2015 IAAF World Championships: Day-by-day events to watch
The 2015 IAAF World Championships kick off this weekend and will provide a venue for the world's best to go head-to-head in a championship setting before the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. From Usain Bolt in the 100-meters to Dennis Kimetto in the marathon, Beijing is expected to host fast times and eyebrow-raising performances.
The championships start on Aug. 22 and run through Aug. 30.
Here is a breakdown of the best races and events to watch in Beijing:
Day 1: Aug. 21 - 22 (All times ET)
Aug. 21 at 7:35 p.m. - Men's marathon: World record holder Dennis Kimetto makes his global championship debut for Kenya and is joined by former World record holder and Olympic bronze medalist Wilson Kipsang. The two faced off at the 2015 London Marathon in April with Kipsang winning the head-to-head battle with a runner-up finish overall.
Aug. 22 at 12:40 a.m.- Men's 100-meter preliminary round: First look at what shape Usain Bolt is in for the men's 100-meter dash.
8 p.m. - Women's shot put final: For the first time since 2005, someone other than Valerie Adams of New Zealand will claim gold at the world championships, as the Olympic champion will not compete due to elbow and knee injuries.
8:50 p.m. - Men's 10,000-meter run: Mo Farah of Great Britain looks to defend his 10,000-meter gold medal from the 2013 World Championships in Moscow. He has not lost a race at this distance since 2011. The Kenyan and Ethiopian runners look to dethrone Farah. Kenya has not won gold in the 10,000-meters since 2001. The United States' best medal hopes rest in the hands of Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp, who was the subject of doping allegations earlier this summer.
Day 2: Aug. 23
7:30 a.m. - Men's shot put: American Joe Kovacs hurled the longest throw in the world since 2003 with his 22.56-meter mark at the Monaco Diamond League in July. Kovacs could become the first American since 2009 to claim gold. He is a favorite to make his first Olympic team in 2016.
7:40 a.m. - Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill returns to the championships stage for the first time since giving birth after the 2012 Olympics. She will be challenged by Canada's Brianne Theisen-Eaton, who has recorded a world leading score of 6808 in 2015.
9:15 a.m. - Men's 100-meter final: Bolt could face off against 2015's fastest man, Justin Gatlin. Bolt defeated Gatlin in Moscow, but previously lost to him at the 2013 Rome Diamond League. The two have not faced off in 2015. Gatlin's fastest time of the year is 9.74, while Bolt has run 9.87.
Day 3: Aug 24
7:05 a.m. - Men's pole vault: Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie of France looks to claim his first gold medal at the world championships after falling to silver in 2013 following his gold medal performance in London.
8:35 a.m. - Women's 10,000-meter final: Americans Emily Infeld, Molly Huddle and Shalane Flanagan, boosted by the news of a potential medal upgrade, have a very good shot of medaling in a field that does not include world record holder Tirunesh Dibaba or any major threats from the Kenyan and Ethiopian contingents.
9:15 a.m. - Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase: American Evan Jager was very close to becoming the first non-African to break eight-minutes in the event at the Paris Diamond League before taking an unfortunate tumble over the final barrier. Entering the season, Jager was thought as a podium contender, but has since moved into the gold medal conversation. With his 3:32 1,500-meter speed, Jager can handle whatever fast or tactical race that the Kenyan runners may throw him.
9:35 a.m. - Women's 100-meter run: Another United States and Jamaica battle is expected as the United States' English Gardner presents the biggest threat to reining Olympic and world champion Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who took three golds in Moscow. Fraser-Pryce is the world leader with her 10.74 on the year with Gardner in second at 10.79.
Day 4: Aug. 25
7:25 a.m. - men's long jump final: World leader Jeffrey Henderson and Marquise Dendy (NCAA, U.S. champion and World No. 3) look to put the United States back on the podium after no medals in 2013. Americans have medaled in 12 of 14 world championships, taking gold on eight occasions.
8:35 a.m. - Women's 1,500-meter final: Can anyone stop world record holder Genzebe Dibaba? On July 17, Dibaba ran 3:50.07 to break what many considered one of track and field's dirtiest and toughest world records. The next fastest time on the year is 3:56.05 by Siffan Hassan of the Netherlands. American Jenny Simpson looks to avenge her loss to American record holder Shannon Rowbury. Simpson took silver in Moscow after stunning the field and winning gold at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu.
8:55 a.m. - Men's 800-meter final: World record holder David Rudisha and Olympic silver medalist Nijel Amos meet on the global championship stage for the first time since London. Amos has won all six of their head-to-head meetings since the Olympics. The United States squad will be without its national champion Nick Symmonds, who took silver in 2013.
