December 2009
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Who will be the winners of the inaugural SPAR European Team Championships? |
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18.06.2009 |
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Russia's Gulnara Galkina-Samitova, the 2008 Olympic 3000m
steeplechase champion and world-record holder, will run the 3000m
at the SPAR European Team Championships in Leiria, Portugal. |
Russia will probably start as favourites to lift the inaugural SPAR European Team Championships and go to the Portuguese city of Leiria as the highest-ranked nation, but Great Britain, Germany and France might also have something to say about the destination of the trophy.
The Russian women won the former SPAR European Cup for the last 12 years, and sometimes by huge margins, but with the new championships being decided by the combined score of the men's and women's events, it is not just the women's points that will count.
Russia's head coach Valentin Maslakov has acknowledged that his men have to pull their weight if they are to emerge as winners.
"I have to admit, the guys' results in the SPAR European Cup were not as good, on average they were around the middle of the top division while the women were always consistently in first place in recent years," said Maslakov earlier this week.
"This time, the men and the women are all in one competition and the men need to do the best that they can to maintain the prestige of this team," he added, suggesting that good performances from the four relay teams could be the difference between Russia winning the SPAR European Team Championships and finishing a rung or two down the medal podium.
The women distance runners the Russians are sending include: European indoor 1500m champion Anna Alminova and 2008 Olympic Games 3000m steeplechase champion and world-record holder Gulnara Galkina-Samitova, who will run 3000m without the barriers.
There are also a whole host of top field event exponents who will be wearing the familiar red, blue and red apparel. Olympic Games Javelin silver medallist Mariya Abakumova got a confidence boost when she won in Ostrava on Wednesday night, beating Czech Republic's Olympic champion Barbora Špotáková and Germany's former European-record holder Christina Obergföll, both of whom will also be in Leiria.
Look out as well for Russia's in-form long jumper Olga Kucherenko, who will duel with local hero and 2008 world indoor champion Naide Gomes.
By contrast, the Russian men's team contains plenty of solid high-level performers such as Olympic Discus finalist Bogdan Pishchalnikov, but few who can guarantee maximum points.
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Mo Farah, who claimed gold at the European Athletics
Indoor Championships in Torino in March, is one of the
leading lights in the British team in Leiria this weekend. |
British strength
The championships bring together Europe's leading 12 athletics nations - Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, as well as the hosts Portugal - and every other country will have stars that can shine in Leiria.
Great Britain were convincing winners of the men's SPAR European Cup in Annecy, France, 12 months ago and have strength across the spectrum, from 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships gold medallists such as Dwain Chambers and Mo Farah, who won the 60m and 3000m respectively in Torino, to Olympic medallists such as triple jumper Phillips Idowu, as well as new talents such as 400m hurdler David Greene, who is the fastest man in Europe by nearly a second.
On the women's side, Britain has plenty of people who will score lots of points as well, despite some relatively weak field events. Olympic Games 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu runs the 200m, while three-time SPAR European Cross Country Championships junior women's winner Stephanie Twell is starting impress in the senior ranks, despite still only being 19, and competes over 3000m.
French, German elite present
France and Germany are unlikely to let the championships become just a two-way duel and both countries are bringing their very best athletes to Leiria.
French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie, the 2009 European indoor champion, raised his best to 5.96m last weekend for the best outdoor mark in the world this year.
"All the hard work I've been doing in training is starting to pay off. Six metres isn't far away now," reflected the 22-year-old from Cognac.
Lavillenie's team-mates include long jumper Salim Sdiri, who leapt out to a French record of 8.42m recently, and sprinter Muriel Hurtis-Houairi, whose long list of accolades includes 10 victories in the former SPAR European Cup.
Germany's Ariane Friedrich jumped 2.06m in the High Jump at the Berlin Golden League meeting on Sunday and had a good attempt to equal the world record of 2.09m. "I'm looking forward to Leiria. I won in the Cup last year with what was then a personal best. Let's see what I can do this year," she mused.
Among the other German stars are reigning women's Hammer world champion Betty Heidler. Other medallists from the last IAAF World Championships in 2007 include Discus thrower Robert Harting and Shot Put specialist Nadine Kleinart.
Polish boast Majewski, Malachowski
Polish teams have also proven to be consistently strong performers in the past and could be the main contenders from outside "The Big Four" to get on the podium.
Shot putter Tomasz Majewski won the Olympic title last summer and added the European indoor title to his honours in March and is, naturally, the favourite to take maximum points in Leiria.
Likewise, his compatriot Piotr Malachowski has a good chance of coming out on top in the Discus, despite the Olympic silver medallist facing some tough opponents.
Pole vaulter Monika Pyrek looked good going over 4.78m at the Berlin Golden League meeting on Sunday, the second best performance by a European this year. She also got Cup victories in 2006 and 2007.
The remaining seven nations will also be looking for their moments in the sun while trying to avoid ending up in the bottom three nations and being relegated to the First League.ll
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Nelson Évora of Portugal has been a keen promoter of the
inaugural SPAR European Team Championships in Leiria
and the Olympic and world Triple Jump champion is sure
to get a warm welcome from the home fans this weekend. |
Hopes pinned on Portugal stars
Portugal's Olympic Triple Jump champion Nelson Évora is guaranteed huge support, not least because he has been doing sterling work promoting the championships and he has literally become the face of the event.
"The championships will have the best of Europe in almost all the disciplines so, as we are the hosts, this would be the best possible time to rise to the occasion, show the overall strength of Portuguese athletics, and take another a big step to be among the best. If we can keep our place in the Super League then that would be spectacular, we will have made one big step forward," said Évora recently.
European indoor 1500m champion Rui Silva is also a well-known face to Portuguese athletics fans and can expected a warm welcome from the local supporters in Leiria's Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa.
Johan Wissman also won a gold medal in Torino, over 400m, and the Swede will look to confirm his credentials not only over one lap of the track in Leiria but also in his former speciality, the 200m.
Crack Ukraine team
The Ukraine team has a long list of notable names in its team, not least Sergey Lebid, the eight-time SPAR European Cross Country Championships gold medallist, who will be in the 5000m. Alongside him will be Tetyana Holovchenko the 2006 SPAR European Cross Country Championships winner, who will be running in the women's 3000m; Vira Rebryk, the current world junior Javelin champion and world junior record holder; high jumper Yuriy Krymarenko, the 2005 world champion, and pole vaulter Denys Yurchenko, who won the bronze medal last summer at the Olympic Games.
Spain, as always, has a strong contingent of middle distance runners, including Natalia Rodríguez, the fastest woman in the world this year over 5000m.
Greece will be represented by the reigning European men's 400m hurdles champion Periklis Iakovakis, while Italy has the emerging talent of Elisa Cusma Piccione in the 1500m and high jumper Antonietta Di Martino, the 2007 World Championships silver medallist, back close to her best after suffering from injury in 2008.
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