Haron Keitany cruises to a world leader in Gent (© Nadia Verhoft)
Valencia, SpainFollowing the wonderful success of the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2008, the city of Valencia is geared to host its annual International Indoor Meeting next Saturday, February 14. This competition is the sixth of the ten IAAF indoor permit series in 2009.
The focus in the men’s programme will primarily rest on the three middle-distance races, the 800m, 1500 and 3000, plus the Shot Put and the High Jump, while the interest on the women’s schedule should be in the 1500m and the 60m Hurdles.
MEN – Kipchirchir Komen, Cherkos, Korir…powerful 3000m
In terms of depth, the 3000m event can be regarded as the marquee event of the meeting as a mouth-watering line-up has been assembled; the trio of favourites comprises the Kenyan pair of Daniel Kipchirchir Komen and Shedrack Korir plus Ethiopia Abraham Cherkos.
Reigning World indoor 1500 silver medallist Komen finished second in Gent to Keitany in the 1500m thanks to a 3:34.86 time which suggests he should challenge his 3000m PB of 7:37.47 while Korir took third last Saturday in Stuttgart (7:37.09) one place behind the reigning World indoor bronze medallist Cherkos, who managed a PB of 7:36.36.
But there will be another trio of athletes eager to deny them the top spots in the guise of Kenya’s Augustine Choge - 1500m 3:38.62 effort in 1500 for second in Stuttgart- Tareq Mubarak Taher of Bahrain, fresh from a 7:43.71 win in Gent plus the Spanish hero Jesús España, who eyes an improvement on his 7:42.70 PB.
Other athletes not to be discounted for podium places purposes are Kenya’s reigning World 3000m steeplechase champion Brimin Kipruto and Roba Gari, an Ethiopian 8:15.05 specialist for the same event.
Keitany planning to improve on his 1500m world lead
Haron Keitany, the fastest man in the world over 1500m this season, will be on show on Saturday; the 25-year-old Kenyan will be looking at improving on his winning 3:33.96 time in Gent last Sunday and remaining unbeaten this indoor campaign having also won the 1000m event at the Moscow permit with a fine 2:16.76 clocking last 1 February.
Keitany’s main opposition should come from Ethiopia’s Mekonnen Gebremedhin, who is fresh from a PB of 3:36.46 also in Gent, Algeria Samir Khadar and Morocco’s Yousef Baba. Watch out too for the Spanish triumvirate of reigning European indoor bronze medallist Arturo Casado, Diego Ruiz, who beat Casado last Saturday over 3o00m in Zaragoza and the reigning European U-23 champion Álvaro Rodríguez, runner-up in Zaragoza with a 3:41.03 clocking on a tight 180-ring track.
European victor at 800?
The 800m features a mighty European cast headed by the Polish pair of Pawel Czapiewski and Marcin Lewandowski alongside the Spanish trio compounded of Luis Alberto Marco, Manuel Olmedo and Antonio Reina. The 30-year-old Czapiewski, a former European indoor champion and World outdoor bronze medallist clocked 1:47.68 for fifth in Stuttgart while his younger countryman recorded a second place in Gent also dipping under 1:48.00 (1:47.97).
As for the Spaniards, Marco – fourth placed at the last Europeans in Birmingham - beat Reina, who snatched bronze in Vienna 2002 - in their encounter in Zaragoza and Valencia represents a fine occasion to assess their level against the Poles looking ahead at the European Championships to be held early next month in Turin. European Junior 3000m steeplechase champion Jakub Holusa of the Czech Republic (SB of 1.48.87) is also in contention.
The African response will come from Uganda’s Abraham Chepkirwok – 2:18.18 1000m outing for third in Stuttgart and Morocco’s Mohcine Chehibi, a 1:44.16 outdoor performer.
The 60m flat witnesses the season’s debut of Nigeria’s Olusoji Fasuba, who will be back to the track where he clinched the World indoor title last year; on that occasion Kim Collins of Saint Kitts and Nevis grabbed the silver medal so the 32-year-old former World 100m champion (SB of 6.66) might take a minor revenge on the Nigerian; other remarkable starters are Poland’s Dariusz Kuc (SB of 6.61) and the American trio of Joshua Norman (6.63), Ernest Wiggins (6.64) and former Olympic and World Long Jump champion Dwight Phillips (6.72).
