IAAF World Championships: The Favorites, The Contenders & The Dark Horses

It’s time for the IAAF World Championships once again, as the world’s best athletes descend on Beijing, China starting this weekend.

As we detailed Tuesday, there are 58 collegiate athletes from 37 schools vying for international glory.

Today we break it down even more and find out who are medal favorites (top three seeds), contenders (four through eight) and dark horses (nine through 12).

Favorites

Men

Omar McLeod, 110-meter high hurdles

After shattering the record books as a sophomore at Arkansas, McLeod turns his attention to the world stage. McLeod, who is the only collegiate runner in history to break 13 seconds in the 110-meter high hurdles (12.97), will attempt to win gold in the same event at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China.

This past calendar year was a coming-out party for McLeod as he won gold at every major meet in which he competed, including the Jamaican Championships in June. McLeod is a Jamaican national.

McLeod will be challenged, however, as 2013 world champion David Oliver sits .01 seconds back and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Aries Merritt will be in the field as well.

Competition in the 110-meter high hurdles begins Tuesday.

Trayvon Bromell, 100-meter dash

There is little Bromell could do that would surprise anybody after the first two years he put together at Baylor. After all, last year Bromell became the first World Junior to dip under the 10-second barrier in the 100-meter dash and this year, set the fastest ever mark by a collegiate runner in the event (9.84).

Bromell enters the IAAF World Championships seeded third in the 100-meter dash behind fellow countryman Justin Gatlin (9.74) and Asafa Powell (9.81). Usain Bolt — the 2013 world champion, six-time Olympic gold medalist and world record holder — lurks .03 seconds behind. Tyson Gay, who is seeded seventh, beat Bromell at the 2015 USATF Outdoor Championships and is a former world champion in the event.

Consider this: Out of the Top 10 seeded athletes, Bromell is the youngest by three years.

Competition in the 100-meter dash begins Friday.

Shawn Barber, pole vault

Since finishing second at the 2014 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Barber hasn’t settled for less than a gold medal against collegians. That spans 16 meets, from the Pole Vault Convention Invitational in January to the 2015 NCAA outdoor meet and everywhere in between. Also, Barber hasn’t finished outside the top 3 internationally in that same span.

If Barber wins gold at his 17th consecutive gathering, that would be quite the accomplishment as he begins competition in the IAAF World Championships on Saturday. Barber is seeded third behind France’s Renaurd Lavillenie (2013 world champion) and Germany’s Raphael Holzdeppe (2012 Olympic gold medalist). Barber’s personal best in the event in 5.93 meters (19 feet, 5.5 inches).

Barber, who will represent Canada and competed at Akron, is one of three male finalists for the Bowerman Trophy.

Marquis Dendy, long jump/triple jump

After winning seven NCAA titles since 2013 and the 2015 USATF title, Florida’s Dendy focuses on winning his biggest crown yet — an IAAF world championship. Dendy will have two chances at gold for himself and the United States as he’ll compete in the long jump and triple jump.

Four of Dendy’s seven titles have come from the long jump, where he’ll be seeded third. Dendy’s season best of 8.39 meters (27-6.25 feet), which also stands as his personal best, puts him behind fellow countryman Jeff Henderson and Russia’s Zarck Visser. 2012 Olympic champion Greg Rutherford is the fifth seed.

In the triple jump, Dendy is seeded fourth at 17.50 meters (57-6 feet). Dendy will have a lot of ground to make up on Cuba’s Pedro Pichardo, who is seeded first at 18.08 meters (59-3.75 feet) and won the silver medal in 2013. Also in the event is fellow Gator alum Christian Taylor, who is the reigning Olympic champion in the event and seeded second.

Dendy is one of three male finalists for the Bowerman Trophy.

Competition in the long jump begins Sunday, while the triple jump starts Tuesday.

Women

Shamier Little, 400-meter hurdles

Back-to-back titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships are nice, but a gold medal on the world stage would be sweeter for Little.

Coming into the IAAF World Championships where she’ll represent the United States, Texas A&M’s Little is seeded first among all entrants in the 400-meter hurdles. Little’s season and personal best of 53.74 topped 2013 world champion Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic and Denmark’s Sara Slott Petersen, among others.

Little became the first female athlete to win consecutive national titles in the event since UCLA’s Sheena Johnson did so in 2003 and 2004. She is also the youngest woman to ever break 54 seconds.

Competition in the 400-meter hurdles begins with Saturday’s prelims.

Kendra Harrison, 100-meter hurdles

Harrison, the 2015 NCAA champion in the 100-meter hurdles, will look to put a bow on her final collegiate season with a medal at the IAAF World Championships.

Each of the top five seeded women in the event are Americans, with Kentucky’s Harrison situated right in the middle. Harrison’s season and personal best of 12.50 seconds trails top-seeded Sharika Nelvis and second-seeded Dawn Harper-Nelson, a two-time Olympic medalist. Of note, Harrison beat Nelvis in the 2015 USATF final and came within .01 seconds of taking down Harper-Nelson.

