by Larry EderEME news provides us with updates on the teams preparing for the world championships in ten days in Valencia, Spain. There is also some news on the events on the roads that could be cause for concern with some of the political unrest going on in the Middle East.
Liu Xiang will be in Valencia and this should provide for some hurdle fireworks!
EME NEWS (FEB 26, 2008)
WANJIRU IN ABU DHABI
ABU DHABI (UAE): Preparations are in full swing and organizers have said the efforts were on to ensure the USD 2 million Zayed International Marathon to be held here in the capital on Thursday would be safe and successful. Former marathon record holder Paul Tergat from Kenya and current half marathon record holder Lorna Kiplagat of The Netherlands lead the men’s and women’s field respectively in the half marathon race which will be accompanied by a seven-km and a four-km run. But the current world-record holder Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya will be tough to beat. The winners will get 300 000 USD. Additional 200 000 USD is offered for world record. All this means this will be the richest HM ever. The races start at 3.30pm at the Marina Mall vicinity with the finish at the Emirates Palace Hotel, writes Gulfnews.com .
LIU XIANG IN BEIJING
BEIJING (CHN): Olympic winner and world champion Liu Xiang is attending the national Grand Prix meet in Beijing today, but is not running, just speaking to media. That means he will not have any competitions before World Indoor Championships where he will face the in-form Cuban Dayron Robles.
THOMAS IN FINLAND
TAMPERE (FIN): World Champion Dwight Thomas of Bahamas will have his last test before World Indoor Championships on Wednesday at International Indoor meet in Tampere. He will face Russian Aleksey Dmitrik who already jumped 233 this year. World indoor champion Derval O´Rourke of Ireland is scheduled to run at 60 m Hurdles, South African record holder Khotso Mokoena competes in Long Jump, fresh Czech champion Stanislav Sajdok is the favourite at 60 m Hurdles. Italian record holder Simone Collio runs not only 60 m, but is also entered at 100 m what is possible in the big Tampere Hall.
VLASIC AND HOLM TOP NAMES
WEINHEIM (GER): High jump World champion Blanka Vlasic is again fully fit and will compete for last time before Valencia in Germany. On Wednesday she will be the star of the special High Jump meeting in Weinheim, the 9th Hochsprung Gala. Because of her injury she missed planned competitions in Bucuresti and Gent. She will meet the local number one Ariane Friedrich who improved during the weekend at national championships to 201 cm and Russian duo Tatyana Kivimiagi with Svetlana Shkolina. Vlasic wants to attack her meet record 202 from 2006. Men competition stars will be both Swedes Stefan Holm and Linus Thornblad with top Russian Ivan Ukhov who is the meet record holder here (235 in 2006). Home star Eike Onnen should not be forgotten.
TEAM UPDATES FOR VALENCIA
EUROPE
GREAT BRITIAN: Williamson confirmed
BIRMINGHAM: European Under23 100metres champion Simeon Williamson headed UK Athletics second wave of selections. Williamson will fill the hotly contested second 60m spot alongside Dwain Chambers in Valencia after fantastic runs at both the trials and the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham, informs David Martin. Rikki Fifton third in the trials and runner-up in last Sunday’s Ghent International meeting, will travel as a reserve.
60m: Chambers, Williamson, reserve Fifton. 400m: Buck, Green. 800m: Hill, Moss. 1500m: McIlroy, East´, 3000m: Farah, McCormick. 60mH: Scott. High Jump: Oni. Pole Vault: Lewis. Long Jump: Tomlinson. Triple Jump: Idowu . Shot Put: Myerscough. 4x400m Relay: Buck, Green, Tobin, Leavey, Ademuyewo, Garland.
Women , 60m: Turner, Kwakye. 800m: Meadows , Okoro, 1500 m: Simpson, Scott, 3000 m: Clitheroe, Dobriskyey, 60mH: Claxton, Pole Vault: Dennison, Pentathlon: Sotherton
GERMANY: Pole Vaulters, the stars, 16 athletes
DARMSTADT: Germany is sending 16 athletes to Valencia. Leaders are Pole Vaulters Tim Lobinger and Danny Ecker with High Jumper Ariane Friedrich. The team – 60m: Broening, 1500 m: Schlangen, Lohse, 3000 m: Gabius, 60mH: Blaschek, Mathiszik, PV: Lobinger, Ecker, LJ: Rapp, SP: Sack, women – 60 m: Sailer, HJ: Friedrich, PV: Hutter, Battke, SP: Hinrichs, Schwanitz.
