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August 18, 2009

Athletes Compete for 4 Gold Medals on 5th Day of World Athletics Championships
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Lopez Lomong tells VOA Sports that he is really looking forward to race
for gold in 1,500 meter final 
Gold medals will be handed out in the men's discus throw and 1,500
meters on Wednesday, while the women try to reach the podium in the
100-meter hurdles and 800 meters. VOA's Steve Schy is in Berlin to cover
the 2009 World Athletics Championships and has this preview of Day Five.
Lopex Lomong in Berlin Wednesday's action opens with qualifying rounds
in eight different disciplines, including the men's high jump, 110-meter
hurdles, and several decathlon events. The women will compete in the 200
meters, discus throw, 5,000 meters, and 100-meter hurdles. Gold medal
events include the men's discus throw and 1,500 meters. Three Americans,
Bernard Lagat, Leonel Manzano and Lopez Lomong, are in the 1,500 meter
final, Lomong told VOA Sports he is really looking forward to the race
for the gold."Oh my God, it's going to be like a different thing, you
know. [We are] just going to wait until Wednesday to decide that. And I
think everything is going well and I'm so excited to go!
  to the final and get lined up with these great guys," he said. "So,
it's fantastic, it's a great thing for us."The women reach for the
podium in the 100-meter hurdles and 800 meters. Nigerian-born Marilyn
Okoro, who runs the 800 meters for Britain, says it will be an
interesting race."You know I think you look at the final draw and there
will be a few surprises in there," said Okoro. "There's two Brits, so
I'm just going to go out there and run the race, you know. It can be
anyone's race. [I'll] Just be pushing at the way for a medal."With
Wednesday's competition, the Championships have reached the half-way
point. 


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