The changing of the guard: 2004 Olympic decathlon champion Roman Sebrle salutes the new champion, Bryan Clay (© Getty Images)
Two weeks to go to the IAAF World Indoor Championships and confirmations have been received from the 16 all-round athletes who will compete in Doha, Qatar.
The first set of confirmations was received three weeks ago and it included stellar names such as Berlin World champions Jessica Ennis (GBR) and Trey Hardee (USA), Beijing Olympic champion Natalia Dobrynska (UKR), Berlin World medallists Leonel Suarez (CUB) and Alexander Pogorelov (RUS) and Latvia’s Aiga Grabyste.
Following the deadline of 22 February set by the IAAF, a further 10 athletes (5 women and 5 men) have been invited by the IAAF as follows: the top 3 on the 2010 World Indoor lists plus 2 athletes chosen at the discretion of the IAAF.
The full list of competing athletes in Doha is:
Men - Heptathlon
Trey HARDEE (USA)
Leonel SUAREZ (CUB)
Alexander POGORELOV (RUS)
Aleksey DROZDOV (RUS)
Oleksiy KASYANOV (UKR)
Andrei KRAUCHANKA (BLR)
Bryan CLAY (USA)
Roman SEBRLE (CZE)
Women - Pentathlon
Jessica ENNIS (GBR)
Natalia DOBRYNSKA (UKR)
Aiga GRABYSTE (LAT)
Tatyana CHERNOVA (RUS)
Hyleas FOUNTAIN (USA)
Karolina TYMINSKA (POL)
Marina GONCHAROVA (RUS)
Antoinette NANA-DJIMOU (FRA)
In the men’s Heptathlon, Aleksey Drozdov (first on the 2010 World Indoor lists), Oleksiy Kasynov (2nd) and Andrei Krauchanka (4th) have been invited based on their standings. Beijing Olympic champion Bryan Clay and World record holder Roman Sebrle have been invited at the discretion of the IAAF.
Only Ashton Eaton of the United States who currently stands in second on the 2010 World Indoor lists declined the IAAF’s invitation as it clashes with the NCAA Championships at which he is scheduled to compete.
In the women’s Pentathlon, seven of the top eight athletes on the 2010 World Indoor lists will compete in Doha. Olga Zainutdinova (6th) will be absent as she is “only” the third Russian and a maximum of two athletes per country can compete in the IAAF World Indoor Championships.
World champion Jessica Ennis is the only competitor not ranked in 2010 as the British champion has yet to compete in a Pentathlon event this winter.
How Participants are chosen:
For the combined events, Eight (8) athletes will be invited by the IAAF in the Heptathlon and in the
Pentathlon as follows:
• the three best athletes from the 2009 Outdoor Lists (as at 31st December 2009), limited to a
maximum of one per country and
• the three best athletes from the 2010 Indoor Lists (as at 22nd February 2010)
• two athletes which may be invited at the discretion of the IAAF
In total no more than two male and two female athletes from any one Member will be invited. Upon refusals or cancellations, the invitations shall be extended.