SPAIN: Home team will have 25 athletes, Martinez for 8th worlds
MADRID: Home Spanish Team will have 25 athletes with shot putter Manuel Martinez who will compete at his 8th World Indoors in a row and will equal the number of Javier Sotomayor. The overall record will be held by Maria Mutola, for her Valencia will be the 9th Indoor Championships. As usual strong runners are entered.
The team – men: 60m: Rodrigue, 400 m: Ujakpor, 800 m: Barrios, Olmedo, 1500 m: Casado, Higuero, 3000 m: Sanchez, 60mH: Quinonez, Vivancos, HJ: Bermejo, TJ: Capellan, SP: Martinez, 4×400 m: Ujakpor, Reina, Orozco, Flores, women – 800 m: Martinez, M. Fuentes-Pila, 1500 m: Desviat, 3000 m: Checa, 60mH: Onyia, Alozie, HJ: Beitia, PV: Agirre, LJ: Montaner, TJ: Sarrapio
UKRAINE: Blonska for gold
KYIV: Osaka silver holder Lyudmila Blonska leads the 16-athletes strong Ukrainian Team. With her will be also Natalya Dobrynska in Pentathlon building a strong combined event duo. But there is a strong base also in other technical events. Vita Palamar competes in High Jump and Olha Saladuha in Triple Jump with Pole Vaulters Maksim Mazuryk and Denys Yurchenko and Shot Olympic champion Yuriy Bilonoh are all having ambitions to attack the podium. The team – men: 60 m: Bodrov, Hluschenko, HJ: Demyanyuk, PV: Mazuryk, Yurchenko, SP: Bilonoh, women – 400 m: Pyhyda, Yefremova, 800 m: Petlyuk, 1500 m: Tobias, 60mH: Snihur, HJ: Palamar, PV: Kushch, TJ: Saladuha, Pent: Blonska, Dobrynska
ROMANIA: In 14 athletes team only 2 men
BUCURESTI: Romanian Team for Valencia is dominated by women. Specially Liliana Popescu at 1500 m and Adelina Gavrila in Triple Jump are having high ambitions. In numbers 12 women and only 2 men are named. The team – men: 60mH: Mihailescu, 1500 m: Bogdan, women – 400 m: Tirlea, Morosanu, 800 m: Neacsu, 1500 m: Popescu, 3000 m: Donisa, Antoci, TJ: Gavrila, Bujin, SP: Heltne, 4×400 m: Tirlea, Morosanu, Ionita, Lavric, I. Popescu
TURKEY: Yanit at Hurdles
ANKARA: Turkey is sending four athletes. Indoor athletics needs a boost as Turkey will host the World Indoor Championships in 2012. Nevin Yanit and Esen Kizildag will compete at women´s 60 m Hurdles. Alemitu Bekele of Ethiopian origin will run women´s 3000 m and the only man will be Kemal Koyuncu for 1500 m.
HUNGARY: Two runners
BUDAPEST: Two runners will represent Hungary. Nikolett Listar at 400 m and David Takacs at 800 m.
CROATIA: Only one, but that is a big one
ZAGREB: Croatia will have only one athlete, but this athlete will have the highest ambitions. World Champion Blanka Vlasic aims for her first world indoor title. She is having last test on Wednesday in Weinheim, Germany.
LATVIA: Olijar and Milkevics the stars
RIGA: Latvia is sending three athletes. European Champion Stanislav Olijars is the star of 60 m Hurdles and Dmitrij Milkevics is also having his ambitions at 800 m after fast time in Stockholm. Third is long jumper Ineta Radevica.
ESTONIA: Two athletes
TALLINN: World junior champion Kaire Leibak and Rene Oruman at 60 m Hurdles (former world youth champion) will be two Estonians in Valencia.
