World Championships in Doha Next International Stage for Aggies

DOHA, Qatar – Once again Texas A&M track and field will be well-represented in international competition as the 17^th edition of the IAAF World Outdoor Championships is held inside Khalifa International Stadium from Friday, September 27, to Sunday, October 6.
 
Aggie alums competing in individual events include Donavan Brazier, 800m (United States); Latario Collie, triple jump (Bahamas); Lathone Collie, triple jump (Bahamas); Fred Kerley, 400m and 4x400 relay (United States); Annie Kunz, heptathlon (United States); Bralon Taplin, 400m (Grenada); and Lindon Victor, decathlon (Grenada). Former Texas A&M volunteer assistant Ariana Ince (United States) competes in the javelin.
 
Relay pool selections include A&M junior Deborah Acquah, 4x100 (Ghana), along with alums Jessica Beard, 4x400 (United States), and Deon Lendore, 4x400 (Trinidad & Tobago).
 
Form charts by Track & Field News favor three Texas A&M alums for individual medals with Brazier the selection for gold in the 800m, Kerley a silver selection in the 400m and Victor a bronze candidate in the decathlon. The United States is also predicted for gold in the men's and women's 4x400 relays.
 
Brazier captured the Diamond League final in the 800m with a career-best time of 1:42.70, just a .10 of second from Johnny Gray's American record set in 1985. Current world leader Nijel Amos of Botswana, with a career-best of 1:41.73 from 2012, serves as the main challenger for Brazier while Brandon McBride of Canada is the bronze selection.
 
A victory by Brazier would make him the first American to win this event at a World Outdoor Championships. In 2013, Nick Symmonds earned a silver medal in the 800m to produce the highest U.S. finish.
 
In the 400m, T&FN notes: "the battle for gold between Michael Norman and Fred Kerley should be titanic." Both set career-best times this season with Norman clocking 43.45, equal No. 4 on the all-time world list, while Kerley produced a 43.64, which is No. 7 on the all-time world list.
 
Kerley holds a 3-2 edge over Norman in lifetime races between the pair, while Norman has claimed two of the three meetings this season. Norman defeated Kerley in the Prefontaine Diamond League meet as well as the Diamond League 400m final in Brussels. Kerley, though, was the victor in the USATF Championships, which involved three rounds of races as will occur in Doha.
 
In the decathlon, the favorite for gold is current world record holder Kevin Mayer of France, who scored 9,126 points in 2018, while Canadian Damian Warner, who has a career-best of 8,795 points, is tabbed for silver.
 
The magazine notes Victor is among a trio of athletes who could contend for bronze. The other two include Germany's Niklas Page and Canada's Pierce LePage. Victor set the Grenada national record with 8,539 points in 2017 and broke the collegiate record twice that season.
 
In the women's 4x400, the United States is the gold medal pick over Jamaica and Poland. Beard has been a member of the United States 4x400 relay during gold medal victories in three World Championships – 2009, 2011 and 2013 – along with a silver medal in 2015.
 
Utilizing the prowess of Kerley and Norman, the United States holds the favorites role in the men's 4x400 relay with Jamaica and Botswana selected as medal contenders. Previously, Kerley has been on a pair of silver medal relays with the United States during the 2017 World Outdoors and 2018 World Indoors.
 
Trinidad, defending World Champions in the men's 4x400 from 2017, is tabbed to place sixth. Lendore was a member of the Trinidad & Tobago 4x400 relay when they earned a bronze medal in the 2012 Olympics, a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships, and a bronze medal during the 2019 Pan American Games.
 
The IAAF will have $7.5 million in prize money to distribute at the World Championships, with all placers first through eighth eligible for awards. In individual events the prize structure is Gold ($60,000), Silver ($30,000), Bronze ($20,000), fourth ($15,000), fifth ($10,000), sixth ($6,000), seventh ($5,000) and eighth ($4,000).
 
Relay prizes per team include Gold ($80,000), Silver ($40,000), Bronze ($20,000), fourth ($16,000), fifth ($12,000), sixth ($8,000), seventh ($6,000) and eighth ($4,000).
 
Coverage of the World Championships will be available on NBC, NBC Sports Network and the Olympic Channel. Live results will be available on the IAAF.org website as well in the IAAF app.
 
2019 IAAF World Championships – Doha, Qatar – Texas A&M schedule
 
Local time (CT)        Doha time                 Event                                                       Round                                    Athlete(s)
Day 1 – Friday, Sept. 27
11:25 a.m.                 7:25 p.m.                   Triple Jump               Men                     Qualifying         Latario Collie, Lathone Collie
 
Day 2 – Saturday, Sept. 28
9:05 a.m.                   5:05 p.m.                   800 meters                Men                     Round 1           Donavan Brazier
 
Day 3 – Sunday, Sept. 29
1:45 p.m.                   9:45 p.m.                   Triple Jump               Men                     FINAL                (Latario Collie, Lathone Collie)
1:55 p.m.                   9:55 p.m.                   800 meters                Men                     Semifinal          (Donavan Brazier)
 
