by Larry Eder
Ukraine with 70 athletes
KYIV (UKR): Ukrainian Athletisc federation announces preliminary list of 70 athletes (34 men and 36 women) for European Championships. Men squad is led by reigning high jump world champion and world leader Bohdan Bondarenko, decathlon European silver medallist 2012 Oleksiy Kasyanov, nine-time European cross country champion 39-year-old Sergiy Lebid (for 10 000 m), world race walk cup winner Ruslan Dmytrenko (20km), 50km race walk four placer from last worlds Ihor Hlavan, javelin Olympic silver medallist Oleksandr Pyatnytsya. In women squad triple jump world and European champion Olha Saladukha, 1500 m European bronze medallist 2012 Anna Mishchenko, 400m hurdles Moscow world finalists Hanna Ryzhykova and Anna Titimets are among medal hopes. Usually strong 4×100 (Povh, Pohrebnyak, Strohova, Platitsyna, Karandyuk) and 4×400 (Zemlyak, Stuy, Lyakhova, Ryhyda, Prystupa) women relays. Some changes in the team are possible until August 4.
Poland with 60 athletes
SZCZECIN (POL): After the national championships Polish Athletics Federation PZLA confirmed names of 60 athletes for the European Championships in Zurich. It is third biggest team in the history of this event. All three 2010 gold medalists Piotr Małachowski, Tomasz Majewski and Marcin Lewandowski are in the team. Federation president Jerzy Skucha expects 10 medals. Other medal hopes in hammer throw Anita Wlodarczyk and Pawel Fajdek, high jumpers Justyna Kasprzycka and Kamila Licwinko, Adam Kszczot in the 800 m and latest sensation Jakub Krzewina in men 400 m.
Last chance for standards
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: This is the last weekend for achieving the necessary standards for European Championships as the deadline is closing on Sunday midnight. Poland championships ended on Thursday, while Finnish started in Kuopio. More European countries having nationals this weekend are Latvia in Ogre, Sweden in Umea and Hungary in Szekesfehervar, all starting on Friday. Then in classic Saturday–Sunday mood Czech Republic in Ostrava, Denmark in Odense, Austria in Amstetten and Estonia in Tallinn.
OTHER NEWS
KYIV (UKR): Head coach of Ukrainian athletics team Ihor Lishchynskyy said “Ukraine hopes to repeat in Zurich medal achievement from European championships 2010 in Barcelona where our athletes got 7 medals. All team already started final preparation for Zurich at centralized training camp in Koncha-Zaspa near Kyiv.”
MOSCOW (RUS): Reigning European champion at 110m hurdles Sergey Shubenkov confessed to Sport-Express newspaper that he understands what expectations and responsibility will lay on his shoulders at European championships in Zurich but in any case he’s preparing to defend his title. “I understand that I will be one of the medal contenders. But nobody requires from me to do something what I had not yet done, so I hope for a favourable outcome. Everything should be OK. Undoubtedly, Frenchman Pascal Martinot-Lagarde will be the main favourite but I’m not going to give up to him in fight for the European gold in our event. I’m not going to do that at all,” said 23-year-old Russian. Shubenkov also noted that he works a lot on his start, as that is one of the weakest part of his race.
PRAGUE (CZE): Geoffrey Ronoh had a tough task at the Mattoni Olomouc Half Marathon on June 21, he had to pace marathon stars Wilson Kipsang and Dennis Kimetto, but in the end it was he that came out on top. Now Ronoh will return to the Czech Republic where he will attempt to take down another top marathoner; Geoffrey Mutai. They will duel over 10km in the Birell Prague Grand Prix on September 6. Ronoh has never raced over 10km, while Kipsang has run 27:19.
STOCKHOLM (BEL): The DN Galan Stockholm IAAF Diamond League on August 21 is set to feature a top class women’s high jump, with 2 time World champion Blanka Vlasic and local star Emma Green both in the field. Vlasic is returning to 2 metre jumping this year after several years’ of injury, Green has had back problems this year, but has returned to competition recently with a 193 clearance in London. The high jump will move back to its classical position at the Marathon Gate end of the arena for this year’s competition.
