Athletics: Blanket coverage near an end for vaulter

Yelena Isinbayeva holds the pole vault world record. Photo / Getty Images

Andrew Alderson looks at five of the more intriguing events at the world championships over the next week.

Alarms will be set to 5.50am tomorrow for the men's world championship 100m final but what about the rest of the meet in Moscow?

Women's pole vault
Wednesday, 3.35am

The world championships are expected to be the final hurrah of pole vault world record holder and double Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva in front of her home fans. The 31-year-old was almost unbeatable between July 2003 and August 2009. She set 17 world outdoor records, eventually peaking at 5.06m, a record which still stands. Highlighting her skill was a sense of occasion. At the Beijing Olympics, she hid under a blanket between jumps before emerging to the chorus of the crowd on her way to another record mark. It made for splendid theatre. Isinbayeva has since slipped in the pecking order behind American Olympic champion Jenn Suhr (best 4.92m) and Cuban Yarisley Silva (best 4.90m). Silva took silver at the London Games but is the favourite in Moscow with the best form this season.

Men's high jump
Friday, 3am

Standing directly outside the International Olympic Museum in Lausanne, it's hard to ignore the two poles and bar towering in front of you. The bar is raised to 2.45m, the world record high jump cleared by Cuban Javier Sotomayor in 1993. That record could be threatened this week. Ukrainian Bohdan Bondarenko cleared 2.41m in Lausanne last month, the highest leap since 1994 and about 44cm above his head. The 23-year-old then got giddy and set the bar at 2.47m after clearing 2.38m at the London Diamond League meet but failed both attempts. Watch out for Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim, too. The 22-year-old cleared 2.40m in June.

Women's 400m hurdles
Friday, 4.45am

Hurdlers probably don't get the kudos they deserve - perhaps the average observer just sees the obstacles as irritants which obstruct pure speed. There's skill to be observed getting a rhythm and maintaining it while exhaustion engulfs the muscles over 400m. The 110m race can tend to provide more dramatic entertainment because clatter one and it can be 'dominoes'. A solid duel could be in store in the 400m event with Czech Zuzana Hejnov, a five-time winner this season, against Brit Perri Shakes-Drayton and a strong American contingent.

Men's javelin
Sunday, August 18, 2.35am

If there's an event derived directly from evolution, it's spear-chucking. Man needed to eat, so he sharpened a stick and threw it at beasts. Then it made the Olympics where a technique combining balance, speed, rhythm and power is a treat to watch. You also get a few Neanderthal grunts thrown for added value. One thrower to watch is Finn Tero Pitamaki, who injured long jumper Salim Sdiri in 2007. Sdiri survived a hole being torn in his liver and a puncturing of his right kidney when Pitkamaki let a stray throw go at a meet in Rome. Pitkamaki, Russian Dmitri Tarabin and Czech Vitezslav Vesely should lead the field in Moscow. New Zealander Stuart Farquhar might feature in the final.

Men's 1500m final
Monday, August 19, 1.25am

New Zealand has more Olympic 1500m medallists than in any other track event but none in 30 years of world championship meets. Jack Lovelock, Peter Snell, John Davies, Rod Dixon, John Walker and now Nick Willis are part of New Zealand sporting folklore. Willis has a chance to add New Zealand's first world championship medal but has battled a nagging calf injury this season. An important occasion also took precedence. Willis and wife Sierra welcomed son Lachlan to the world on American Independence Day (July 4). Complicating track matters is Kenya's Asbel Kiprop, the man Willis finished behind at the Beijing Olympics. He has run a 3m 27.72s to tune up for Moscow, making him fourth fastest in history for the event. With Silas Kiplagat, Nixon Chepseba and Bethwell Birgen in the field, Kenya could crowd the podium. Still, the sight of a seemingly languid Kenyan strike force moving out to seize control of a race on the last lap tends to make compelling viewing.