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Athletics News - 01.02.

Arnstadt with very special fields ARNSTADT: The best from special high jump meetings in the world is undoubtedly the one in Arnstadt, Germany. The 31st annual on this Saturday is again full of world elite and last years world indoor record by Kajsa Bergqvist with 208 cm is still in memories of the spectators. The tickets were sold out long time ago. With Ivan Ukhov who recently jumped in Moscow 239 and tried for 241 the expectations are little higher for the men competition this year. Also because world indoor champion Yaroslav Rybakov who also tried 239 in Moscow is in the field and Ukrainian Andrey Sokolovskiy who mastered 235 last Friday in Wuppertal too. With growing shape both swedes olympic champion Stefan Holm and world indoor bronze medallist Linus Thornblad should also be taken into consideration. Last year best indoor marks 237 by Rybakov and Ukhov were also made in Arnstadt. Interestingly the mascotte for this years jumping is named Stefan, last year the name was Kajsa. Cuban Victor Moya, Czechs Tomas Janku and Svatoslav Ton and US Champion Tora Harris are giving the competition the status of best field of the season. Nearly forgotten remains European Champion Andrey Silnov who is also jumping. On the women side the battle from Goteborg Eurojump will be repeated with trio Bergqvist, Vlašič and Slesarenko. In the field is also current European Indoor champion Anna Chicherova (but she jumped only 184 on Wednesday in Cottbus) and Nicole Forrester from Canada. Best german jumpers will want to proove their growing results level. From the elite only one name is missing and that is the european champion Tia Hellebaut who could not accept the invitation to Germany due to Sunday´s IAAF Meet in Gent on her home soil. The sports hall in Jahn Sport Park is again ready for something special. The speciality of this event is that men and women are jumping together – the bar is always switching between each category and at the end also a ranking of pairs (man/woman) is established. So far in the history 14 women results 2 metres or higher were registered, on the men side 11 results 235 or higher. Start list – as of Thursday Men: Holm,SWE – Rybakov,RUS – Sokolovskiy,UKR – Silnov/RUS – Ukhov/RUS – Moya/CUB – Janku/CZE – Thornblad/SWE – Ton/CZE – Harris/USA – Kgosiemang/BOT – Onnen/GER Women: Begqvist/SWE – Slesarenko/RUS – Vlasic/CRO – Chicherova/RUS – Kivimiagi/RUS – Green/SWE – Forrester/CAN – Friedrich/GER – Hartmann/GER Isinbayeva and Dibaba – the stars of the Celebration NEW YORK: The oldest indoor meet in the world Millrose Games will celebrate its 100th version and not only US elite but also world stars will compete on Friday at famous Madison Square Garden. Two female stars are giving the event a special sign. First time in her life pole vault record holder Yelena Isinbayeva from Russia will compete in USA. Her coach Vitaliy Petrov was quoted by russian media as saying: „We hope her acclimatisaton will be ok for another time zone. It is difficult for her to jump first meet in special circumstances, but she is ready. Indoor season is not as important as outdoors, but I think she can attack her world indoor record this winter. She is getting more and more used to the new technique I m trying to learn her.“ Her total number of world records is so far 19 (11 out an 8 in) and so the jubilee 20th should come this winter. She is passing European Indoors in Birmingham and will after returning to Europe compete in Donetsk, Bydgoszcz, Birmingham and Paris. In New York she is going to face the current best US vaulter Jenn Stuczynski and South American record holder Fabiana Murer from Brasil who is also member of Petrov training group. Ethiopean world champion Tirunesh Dibaba will run at short bends of Garden (146 m) her 9th indoor race of career. So far she contested three times 3000 m races and five times 5000 m races, but all only in two places (Boston and Birmingham). New York is only her third indoor destination. This distance was never ran at the meet, but the male meet record 7:43.81 by Paul Bitok in 1999 shows that even at short track anything is possible. Dibaba´s indoor best is 8:33.56 in 2004 in Birmingham, what is still world best for juniors. Other higlights of this meet include return of great champions of the past. Gail Devers is scheduled at 60mHurdles to run only her second race since Athens Olympic Games and Maurice Greene at flat 60 metres his first race since february 2005 indoors and since may 2006 overall. Devers will ran against her Danielle Carruthers whom she now reportedly is managing and coaching. Olympic champion Joanna Hayes and former world champion Perdita Felicien from Canada are also in the field. Co-world leader Shawn Crawford should be the main favourite in the men dash. The famous Wanamaker mile with local hero Alan Webb, ever good Bernard Lagat and oceania record holder Craig Mottram should be the male highlight on the oval. In technical events Australia´s Steven Hooker and best american last year Brad Walker would be thinking to take back the leading mark of the season which was taken by Germans (Ecker and Otto 582) on Wednesday in Cottbus. Last to mention is American battle in Shot put but it is similar with the best of the world when John Godina goes against Dan Taylor, Christian Cantwell and Reese Hoffa. Privalova is running again MOSCOW: Former world class sprinter and later 400mhurdles runner (olympic win in Sydney) 38 years old Irina Privalova is after giving birth to her second child again running. She contested a 60 m at Moscow Championships running 7.62 in heats and 7.53 in finals (4th place). We should see more races from here in next days. Ceplak with tough Schedule WIEN: World indoor record holder Jolanda Čeplak from Slovenia has a tough schedule in front of her. After running a sub 2 minutes time in Wien on Tuesday she will race again in Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Leipzig, Karlsruhe and Birmingham. In all places she should contest a 800 m. There is a talk about a change in Leipzig into a 1000 m race. But she feels ready and comfortable for that plan. Stuttgart with Liu, but some big names cancelled STUTTGART: The chinese hero Liu Xiang came back to the place where he last time was running in Europe at the World Athletics Final. His duel with Cuban Dayron Robles at 60m Hurdles could be the highlight of the Saturday´s meet which belongs to the best ones indoors on the planet. On the other hand some names cancelled their participation for example injured Christian Olsson in triple jump or Mehdi Baala. His 1000 m was switched by 800 m. Another coup should be Ethiopean Meseret Defar at 3000 m with world record attack. Swedish stars will be represented by Susanna Kallur in the hurdles and Carolina Kluft in Long Jump.

Alfons Juck