Europe
prepares for Cup showdown in Annecy
Patrick F. Merle for the IAAF
19 June 2002 - The French city of Annecy, located at the foot of the Alps has
often staged major Athletics events, the last one of international standard
being the 1998 IAAF World Junior Championships. This year the Stade Municipal
des Sports of Annecy welcomes the Spar European Cup on June 22 and 23.
There will be more than the usual eagerness to claim the European Cup title this summer as the contesting nations will also be aiming to clinch a qualifying berth (via first or second places) for the IAAF World Cup to be held in Madrid next September 20 and 21.
Beyond the battles for team honours this weekend, spectators have the opportunity to witness star-studded line ups in many events. In the men’s competition there are the likes of Great-Britain's Dwain Chambers, bronze medallist over 100m at the 1999 World Championships, Germany's Nils Schumann, the reigning 800m Olympic champion, and the mastery of veteran World record-holders Colin Jackson (110m hurs) and Jonathan Edwards (TJ).
In the women's match, there is France's double European indoor 200m champion Muriel Hurtis, Romania's great distance runner Gabriela Szabo who needs no introduction, as well as Russia's pole vaulting record breaker Svetlana Feofanova.
These are just a few of the great names who will be on show in Annecy this weekend for an event which will act as a major dress rehearsal for many of these stars ahead of this summer's European Championships and Commonwealth Games.
In the men's competition, Poland, the winner last year ahead of Russia and Italy, believe they can recreate their performance. Led by Marek Plawgo, who will run the 400m, the Polish team will also count on Pawel Czapiewski, bronze medallist over 800m in Edmonton, and their 4x400m team, the premier European relay team in 2001. The Polish have a young team and after their achievements at the World Indoors and Outdoors last season, they want to confirm that they're no longer just a re-emerging nation but a permanent power in continental athletics.
They face, however, a tough challenge. Great-Britain, a disappointing 5th last year in Bremen, will this time field a strong team based on a combination of experience and promising talent, in order to challenge for a title they last claimed in 2000 on home soil. Steve Backley in Javelin, Jonathan Edwards in triple jump and Colin Jackson in 110m Hurdles, needless to say, lead this squad. These “veterans” will be the driving force of the team, which will also count on Dwain Chambers in the 100m dash and Daniel Caines over 400m. Both sprinters are leading the new generation of British sprinters and should live up to their reputation.
"In the men' s competition, Poland start as favorites after last year's outstanding result, but I think we will be disappointed if we don't qualify for the World Cup by finishing in the first two, Max Jones, the UK Athletics Performance Director, stated, "If the men compete well, they can win."
Robert Poirier, the Technical Director of the French team expects the competition to be fierce but is hopeful for a good result - "There are two reasons why we should do well. One, we are competing on home soil, and two, we have a strong contingent," he said after the Villeneuve d'Ascq meeting last weekend.
One can only agree with him. The French do have a competitive team. In Annecy, they will have Stéphane Diagana, who just won his first 400m hurdles of the season in the Meeting du Nord, Medhi Baala, also victorious and impressive over 800m, who will run his first 1500 of the season, as well as Driss Maazouzi, the reigning bronze medallist over 1500m, who steps up to 3000m. France is expecting a better team finish this year. "I think it might be a little early for me in the season, " Diagana confessed last Sunday, "but we will see."
Eventually, one shouldn't count off the Germans or the Russians. Germany has constantly been in the top three since 1998, except last year when they had to content themselves with the fourth spot, while Russia will hope to at east to re-confirm the second place which they acquired last season.
If Germany’s Ingo Schultz is a strong favourite to win the 400m, in the 800m there is a promising duel between Olympic champion Nils Schumann and the Russian prodigy Yuriy Borzakovskiy, the World indoor gold medallist.
In the women's event, Russia is the nation to beat. They've never placed outside the top two since 1993, winning the Cup every time for the past five years. This weekend, their top athletes are all present, from the controversial Olga Yegorova over 5000, Yelena Zadorozhnaya who was third over 3000m at the European indoors, Tatayna Kotova in Long Jump and Natalya Sadova the current World champion in Discus, to Svetlana Feofanova in the vault.
The young Russian, European pole vault record holder, returned to Moscow after Lille last weekend to train and be ready for Annecy. And although Feofanova did not promise any heights, her eyes glittered when asked if she would break the World record.
While the top team spot seems to be already booked by Russia, the fight for the second position should certainly be strongly disputed. Germany, traditionally do well. Second in Bremen, second in Gateshead in 2000 as well as in 1998, their ambition once again is a place in the top three. Their best chances being a victory in the shot put with Astrid Kumbernuss but they should also mount up a good points total via a consistent level of good placings across all events.
The French team is also accustomed to step up on the podium at the European Cup. Third overall for the past four seasons, they want more this year. Led by Muriel Hurtis, who holds the current fastest time over 100 and 200 amongst the contenders, they should grab some points with the promising Manuela Montebrun in Hammer Throw. Ranked second in the world with a throw over 72.54m, behind Poland's Olympic champion Kamila Skolimowska, she could well create a surprise and set a new French national record. The same could be said for Vanessa Boslak in Pole Vault. In two weeks, she went from 4.35m to 4.41m and doesn't seem eager to stop there. The main worry remains Hurtis' form. The new French gazelle admitted to having suffered in the final 50m of her 200 in Lille last weekend. She has been asked to double in Annecy as well as running the 4x100 relay, which could be a risk.
France hopes for home success this weekend. Annecy joined the French kingdom in 1860 and both French teams would love to confirm that in this city they also rule European athletics.
