Track Beauty of the Week: Emma Coburn

Emma Coburn is this week's Track Beauty!

The United States has the best athletics team in the planet, as shown by the results of the London Olympics. It is remarkable to note the credible American presence in a wide variety of track & field events, not just in the major crowd drawers. Up and coming athletes like Emma Coburn signify this formidable U.S. representation. 

Photo from All-Athletics.com

Coburn is an American middle distance runner who specializes in the 3,000m steeplechase. Still only 21-years old, Emma has competed at the Daegu World Championships and the London Olympic Games, making the final in both ocassions. Coburn finished in 12th place in Daegu, notching a time of 9:51.40. She fared much better in the Olympics, setting a new personal best of 9:23.54 in the final, good enough for a respectable 9th place. The University of Colorado student-athlete also won the 2011 Pan-American title in Guadalajara, Mexico.

As the 2012 outdoor season draws to a close, the American is the 12th fastest in her event this season, according to the IAAF Top List.

Emma has a sterling record in American competitions. After a second place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2010, Coburn wrested the U.S. collegiate title in 2011. She also holds the American junior steeplechase record (10:06.54), which the Colorado-based athlete set back in 2009. 

Sources:

USATF

IAAF

All-Athletics

Wikipedia

Track Beauty of the Week: Yuliya Zaripova Юлия Зарипова

Yuliya Zaripova (Yuliya Zarudneva Юлия Михайловна Зарипова) is this week's Track Beauty!

The women's 3000m steeplechase is one of the newest events in athletics. It made its first appearance in the World Championships in Helsinki back in 2005. Since then, the Russians have dominated the event, with Gulnara Galkina (Гульнара Самитова-Галкина) holding the world record of 8:58.81 set at the Beijing Olympics.

Yuliya Zaripova at the 2010 European Championships. (Photo from Erik van Leeuwen)

Zaripova is Galkina's heir apparent. She is the third fastest in the event, having a personal best of 9:07.03, which she set en route to bagging gold at the 2011 World Championships. Zaripova trails only Galkina and compatriot Ekaterina Volkova in the all-time list.

She made her major championship debut at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, snaring a silver medal behind Marta Domínguez of Spain. Galkina won bronze behind Zaripova. A year later, Yuliya topped the European Championships in Barcelona.

Coming into the London Olympics, the prolific Ethiopians and Kenyans have run faster times this season than Zaripova. Amidst the African challenge, Yuliya will be Russia's strongest bet for the Olympic title. 

Sources:
Yuliya' Wikipedia Profile
IAAF

Track Beauty of the Week: Gesa Felicitas Krause

Gesa Felicitas Krause is this week's track beauty!

Krause is the other half of Germany's women's steeplechase duo. The young German had a breakout year in 2011. After finishing fourth at the World Junior Championships in Moncton, Krause won the European Junior 3,000m steeplechase title in Ostrava. 

Krause clearing the water jump. (Photo from Matthias Reiß / Andreas Grieß/Wikimedia)

The best was yet to come for German distance runner. 

A month after her heroics in Ostrava, Krause flew to faraway Daegu to compete at the World Championships. She did not disappoint. Krause ran a sensational 9:32.74 at the final, finishing in a respectable ninth place - a new European junior record.

Gesa has excellent hurdling technique. Even if the endurance takes precedence over form in the steeplechase races, good hurdlers have a distinct advantage over mediocre ones, especially in close fought contests.

With the London Olympics just around the corner, the German has clocked a season's best of 9:33.10. A podium finish at the Olympics might seem far fetched, considering the circumstances. The upcoming European Championships in Helsinki late this June could provide the venue for the 19-year old's major championship breakthrough. 

Krause, the fifth fastest European in her event, is certainly capable of landing a spot in the coveted podium in Helsinki.

Sources:

Lufthansa article on Krause

Krause's Leichtathlelik Profile

Additional Links:

IAAF Biography

All-Athletics Profile