Day 5: Aug. 26
9 a.m - Women's 3,000-meter steeplechase: Emma Coburn will attempt to become the first American woman to medal in the event. Coburn holds the fifth fastest time on the year with her 9:15.59 winning run at the USA Track and Field Championships in June. Her 9:11.42 in 2014 was the third fastest time of the year. Kenya will send the No. 2 and No. 3 fastest runners on the year with Hyvin Jepkemoi (9:12.51) and Virginia Nyambura (9:13.85).
9:25 a.m. - Men's 400-meters: Olympic champion Kirani James of Granada looks to rebound from a seventh place finish in the 2013 final. Reining world champion LaShawn Merritt will need to regain his form if he expects to defend his crown. His season's best is 44.36, which put him sixth in the world.
Day 6: Aug. 27
7:10 a.m. - Men's triple jump final: The world record may fall as American Christian Taylor and Pedro Pablo Pichardo of Cuba have been clicking on the heels of the 18.29-meter world record held by Jonathan Edwards of Great Britain since 1995. Pichardo (18.09) and Taylor (18.05) are the only men to jump over the 18-meter mark and have each done it twice on the year.
8:40 a.m. - Women's 400-meter final: Olympic 200-meter champion Allyson Felix opted to run the 400-meter discipline over her regular distance in an attempt to win gold before the 2016 Summer Olympics. All eyes will be on Felix to fulfill her goal and try to convince the IOC to reschedule events to allow her to double next summer. Felix's 50.05 is the fourth fastest on the year, but Americans Sanya Richards-Ross and Francena McCorory, who have run faster, failed to qualify for Beijing.
8:55 a.m. - Men's 200-meter final: Bolt vs. Gatlin Part II. Gatlin holds a season's best of 19.57. The next fastest time on the year is a 19.80 by Rasheed Dwyer of Jamaica. Bolt's season's best of 20.13 comes from his lone 200-meter run on the year at the New York City Diamond League before he was injured.
Day 7: Aug. 28
9:20 a.m. - Men's 110-meter hurdles: The United States fields a strong team with Olympic champion and world record holder Aires Merritt looking for his best championship performance since London. The team also features 2013 world champion David Oliver.
9:35 a.m. - Women's 100-meter hurdles: The United States owns the top five times in the world in the event. Sharika Nelvis heads the U.S. squad with her world leading 12.34 from the U.S. championship. A seasoned veteran and 2014 Diamond League champion Dawn Harper-Nelson can not be discounted in the stadium where she was crowned the Olympic champion in 2008. American record holder Brianna Rollins looks to defend her world title. The U.S. took 1-4-5 in Moscow, but could sweep the medals in Beijing.
Day 8: Aug. 29
7:15 a.m. - Women's 800-meter final: The United States' Brenda Martinez looks to improve upon her bronze medal from Moscow while Alysia Montaño, one year removed from giving birth, hopes to make the podium after several shortcomings. The United States' third runner, Molly Beckwith-Ludlow, is coming off a practice in which she ran 1:57.2.
7:30 a.m. - Men's 5,000-meter final: No man has ever been able to pull off the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter gold medal double in back to back world championships. Farah looks to become the first.
8:10 a.m. - Men's decathlon 1,500-meter run: Olympic champion and world record holder Ashton Eaton could complete the multi-event sweep of gold medals by the Eaton family. Eaton would become just the third American to repeat as world champion and first since Trey Hardee pulled off the feat in 2009 and 2011.
9:10 a.m. - Men's 4x100-meter relay: The United States looks to win its first global championship medal over Jamaica for the first time since 2007. Gatlin and other Americans have hinted that the world record of 36.84 by Jamaica at the 2012 Olympics is in danger.
7:30 p.m. - Women's marathon: Edna Kiplagat of Kenya looks to win her third consecutive world championship marathon.
Day 9: Aug. 30
6:30 a.m. - Men's high jump final: The world record of 2.45-meters by Javier Sotomayor of Cuba has constantly been threatened in the last three years. All three world championship medalists from 2013 in Bogdan Bondarenko (2.37-meters SB), Mutaz Barshim (2.41-meters SB), and Derek Drouin (2.37-meters SB) are expected to challenge each other for medals once again. Olympic silver medalist Erik Kynard (2.37 SB) of the U.S. is also in the mix.
7:45 a.m. - Men's 1,500-meter run: 2013 world champion Asbel Kiprop of Kenya became the third fastest man of all-time at the Monaco Diamond League with his 3:26.59 run. American Matthew Centrowitz looks to continue his progression along the medal stand after claiming bronze in 2011 and silver in 2013. The United States will also be represented by 2012 Olympic silver medalist Leo Manzano.
8:05 & 8:25 a.m. - Women's and men's 4x400-meter relays: Action at the 2015 World Championships come to a close and the attention soon turns to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio.
