Previews16 Jul 2004


Feofanova to reach for the stars in Madrid SGP - Preview

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Svetlana Feofanova celebrates winning the women's pole vault (© Getty Images)

Russia’s World Pole Vault record holder Svetlana Feofanova will be one of the main attractions at the IAAF Super Grand Prix  meet to be held here tomorrow 17 July.

Fresh from her record breaking performance (4.88m) on 4 July in Iráklio, Greece, the 2003 World champion vaulter confirmed at a press conference today -  “I’ll try to set a new World record but conditions need to be ideal to get it.”

Feofanova, who turns 24 today, is joined in the women’s Pole Vault line-up by Poland’s Anna Rogowska and Monika Pyrek, Ukraine’s Anzhela Balakhonova and Iceland’s Thorey Elisdottir among others.

Ramzi, Bungei, Reina...the world best in the men’s 800

The line-up in the men’s 800m will be of the highest calibre and it won’t be a surprise if a new world leading performance which currently stands at 1:43.88 (set by World record holder Wilson Kipketer in Rome). Spain’s Antonio Reina has set himself the target of breaking the current national record, the 1:43.83 he needed in the World Cup which was held on the Madrid track in 2002, when he beat the future World champion Algeria’s Djabir Saïd-Guerni.

But even that sort of clocking won’t guarantee success for the Spaniard as Bahrain’s 1500m world leader (3.30.25) Rashid Ramzi has decided to tackle the 800m event tomorrow.

Ramzi, the World Indoor 800m silver medallist has a PB of 1:46.15 set indoors in Budapest but after his outstanding 1500 performances earlier this summer Ramzi should run well below 1:45. Compatriot Yussuf Saad Kamel (SB of 1:44.99) will also be in contention, while Kenyan Wilfred Bungei heads a powerful group of Africans, including fellow Kenyans Justus Koech and Nicholas Wachira, and Morocco’s Laalou Amine. All of them are in the top ten of the world this year.

Silva takes on Ngeny

In the men’s 1500m Portugal’s Rui Silva is the fastest entrant with a 3.32.13 clocking on 2 July in Rome. The current Olympic champion Kenya’s Noah Ngeny, who holds a season’s best of 3:33.38, will try to make up for his below-par performance at the Kenyan Trials which has prevented him from even beginning the defence of his crown in Athens. Other athletes to watch are Morocco’s Adil El Kaouch, and Spain’s Álvaro Fernández while the Kenyan contingent comprises William and Cornelius Chirchir, Benjamin Kipkurui and Mike Too.

Alekna – Fazekas road show hits town

The men’s Discus should provide one of highlights tomorrow since the first four throwers on this season’s list will be on show, plus the Spaniard Mario Pestano, who places sixth.

Reigning World and Olympic champion Lithuania’s Virgilijus Alekna starts as hot favourite given his 7-win streak this year but only 14 centimetres separates Alekna’s best performance (70.97) from Hungary’s European champion Robert Fazekas’s (70.83), both their marks were set in Rethimno, Greece on 23 June.

Also in the fight for the win should be the Estonian pair of Gerd Kanter (68.50) and Alexander Tammert (68.48), while performing on home soil will be Mario Pestano with a PB of 68.00.

Nelson takes on quality Shot field

In the men’s Shot Put, the star name is America’s Adam Nelson, recent winner at the US Trials with 21.64 but the reigning World and Olympic silver medallist will face stiff opposition from his compatriot Reese Hoffa, also qualified for Athens, and Spain’s Manuel Martínez, winner last Tuesday in Salamanca with a 21.06 release. Other men not to be discounted are Denmark’s Joachim Olsen, Carl Myerscough of Britain, Finland’s Ville Tiisanoja and the Czech Petr Stehlik.

Phillips faces stiff challenge

The Olympic Games are now only one month ahead and America’s World Long Jump champion Dwight Phillips could be regarded as a more than likely Athens medallist since he tops this year’s list with two 8.44 efforts and is fresh from a convincing win (8.28 in the final/8.37 in the qualifying round) at the US Olympic Trials in Sacramento.

