Previews28 May 2011


21.87m world lead for Hoffa in Hengelo – OVERALL MEETING PREVIEW – IAAF World Challenge

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Reese Hoffa nails a world-leading 21.87 in Hengelo's central square (© Bob Ramsak)

Hengelo, The Netherlands – Ahead of tomorrow’s main meeting USA’s Reese Hoffa kicked-off the 29th edition of the FBK Games with a bang today (28), reaching a world leading 21.87m in the Shot Put competition held in the city’s Burg. Jansenplein central square.


The FBK Games is an IAAF World Challenge Meeting.


Hoffa, the former World champion indoors and out, laid down the marker in the very first round, thrilling the spectators that packed the stands along the specially designed throwing area. It was a first for this IAAF World Challenge Meeting, but judging from the reception by both fans and athletes alike, it won’t be the last.


“It was surprising to throw that far with the first throw, but I was very focused in that first round and it just exploded,” said Hoffa, whose previous season’s best of 21.56m came back in early April.


Hoffa, who was second in Doha and third in Rome, was in strong form throughout, surpassing the 21-metre mark with each of his four legal efforts to take a dominant win. “Once I hit that I felt I had a good chance to win.”


Hoffa, along with his fellow throwers, seems to thrive in the intimate settings these out-of-stadia venues provide. “It’s awesome every time we get to compete outside of the stadium,” Hoffa said. “Hopefully the crowd gets excited and hopefully it makes for a positive experience for everyone.”


Hoffa showed his appreciation with a victory lap around the throwing area’s perimeter, sharing high fives with everyone within reach.


Poland’s Tomasz Majewski, the 2008 Olympic champion, reached 21.39m for second place with World champion Christian Cantwell, still on the mend from a shoulder surgery in February, third, reaching a season’s best 21.15m.


Canadian Dylan Armstrong’s best of the day was 20.96m, brining his six-meet win streak to an end.


All eyes on Alamirew


While the throwers competed under cloudy skies and relatively cool temperatures, the conditions are looking brighter for Sunday afternoon’s main programme at FBK Stadium. Having hosted the record-breaking achievements of Ethiopian living legends Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele, Hengelo has become synonymous with strong performances in the distances, and this year’s version will likely follow suit.


While Gebrselassie and Bekele won’t be here, a young Ethiopian already tabbed by some as the pair’s successor, Yenew Alamirew, will be. After a sensational 7:27.26 victory over 3000m at the Samsung Diamond League opener in Doha, Alamirew immediately thrust himself to the forefront of the 3000/5000m scene. His powerful kick in the Qatari capital propelled him into the event’s all-time top-10, leaving his follow-up in the Hengelo 5000m the meet’s most anticipated events. One near certainty – his 13:16.53 PB from last year will fall.


A victory as a late birthday present – Alamirew turned 21 on Friday (27) – will not however, come easily. Eight men in the field have dipped under 13 minutes, with plenty of established names providing Alamirew with a significant test. Among them are three of the next four finishers in that fast Doha contest who all crossed the line in under 7:31: Edwin Soi, Eliud Kipchoge and Vincent Chepkok. Chepkok has already run sub-13 this season, finishing third at Thursday’s Rome’s Samsung Diamond League fixture in 12:55.29, just behind runner-up Isiah Koech (12:54.59), who is also in the field. Augustine Choge, who was fourth in the Doha 3000m with a 7:28.76 PB, is a late hour withdrawal due to a minor chest infection.


In the women’s contest, the focus will fall on former World record holder Meseret Defar who’ll be making her season’s debut. The 27-year-old former Olympic champion is no stranger to this eastern Dutch city, setting the current stadium record of 14:35.37 in 2006, and winning again last year in just under 14:39.


She’ll have to be in shape to run significantly faster though, judging from the current form of her compatriot Sentayehu Ejigu. Ejigu finished second in the fast Shanghai 5000m 13 days ago, clocking 14:32.87. Kenyans Mercy Cherono (14:37.17 in Shanghai) and Sylvia Kibet, the 2009 World silver medallist, are also in the race.


Another world lead for Jamal?


A pair of strong 1500m races are in the works as well, with Maryam Jamal and Silas Kiplagat leading the respective fields.


In the women’s race, all eyes will be on Jamal, Bahrain’s two-time reigning World champion, who produced an impressive debut in Rome, clocking a world-leading 4:01.60. In that kind of early season form, the 26-year-old will be difficult to stop. Her primary challenge should come from those hoping to bounce back from the back pack of finishers in Rome: her compatriot Mimi Belete, and Kenyans Viola Kibiwot and Irene Jelagat. Kalkidan Gezahegne, the World indoor champion who turned 20 earlier this month, will be looking for her first solid outing of the season after a fifth place showing in Doha and not finishing in Rome.


The men’s field includes last year's world leader Silas Kiplagat of Kenya and top Ethiopian Gebremedhin Mekonnen. Kiplagat was second in Doha – where Mekonnen finished just a stride behind - and fourth in Shanghai.


Organisers were hit by a late hour withdrawal by newcomer Nixon Chebseba after personal tragedy struck the young Kenyan just a few days ago. The 20-year-old’s mother died earlier this week, and he sustained a minor back injury during the funeral. Chebseba made waves earlier this month after a pair of high profile victories in Doha and Shanghai.


