by Larry Eder
Thorkildsen, Pitkämäki, A battle of the Titans at Europeans? photo from adidas GP DL, photo by PhotoRun.net.
If I could be anywhere tomorrow on the planet, it would be Barcelona, Spain. The opening ceremony was tonight, and our star reporter, Alfons Juck told RBR that it was the quality of an Olympic opening ceremony. Some great battles this week, July 27-August 1, in Barcelona, Spain. We will have daily updates plus some video from around Barcelona by none other than my partner in video crime, Gary Morgan!
European Championships Preview, by Bob Ramsak, IAAF, July 26, 2010
Tantalising head-to-heads galore on tap in Barcelona – European Championships preview Barcelona,
Spain – It’s one of the world’s finest hubs of art and design, home of
tasty tapas and the unparalleled architectural marvels of Gaudi. But
the focus in the Catalan capital tomorrow (Tues, 27) through Sunday
will fall squarely on track and field as the European Athletics
Championships celebrate their 20th edition.
With a traditionally
strong squad, there will be plenty of medal prospects for Spanish fans
to enjoy and savour, and many have answered the call with more than
30,000 spectators a day expected to make their way to the 1992 Olympic
Stadium which is charmingly nestled atop Montjuic, the long flat hill
overlooking the city’s sprawling harbour. But to international fans,
the focus will be on thrilling head-to-heads. Topping that list is the
women’s High Jump.
Vlasic-Hellebaut rematch
Among
the hottest tickets at the last edition of these championships four
years ago in Gothenburg was for Day Five when the women’s High Jump
final took centre stage. While the names have changed slightly, the
same will likely hold true again this time around when most of the
world’s finest women’s jumpers vie for continental bragging rights on
Sunday. The winner then was Tia Hellebaut whose surprise victory set
the stage for the finest single day ever in Belgian athletics history.
But
the dominant force in the event since has been Croatia’s Blanka Vlasic,
who’s taken four World titles – two outdoors and two indoors – in the
meantime. The European leader at 2.03m, the 26-year-old has been
unbeaten in her four Samsung Diamond League appearances, and has yet to
be out-jumped by a European this year. Remarkably Vlasic has yet to win
a medal of any sort at a European championship, indoors or outdoors, an
annoying item on the Croatian’s to-do list. In Gothenburg, her 2.01m
clearance for fourth place was up until that point the highest ever
non-medal winning leap in any major competition, a distinction which
quite likely doesn’t rank too high on the Vlasic’s list of career
highlights.
But she hasn’t been unbeatable. She was second to
Hellebaut at the 2008 Olympic Games, and a distant fifth at the
European indoors last year, a competition won by Arianne Friedrich who
later went on to raise the German record to 2.06m. Along with Vlasic
and Friedrich, Italy’s Antonietta Di Martino and Spain’s Ruth Beitia
also have two-metre clearances to their credit this season, and arrive
as solid medal contenders. Then there is Hellebaut who made a surprise
comeback to the sport this season. With a pair of 1.95m efforts, she’s
hardly a favourite on paper, but she’s a fierce competitor and wouldn’t
be here if she wasn’t ready.
In the men’s event Ivan Ukhov of
Russia, the world leader courtesy of his 2.34m effort in Monaco last
Thursday, will be the man to beat. He’ll have a fight on his hands
though against compatriot Aleksandr Shustov, the national champion, who
has topped 2.33m twice this season.
Sprints – Lemaitre vs Chambers in the 100
The
battle for the mantle as Europe’s fastest man has this season largely
come down to two men – young Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre and British
veteran Dwain Chambers, the World indoor 60m champion.
Lemaitre,
barely 20, made waves last month when he joined the 100m sub-10 club
with his 9.98 clocking at the French championships. But he also has a
pair of 10.02 runs to his credit this year, along with a 10.05 for
second behind Asafa Powell in Rome. As a former World junior 200m
champion and a continental junior 100m champion, Barcelona signals a
logical progression in Lemaitre’s young career.
At 32 Chambers
is among the oldest in the field but still among the fastest, as his
9.99 to take the Spar European Team Championships victory late last
month clearly indicates.
With a 20.16 run at the French
nationals, Lemaitre also arrives as the continent’s fastest 200m
runner, opening the door for a reasonable shot at emulating Francis
Obikwelu’s 2006 sprint double. Lemaitre is entered in the longer dash,
but won’t decide to take part until after the 100m. The next fastest in
the field are Norway’s Jaysuma Saidy Ndure at 20.31 and Frenchman
Martial Mbandjock at 20.38.
