Donald Thomas (BAH) - an elated winner of the men's High Jump (© Getty Images)
Two reigning World champions, Donald Thomas and Derval O´Rourkeare set to shine at the indoor international Tähtien Kisat (Star Games) - meeting in Tampere’s giant Pirkkahalli which supports a flat 300m track, on Wednesday 27 February.
Donald Thomas of the Bahamas, who arguably is basketball’s greatest loss and athletics greatest gain, will not only compete in the Men’s High Jump, the event at which he is 2007 outdoor World champion but will also show-off his basketball skills during the half-time pause of a Finnish League match Tampereen Pyrintö - Uudenkaupungin Korihait, which has been staged as a joint attraction for spectators attending the Star Games.
Thomas, a promising university basket player in the USA when his huge jumping talents were discovered in the indoor season of 2006, after only one year and a half won the World High Jump title in Osaka.
With an outdoor personal best of 2.35m and an indoor mark of 2.33m, Thomas has so far jumped 2.28m indoors this winter season, but the Pirkkahalli is known as a very good place to make good results, and Thomas is looking forward to his last competition before the 12th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain, 7- 9 March.
Unlucky so far and ready to fly high
Thomas has already spent time in Finland before he jumped in Bydgoszcz, Poland, 20 February, and while he cleared only 2.24 in Poland, he was unlucky, too.
"I had one very close attempt on 2.30m, but I dropped the bar with my feet. At the last attempt I fell down on a very slippery runway, but luckily I was not injured,” says Thomas.
Coach Juha Isolehto, the former Finnish record holder (2.30m PB 1995), has been analyzing Thomas´ jumps and making some biomechanical research of them during training sessions in Finland. Despite the World champion’s results not being very good so far in 2008, Isolehto is sure that Thomas will fly very high in this year.
What it comes to the basketball shows, Thomas is not afraid of getting injuries. He loves to have a good time with a ball and young people interested in basketball where ever he goes.
At the Star Games, Thomas will have to jump well to win. Russian Alexey Dmitryk who has leapt 2.30m indoors this season and the Finns Oskari Frösen (2.31m PB) & Osku Torro (2.27m PB) will be ready to spring a surprise.
Will O’Rourke be ready for Valencia?
The other World champion competing in Tampere is Ireland’s Derval O’Rourke, who is the reigning indoor gold medallist for the women’s 60m Hurdles. O’Rourke has been suffering from an injury and her indoor season has been difficult, with a best of only 8.09 secs in Athens 13 February.
Tampere is an important test for O’Rourke only 9 days before Valencia, where she will defend her surprising World Indoor title for Moscow 2006. Gemma Bennet of Great Britain, Yulia Kondankova (8.00/08) of Russia and Mirjam Liimask of Estonia will not let the Irishwomen win easily in Tampere.
Beckford and Mokoena in the Long Jump
In the men’s Long Jump, there will be a battle between James Beckford of Jamaica and Khotso Mokoena of South Africa. Former Olympic and World silver medallist Beckford, 33, with 8.62m outdoors / 8.40m indoor PBs from the 1997 and 1996 season's respectively, takes on Mokoena (5th in Osaka World Champs) who leapt 8.19m outdoors in Germiston on 22 February.
Marcin Stazak and Michal Rosiak of Poland are very promising young jumpers, and so is Finland’s Petteri Lax, the 2007 European U23 silver medallist. The Arena Record of Pirkkahalli set by Italy’s Andrew Howe with 8.02m from last year will be in serious danger on Wednesday.
Stanislav Sajdok of the Czech Republic and Russian Iakov Petrov will be the favourites at the men’s 60m Hurdles, as will be Great Britain’s Emma Ania who competes in both the women’s 60 metres and 100 metres which is on the programme as usual.
Ireland’s Paul Hession, Poland´s Dariusz Kuc and Italy’s Simone Collio & Roberto Donati will be the male sprinters to watch in the men’s 60 and 100 metres.
Last indoor outing before return to training
Jukka Keskisalo, the 2006 European 3000m Steeplechase champion in Gothenburg will run his last race before flying back to his training camp in South Africa. In Tampere, Keskisalo, who has a Steeplechase PB of 8:16.74, is a clear favourite in the men’s 1500m. Keskisalo set a new Finnish Indoor 2000m record of 5:15.34 in his hometown of Joensuu 17 February and easily won the Finnish 3000m title in the same hall last Sunday in 8:14.39.
Antti-Pekka Sonninen for the IAAF
