Weekend Athletics Preview, by Alfons Juck, Note by Larry Eder

EME NEWS (FEB 13, 2009)

PREVIEW ISSUE

FRIDAY

DUSSELDORF (GER): One Olympic champion, one Olympic silver medallist, seven World champions and another 12 World medallists and six European champions head the field of entries of the approximately 150 athletes at the "4th International Athletics PSD Bank Meeting Duesseldorf 2009" at Arena Sportpark in Duesseldorf on February 13 (EA Indoor Permit). Injured Dayron Robles will attend the meet which is headlined by strong 800 m with 2004 Olympic winner Yuriy Borzakovskiy and Beijing silver holder Ahmed Ismail of Sudan. Lolo Jones and German Pole Vaulters are other attractions. Women triple jump has World champion Yargelis Savigne competing. World indoor champion Angela Williams runs the 60 m.

PARIS (FRA): The third SEAT Meeting in Bercy Hall will see first this years European appearance of Australian hot name of current athletics scene. Pole Vaulter Steven Hooker already improved to 606 and is realistically attacking the Bubka´s level of performances. For French spectators other highlight the 300 m where Leslie Djhone will fight against world leader Greg Nixon of USA. At 3000 m flat the last year steeple world leader Paul Kipsiele Koech will have his season debut. After recent improvement the young triple jumper and world leader Teddy Tamgho will compete against Olympic medalist Leevan Sands of Bahamas. 2005 World champion Ladji Doucoure runs the 60 m Hurdles against US Olympic silver medalist David Payne. Canadian Priscilla Lopes-Schliep the Beijing bronze winner is the star of 60 m Hurdles along with heptathlon gold medalist Natalya Dobrynska of Ukraine.

WUPPERTAL (GER): Russian pole vaulter Tatyana Polnova and Ukrainian high jumper Andriy Sokolovskyy are the top names at the 22nd jumping meeting in Wuppertal. The traditional German fixture moved the date from end of January.

FAYETTEVILLE (USA): The third stop of USA Track & Field's 2009 Indoor Visa Championship Series, the 10th Tyson Invitational will be held on Friday (college programme to continue on Saturday). Men's 60 meter dash will see two-time Olympic 200m medalist Shawn Crawford and 2003 World Outdoor 200m silver medalist Darvis Patton against current world leader Michael Rodgers. Also running are Travis Padgett, Trindon Holliday and Terrence Trammell (there are no hurdles in invitational programme). 2008 NCAA Indoor champion and Collegiate record-holder Bianca Knight leads the women 60 m and 200 m fields. In the shorter race she will face 2006 World Indoor champion Lisa Barber, 2007 World Outdoor bronze medalist Carmelita Jeter and 2008 Olympians Marshevet Hooker and Muna Lee. American record-holder Alan Webb will take on 2008 Olympic 1500 m bronze medalist Nick Willis of New Zealand the men's mile. Four-time NCAA Outdoor champion Xavier Carter runs the 300 m. In the shot put only Christian Cantwell is missing (competes in Valencia) so the usual top US duel will be reduced to Adam Nelson-Reese Hoffa clash. American record holder and Olympic silver medalist Jenn Stuczynski is set to defend her 2008 title from here and could again attack the world record of Yelena Isinbayeva who starts the season on Sunday in Ukraine.

SATURDAY

KINGSTON (JAM): Usain Bolt´s debut of the 2009 at 400 m is the headline of the Camperdown Track and Field Classic. It will be a classic training run, that means a 47 region time could be expected. Last year he clocked at similar winter outing 46.94. His PB from 2007 is 45.28 and that was in May. Bolt most probably plans another 400 m in winter. Before that on Friday he will most probably get the trophy for Sportsman of the Year in Jamaica.

VALENCIA (ESP): Distance running events in the "Ciudad de Valencia" Athletics Indoor Meeting (IAAF Indoor permit) will be the main ones. World leader Haron Keitany of Kenya promises another fast 1500 m race. In the women 3000 m world medalist Vivian Cheruiyot competes. Great field in men´s 3000 m with Augustine Choge, Daniel Kipchirchir Komen and Olympic steeple winner Brimin Kipruto. Strong group of Spanish male and female runners will be seen in all races. World indoor champion Olusoji Fasuba is to debut into the season at 60 metres on the track where he last year won the global gold. Josephine Oniya will aim for Spanish record at 60 m Hurdles. The technical events highlight will be the shot put duel of top two from Olympic games Tomasz Majewski and Christian Cantwell. Olympic bronze winner Cuban Ibrahim Camejo is the star of Long Jump and US Jesse Williams after fresh PB 236 on Wednesday in Slovakia (co world leader) is the top name in High Jump. No longer in the start list world champion Maryam Jamal of Bahrain at 1500 m.

