by Larry Eder
SOPOT NEWS: ENTRIES, CAIN OUT
WORLD LEADERS: James Dasaolu for 60 m and pole vault star Renaud Lavillenie are not entered due to injuries from the 2014 World indoor leaders for this weeks World Indoors in Poland. Also Trinidad´s Deon Lendore who leads the 400 m lists is not competing due to his college duties. Genzebe Dibaba who leads the lists in the 1500 m and 3000 m will run only the longer distance. All the other 19 leading athletes in the current individual indoor lists should compete. That confirms the quality expected end of this week in Sopot.
NUMBER OF ENTRIES: In the entry lists published on Monday 587 athletes (310 men and 277 women) from 141 countries are included. As usual top number of entries is in the 60 m with 49 men and 44 women, followed by both hurdles sprints with 33 men and 32 women. The smallest number in running events is in men 800 m (21) and women 400 m, 800 m and 3000 m (all three 20). In technical events for both men and women highest numbers in shot put (21 men and 22 women). The smallest number in triple jump (men 12 and women 11). Interesting decline in women triple specially as Istanbul 2012 had 32 entries. Pole Vault could not be counted here as straight finals are planned thus the qualification standards were accordingly high (12 men and 13 women). Relays are having 10 men teams and 8 women teams. In reality the numbers will be lower due to coming changes and also in the entries countries are still having in some cases 3 athletes per event (will be reduced to two).
USA: While some US athletes arrived on Monday to Sopot the big news from the team says that national 1500 m champion Mary Cain has withdrawn from the championships. “Unfortunately I will not be able to travel to the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot,” Cain said in a statement. “Over the past week, I developed a discomfort in my lower calf. I had an MRI scan on Saturday and it was all clear, but I still feel the pain when I wear spikes and have decided not to risk making it worse in Poland. I hope to be able to run in the World Indoor Championships many times in the future. I wish all my fellow USA athletes the best and hope they bring home lots of medals from Poland.” Says USATF statement. Heather Kampf will run instead of her, the other 1500 m entry is Treniere Moser.
GREECE: Adoniya Steriou will not compete in Sopot in women high jump. She did not fully overcome her calf injury.
GREAT BRITAIN: Eilidh Child has been selected by UKA performance director Neil Black to captain the British team at the World Indoors in Sopot, reports Athletics Weekly. Child, who served as captain for the Scottish team at the Glasgow International Match earlier this season, will run the 4x400m in Sopot. Meanwhile, Eilish McColgan has had to withdraw from the championships as she has not sufficiently recovered following a minor illness. She was set to run the 3000m. The squad now has 34 athletes.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: World 400m bronze medallist Luguelin Santos ran 45.63 in Puerto-Rico during the weekend to win the Interuniversity Athletic League here, informs almomento.net. The 20 year old World and olympic medalist will now travel to Sopot for the World Indoors. He will be one of three representatives of his country along with another 400 m runner Gustavo Cuesta and female hurdler Lavonne Idlette.
CUBA: World Junior 110 m H champion Yordan O’Farrill is expecting to make it to the final of the 60mH in Sopot, reports people.com.cn. Farrill will be part of a 6 athlete Cuban team which also includes his training partner Yohany Portilla. At the last World Indoors Cuba won one medal; a bronze by triple jumper Mabel Gay. Technical head of the national commission Daniel Osorio said that he is confident that Cuba will perform better this year, adding that there is a good possibility the Carribean island can win more than one medal. Triple jumper Pedro Pablo Pichardo is the biggest medal hope as he leads the current world lists indoor and outdoor.
BRAZIL: Brazilian team for Sopot is having at the end six athletes. Female sprinter Franciela Krasucki for 60 m, Anderson Henriques for men 400 m and rest are jumpers. Title defender in the long jump Vinicius da Silva, Keila Costa for women triple and pole vaulters Augusto Dutra, Thiago Braz and Fabiana Murer.
GERMANY: Shot put world champion David Storl was handicaped on Saturday at ISTAF Indoor with a light knee injury. He hopes to be fit again for the World indoors this week. He informed on his facebook profile.
