Hurdles is one of the most exciting and challenging events at the Commonwealth Games, given it has high technical and energy demands.
Room for error is tiny, meaning mental concentration is essential. Athletes only have about three strides between each hurdle, meaning that adjustment in speed and stance are constantly required.
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Why should I watch it?
The biggest attraction of the hurdles is the large Aussie contingent in the mix for medals.
Sally Pearson is the defending champion, and is among the favourites for the gold medal. The 27-year-old is an Olympic gold medalist and still in the prime of her career.
Michelle Jenneke is the other big Australian competitor, and most people will likely recognise her name, or at least her figure.
Jenneke rose to worldwide fame in 2012 after a video of her pre-race warm-up dance went viral on YouTube.
It’s hypnotic, sexy and an extra reason to tune in. The 23-year-old also has ambitions to challenge Pearson for gold and has the likeable, bubbly personality to match Australia’s golden hurdler.
As well as the athletes, the nature of the hurdles will likely produce a few big spills. So if you’re looking for heavy stacks, this is the sport to watch.
What is it?
It’s a sprint, with road blocks. The women will negotiate 10 almost metre-high (0.84 metres) hurdles over a 100-metre stretch.
Once the race kicks off, there is just 13 metres before the first obstacle, with a length of 8.5 metres between each one thereafter. The race finishes with a 10.5-metre clear run to the finish line.
Who’s going to win? The big names
Defending champion Pearson is among the favourites to take out the gold medal, with the British competitors likely to loom as her biggest rivals.
Pearson won gold at the 2012 Olympics, an improvement from her silver finish at Beijing in 2008. But she has been on something of a cold streak of late.
But American Brianna Rollins broke her country’s record (12.26) at the US Championships last year, eclipsing Pearson’s personal best by two tenths of a second.
Pearson and Rollins met for the first time at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow last year, with Rollins taking out first place with a time of 12.44. If anything, these recent defeats are only going to motivate Pearson to run faster in Glasgow, as she will want to get her groove back before resuming the tussle with the Americans later this year.
Britain’s Tiffany Porter will be Pearson’s main competition in Glasgow, having set a personal best of 12.55 for the bronze in Moscow. She actually represented the US as a junior but failed to make the 2008 Beijing Olympics teams and so switched allegiances.
Aussies to look out for
As well as Pearson and the enigmatic Jenneke, there is also 25-year-old Shannon McCann. She is the current national champion, but missed out on the Delhi team in 2010, so will have a point to prove.
Jenneke is just 21 years old and won gold at the Oceania Youth Championships in 2010 and the final of the IAAF World Junior Championships.
Pearson is a veteran, despite still being in her prime, having won gold at the World Youth Championships in 2003 and pushing on from there.
All three women have aspirations for gold, so it will be an interesting battle.
What happened last time? History of event
In 2010 Pearson took the gold medal, with Whyte (Canada) and Andrea Miller (New Zealand) taking out the silver and bronze.
Bulgarian Yordanka Donkova holds the world record at 12.21 seconds, from 1988, while Brigitte Foster-Hylton of Jamaica holds the Commonwealth Games record after recording 12.65 at Melbourne in 2006. Pearson will be targeting this mark.
Fast Facts
-The event used to feature heavy wooden barriers and started during the 1830s in England.
-Until 1935 athletes were disqualified for knocking over three or more hurdles.
-It was included at Olympic level, in its 100-metre format, for the first time in 1972.
-Check out Jenneke’s warm-up video that made her an Internet sensation. She also made a video with Forever Alone.
-Jenneke has 26,300 Twitter followers, ahead of Pearson with just over 14,000
What to drink while watching
Soak in Sally’s brilliance with a nice pineapple juice. Or kiwi-fruit juice. Basically, anything green or gold, because Pearson is one of the finest athletes this country has ever produced.
This article was first published on the Tenplay website here.
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