In the battle of one-lap honours,
Belgian Jonathan Borlée arrives with the best momentum. The 22-year-old
lowered the national record to 44.77 in Paris earlier this month, by
far the fastest time by a European this summer. Irishman David Gillick
(44.95) and Martyn Rooney (44.99) of Great Britain have also dipped
under 45 seconds this season while Rooney, at 44.60, has the fastest
career best.
On the women’s side, Team Russia brings the
strongest squad in the longer sprints, with Aleksandra Fedoriva (22.41)
and Kseniya Ustalova (50.33) leading the European lists at 200m and
400m respectively. Over the longer dash in particular Russia is looking
for a sweep, with Antonina Krivoshapka, the reigning World bronze
medallist among the powerhouse’s trio.
Unlike the men’s race,
the women’s 100m is wide open which will put European leader, Alena
Neumiarzhitskaya of Belarus, to the test. She’s the fastest European
this season at 11.05, but hasn’t been remotely close, before or since.
Others to watch include Briton Laura Turner and German Verena Sailer.
At 800m Savinova vs Meadows
Over
the past two seasons, Mariya Savinova has climbed admirably from among
the strong corps of Russian 800m runners, first with a dominating
performance at last year’s European indoor championships, and more
recently, with a convincing win at the World indoors this past March.
She’s run well outdoors this season, clocking a career best 1:57.56 at
the Samsung Diamond League fixture in Eugene in June.
But so has
Briton Jenny Meadows. The bronze medallist at last year’s World
Championships, Meadows clocked a national record when she finished
second to Savinova at the World indoors this year and arrives in
Barcelona with a 1:58.89 season’s best.
On the men’s side, Pole
Marcin Lewandowski is the fastest coming in at 1:44.30 but defending
champion Bram Som of the Netherlands is rounding into shape at the
right time, most recently with a 1:44.58 clocking in Paris. With a pair
of sub-1:45s this season, capped by a 1:44.49 career best in Lausanne,
British champion Michael Rimmer could be a threat as well. Luis Alberto
Marco is Spain’s leading threat.
Can anyone stop Alminova? – 1500m
Three
Europeans dipped under four minutes in the Paris 1500m 10 days ago, but
two were still well behind the sensational 3:57.65 world-leading effort
produced by Russia’s Anna Alminova. Underscoring her fitness, that
runaway victory in the French capital came just a day after the
25-year-old clocked a sizzling 4:00.84 at the Russian championships.
Clearly, Alminova is ready to add the outdoor title to her indoor crown
from last year.
Giving chase will be French record holder Hind
Dehiba and Britain’s Lisa Dobriskey who clocked 3:59.76 and 3:59.79
behind Alminova in Paris. A strong duo in Natalia Rodriguez and Nuria
Fernandez will be carrying Spanish hopes.
Conversely, the men’s
race is fairly wide open, with Briton leading Andy Baddeley (3:34.50)
leading the charge. He’ll have to contend with a strong Spanish Armada
which includes veteran Reyes Estevez, the 1998 champion; freshly-minted
Spanish champion Manuel Olmedo, and Arturo Casado, the 2007 European
indoor bronze medallist. Given Spain’s solid tradition, a podium sweep
is not outside the realm of possibility.
Double distance ambitions for Farah and Abeylegesse
There
could be some dandy doubling in store before the week is out, courtesy
of Turkey’s Elvan Abeylegesse and Mo Farah of Great Britain.
Abeylegesse, who took Olympic silver over both distances two years ago,
is the class of the women’s field in the 5000m after a 14:31.52
performance in Paris. She hasn’t run a 10,000m on the track this
season, but the 27-year-old is clearly in shape.
Farah on the
other hand has run well over both distances, most notably with a
27:28.86 career best from the European Cup 10,000 in the spring,
marginally faster than his compatriot Chris Thompson, who improved to
27:29.61 in May.
In the 5000m he’ll have to tackle – in addition
to tired legs from the longer race – the defending champion, Spaniard
Jesus Espana, whose most recent effort was a victory over Spanish
record holder Alemayehu Bezabeh at the national championships. Bezabeh
meanwhile joined the event’s sub-13 club when he clocked 12:57.25 in
Oslo. For his part, Farah lowered his lifetime best to 13:05.66 in
Gateshead.
Dominguez’s sole 2010 focus – gold at home
Marta
DomÃnguez, the reigning World champion in the 3000m steeplechase and
perhaps the most successful Spanish distance runner ever, has made it
clear that her sole focus for the year will be to take gold on home
soil this summer. Given the Spaniard’s resumé, her single-minded march
towards a third European title should be taken very seriously. She’s
the fastest European of the season at 9:17.07 (PB, 9:07.32, 2009); on
paper, Russian Yuliya Zarudneva, at 9:23.00, is the closest among
entrants.