Day 4 – Monday, September 30
8:30 a.m.                   4:30 p.m.                   Javelin, A                   Women               Qualifying         Ariana Ince
10:00 a.m.                 6:00 p.m.                   Javelin, B                   Women               Qualifying         Ariana Ince
 
Day 5 – Tuesday, October 1
8:35 a.m.                   4:35 p.m.                   400 meters                Men                     Round 1            Fred Kerley, Bralon Taplin
1:20 p.m.                   9:20 p.m.                   Javelin                        Women               FINAL               (Ariana Ince)
2:10 p.m.                   10:10 p.m.                 800 meters                Men                     FINAL                (Donavan Brazier)
 
Day 6 – Wednesday, October 2
8:35 a.m.                   4:35 p.m.                   100 meters                Decathlon                                    Lindon Victor
9:05 a.m.                   5:05 p.m.                   100m hurdles            Heptathlon                                    Annie Kunz
9:30 a.m.                   5:30 p.m.                   Long Jump                 Decathlon                                    Lindon Victor
10:15 a.m.                 6:15 p.m.                   High Jump                 Heptathlon                                    Annie Kunz
10:50 a.m.                 6:50 p.m.                   Shot Put                     Decathlon                                    Lindon Victor                        
12:30 p.m.                 8:30 p.m.                   Shot Put                     Heptathlon                                    Annie Kunz
12:35 p.m.                 8:35 p.m.                   400 meters                Men                     Semifinal          (Fred Kerley, Bralon Taplin)
12:40 p.m.                 8:40 p.m.                   High Jump                 Decathlon                                      Lindon Victor
1:50 p.m.                   9:50 p.m.                   200 meters                Heptathlon                                    Annie Kunz
3:15 p.m.                   11:15 p.m.                 400 meters                Decathlon                                      Lindon Victor
 
Day 7 – Thursday, October 3
8:35 a.m.                   4:35 p.m.                   110m hurdles            Decathlon                                     Lindon Victor
9:30 a.m.                   5:30 p.m.                   Discus                         Decathlon, Group A                   (Lindon Victor)
10:15 a.m.                 6:15 p.m.                   Long Jump                 Heptathlon                                   Annie Kunz
10:35 a.m.                 6:35 p.m.                   Discus                         Decathlon, Group B                  (Lindon Victor)
11:05 a.m.                 7:05 p.m.                   Pole Vault                  Decathlon, Group A                     (Lindon Victor)
12:05 p.m.                 8:05 p.m.                   Pole Vault                  Decathlon, Group B                     (Lindon Victor)
12:10 p.m.                 8:10 p.m.                   Javelin                        Heptathlon                                   Annie Kunz
2:05 p.m.                   10:05 p.m.                 Javelin                        Decathlon, Group A                     (Lindon Victor)
3:10 p.m.                   11:10 p.m.                 Javelin                        Decathlon, Group B                     (Lindon Victor)
4:05 p.m.                   12:05 a.m.                 800 meters                Heptathlon                                    Annie Kunz
4:25 p.m.                   12:25 a.m.                 1,500 meters            Decathlon                                      Lindon Victor
 
Day 8 – Friday, October 4
2:20 p.m.                   10:20 p.m.                 400 meters                Men                     FINAL                (Fred Kerley, Bralon Taplin)
12:40 p.m.                 8:40 p.m.                   4x100 relay               Women               Semifinal            (Deborah Acquah)
 
Day 9 – Saturday, October 5
11:55 a.m.                 7:55 p.m.                   4x400 relay               Women               Semifinal          (Jessica Beard)
12:25 p.m.                 8:25 p.m.                   4x400 relay               Men                     Semifinal          (Fred Kerley, Deon Lendore)
2:05 p.m.                   10:05 p.m.                 4x100 relay               Women               FINAL               (Deborah Acquah)
 
Day 10 – Sunday, October 6
1:15 p.m.                   9:15 p.m.                   4x400 relay               Women               FINAL               (Jessica Beard)
1:30 p.m.                   9:30 p.m.                   4x400 relay               Men                     FINAL                (Fred Kerley, Deon Lendore)
 
2019 World Championships – Live Broadcast Schedule
Date                            Time (CT)                                   Network
Fri., Sept. 27               8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.                        NBCSN
                                    4-7 p.m.                                     Olympic Channel
Sat., Sept. 28              8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.                   Olympic Channel
                                    1:30-2:30 p.m.                           NBC
Sun., Sept. 29             11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.                    NBC
                                    12:30-3:30 p.m.                         NBCSN
Mon., Sept. 30            9 a.m.-11 p.m.                           Olympic Channel
                                    12-3 p.m.                                   Olympic Channel
Tues., Oct. 1                8:30 a.m.-11 a.m.                      NBCSN
                                    12:30-3 p.m.                              NBCSN
Wed., Oct. 2                8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.                   NBCSN
Thurs., Oct. 3              8:15 a.m.-4:30 p.m.                   NBCSN
Fri., Oct. 4                   12-2:30 p.m.                              Olympic Channel
Sat., Oct. 5                  9-10 a.m.                                   Olympic Channel
                                    11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.                 Olympic Channel
                                    1:30-2:30 p.m.                           NBC
                                    4-7 p.m.                                     Olympic Channel
Sun., Oct. 6                 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.                      NBC