Robles to make 2011 European debut


David Oliver and Liu Xiang have already illustrated their early season shape in the 110m Hurdles, now it’ll be Dayron Robles’ turn. The World record holder and Olympic champion’s eagerly awaited follow up to his 13.35 season opener in rainy Baie Mahault will be among the meeting’s most anticipated events.


After his opener in Guadeloupe, the Cuban indicated that he was over his indoor season setbacks and only needed some more races to get back into his rhythm. He’ll have some good company in Hengelo, where he’ll be looking to erase from his mind the tumble he took near the finish last year.


Leading the challenge will be Briton Andy Turner, who was just 0.01sec from his career best of 13.27 to win in Kingston earlier this month, beating a solid field. Jamaican record holder Dwight Thomas, fourth in Shanghai, and third in both Kingston and Daegu, will be looking to improve on his 13.31 season's best. Dutch eyes will of course focus on Gregory Sedoc and Marcel van de Westen, both sub-13.40 men at their best.


With her victory in Rome on Thursday (12.70, SB), women’s Olympic 100m Hurdles champion Dawn Harper continued her return from an injury shortened 2010 season.  With three wins in as many races this season, she brings the best momentum to Hengelo where she’ll face another exceptionally strong field.


The field includes her compatriots Kellie Wells, the world leader at 12.58 from Doha, along with Danielle Carruthers (12.64), Lolo Jones (12.67) and Ginnie Crawford (12.73) who have all run faster than Harper this season.


Martina gunning for sub-10


In the men's 100, the spotlight will shine brightly on Churandy Martina, who'll make his first start at home as a Dutchman. The 26-year-old, whose 9.93 career best came in the Beijing Olympic final where he finished fourth, has run fast in the Hengelo in the past, most recently in 2009 when he clocked 9.97. But he'll need to go considerably faster on Sunday than his 10.18 season's best to capture another Hengelo victory.


Like Martina, a few other career sub-10 men in the field will also be looking for their first breakout race of the season. Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago, the reigning Olympic silver medallist, was a distant fifth in Rome with a season's best of 10.13 and Jamaican Mario Forysthe (third in Shanghai with a 10.12 SB, seventh in Rome).


The women’s programme includes both the 100m and 200m. In the 100m, Schillonie Calvert of Jamaica (11.13 PB, SB), Bahamian veteran Debbie Ferguson (11.17 SB) and Doha 200m winner Lashauntea Moore of the USA lead the field and over the half lap the fastest of the entrants this season is American 400m standout Debbie Dunn (22.99 SB).


Meadows and Lalang the 800m favourites


The meeting kicks off with the men’s 800m where the stadium’s attention will fall on Dutchman Bram Som, the 2006 European champion who’ll be making his season’s debut. The man who succeeded him as continental crown holder, Poland’s Marcin Lewandowski, will also figure prominently, along with Briton Michael Rimmer, last year’s European silver medallist who chased Asbel Kiprop to the line in Doha. Kenyan Boaz Lalang, a sub-1:43 man and last year’s World silver medallist indoors, won in Daegu earlier this month and despite a disappointing fifth place finish in Rome, will be the man to beat.


In the women’s contest, Briton Jenny Meadows will be the women to beat. The Shanghai winner in 2:00.54, the World and European indoor silver medallist will be targeting her first sub-2:00 of the season, as will the rest of the field. Dutchwoman Yvonne Hak and Angelika Cichocka of Poland are expected to give chase.


Saladino – Phillips rivalry resumes


Irving Saladino, the reigning Olympic champion, and Dwight Phillips, the three-time and current World champion, renew their rivalry in the Long Jump at a venue both enjoy competing in. Saladino in particular has enjoyed immense success here, with FBK Stadium playing host to three of his eight best leaps. In 2008, he sailed to his 8.73m PB here, placing the Panamanian firmly within the event’s all-time top-10.


Phillips, last year’s winner here with a wind-aided 8.42m leap, jumped 8.54m in Hengelo in 2009, the seventh farthest leap of his career. The American’s 8.73m PB is just a centimetre better than that of Saladino, but the Panamanian has a 12-7 edge lifetime over his rival.


Saladino’s competed only once, winning in Guadeloupe with an 8.01m jump. Phillips too has just one Long Jump outing to his credit this year, a fourth place finish in Shanghai where he reached 8.07m.


Last year’s world leader at 8.47m, the European champion Christian Reif of Germany, is also in the field.


Most of the world’s best Discus throwers have converged on Hengelo, led by Germany’s 2009 World champion Robert Harting. The runner-up at last summer's European championships, Harting has a 69.64m career best and is the current world leader at 68.99m.


He’ll face European champion Piotr Malachowski, whose credentials also include World silver medallist, Olympic bronze medallist and the winner of last year's inaugural Diamond Race Trophy. Meanwhile, Dutch hopes are high, with Erik Cadee off to his best start ever. In Chula Vista, California, a month ago, he improved his personal best to 66.95m.


The men’s Pole Vault features a significant portion of the strong German corps, including Fabian Schulze, Raphael Holzdeppe and Tim Lobinger, while Marina Aitova of Kazakhstan leads the field in the women’s High Jump.


Bob Ramsak for the IAAF


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