The men’s race will feature another of the week’s
highlights, a rare meeting between Frenchmen Bouabdallah Tahri and
Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad. Tahri clocked a European record 8:01.18
when taking bronze at the World Championships last year while
Mekhissi-Benabbad is the event’s reigning Olympic silver medallist.
It’ll take nothing short of a major surprise, similar to that of Finn
Jukka Keskisalo’s win four years ago, to break the anticipated French
stranglehold here.
Thorkildsen takes centre stage – Men’s throws
The
men’s Javelin Throw field reads much like a start list for most of the
Samsung Diamond League meetings, with one name looming large – that of
Olympic, World and European champion Andreas Thorkildsen.
The
Norwegian, with seven wins in eight starts this season along with the
season’s farthest throw, will be a difficult champion to unseat. Among
the challengers is rising Czech star Petr Frydrych, who’s improved to
88.23m; former World champion Tero Pitkämäki (86.92m SB) and his
Finnish compatriot Teemu Wirkkala (86.53m); and Czech No. 2, Vitezslav
Vesely, who’s reached 86.45m.
As with the javelin, the majority
of the world’s finest discus throwers will assemble in Barcelona, lead
by Olympic champion and current world leader at 71.45m, Estonia’s Gerd
Kanter. In a fiercely competitive event this year, Poland’s Piotr
Malachowski (69.83m), Zoltan Kovago (69.69m) of Hungary and reigning
World champion Robert Harting (68.69m) of Germany can each walk away
with gold.
The same holds true in the Hammer Throw at the
moment, with nine of the current top-10 all from Europe. Slovak Libor
Charfreitag is the world leader at 80.59m, Belarusian Pavel Kryitski
(80.44m) is the season’s other 80-metre man, while Hungary’s Krisztian
Pars, third on the world list at 79.64m, is a close second in the
current Hammer Throw Challenge standings.
In the Shot Put,
Andrei Mikhnevich (22.09m) of Belarus is one of just three 22-metre men
this season. He’ll face rising Latvian star Maris Urtans (21.63m),
Poland’s Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski (21.25m), and World bronze
medallist Ralf Bartels (21.14m SB).
Women’s throws – Is Wlodarczyk back from injury?
Poland’s
World champion Anita Wlodarczyk got her season off with a bang when she
broke her own World record with a 78.30m throw in June, but has been
struggling lately with injury and hasn’t competed since 8 June. That
question mark could open the door for World silver medallist Betty
Heidler (75.82 SB) and defending champion Tatyana Lysenko who has
reached 76.03m this season.
Barbora Spotakova, is back from injuries, as shown here from Areva Paris DL, photo by PhotoRun.net. Can she add a Euro gold to her medal case?
The Javelin Throw line-up will be
one of the strongest on the programme, with Olympic champion and World
record holder Barbora Spotakova chasing the one major accolade missing
from her collection. The silver medallist four years ago has reached
68.66m this season, but with some minor but nagging injuries, she has
struggled with consistency.
She’ll take on Russia’s Mariya
Abakumova, the world leader at 68.89m from Doha’s Samsung Diamond
League opener in May. Rapidly improving Martina Ratej is tiny
Slovenia’s best medal hope, thanks to a 67.16m national record in Doha.
The
women’s Shot Put will be all about Nadzeya Ostapchuk. The silver
medallist four years ago, the Belarusian has dominated the vent on the
Samsung Diamond League circuit this season, and has four of the year’s
five best winning throws including the 20.95 World leader. With her
compatriots – veteran Yanina Karolchyk-Pravalinskay (19.95m SB) and
Natallia Mikhnevich (19.80m) – Belarus could sweep.
With no
clear favourites, the women’s Discus Throw promises a thrilling
shoot-out. German Nadine Muller arrives as the world leader at 67.68m.
Romanian veteran Nicoleta Grasu was the runner-up in Paris and at 38
remains a viable medal threat. Croatia’s young upstart Sandra Perkovic
(66.85m PB, 2010) is still seeking consistency but is nonetheless a
medal contender.
Teddy Tamgho, can he break Jonathan Edward’s WR? adidas GP 2010 DL, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Jumps – Tamgho vs Idowu and an exhibition for Lavillenie?
