Aug 19, 2009, 17:51 GMT
Berlin - One, possibly even two world records are under threat on a hot Thursday at the world championships when Usain Bolt runs the 200 metres and an epic high jump duel looms between Blanka Vlasic and Ariane Friedrich.
Bolt clocked an amazing 100m world record 9.58 seconds for the 100m title on Sunday and the Jamaican has indicated that he will have a go at his 200m mark of 19.30 seconds as well.
The main question is now how close he can come to the 19-second barrier. Scientists believe that a human can run 18.6 seconds, but Bolt had to give it all he had last year to take two hundredth off the previous mark from Michael Johnson.
'In the final I will be running hard,' he promised after the second round.
The time is the only open question as Bolt is expected to be in a world of his own after the injury-related withdrawal of American holder Tyson Gay following silver in the 100m.
Bolt has run half a second faster than anyone apart from Gay this year and the victory margin is expected to be massive. American Shawn Crawford, the 2004 Olympic champion, is the best bet for silver.
Bolt is naturally the top attraction but the home fans are also anticipating the duel between Friedrich and the Croatian title holder Vlasic on what is forecast to be the hottest day of the year with temperatures to sore well beyond 30 degrees.
Friedrich has won three of four duels with Vlasic this year, including the ISTAF meet in June in the Olympic Stadium where she soared a national record and 2009 world best 2.06m.
Vlasic has a personal best 2.07m and the two may push each other to such heights that Stefka Kostadinova's world record 2.09m from the 1987 worlds in Rome could be under attack.
'I am in good form and hopefully I will win,' Friedrich said after the qualifying round on Tuesday.
Vlasic will not want to lose again like at the Olympics when she was ambushed by Belgian Tia Hellebaud.
'I am ready. I have done everything I could. I feel great and am ready to perform great,' she said. 'I know I have some great jumps in my legs.'
The other finals of the day are the women's 400m hurdles and the depleted men's 110m hurdles and decathlon.
The men's high hurdles is without the 2005 winner Ladji Doucoure of France and the 2007 champ Liu Xiang of China for injury reasons. If that wasn't enough, Olympic champion and world record holder Dayron Robles is doubtful with a thigh-muscle injury.
That could open the door for Americans Terrence Trammell or David Payne to got gold at last after big event minor medals.
'After two silvers my focus is on the gold medal,' said Trammell.
Olympic champion Bryan Clay of the US and German medal contender Michael Schrader are missing from the decathlon. Americans Trey Hardee and Ashton Eaton took an early lead on Wednesday while Czech Roman Sebrle is not expected to defend his title.
More gold looms for the US in the 400m hurdles where Lashinda Demus is the season leader. But Olympic champion Melanie Walker of Jamaica appears to have found her form just time to seek another gold.
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