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WITH THE NFL DRAFT dominating sports news as April draws to a close the question came to me, \u201cWho would be the No. 1 pick in an international track & field draft?\u201d<\/p>\nWITH THE NFL DRAFT dominating sports news as April draws to a close the question came to me, \u201cWho would be the No. 1 pick in an international track & field draft?\u201d<\/p>\n
First, let\u2019s set the parameters for a 10-deep draft. This exercise is meant to pick the leading candidates for a gold medal at the World Championships in Eugene in July. It\u2019s not affected by any other competitions to come. My handicapping is also based solely on a single event, so there\u2019s no extra value assigned for competing in more than one discipline.<\/p>\n
To give you an idea of how tough it is to earn a spot in my Top 10, consider some of the huge names who didn\u2019t make the cut: AOY Elaine Thompson-Herah & Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (the two Jamaican sprint greats cancel each other out), Jakob Ingebrigtsen (C19 impacted him at the World Indoor), Grant Holloway (can he maintain his rhythm?) and Karsten Warholm (Rai Benjamin is that close on his heels).<\/p>\n
And without further adieu, here\u2019s my Top 10, in reverse order:<\/p>\n
She may be 36, but with a third Oly gold last year the WR holder remains a favorite for WC title No. 5. She has a record-tying 13 straight appearances in the World Rankings with a record 8 No. 1s\u2026<\/p>\n
The reigning WC and OG gold medalist, now 29, finished off his \u201921 season with 17 straight wins. Started this year with 4 wins in 5 meets, suffering a narrow loss to Kristjan \u010ceh\u2026<\/p>\n
Although he races sparingly, the reigning WC\/OG champion hasn\u2019t lost a race he has finished since the \u201917 WC in London. During that span he has recorded 5 sub-44s, topped by a 43.48 to win the \u201919 WC in Doha. He\u2019s still only 26\u2026<\/p>\n
Twice the Olympic gold medalist, SMU is still looking for her first WC gold outdoors (she won indoors in March). She was the runner-up in \u201915 & \u201919. Short-sprint PRs of 10.98 and 21.74 make the 28-year-old tough to catch\u2026<\/p>\n
Last year the Oregon native had one of the greatest seasons his event had ever seen, claiming the WR indoors and out while unleashing an outlandish number of long throws. He was undefeated in 14 meets. How can the AOY be as low as No. 6 here? Blame a balky elbow that limited his indoor performances this winter and saw him relegated to silver at the World Indoor. Despite twice being the Olympic champion, the 29-year-old is still searching for his first WC win, indoors or out.<\/p>\n
At 32 the oldest man in my Top 10, the versatile Canadian is just getting better. The reigning Olympic champ\u2019s collection of WC deca medals incudes a silver and a pair of bronzes. Keeping him from a higher rating is the thought of a return to form by WR holder Kevin Mayer\u2026<\/p>\n
How does an Olympic 9th-placer earn No. 4? By having a spectacular \u201921 campaign with the flaky Tokyo runway not offsetting going undefeated in his other 16 meets. Almost up there with Crouser in the consistency department, he produced the year\u2019s 14 farthest throws, topped by No. 3 ever, 315-11 (96.29)\u2026<\/p>\n
If my protocol allowed for double-eventers, Hassan would be No. 1. As it is she twice earns No. 3, as she is that dominant in both the 5000 and 10,000, in each of which she won Tokyo gold. And let\u2019s not forget the 1500, where she\u2019s the reigning world champ. The 29-year-old Dutch star obviously has multiple options for Eugene fun and games\u2026<\/p>\n
Yes, Mondo really is still just 22, even if he has been vaulting with \u2014 and beating \u2014 the big boys for years now. He now has no fewer than 7 meets at 20ft (6.10) or better, including the WR (20-4\/6.20). He\u2019s clearly my top man, but he\u2019s not my overall leader. And that leads us to (drum roll, please) my No. 1\u2026<\/p>\n
What\u2019s not to like about the only woman ever to crack the 51-foot barrier? The 26-year-old WR holder owns not only the farthest bound ever (51-7\u00be\/15.74) but also the top 3 performances ever and 10 of 11. And she still has serious technique issues to work out. She could have a really horrid day in Eugene and still win by 2ft\u2026 \u25fb\ufe0e<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"