However, Phillips will face perhaps his strongest opposition of the summer in Madrid - (with their season’s bests in brackets) Venezuela’s Víctor Castillo (8.34), Romania’s Bogdan Tarus (8.26), Spain’s Joan Lino Martínez (8.25 – Cuban born and gained nationality earlier this month), Ukraine’s Vladimir Zyuskov (8.23) and another four 8.10+ jumpers, plus Spain’s World bronze medallist Yago Lamela (8.06).

Francique – unbeaten this season

In the men’s 400m Grenada’s Alleyne Francique is the man to beat as he is the world leader with a 44.47 performance (8 May in Osaka). More recently Francique, who is unbeaten this outdoor season, clocked 44.75 in Lausanne.  Trying to deny him the top spot will be 2002 World Cup winner Jamaica’s Michael Blackwood and the Congo’s Gary Kikaya. Europe’s response should come from Munich medallists Germany’s Ingo Schultz and Britain’s Daniel Caines.

Pittman and Lalova won’t run their specialist events

As the women’s 100m is not scheduled tomorrow, the current world leader over 100m with an impressive 10.77 clocking Bulgaria’s Ivet Lalova will line-up in the 200m against Bahamas’ Debbie Ferguson, Cayman Island’s Cydonie Mothershill and Australia’s Lauren Hewitt. Lalova’s PB at this distance is 22.58 what places her 8th on this season’s list.

World 400m Hurdles champion Australian Jana Pittman has preferred to tackle the 400m flat event on this occasion. Pittman will need to perform close to her PB of 50.43 to hold off the challenge from another illustrious hurdler, Romania’s Ionela Tirlea, Grenada’s Hazel Ann-Regis, and Jamaica’s Nadia Davi.

Cloete and Menéndez - undisputed favourites

Double World champion South Africa’s Hestrie Cloete heads the women’s High Jump field which also includes 1.95 jumpers such as Ukraine’s Irina Mykhalkchenko and Spain’s Marta Mendía. Cloete holds a season’s best of 2.03, just one centimetre behind Russia’s Yelena Slesarenko’s 2.04 world lead.

Women’s World Javelin record holder Osleydis Menéndez of Cuba, who took bronze four years ago at the Sydney Olympics, faces her compatriot Sonia Bisset and Czech Republic’s Nikola Brejchova. These three athletes top the world list this year.

Other highlights include…

In the women’s 1500m, Britain’s in-form Kelly Holmes seems ready to approach the 4:00 (season’s best of 4:03.73) barrier after her comfortable 1:58.71 win two weeks ago in San Sebastián. The current World 800m silver medallist will compete against Hungary’s Judit Varga, Wioleta Janowska of Poland, Russia’s Julia Chizhenko and Natalia Rodríguez of Spain.

In Mutola’a absence (injured) from the women’s 800m pitches the Moroccan duo of Mina Ait Hammou and Hasna Benhassi, Cuba’s Zulia Calatayud, Brazil’s Luciana Mendes and Russia’s Tatiana Roslanova, all of them having broken the 2:00 barrier this season.

The women’s 100 Hurdles features Spain’s Glory Alozie and the Jamaican pair of Delloreen Ellis- London and Lacena Golding-Clarke in what should be a close battle for the win.

Women’s World 10,000m champion Ethiopia’s Berhane Adere will be competing in the women’s 3000m alongside Ireland’s Olympic silver medallist Sonia O’Sullivan, Portugal’s multiple medallist Fernanda Ribeiro (she ran 4:17 for 1500 in Madeira on 11 July), Australia’s World Cross champion Benita Johnson and Kenia’s Ines Chenonge.

On the men’s side Australia’s Craig Mottram returns to the stadium where he won the World Cup in 2002 (7.41.37) and will run against former (1999) 5000m World silver medallist Benjamín Limo and a bunch of Spaniards headed by European 10,000m champion José Manuel Martínez.

Finally, World 400m Hurdles champion Félix Sánchez (DOM) has withdrawn from the meet, the Madrid organisation announced earlier in the week.

Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF

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