Derek Miles in Donetsk (© IAAF)
Tallin, EstoniaTwo current World leaders in jumping events headline the field for tomorrow‘s 3rd “Jumping Gala Tallinn 2005“ in the Estonian capital.
In the “Audentese Hall“, Athens seventh placer Derek Miles will compete for the 6th time this indoor season. He started with a 4th place in Reno in January but then onwards had successive wins in Vermillion, New York, Donetsk and Stockholm.
With his 5.85m he leads the World lists. He will face fellow countrymen Toby Stevenson (silver at the Athens Olympic Games, but only 5.60 so far this season) and Jeff Hartwig (5.70 indoors so far).
Big pressure on Americans is expected from the very good Ukrainian duo of Denis Yurchenko (this winter 5.80) and Ruslan Yeremenko (this winter 5.84 and win in Stuttgart).
In the field also European Champion Aleksander Averbukh (Israel), UK record holder Nick Buckfield and local decathlon hero Erki Nool.
Another World leader Yaroslav Rybakov (RUS) will have its 7th competition of the indoor season and he is undefeated, jumping all six previous meets in the range of 2.31-2.38m. The last one in Stockholm was not only the number one mark of the year but also a new national record.
This time he will jump without Jaroslav Baba who is competing at the Czech national championships, but with 2003 World champion from South Africa Jacques Freitag, 2000 Olympic champion Sergey Klyugin from Russia and 6th placer from Athens Mark Boswell from Canada.
Surprise could come from American Tora Harris who cleared 2.30 in January in Czech Republic.
The organisers are hoping that the 3500 capacity will be achieved not only thanks to these two World leaders but also with a very strong Long Jump with current IAAF World Indoor champion Savanthe Stringfellow from USA, Sydney bronze medal winner Roman Shchurenko from Ukraine and Athens fourth placer James Beckford from Jamaica.
The main favourite in the women‘s Long Jump will be bronze medal winner from the 2002 European Championships Tunde Vaszi of Hungary.
The action in the sprints should also offer interesting duels with Jamaica‘s Tayna Lawrence as the favourite in the women‘s 60 m race, World leader Stanislav Olijar from Latvia at 60m Hurdles and the Kallur sisters from Sweden in the women’s sprint hurdles. In the men‘s 60m South African Morne Nagel should fight with US sprinter Coby Miller for the first place.
By an IAAF Correspondent
