Around the Arena – DAY TWO - What to look out for in Budapest’s Sportarena

Nine golds will be decided in the Sportarena on the second day of the 10th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics, Budapest, Hungary (5 – 7 March 2004).

Memories of a year ago

Savouring memories of the 4.80m World record set by Russia's Svetlana Feofanova in last year’s women’s Pole Vault final in Birmingham, you would be extremely pessimistic if you did not entertain the prospect of a further World record assault high above the landing mat in Budapest today.

Feofanova and her compatriot Yelena Isinbayeva have established three World records between them this winter – 4.81, 4.83 to the latter, and more recently the 4.85 leap of the former who is the reigning World champion indoor and out.

Qualification was a strangely low-key affair yesterday with Feofanova leading the contest with 4.45m ahead of a group on 4.40m who included Isinbayeva. Of the eight women who made it through the lowest performance was 4.30. We can only hope this was just the preliminary lull before the storm of today’s final.

Triple Jump record assault too?

Unduly high expectations seldom lead to satisfaction in any walk of life but in the women’s Triple Jump final we can also seriously entertain the possibility of a World record.

The mark that Russia’s double World outdoor champion and world leader Tatyana Lebedeva (14.71), and Italy’s 2003 Paris World Championships bronze medallist Magdelin Martinez (national record -  14.81) are likely to surpass in the thick of competition is the 15.16 distance which took 1999 and 2003 World Indoor champion Ashia Hansen (GBR) to the European Indoor title in 1998.

The Briton is concentrating on fully recovering from persistent injury and is aiming at Athens instead but in her absence with a total of 12 women on or over 14.30m in qualification anything might result in the final.

Both the men’s and women’s 400 metres have their semi and then final stages to play out today with Davian Clarke of Jamaica (46.36) in the former, and Bahamas’ Tonique Williams (51.76) in the latter, who were the fastest of yesterday’s qualifiers for today’s semi-final. However, what ever the results if all goes to plan in the women’s championship, the Russian pairing of Natalya Nazarova (51.71) and Olesya Krasnomovets (52.17) could produce the world's second sub-50 clocking of this season.

Pedroso's historic goal

The men’s Long Jump offers the prospect of an historic sixth championships' win for Cuba’s Ivan Pedroso but even though he raised his season's best by one centimetre to 8.02 in qualification, all wise bets are centred on Savante Stringfellow (USA) whose 8.31m towers above all. Last summer’s World Championships silver medallist James Beckford (JAM), was the next best of the final qualifiers (8.22).

Third title for Holm?

A third consecutive High Jump title beckons for Sweden’s Stefan Holm who this season has made 2.32 look common place, and is widely touted as being ready to clear 2.40m, especially since his 2.37 clearance in Stockholm earlier this winter. The 27-year-old Swede made it through yesterday’s qualification with a clean card, one of four jumpers not to have had any failures.

Kutre Dulecha of Ethiopia and Britain’s Kelly Holmes battle it out for 1500m honours in the last segment of the evening’s programme. While the Briton who was the silver medallist last year in Birmingham has the style and tactical edge, it could possibly be the more aggressive running of Dulecha, who seems to have developed a new drive since returning from maternity leave, who could be the more potent championship campaigner.

Johnson looks for repeat

The three rounds of the men’s High Hurdles begin and end today, and it would be pointless to add anymore to our general preview predictions published earlier this week, other than to remind all that Allen Johnson (USA) is the reigning champion and fastest in the world this year (7.43), and that his nearest rival is Asian record holder Xiang Liu of China (7.51).

Then finally it will be the turn of the longest distance race on the World Indoor championships programme, the men’s 3000m (the women’s final will take place on Sunday). Ethiopia’s Markos Geneti (7:52.08) the winner of the first heat, and Kenya’s Bernard Lagat (7:47.70), who headed a much quicker second qualifier, remain the firm bets but with seven men in total under 7:50 yesterday the field of twelve is talented and could throw up any number of winning scenarios.

To keep a close eye on all the action, go to this site's results and event-by-event reports sections -