Irish record-holder Mary Cullen wins the second heat of the women's 3000m (© Getty Images)
High jumpers Blanka Vlasic and Ariane Friedrich began their trek towards this weekend’s most eagerly anticipated match-up as competition at the 30th European Athletics Indoor Championships resumed at the Oval Lingotto this morning.
The pair, who have each scaled a world-leading 2.05m this winter, expended little energy in the qualifying round, with the German Friedrich jumping only once at 1.89m, and Croatian heroine Vlasic jumping at 1.85m and1.89m before heading back to her hotel for her routine afternoon nap.
Vlasic, the reigning World champion both indoors and outdoors, is surprisingly enough, still chasing her first medal of any colour from a European championship. Friedrich on the other hand, has emerged in just over a year as one of the finest jumpers in the world. Vlasic’s only defeat this winter came at the hand of Friedrich, who arrived in Turin undefeated in seven competitions. Both expressed satisfaction with the venue’s surface.
The only disappointment of the morning came with Italian record holder Antonietta DiMartino’s withdrawal from the competition, who was sidelined by a cold and fever. The Italian took silver two years ago and is also the World co-silver medallist outdoors. The final is Sunday afternoon.
Alminova’s double ambitions forge on, Chojecka’s dashed - Women’s 3000m qualifying
Without a hitch, Anna Alminova continued on her road towards a 1500/3000m double while Lidia Chojecka, the woman Alminova hopes to succeed, unceremoniously ended her bid to defend.
Preserving her energy for this afternoon’s final, Alminova, Europea’s fastest 3000m runner this season, ran comfortably within herself in the first of two heats, finishing third in 8:58.03, just behind Turkey’s Almitu Bekele and Nuria Fernandez of Spain to advance easily.
“I’m tired after yesterday’s 1500m heats but I have enough power to compete this evening in the 1500m final,” the 24-year-old said who has clocked 4:02.23 and 8:28.49 this winter.
U.S.-based Irishwoman Mary Cullen was the winner of the second and faster heat in 8:55.01, just ahead of another Russian, Yuliya Zarudneva, the 22-year-old who won this year’s national title. Italian Silvia Weissteiner (8:59.17) and Portugal’s Jessica Augusto (9:00.20) advanced easily as well.
Chojecka on the other hand didn’t fare nearly as well. The 32-year-old Pole stepped off the track soon after finishing just one lap, putting in question her appearance in the 1500m final later today.
Okparaebo's Norwegian NR highlights 60m first round
The strong Russian trio of Anna Geflikh, Yevgeniya Polyakova and Natalya Murinovich all advanced easily from the morning's first round of the 60m, but stealing the spotlight, at least for a little while, was Ezinne Okparaebo. The 21-year-old knocked 0.04 seconds from her own Norwegian national record with her 7.22 dash in the third of four heats, the quickest of the round. Geflikh and Polyakova, along with Germany's Verena Sailer all stopped the clock at 7.30, while 7.40 proved enough to move on to this afternoon's semi-finals.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
