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Athletics News - 02.02. |
Weekend preview
FRIDAY: The jubilee Millrose Games with Isinbayeva, Dibaba and US Stars (many are looking forward to see the shape of Maurice Greene) is the higlight along with international meet in Eaubonne, France. Also the South African summer season continues with another top meet (part of Yellow Pages series) in training center of Potchefstroom. For New York you can also bet at www.athleticbet.com (as also for Arnstadt and Stuttgart).
SATURDAY: The best IAAF indoor meet of last year in Stuttgart will be the headliner with Liu against Robles and Defar attacking the 3000 m world indoor record. In Arnstdadt the best high jumpers will compete. For interesting money the Russian elite with some international participants will compete at EAA Permit in Samara. Other international outings will happen in Praha (South African group headed by Morne Nagel in 60 m, return of Ludmila Formanova at 800 m), Bergen (Norway) and another High jump meet in Maromme, France where the silver world indoor medallist Andrey Tereshin (235 this season already) is the main star.
SUNDAY: Fourth IAAF indoor permit of the year will be organised in Gent, Belgium. And the star of the meet is logically the home hero and european champion Tia Hellebaut. Her teammate Kim Gevaert comes as an spectator. Another highlight could be men´s pole vault with Russian Igor Pavlov and Australian/Russian Viktor Chistyakov. There is also of course plenty good names in running events at the oval. The women 60 m will see two big names from the past French Muriel Hurtis and ever young Merlene Ottey heading for another masters world best. In Tallinn on both days the only international meet of male heptathlon will be staged (women do not have any in pentathlon) - the Erki Nool´s Reval Cup with local favourite Kristian Rahnu, russian European bronze medallist Aleksey Drozdov, American Ryan Harlan and Germans Lars Albert with Stefan Drews. In Tampere, Finland instead of traditional meet a match Finland against Italy will be staged. Best european clubs will compete at the European Cup in Istanbul with Spanish teams the usual favourites.
Other brief news
EAA Starts with Athlete of the month award
LAUSANNE: European Athletics Association started with something new. The athlete of the month award will be given for first time for January 2007. Some interesting names are mentioned in this case. Just go to www.european-athletics.org and vote.
German manager passes away
SCHMOLLN: Sad news arrived from Germany. After long battle with the illness the respected German Agent Helmut Ebert died on Jan 31 at age of 63. To his clients belonged for example discus hero Lars Riedel or javelin european champion Steffi Nerius.
Wirz in Slovenia
VELENJE: As Slovenian media are reporting EAA President Hansjorg Wirz is meeting with national federations from the region – Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Monte Negro, Serbia, Albania, Slovenia and Macedonia. They will be speaking about development of athletics in this countries and possibilites to stage important events in future.
Greek action starts over the weekend
ATHENS: The web site www.athletix.net is saying that after weekends of no acitivity finally this Saturday the season will go underway in Peania Hall. At the local meet also sprinter Katherina Thanou is scheduled to compete at 60 m with the aim to qualify for European Indoor Championships.
Kiesl becomes an official
LINZ: Atlanta Olympic Bronze medallist Theresia Kiesl from Austria becomes high ranked athletics official. She was voted as president of regional „Oberosterreich“ athletics federation. She was in the past also European Indoor Champion at 1500 m in Valencia, 1998. This regional federation is in Austria important because the city of Linz the site of many activities including the respected Gugl Meeting is part of it.
75 000 USD prize money
SAMARA: Russian media are reporting that the prize money for Saturdays Governor Cup an international indoor meet in Samara, Russia is 75 000 US dollars. The prizes for men triple jump the main event will be presented by Konstantin Titov, the governor himself. Apart of best russian triple jumpers also Cubans heading by world medallist Yoandri Betanzos should compete. The main star in women events is olympic champion Tatyana Lebedeva and she will compete in Long jump as last Sunday at Russian Winter meet in Moscow.
Stambolova for 300 m
SOFIA: Track Profile reports that Bulgarian Vanya Stambolova wants to attack the world indoor best at 300 m (no official records are registered at this distance). It should happen at the only international meet indoors in Sofia called „Akademik“ on this Saturday. The best is 35.45 by Irina Privalova,Russia back in January 1993. She will have enough room to achieve a national best as there is no Bulgarian time registered under 38 seconds. She also so far never contested a 300 m race in or outdoors. The hall „Festivalna“ has a 200 m banked track. This years lead is by US junior Francena McCorory who achieved 36.67 in Blacksburg on Jan 12, which is also a new world junior all-time best.
Cantwell against Hoffa in Valencia
VALENCIA: The organisers of IAAF Indoor meet in Valencia scheduled for Feb 10 announced the clash of the best shot putters. Last years world leader Christian Cantwell is going to meet with World Indoor Champion Reese Hoffa (both USA). It will already be their third clash of the season. In Boston Cantwell was better (but the winner was Dan Taylor) and today in New York at Millrose Games the revenge will be staged. Apart of the greatest star Kenenisa Bekele who will run 1500 m also a running highlight should be the 800 m with European champion Bram Som (Holland) and world indoor champion Wilfried Bungei from Kenya. Both will meet for first time on Saturday in Stuttgart. Russian jumpers will provide the female highlights. Olympic champions Tatyana Lebedeva (Long Jump) and Yelena Slesarenko (High Jump). Spanish record holder Ruth Beitia will have a stiff oponent but her shape is also formidable after 196 win in Cottbus on Wednesday.
Goteborg is leading
In current scoring of the special meetings (less than 10 events) of this indoor season the Eurojump of Goteborg has the best score of 11 781 points. It should be noted that this event staged 8 events in comparison to special jumping or only high jump meets. Last year best in this category was Arnstadt with 11 980 and Goteborg was second with 11 760. In the calculation ten best individual results are taken into consideration.
Current scoring:
1. Goteborg (8 events) 11 781, 2. Cottbus (2 events) 11 271, 3. Dessau (2 events) 11 245, 4. Hustopece (2 events) 11 241, 5. Ostrava (2 events) 11 221, 6. Dormagen (1 event) 11 100, 7. Brussels (1 event) 11 056, 8. Trinec (2 events) 10 939, 9. Wuppertal (2 events) 10 653, 10. Lodz (1 event) 10 575
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