Harrison owns three of the 10 quickest times in history for a collegiate runner in the event.

She is one of three female finalists for the Bowerman Trophy.

Competition in the 100-meter hurdles begins Wednesday.

Contenders

Men

JaCorian Duffield, high jump

Texas Tech’s Duffield, the 2015 NCAA high-jump champion both indoors and outdoors, is seeded in a tie for seventh at the IAAF World Championships. Four of the six athletes ahead of Duffield own medals at the international level. Duffield, who will represent the United States, has a personal best of 2.34 meters (7-8 feet).

Deon Lendore, 400-meter dash

Texas A&M’s Lendore swept the NCAA titles in the 400-meter dash in 2014 en route to winning the 2014 Bowerman Trophy. Lendore, who will represent Trinidad and Tobago in Beijing, China, has a personal best of 44.36 seconds. Injuries hampered Lendore’s 2015 season and will look to end it on a high note now that he’s finally healthy.

Women

Jenna Prandini, 200-meter dash

After dominating the collegiate scene and winning the 2015 USATF title in this event, Oregon’s Jenna Pradini has a chance to turn some heads on the international stage. Prandini is seeded fifth overall (22.20 seconds) and won the 100-meter dash at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Prandini, an American, is one of three female finalists for the Bowerman Trophy.

Cindy Ofili, 100-meter hurdles

After finishing second at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Michigan’s Ofili is seeded seventh in the event in Beijing, China. Ofili, whose personal best is 12.60 seconds, is the third youngest athlete competing in the event and will be representing Great Britain. Of note, she’ll compete against her sister Tiffany Porter, who won bronze in 2013.

Jasmine Todd, 100-meter dash

Oregon’s Todd bounced back from a subpar performance at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships (10th place) to finish third at the 2015 USATF meet in a career best of 10.92 seconds. Todd is ranked eighth on the seed list and second fastest American behind fellow American Tori Bowie.

Erika Kinsey, high jump

Central Missouri’s Kinsey, the 2015 Division II NCAA high-jump champion, is seeded eighth in the event at the IAAF World Championships. Kinsey is one of two female high jumpers from Sweden participating in Beijing, China. Her personal best is 1.97 meters (6-5.5 feet).

Sandi Morris, pole vault

Arkansas’ Morris won the 2015 indoor title and finished as runner-up outdoors. Morris is seeded seventh at her personal best of 4.76 meters (15-7.25 feet), which is also the highest ever clearance by a collegian and ranks her No. 3 all-time among Americans.

Dark Horses

Men

Latario Collie, triple jump

After a successful career at Iowa Western, Collie took his talents to Texas A&M, where he finished second at the 2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Collie, who will represent the Bahamas, is seeded ninth in the triple jump at the IAAF World Championships on his personal best of 17.18 meters (56-4.25 feet).

Vernon Norwood, 400-meter dash

Norwood, who swept the 2015 NCAA 400-meter dash titles as a senior at LSU, will have his work cut out for himself at the IAAF World Championships. Norwood, an American, is seeded 10th in a loaded field at his personal best of 44.44 seconds.

Marciel Uibo, decathlon

Georgia’s Uibo won back-to-back NCAA titles in the decathlon, but faces an uphill battle at the IAAF World Championships. Uibo, from Estonia, is seeded 10th at his personal best of 8,356 points, but has a long way to go to catch up to the World’s Greatest Athlete Ashton Eaton.

Andre De Grasse, 100-meter dash

Southern California’s De Grasse, who beat the aforementioned Bromell for the 2015 NCAA title in the event, is seeded 12th in Beijing, China. De Grasse, whose personal best is 9.95 seconds, is the quickest Canadian in the field. Of note, De Grasse has a barely wind-aided 9.75 on his resume, which came in the victory over Bromell at NCAAs.

Women

Demi Payne, pole vault

Stephen F. Austin’s Payne, who is a Bowerman finalist, is seeded 10th in Beijing, China with her indoor collegiate record of 4.75 meters (15-7 feet). Payne won gold at the 2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and is ranked fifth all-time among American women in the event.

Jeannelle Scheper, high jump

Scheper, who wrapped up her career at South Carolina in June with a national championship in the high jump, is seeded 11th in Beijing, China. Scheper’s personal best is 1.96 meters (6-5 feet) and will represent Saint Lucia.

Shelbi Vaughan, discus throw

Texas A&M’s Vaughan won back-to-back outdoor titles in the discus throw and will look to add to her medal collection at the IAAF World Championships. Vaughan is seeded 11th and is the second American on the list behind Whitney Ashley. Her best throw is 64.52 meters (211-8 feet).

Akela Jones, heptathlon

Jones, who transferred from Oklahoma Baptist to Kansas State, is seeded 12th in the heptathlon at the IAAF World Championships. Jones, from Barbados, won the event at the 2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with 6,371 points. Even more impressive than the score, it was only her second time competing in the event and this will be her third.

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