METZ (FRA): Raphael Piolanti, the head of throws in the French Athletics Federation, is in custody in Metz, suspected of being involved in a doping scandal involving hammer thrower Quentin Bigot, inform L’Equipe. Piolanti was taken into custody on Tuesday and it was extended for 24 hours on Wednesday. He is suspected of providing banned substances to several athletes. Other hammer throwers from Bigot’s club have been questioned by police this week. Bigot, who is just 21, tested positive for an anabolic steroid at the European Team Championships.
BOLZANO (ITA): After Stanislav Yemelyanov’s positive test, convicted doper Alex Schwazer was promoted to the European Gold medal. Now, the prosecutor in Bolzano will proceed with investigations to ensure that Schwazer did not have irregularities in his biological passport for that period in 2010.
UMEA (SWE): World 1500 m champion Abeba Aregawi will miss the Swedish championships due to an ankle injury, report aftonbladet.se. The former Ethiopian slipped on a wet track and twisted her ankle, meaning that she must rest for a week. Umeå would have been the first time she competed individually in a Swedish championship. Her agent Jos Hermens said that her participation at the European Championships is not at risk.
CASTRES (FRA): After his race in Castres, Christophe Lemaitre spoke of his aim to regain the three European titles he won in 2010. “These are lofty goals but I worked all winter for it, so hope that all the work I’ve done will bear fruit,” said the 24 year old Frenchman. He explained that he has been training hard over the last two weeks, and considering that, his result of 10.13 (1.2) in Castres was “not bad.”
ZURICH (SUI): Swiss marathoner Viktor Rothlin participated in a press conference which was held on a tram on the European Championships marathon course, report rts.ch. The 39 year old will retire from competitive athletics after the marathon, which is on a course that Rothlin says is like climbing the Alpe d’huez 4 times. “At my age, I’m not the fastest,” said Rothlin. “Fortunately, this course wil
l also require other qualities. it is not necessarily the biggest engine that will win.”
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): Olympic and Commonwealth long jump champion Greg Rutherford is set to compete at the Birmingham Diamond League on August 24, inform organisers. Rutherford jumped 851 to make the British record his won earlier this season. Double World and Olympic champion Mo Farah and world 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu are two other British stars that have been previously announced for the meet.
MOSCOW (RUS): High jump London Olympic champion Anna Chicherova does not expect to participate at Diamond League meetings in Stockholm and Zurich. Few days ago 2014 world leader refused from European Championships pleading injury. “Now I’m doing much better. I don’t want to speak about injury. This question is over. I hope that this problem will not disturb me more. But it was impossible to perform at European championships in Zurich as we was not able to do all necessary work,” said 32-year-old Russian. She also added that despite the uncertainty of the future plans, now she “takes care of herself and trains from time to time”.
MOSCOW (RUS): All-Russian athletics federation (ARAF) has not received the official papers from the IAAF regarding disqualification of Stanislav Yemelyanov, one more walker from famous Viktor Chegin group. “We still do not deal with this issue as we learned about the disqualification only yesterday. Nobody informed us officially about this. We have not any details to comment,” informed ARAF president Valentin Balakhnichev to R-Sport news agency.
MOSCOW (RUS): Senior coach of Russian race walk team Viktor Chegin will not go to European championships in Zurich even as spectator. Deputy director of Mordovian race walk centre of Olympic preparation Vitaliy Kolesnikov said to ITAR-TASS news agency that Chegin “is now engaged in other issues. Saransk puts into operation new centre, so his (Chegin’s) main job will be linked to the opening of this centre.”
MOSCOW (RUS): 800m London Olympic and Daegu world champion Mariya Savinova will start her preparation to Olympic Games 2016 already in September 2014. “Mariya is in fighting mood as usual. When we stay in the Novogorsk training camp, she visits us every Sunday to talk to me pondering over the future preparation,” said her coach Vladimir Kazanin in his quote to R-Sport news agency. According to the coach, Savinova will not have any difficulties to find the motivation to go all way of intense and tough Olympic preparation once again. “It’s easy to work with Mariya as she is very positive person and has very clear mind,” added Kazarin.
FRANKFURT (GER): Paralympic winner and German champion in long jump Markus Rehm will refuse from any legal action after he was not selected for the European Championships in Zurich. “This issue is over for me. I do not want to support more confusion and remain fair. The only issue is that the German federation could deal with it earlier and before the national championships,” said Rehm in the ARD television.
