Medal Picks

4 × 100-meter relay
• Jamaica
• U.S.
• Belgium
U.S. and Jamaican women have run the year's 34 fastest 100 times.

4 × 400-meter relay
• U.S.
• Jamaica
• Russia
Only once (1920) has the U.S. run in an Olympic final and not won a medal.

20-km walk
• Olga Kaniskina, Russia
• Tatyana Shemyakina, Russia
• Ryta Turava, Belarus
Kaniskina's world mark at nationals wasn't ratified; no international judges were there.

High jump
• Blanka Vlasic, Croatia
• Ariane Friedrich, Germany
• Elena Slesarenko, Russia
Vlasic was named for the city of Casablanca.

Long jump
• Maurren Higa Maggi, Brazil
• Lyudmila Kolchanova, Russia
• Tatyana Lebedeva, Russia
Maggi is married to Formula One driver Antonio Pizzonia.

Triple jump
• Yargelis Savigne, Cuba
• Hrysopiyí Devetzí, Greece
• Olha Saladuha, Ukraine
Savigne's manager is high jump world-record holder Javier Sotomayor of Cuba.

Pole vault
• Yelena Isinbayeva, Russia
• Jenn Stuczynski, U.S.
• Monika Pyrek, Poland
Isinbayeva has set 12 world outdoor records.

Shot put
• Nadezhda Ostapchuk, Belarus
• Valerie Vili, New Zealand
• Nadine Kleinart, Germany
Ostapchuk avenged her loss to Vili at '07 worlds with a win at the IAAF final.

Discus
• Darya Pishchalnikova, Russia
• Nicoleta Grasu, Romania
• Yarelis Barrios, Cuba
Athens champ Natalya Sadova of Russia just returned from a steroid ban.

Hammer throw
• Aksana Miankova, Belarus
• Yipsi Moreno, Cuba
• Martina Danisová-Hrasnová, Slovakia
Favored in '04, Moreno fouled on four throws and settled for silver.