by Larry EderBIG ATHLETICS RETURNS TO SLOVAKIA: 13 OLYMPIC MEDALLISTS
DUBNICA (SVK): The premier one day athletics meeting in Slovakia, the 6th Athletics Bridge (EA Permit) will this Sunday present in total 13 olympic medalists (5 winners, 4 silver and 4 bronze holders). Capacity crowd (4000) is expected in this „capitol of athletics” in the country, as the home club Spartak is the number one here headed by Milan Hort who is also Vice-Chairman of Slovak Parliament.
EME NEWS (SEP 5, 2008) DUBNICA SPECIAL
Live results at www.atletikadubnica.sk
Short ovierview of 15 events staged
MEN
100 m: Jamaican Olympic winner and world record holder Nesta Carter (first runner in the 4×100 m team) comes to attack not only the meet record 10.19 but also the Slovak all-comers record held since 1988 (20 years already) by Calvin Smith who clocked in Bratislava at GP Meet 10.07. But the meet record holder from last year Briton Tyrone Edgar will be also there.
800 m: Last year world finalist Mohamed Al-Salhi of Saudi Arabia comes to break 1:47 for the first time here. His main rivals possibly world junior medalist and last year world youth champion Geoffrey Kibet of Kenya with home record holder Jozef Repcik (1:44.94 this year).
3000 m: Group of 9 Kenyans headed by silver holder from Bydgoszcz Matthew Kisorio hopes to run below 7:50 what will be another great meet record.
110 m Hurdles: Last year here in cold weather Dayron Robles sprinted to 13.07 and that boosted him to great end of the season and wins in Stuttgart and Shanghai. „I m feeling great, if the weather is ok I can promise a fast time. I felt great already before Lausanne but made two mistakes and that cost me the win and possible world record. I m still thinking on bettering my time from June,” he said after arrival as Olympic winner to Slovakia.
400 m Hurdles: Dubnica is waiting for first sub 50 at the stadium. A group of four runners with sub 49 bests could take care if it, mainly Olympic finalist Markino Buckley of Jamaica.
High Jump: The emotional highlight as Stefan Holm (very popular in Slovakia, mainly because of indoor meet in Banska Bystrica) is having one of his last competitions ever. The stadium never witnessed 230 so there is a chance also because of participation of fresh national record holder Jesse de Lima of Brasil.
Pole Vault: Strong Czech group headed by Olympic finalist Jan Kudlicka hopes to attack the meet record 565 cm.
Triple Jump: Bahamian Leevan Sands as bronze winner from Beijing promised on Thursday after arrival a meet record attack (17.21) in live studio TV discussion in one of regional channels. But he will not have it easy with in-form jumping Osaka silver winner Jadel Gregorio, former world champion Walter Davis and home record holder Dmitrij Valukevic.
Shot Put: The full Olympic podium here. Tomasz Majewski in his first meet after Beijing, US Christian Cantwell after solid outing in Denmark in rain and Andrey Mikhnevich of Belarus also there.
Hammer Throw: Initial Beijing top three were confirmed but after all last days changes the winner Primoz Kozmus of Slovenia is the star along with new-possible-silver holder Krisztian Pars and former Olympic winner from 2000 Szymon Ziolkowski of Poland.
WOMEN
100 m: UK record holder Montell Douglas could attack the meet record 11.25 but it will not be too easy.
400 m: Two Olympic finalists and relay medal winners will clash. Russian Tatyana Firova and Jamaican Rosemarie Whyte. Good credentials also for other Caribbeans Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica and Christine Amertil of Bahamas.
600 m: Special race for best female Slovak athlete Lucia Klocova who should run Slovak record sub 1:28.
100 m Hurdles: Dawn Harper last year won here with 12.83, this year she returned as Olympic winner and ready for fast time and better her meet record. „My coach is telling me that I did not show yet all my potential, I think I m a 12.4 runner, so let´see,” she said. In the fiels also Olympic bronze holder Priscilla Lopes-Schliep.
Javelin: Russian Olympic silver holder Mariya Abakumova is the main headliner with the aim to achieve at least Slovak All-comers record which is 63.04.