SUNDAY

KARLSRUHE (GER): The 25th jubilee meeting in Karlsruhe (IAAF Indoor Permit) will have three hot duels as main attractions. First time this season will meet so far unbeaten high jumpers Blanka Vlasic and Ariane Friedrich, the same goes for 60 m Hurdles between world indoor champion Lolo Jones and Olympic bronze winner Priscilla Lopes-Schliep and revenge after Stuttgart will be on tap when top two from Beijing Games will clash again at 800 m (Wilfred Bungei against Ahmed Ismail of Sudan). World indoor champion Tyler Christopher of Canada is the star of 300 m, another Valencia winner Deresse Mekonnen competes at 1500 m where he lost his world lead to Keitany. German male pole vaulters with all top names will be something to cheer for the spectators in the Europa-Halle. In the 60 m Hurdles US Olympic silver medalist David Payne will most probably fight with Czech Petr Svoboda for the top honour. Ukrainian world indoor medalist Tetyana Petlyuk is the star of women 800 m. Men´s triple jump should see a duel of Olympic medalist Leevan Sands, world medalist Jadel Gregorio and Cuban world indoor medalist David Giralt.

DONYETSK (UKR): In total 27 athletes (15 men and 12 women) are in the start list of 20th jubilee edition of Pole Vault Stars meeting in Donyetsk organised by Sergey Bubka (EA Indoor Permit). The Sunday competition before packed hall (5000 fans expected) could be very special. Jumping at two pits in the same time the best in the world, the two Beijing winners will be there. Australian Steve Hooker will come on Saturday from France, Russian legendary Yelena Isinbayeva (her opening of the season) is already there. This time not the usual freezy winter weather is waiting in this Ukrainian city, but temperatures well over zero and no snow. In the men competition also world indoor champion Yevgeniy Lukyanenko from Russia and 2004 olympic winner Tim Mack of USA will be jumping. Hooker already achieved 601 and 606 this winter and could attack the world record again before the eyes of the record holder himself. Back in 1993 Sergey Bubka achieved exactly in this hall the so far best male vault ever at 615 cm. Before that Bubka gave the Donyetsk crowd two other world records (605 in 1990 and 611 in 1991). The most popular female personality in current world scene Isinbayeva plans three outings this winter (after this Sunday it is Birmingham and Prague) and plans attacks on her world indoor record 495 from last year Donyetsk. From her ten indoor global marks six were achieved in the Ukrainian city in the sports hall Druzhba. Except of Jenn Stuczynski who jumpes in Arkansas all the other top contenders will be there with South American record holder Fabiana Murer, fellow Russians Yulia Golubchikova and Tatyana Polnova and strong Polish duo Monika Pyrek, Anna Rogowska.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

SHEFFIELD: On Saturday and Sunday in Sheffield Great Britain European Trials/National Championships will be staged. To follow mainly European indoor champion Philips Idowu in triple jump, European 3000 m leader Mo Farah who will run the 1500 m and the sprinters for example Craig Pickering against Dwain Chambers, Tyrone Edgar and many more. In women events Olympic medalist at 400 m Hurdles Tasha Danvers will be seen at 800 m against Jenny Meadows, her rival Marilyn Okoro runs the 400 m. World and European medalist Kelly Sotherton is entered in four events: 60 m hurdles, high jump, long jump and shot put.

MOSCOW: Starting already on Friday some 692 athletes will fight for Russian titles and Torino qualification at the CSKA Hall. They are representing 60 territories, making it the largest national championships event in the World. Registered are 428 men and 264 women. National anti-doping agency plans to realize 128 doping controls, 40 from them at EPO. 800 m runner Yuriy Borzakovskiy was already pre-selected and received a bye. European 3000 m leader Anna Alminova also got the green light for 3000 m, but she will run the 1500 m where she also wants to qualify for European Indoor Championships.

MOGILYOV: For Belarus athletes the qualification meet for Torino will be held from Friday till Sunday. The national championships are sponsored by newspaper Sports Panorama. Main names are shot putters Nadezhda Ostapchuk, the Olympic bronze medalist from Beijing and another Olympic finalist Yuriy Belov. Jumping events will be staged as Bulatov Memorial that is why for example Israeli record holder Niki Palli will compete in men´s high jump.

APPELDOORN: The 60 m hurdlers who were top two at last European indoor championships in Birmingham are the main names of AA Drink Indoor Dutch Championships during the weekend. Gregory Sedoc who improved the national record four times to 7.52 and Marcel Van der Westen are the names. Interesting fights could be expected in the men´s 60, 800 and 1500 m races. On the women side for example 800 m with Yvonne Hak could be the highlight.

TALLINN: Headlined by fresh high jump national record holder Anna Iljustsenko (193) the Estonian championships will be staged this weekend. Also to follow triple jumper Kare Leibak. Versatile Ksenija Balta will not compete due to injury, but she still hopes to be ready for Torino. Estonian federation is celebrating 100 years of the sport in the country this year.

SOFIA: Bulgarian athletes will fight also for National titles and European Indoor qualification this weekend. Mainly women sprinters and men long jumpers could secure the best results.

BUCURESTI: The Cupa de Cristal meet will serve also as national championships meet in Romania. World shot put leader Anca Heltne is the main name along with Angela Morosanu, Adelina Gavrila, Ancuta Bobocel on the women side. On the men side sprinter Catalin Cimpeanu and 400 m runner Ionut Vieru. The event will also help to name the team for Balkan Indoor Championships to be held on Feb 21 in Athens.

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