’s qualifying round. They will need to improve to get a medal, and they will work together to try to make that happen.

Women’s 200m final
9:45
U.S. entrants: Kelli White (Union City, Calif.), Torri Edwards (Los Angeles, Calif.)
THE SCOOP: White and Edwards have been thriving off of their 1-2 finish in the women’s 100 meters at the same time that they have been fighting off the tiring effects of four rounds of the shorter sprint. They must hold on for one more race as they both battle for gold.

Women’s 400m hurdles final
10 p.m.
U.S. entrant: Sandra Glover (Sugar Land, Texas)
THE SCOOP: A four-time U.S. champion, Glover is an experienced World Championships and international competitor. She has placed fifth at the last two World championships and will try to win her first medal in Paris. Glover ran a season-best time of 53.59 on Monday’s semifinal and should be ready to run fast. 

QUALIFYING ROUNDS

Women’s javelin throw
5 p.m.
U.S. entrant: Kim Kreiner (Baton Rouge, La.)
THE SCOOP: The American record holder, Kreiner is a three-time U.S. runner-up who is making her first appearance at the World Outdoor Championships.

Men’s 5,000 meters
6:45 p.m.
U.S. entrant: Jorge Torres (Boulder, Colo.)
THE SCOOP: An NCAA champion, Torres celebrated his 23rd birthday on August 23. Earning a spot in the final would be a great gift for Torres, who owns a personal best of 13:24.56 and was third at the USA Outdoor Championships.

Men’s 110m hurdles
7:35 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Allen Johnson (Irmo, S.C.), Terrence Trammell (Columbia, S.C.), Larry Wade (Canoga Park, Calif.), Chris Phillips (Maumelle, Ark.)
THE SCOOP: Traditionally one of the strongest events in the Team USA arsenal, the men’s 110m hurdles promises more success in 2003. Johnson, a three-time world champion, is going for a record fourth world title in Paris. His longtime nemesis, Anier Garcia of Cuba, is not competing, solidifying Johnson’s status as favorite. Trammell is the 2000 Olympic silver medalist and was a close second to Johnson at the USA Outdoor Championships. Wade is the 1998 NCAA indoor and outdoor championships. Like Phillips, Wade is making his first appearance at the World Championships. 

Women’s long jump
7:45 p.m.
U.S. entrant: Grace Upshaw (Redwood City, Calif.)
THE SCOOP: The 2003 USA champion, Upshaw is having the best season of her career this year. She has jumped a personal-best of 6.74m/22-1.50m in Cork, Ireland, and also defeated Russia’s Tatyana Kotova, the 2001 World Outdoor silver medalist and 2003 World Indoor gold medalist, at the Norwich Union Challenge with a wind-aided jump of 6.99 meters/22 feet, 11.25 inches (wind +4.9 meters per second). 

Men’s 800 meters 1st round
8:35 p.m.
U.S. entrants: David Krummenacker (Tucson, Ariz.), Khadevis Robinson (Santa Monica, Calif.), Sam Burley (Philadelphia, Pa.)
THE SCOOP: Krummenacker is the 2003 World Indoor gold medalist, 1999 USA champion Robinson, and 2003 NCAA champion Burley try to make history as Team USA has never won higher than a bronze medal at World Outdoors. Krummenacker was seventh in the 800m semis at the 2001 Worlds and 7th in the 1,500m semis in 1999. Although he had a hamstring injury in June, Krummenacker appears to be recovered and is a contender. Robinson was fifth in his first-round Worlds heat in 1999 as well as 2001. Burley makes his first Worlds appearance, having placed sixth at the USA Outdoor championships but possessing the IAAF “A” standard.

Men’s 200m semifinals
9:25 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Darvis Patton (Fort Worth, Texas), John Capel (Gainesville, Fla.), J.J. Johnson (Garland, Texas)
THE SCOOP: Patton and Capel looked especially strong in Wednesday’s first two rounds, and Johnson is a very dangerous runner. Look for at least two Americans to move into Friday’s final.