Andrew Howe flies to 8.30m national record in Birmingham (© Getty Images)
Sweden’s Kajsa Bergqvist, the World champion and World Indoor High Jump record holder, and Andrew Howe of Italy, the reigning European outdoor and indoor champion, will top the bill at the Memorial Primo Nebiolo in Turin on 8 June.
The Memorial Primo Nebiolo is one of a select group of Area meetings at which points can be acquired by athletes to qualify for the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final.
Bergqvist makes international season debut
Kajsa Bergqvist, who opened her season on the 25 May in a small meeting in her home town Sollentuna jumping 1.91m, will make an important test in her build-up to the opening IAAF Golden League meeting in Oslo, Norway (15 June).
The popular swedish star, will face European Indoor silver medallist Antonietta Di Martino, the second italian in history to clear 2 metres. Vita Palamar from the Ukraine, who cleared 1.98 in Kalamata last week, is another woman to watch.
Osaka peak
In the men’s Long Jump, Andrew Howe will battle against South American triple jump record holder Jadel Gregorio from Brazil. Howe highlighted a great edition of the Memorial Nebiolo last year when he leapt to 8.26 metres. The European champion opened his season with a convincing 20.60 in the 200 metres during the first stage of the Italian Club Championships on his home track in Rieti on 20 May, easing up in the final 50 metres.
Howe has hinted that he will take part in some 100 metres races this summer to train his speed in his build-up to the World Championships in Osaka where he will carry the major italian hopes of a medal.
“I would be happy if I managed to jump further than my 8.26 of last year in my opening competition in Turin. But I don’t expect to break the Italian record (8.43 held by Giovanni Evangelisti since 1987). It’s early in the season and I want to peak my form for Osaka,” said Howe.
Gregorio has recently made history with his 17.90 Area record in the Triple Jump in the IAAF World Athletics Tour meeting in Belem on 20 May where he cancelled out the famous area record held by Joao Carlos De Oliveira in 1975. Gregorio, who is currently based in Gateshead and is guided by Peter Stanley, the former mentor of triple jump world record holder Jonathan Edwards, and has recently announced his intention to double at the Long and Triple jumps in Osaka.
Former European champion Oleksiy Lukashevych from Ukraine and 2005 World bronze medallist Tommi Evilä from Finland may mix in what promises to be an entertaining long jump competition which may produce some surprising results.
Savigne looks for 15m
Cuban triple jump star Yargelis Savigne, the 2005 World silver medallist, who set the world seasonal best when leaping to 14.99 in Caracas, is ready to go beyond the 15 metres barrier for the first time in her career on a runway which has always produced excellent results.
Savigne will face the another strong Cuban Mabel Gay and her former compatriots Yamilé Aldama (now representing Sudan), the World Indoor bronze medallist in Moscow 2006 and 2003 world bronze medallist Magdelin Martinez (now representing Italy) who is gradually returning to her best form after a 2006 season ruined by a knee injury. Last week Aldama showed early-season good form jumping 14.58 in Kalamata.
This winter’s European Indoor champion Carlota Castrejana from Spain, Marija Sestak from Slovenia (14.92 this year) and 2005 European U23 champion Simona La Mantia from Italy complete the high-quality line-up.
The men’s High Jump will be a tussle beyond 2.30 metres between 2005 Golden Gala winner Andriy Sokolowski from Ukraine (2.38m) and Alexander Walerianczyk from Poland (PB 2.36). Italian interest will be focused on the 2.30 metres quartet made up of twin brothers Nicola and Giulio Ciotti, Andrea Bettinelli and Alessandro Talotti who will battle for a berth in the Italian team for the European Cup First League in Milan.
Moreno heads 70m+ PB cast
Another Cuban star making the trip to the Piedmont city will be women’s hammer thrower Yipsi Moreno, the World champion in 2001 and 2003, who has improved her lifetime best to 75.64m this year. Moreno will square off against in-form Ivana Brkljacic from Croatia (former World Junior champion in 2000 and 2002) who set an impressive PB of 74.62 in Doha on 11 May, Cuban Yunaika Crawford, the Olympic bronze medallist in Athens, and Belarus’ Volha Tsander (PB 76.66). Italian hopes are carried by national record holder Ester Balassini (PB 73.59) and World finalist Clarissa Claretti (PB 71.98).
Home heroine hopes to test World champion
Turin will represent an important test for national outdoor and indoor Shot Put champion Assunta Legnante, who crowned a solid international career with the European indoor gold medal in Birmingham this winter. Reigning World champion Nadzeya Ostapchuk from Belarus will provide a very stiff opposition to the Italian.
The men’s 3000 metres will be an interesting battle between possible future distance running stars. Ibrahim Jeilan Gashu from Ethiopia, the World Junior champion in the 10,000m, who will face Remi Limo Ndiwa, World Junior 1500 metres champion, Hosea Macharinyang (fifth in the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa), Matthew Kisorio (World junior XC bronze medallist) and Leonard Komon (PB 7:37.69 set in Monaco last summer and world junior silver medallist in the cross country in 2006).
Ismail Kombich from Kenya (1:44.24) and Mohammed Al-Azimi from Quwait, who stole the show by winning in last year’s edition of this meeting, are the most prominent names of a quality men’s 800m.
Jolanda Ceplak from Slovenia, Olympic 800m bronze medallist, highlights the women’s two-lap event where Italy’s Elisa Cusma (1:58.90 in Rieti last September), is looking to continue her progress.
Great Britain’s 400 metres hope Tim Benjamin - 44.56 at the 2005 World Athletics Final - will test the form of Italy’s Andrea Barberi who broke Mauro Zuliani’s long-standing italian record last year in Rieti running in 45.19.
The rest of the programme offers World championships finalist Dwight Thomas from Jamaica and European 200m bronze medallist Marlon Devonish (GBR) in the men’s 100 metres, and Olympic bronze medallist Naman Keita from France in the men’s 400 metres Hurdles.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