Quiñónez versus USA
Spain’s current European 60m hurdles bronze medallist Jackson Quiñónez will be pursuing to lower his SB of 7.66 against a quality field which includes a bunch of Americans in the guise of Ty Akins (7.60 in Lievin), Eric Mitchum (7.64 in the Lievin heats) plus Anwar Moore. As a curious note, Quiñónez won a High Jump contest last Sunday in Vilafranca with a 2.12 clearance.
World leaders Cantwell (21.47) and Williams (2.36) to excel in the infield
America’s Christian Cantwell is the star name in the infield events on Saturday as the reigning World indoor champion has proved to be in excellent form; as recently as last Tuesday (10 Feb) in Bydgoszcz, the current Olympic silver medallist equalled his own world leading mark with a 21.47 release to get the better of home idol Tomasz Majewski, who had to settle for a SB of 20.83 in second.
The Pole is the only other putter in the start list having reached the 20m barrier this year indoors although Spain’s Borja Vivas unleashed a 20.01 heave outdoors last 24 January.
The High Jump offers the in-form American duo of Reese Williams and Tora Harris in action; Williams had a 2.36 PB (indoor & outdoor) first-time clearance for second in Banska Bystrica as recently as yesterday (11 Feb) and shares now the world leading performance with Russia’s Ivan Ukhov and Sweden’s Linus Thornblad who beat Williams yesterday by virtue of a cleaner card of jumps.
As for Harris, he was victorious in Bydgoszcz with a 2.32 leap to his credit, also a career best while Italy’s Nicola Ciotti should try to keep his momentum after the SB of 2.30 he jumped in Bansks Bystrica yesterday.
Reigning European U-23 Long Jump bronze medallist Roman Novotný of the Czech Republic, will take on again Cuba’s Olympic bronze medallist Ibrahim Camejo, after their encounter last Tuesday in Lievin where they placed second ant third with respective jumps of 8.04 and 8.03. Germany’s Nils Winter is the other specialist having exceeded of the 8.00 barrier so far this season with a 8.02 leap.
Jamal makes season opener
The most awaited event on the women’s side is the 1500m thanks to the presence of Bahrain’s current World Indoor silver medallist Maryam Jamal; the 24-year-old former Ethiopian is also the reigning World outdoor champion from Osaka but failed to make the Olympic podium in Beijing having to settle for fifth. Jamal, who took honours at this permit in 2006, will be making her season’s indoor debut.
Kenya’s former World Junior 1500m champion Viola Kibiwot will also be in contention after her convincing 8:52.35 3000m win in Lievin. The 25-year-old took fifth at the Osaka Worlds in the 1500m and has also performed well on cross country as she finished third at the Edinburgh permit.
Meskerem Assefa of Ethiopia complete a quality African-born triumvirate for the event, having timed 8:58.33 at her last appearance over 3000 in Lievin.
Top Spaniards Natalia Rodríguez and Nuria Fernández will try to take advantage of the scheduled fast pace-making to shatter their personal bests and give a scare to Marta Domínguez’s NR of 4:07.69.
The 3000m contest promises to be a showdown between Kenya’s World 5000m silver medallist Vivian Cheruiyot and Portugal’s Jessica Augusto. Although Cheruiyot holds and impressive outdoor PB of 8:28.66 she will be making her first ever race on the boards, after a couple of cross country January outings in Amorebieta (2nd) and Edinburgh (6th). As for Augusto, the reigning European XC silver medallist finished second in Lievin being timed at 8:53.04.
Spanish fans’ hopes rest on the 60m Hurdles race where Josephine Onya is the fastest woman of the entry list and the only one having broken the 8.00 barrier this season, thanks to her 7.97 performance last Saturday in Zaragoza. America’s Danielle Carruthers (SB of 8.01) appears as the main threat for the Nigerian-born Spanish star.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
