by Alfonz Juck
Sarah Petersen, Rio 2016, photo by PhotoRun.net
RunBlogRun opines: Sarah Slott Petersen, the 2016 Rio silver medalist at 400 meter hurdles and the gold medalist from 2016 Amsterdam European Champs will be racing in Belgrade as part of the Danish team. Petersen is very tough over the 400m hurdles and is a fine 400 meter runner as well.
BELGRADE NEWS
DARMSTADT (GER): A 45-member team has been chosen to represent Germany at the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade. Leading names on the team include reigning shot put champion David Storl, European triple jump champion Max Hess and former world pole vault champion Raphael Holzdeppe. Konstanze Klosterhalfen has been chosen for both the 1500m and 3000m while Pamela Dutkiewicz and Cindy Roleder start among the favourites in the 60m hurdles. European U20 champion Gina Luckenkemper has chosen to forego the champs but the Germans will still be well represented in the 60m by Rebekka Haase, Lisa Mayer and Alexandra Burghardt. Multi-events specialist Claudia Rath will contest the individual long jump along with Alexandra Wester and Maryse Luzolo.
ISTANBUL (TUR): Turkey is sending 15 athletes to Belgrade, additions are possible after Balkan Championships. Main stars will be European Champions and medalists from distance races. Yasemin Can will run 3000 m, Ozlem Kaya 1500 m or 3000 m, Ali Kay and Aras Kaya also the 3000 m on the men side. Strong is also the men 4×400 m team. The only athlete in technical events will be Emel Dereli for women shot put.
PARIS (FRA): A 30-strong team will represent France at the European Indoor Championships. Star names on the team include Olympic decathlon silver medallist Kevin Mayer in the heptathlon and reigning European indoor champion Pascal Martinot-Lagarde who makes up a strong triumvirate in the 60m hurdles along with Aurel Manga and Garfield Darien. Other leading medal hopes include Kevin Menaldo in the pole vault, Jean-Marc Pontvianne and Melvin Raffin (junior) in the triple jump and Floria Guei in the 400m.
KYIV (UKR): A team of 32 athletes will represent Ukraine at the European Indoor Championships. Leading medal contenders include former European indoor 60m champion Olesya Povh, world indoor U20 pentathlon record-holder Alina Shukh and a strong trio in the high jump including Yuliya Levcheko and veteran Oksana Okuneva. Former world and European triple jump champion Olha Saladukha is a notable absentee.
TALLINN (EST): Estonia is sending 6 athletes (3 men and 3 women) to Belgrade. Ksenija Balta who in 2009 the long jump is entered for 60 m and her specialty. Heptathlete Maicel Uibo is another top name, he is invited based on his 2016 result and did not compete so far indoors.
COPENHAGEN (DEN): European 400 m hurdles champion Sara Petersen is the main name in the Danish team. 4 men and 2 women is the summary. Also to note young sprinter Kristoffer Hari for the 60 m and experienced Andreas Bube for 800 m. Unfortunately high jumper Janick Klausen is out due to heel injury.
BUDAPEST (HUN): Hungarian team will have 15 athletes with Anita Marton in shot put and Balazs Baji in 60 m hurdles the main medal hopes. Also to note Tamas Kazi in the 1500 m and two strong names for pentathlon Gyorgyi Zsivoczky-Farkas with Xenia Krizsan.
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): Multi-eventer Liam Ramsey has been added to the British team for the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade next week but European indoor 3000m silver medallist Lee Emanuel has pulled out.
MOSCOW (RUS): Former champion Darya Klishina will train in Rome ahead of the European Indoor Championships according to her agent Alexey Nikolaev, informs R-Sport. Klishina will arrive in the Serbian capital next Wednesday.