Frenchman
Teddy Tamgho, still just 21, came of age in Doha last March when he
sailed to a 17.90m World indoor record. He went even farther outdoors
in New York in June when he reached 17.98m, tantalisingly close to the
18-metre barrier. His form is questionable at the moment, however, when
a minor injury forced his withdrawal from Paris 10 days ago. Meanwhile,
World champion Phillips Idowu has had a quiet season besides his late
spring 17.48m leap in Rio de Janeiro, which could open the door for
someone to spring a surprise.
Svetlana Feonfanova, from the era of Stacy Dragila, Feofanova looks to challenge for the European Champs, photo from Areva Paris DL, by PhotoRun.net.
In the women’s Pole Vault, the
battle to succeed Yelena Isinbayeva appears to be between former World
record holder Svetlana Feofanova of Russia, the German duo of Carolin
Hingst and Silke Spiegelburg, and World champion Anna Rogowska.
On
the men’s side, French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie, the world leader
at 5.94m who arrives riding a nine-meet win streak, is the class of the
field.
Russia could well be chasing a podium sweep in the
women’s Long Jump as well, with national champion Ludmila Kolchanova
(7.01m), world leader Olga Kucherenko (7.13m) and the vastly
experienced Tatyana Kotova (6.90m, SB) leading the charge.
Russia
is strong in the Triple Jump as well, led by national champion Nadezhda
Alekhina who’ll expect a strong challenge from Ukraine’s Olha Saladuha
(14.78m).
Among the favourites in the men’s Long Jump are
Germany’s Christian Reif (8.27m), rising Russian star Pavel Shalin
(8.26m) and Frenchman Salim Sdiri (8.24m). Defending champion Andrew
Howe of Italy is on the rebound from injury.
Jessica Ennis, Gateshead DL, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Ennis looking to succeed Kluft
Four
years ago in Gothenburg, Jessica Ennis was lost in the long looming
shadow of Karolina Kluft. This time, Ennis, as the reigning World
champion will start as the prohibitive favourite to succeed the Swede.
Ennis cruised to a 6689 point tally to win in Gotzis, the second best
mark in the world this year. Russian Tatyana Chernova is the closest
challenger with a 6572 score this season, but armed with a 6768 career
best, better than Ennis’s 6731.
In the Decathlon, Ukraine’s Oleksiy Kasyanov (8381) and Romain Barras (8297) will be the men to beat.
In
the 110m Hurdles, Czech Petr Svodoba is the fastest European this year
at 13.27, just a few ticks ahead of Poland’s Artur Noga who has
improved to 13.29. Rounding out the close field, Briton Andy Turner has
clocked 13.30 and Hungary’s Daniel Kiss 13.32.
Over the full
lap, Briton David Greene is the clear favourite, well ahead of the rest
with a 48.49 season’s best and regular jaunts into sub-49 territory.
On
the women’s side, German Carolin Nytra’s 12.57 in Lausanne earlier this
month elevated her into the favourite’s role in 100m Hurdles, while
Russian Natalya Antyukh (54.00) and Czech Zuzana Hejnova (54.13) lead
the field in the grueling full-lap event.
On the roads...
Competition
kicks off on Tuesday morning with the men’s 20Km Race Walk with Italy’s
Alex Schwazer taking on Russian power Valeriy Borchin. Schwazer, the
Olympic 50Km champion, also has strong ambitions this week, with his
eyes set on a double. Over the longer distance, he’ll have to swing
past Russia’s double World champion, Sergey Kirdyapkin.
Double
World and Olympic champion Olga Kaniskina of Russia will be the strong
favourite in the women’s 20Km Race Walk on Wednesday.
In the
Marathon, Russian women figure prominently, with a squad that consists
of Irina Timofeeva (2:24:14, 2009), Boston runner-up Tatyana
Pushkareva, and 2:27 runner Silviya Skvortsova.
In the men’s
race, the sentimental favourite will be Italy’s Stefano Baldini, who
came out of retirement in an attempt to claim his third continental
title. Spain’s Chema Martinez, the best finishing European at last
year’s World Championships, will have home field advantage.
Ottey, still going strong at 50
In
all, 1,370 athletes – 761 men, 609 women – representing all 50 European
federations will be competing this week. One who’ll receive a great
deal of attention is sprint legend Merlene Ottey who will be making her
second European championships appearance – this time at the tender age
of 50. The Jamaican-born sprinter, who has competed for Slovenia since
2002, will anchor her adopted country’s 4x100m relay team in Saturday’s
first round. Now in her third decade of international competition,
Ottey has a 100m season’s best of 11.67 to her credit this summer.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
Click here for Timetable and startlists
For more on the IAAF, please link on www.iaaf.org