NORWAY: Nobody
OSLO: Norway is not sending athletes for World Indoors. National 60 m record holder and Birmingham and Gent winner Jaisuma Saidy Ndure definitely confirmed he does not want to travel.
BULGARIA: Six Athletes finally
SOFIA: Jumpers Spas Bukhalov (Pole Vault) and Nikolay Atanasov (Long Jump) are the only two men in Bulgarian Valencia Team. Osaka 1500 m fourth placer Daniela Yordanova will add more spice to one of the hottest female races in Spain, the 1500 m (Soboleva, Fomenko, Burka, Jamal). She has no competitions this year beforehand. Also running will be Tsvetelina Kirilova at 400 m and Ivet Lalova with Inna Eftimova at 60 m.
OVERSEAS
CUBA: Robles and Savigne the stars
HAVANA: Triple Jump world champion Yargelis Savigne and world leading hurdler Dayron Robles are the stars of Cuban team. Savigne was recently injured, but team manager Javier Sotomayor confirmed she is ok and will compete. The team – men: 60 m: Vizcaino, 60mH: Robles, Yoel Hernandez, HJ: Moya, LJ: W. Martinez, TJ: Giralt and one from duo Tosca or Betanzos, wom – 60 m: Benavides, 60mH: Tejeda, TJ: Savigne, SP: Cumba, Gonzalez
NEW ZEALAND: High quality trio
AUCKLAND: Shot put world champion Valerie Vili will fight for gold mainly with her rival Nadezhda Ostapchuk of Belarus. Nick Willis at 1500 m will think about finals and Kim Smith after fast 2 miles could be the surprise of women´s 3000 m.
UGANDA: Chepkirwok only one
KAMPALA: 800 m world junior bronze medalist Abraham Chepkirwok is the only Ugandan for Valencia.
BOTSWANA: The biggest team ever with five
GABORONE: African Botswana is sending its biggest team ever for World Indoor Championships with five athletes. African Gold medalists are Amantle Montsho at 400 m, Kabelo Kgosiemang in High Jump and Gable Garenamotse in Long Jump. At 400 m California Molefe and Garologelwane Masheto (world 500 m leader) will build a strong duo ready for surprise.
JAPAN: Four men and one woman
TOKYO: The host nation of last year World championships is sending four men to Valencia. Two hurdlers Masato Naito and Yuhi Ohashi, Pole Vaulter Daichi Sawano and High Jumper Naoyuki Daigo. Only women is Long Jumper Kumiko Ikeda.
RESULTS
CANNES (FRA, Feb 24): Hungarian runner Aniko Kalovics won the 16th Half-Marathon of Cannes with 1:11:35.
YALTA (UKR, Feb 22-24): Ukrainian throwing talent and last year World Youth Champion Mykyta Nesterenko (will be in April 17 years old, 202 cm tall) achieved the best ever mark with senior (2 kg) discus for 16, 17 and 18 years old athletes. In third throw at Ukrainian Winter Throwing Championships he registered 62.83 m. In sixth series that was confirmed with 61.55 m. Only four juniors were ever better with senior discus (but all at age of 19). Two days earlier he also won the U17 national title tossing 68.63 with 1.5 kg implement. He is the clear favorite for World Junior Championships which will be held in July in Bydgoszcz, Poland. In senior competition Olena Antonova achieved 61.53 in discus and Iryna Sekachova 68.20 in hammer. On the men side Yevheniy Vinogradov registered 76.04 in hammer and Oleksandr Pyatnytsa 78.54 in javelin.
CORRECTION
EME NEWS apologizes not to include Portugal weekend results into National Championships review, we mistakenly thought it was Combined Events Championships.
NOTE
Today we prepare update after Aubiere Meeting and also are waiting on US World Indoors Team announcement.
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EME NEWS is news service relating to the sport of athletics. It is published on daily basis with additional updates, as required. Copyright is held by Alfons Juck, Perinvest SK, a.s., Krikova 10, 82107 Bratislava, Slovakia. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The redistribution and/or direct reproduction of material from EME NEWS is prohibited unless permission is given by c Perinvest SK (such as being included in a subscription agreement).Email to respond: ajuck@rainside.sk
