European Championships Day Two
Those quick men in the 100m will provide the high point of the second day of action of the European Championships, find out more of what to look forward to in the Barcelona sunshine in our latest daily preview at spikesmag.com
The men’s 100m, tell me more?
Yes, sure. After the phoney war of yesterday’s heats of the men’s 100m, Europe’s top sprinters go at it for real with the semi-finals and final tonight. This one has been billed as a head-to-head duel between Dwain Chambers the veteran Brit and emerging French star Christophe Lemaitre, who is 12 years his junior.
Yes, but who is going to win?
That’s the million dollar question, of course. Chambers defeated Lemaitre by 0.03 in their one and only previous outing this year at the European Team Championships in Bergen winning that clash in 9.99. Lemaitre has subsequently gone quicker – running 9.98 at the French Championships and becoming the first while man to run under the mythical 10-second barrier – and Chambers himself reckons the winner will have to go sub-ten.
Anyone else got a prayer?
Unlikely, but as is often the case with athletics it can be unpredictable. Lemaitre’s French team-mate Martial Mbandjock has a season’s best of 10.08 and Norway’s Jaysuma Saidy Ndure (10.09) can also not be a discounted.
Taking a change of pace, haven’t be got the women’s 10,000m final tonight?
We certainly have. And this one looks like it is set to be dominated by the Russians. Interestingly, the one-two from the London Marathon in April Liliya Shobukhova and Inga Abitova are stepping down in distance and will start as the two favourites. Both boast impressive PB’s with Abitova the defending champion, but Shobukhova getting the better of her countrywoman in London,
Anyone likely to challenge the Russians.
Portugal have a couple of class athletes in Sara Moreira and Jessica Augusto and will be no pushovers. Watch out also for Germany’s Sabrina Mockenhaupt.
Any other finals today?
We have three in the field and expect Russia, again, to dominate in the women’s long jump. The European leader is Olga Kucharenko with 7.13m, although the pre-event favourite will be her compatriot and defending champion Ludmila Kolchanova, who appears to be rounding into form at the right time after her victory at the Russian Trials. The third Russian Tatyana Kotova the 2002 European champion is also a powerful threat and will be seeking to regain her title. Aside from the Russians watch out for Naide Gomes, of Portugal, the European silver medallist from four years ago.
And what of the other field event finals?
The women’s discus final promises to be a battle between the generations. Representing the oldies is Russia’s Natalya Sadova, the 2004 Olympic champion and Romania’s Nicoleta Grasu, the World Championship bronze medallist who are both 38 years young. Of the younger mob, take note of European and world leader Nadine Muller of Germany – a relatively youthful 24 and Croatia’s European junior champion Sandra Perkovic a positively embryonic 20. Libor Charfreitag of Slovakia heads the list of hopefuls in the men’s hammer.
Is that everything?
Not quite. We have bags of intriguing semi-finals, heats and qualification sessions to look forward to not to mention the first day of the men’s decathlon. Among the chief contenders in the race to be crowned Europe’s finest all-around athlete is Oleksiy Kasyanov of Ukraine and France’s Romain Barras. Both will be looking to end the long reign of the Czech great Roman Sebrle the 2002 and 2006 champion.
And anything else to keep an eye on?
The men’s and women’s 400m semi-finals. The men’s 400m looks to be a three-way battle between UK-based training partners, Martyn Rooney and Great Britain and Ireland’s David Gillick, and also Belgium’s Jonathan Borlee, the European leader. See how they perform in the semi-finals. In the women’s 400m semi-finals expect more Russian dominance as they boast the fastest three women in the event – Tatyana Firova (pictured), Antonia Krivoshapka and Kseniya Ustalova. Denisa Roslova a converted long jumper and multi-eventer could be another threat.