For Oregon and Idaho residents this is a big day.  The men's 800 heats will have the three Eugene residents try to advance to the semi-finals.  Bishop Kelly High (Boise) product Nick Symmonds won his first outdoor national title over Khadevis Robinson and has the experience from his 6th place finish indoors at the World championship and last year's outdoor championship.  Duck sophomore Andrew Wheating and OTC elite's Christian Smith have limited experience.  In a good situation but of them will likely advance and Symmonds is very likely to advance. 

'07 World champion Betty Heidler of Germany set the Hayward Field Record in the hammer earlier this spring and is one of the favorites at the Olympics.  Ypsi Moreno of Cuba has been the silver medallist in the last three international championships and may be the favorite here and young (24) Oksana Menkova of Belarus is the list leader and third on the all-time list but has yet to prove herself on the international stage.

The men's 200 has "Lightning" Bolt looking to get another Gold medal.  In the semi-final he "jogged" in and ran the fastest semi-final in 20.09 just ahead of Shawn Crawford, who ran right with him, in 20.12 and a slow starting but fast finishing Wallace Spearmon Jr in 20.14.  Bolt will likely run 19.5 or 19.6 easily.  His acceleration and ability to hold the top speed in the 100 will likely to carry over to his better event, the 200 meters.    Walter Dix looked like he was struggling in his better event, the 200 meters, as he trailed behind the National record of Netherland Antilles and ex-UTEP runner Churandy Martina who ran 20.11.  Martina was fourth in the 100 and will likely challenge the Americans for medals behind Bolt. 

The 400 hurdles for women will have the challenge of former Texas Longhorn Melaine Walker trying to overcome the experience of last year's top ranked but seventh place World championship finisher Tiffany Ross-Williams and Athens fourth place finisher Sheena Tosta.  Anastasiya Rabenchenyik of Ukraine looked good in challenging Melaine Walker for second in the second semi-final and recently won the European Cup.