Squad of 66 men and 63 women to represent USA in Daegu – 2011 IAAF World Championships
Announcing the roster for the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Daegu, USA Track and Field revealed that a contingent comprising of 66 men and 63 women will represent the country at the 13th edition of the global athletics event in South
Korea.
The selectors in USA have made sure that only the best should get a chance to contest for the country, so as the traditional dominance of the nation over the event can be sustained. Right from the first edition of the World Championships, American athletes
have been concluding the event with prominent performances on the medal table.
Just like in the past, this year too, USA is being represented by a staggering number of eight current world champions. While in total, the squad boasts the presence of 19 world championships medal winners and 16 Olympic medal winners. The strength of the
group of athletes visiting Daegu can be judged from the fact that at the 2009 World Outdoor Championships, held in Berlin, USA had topped the medal tally by claiming 22 medals in total, out of which ten were of gold.
The remarkable finish in Germany had placed American players well ahead of the runner-up finishers, Jamaica, who could only secure a total of 13 medals.
Among an impressive lot of athletes, the most prominent of US players is young Allyson Felix, the 25-year-old track and field sprinter. The young girl, in this year’s world championships event, will contest in 200m and 400m competitions. The Los Angeles
born girl, who is also a three-time world champion over the distance of 200m, contested first for 400m in this year’s USA Outdoor Championships
Her success in the run only culminated in her becoming the first ever female American athlete to bag the national titles in 100m, 200m and 400m competitions. Another big gun America will relay upon in the field is the invincible Sanya Richards-Ross, the
26-year-old 400m specialist, who is all set to defend her title in the one-lap race.
The Kingston (Jamaica) born runner, who has been equally formidable in the 4x400m relay races, and who boasts of a total of five world and Olympic gold medals, is going to Daegu after marking her season best finish of 49.66 seconds in London.
Among veteran athletes, shot putter world champion, Christian Cantwell is also entering the mega event with the resolve to defend his world title. Christian, the 30-year-old athlete, who had been through a shoulder injury last year, has gained his form back
and amid his performance this season, stands at the fourth place among the best throwers of his discipline.
Entering on to the field with a squad as formidable as the present one, USA stands strong chances of dominating the field in Daegu.
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