Run-Down Forums

[Conway]

THE match up of this year in the sprint category is not Greene vs Montogmery .. Or Greene vs anybody else ... This year's most anticipated matchup (for many at least) is Marion Jones vs Zhanna Pintusevich-Block !!!

So simply put WHO IS GONNA WIN ???

My choice ... Zhanna ... She's been extremely sharp this year and is experienced at t his level of competition and speed ... She is the world leader at 10.83 ... And has lead the world most of the year ...

Marion on the other hand - while running fast - has not been as sharp as in past years .. She has had more "close " races (others with less that .1) than in previouis years ... Something is missing from her games this time around and I think Zhanna senses it too ...

Race will be won at the start this time around ... Advantage to Zhanna this time around ..

Conway

[Dan]

There's definitely less of an aura about Marion this year -- obvious in the tone of comments by competitors -- but I don't think Zhanna has any clear advantage. I mean, she leads the yearl list by 0.01 and hasn't faced much in the way of competition (a positive and a negative for her chances, depending on how you look at it).

Dan

[Conway]

Actually Zhanna has met many of hte same competitors that Marion has ... And beaten them as handily as Marion has ...

Zhanna's top 5 times:
10.83
10.84
10.91
10.91
10.96

Marion's top 5:
10.85
10.88
10.89
10.89
10.90

So on the clock they are very close ... Zhanna is brimming with confidence this year though ... And she is one of the few sprinters who runs a race that makes things difficult fo Marion - she has the ability to get out in front and the strength to hold her off ...

I see this race as a battle of determination ... And Marion hasn't seemed as determined this year ... Too many close (for her) races ... No killer instinct ... Inability to just bury people ...

Simple prediction - first girl out of the blocks wins ... And I think that will be Zhanna ..

Conway

[Dan]

[Conway]

[Dan]

Wasn't '97 the race when Zhanna was thought to have won at first and didn't find out otherwise until part way into her victory lap?

Dan

[Conway]

Yes ... That was the 97 race ... And she actually closed on Marion in that race ... Zhanna is somewhat like Mo Greene in that she can win races with a strong start OR with a strong finish ... Her problem is she came along at t ime when anoather woman (Marion) could do the same ... But aside from Marion's middle years (98, 99, 00) Marion and Zhanna have been fairly comparable as athletes ... Zhanna also won the 97 200 championship ... She is actually a very good 200 sprinter as well ... But as we know the IAAF has put the 200 on the back of the line so getting oportunities to see how good athletes are at it are getting increasingly fewer and fewer ... :t-: ...

I know its easy to go with the "proven" Marion ... But I think people forget that Zhanna has her own credentials ... And Marion seems to be taking steps backwards while zhanna is stepping up to the plate ...

Conway

[Paul]

This will be a good race and I hope ESPN treats it with the respect it deserves. From Marion's interview at Zurich with Carol, she realizes the importance of this race. She's still in the running for her share of the Gold. I will go out on a limb, here, and say she takes this race. Wouldn't it be something, though, that at the end of the season, the only undefeated people left are Guevara and El G??

Paul