Pamela Jelimo becomes Kenya's first woman to win an Olympic athletics gold medal (© Getty Images)
Zolder, BelgiumOlympic champion Pamela Jelimo makes her first appearance of this season on European soil at the KBC Night of Athletics in Heusden-Zolder on Saturday 18 July.
The KBC Night of Athletics 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, to be held on 12-13 September in Thessaloniki, Greece.
All eyes are set on the Kenyan 800m runner who also won the AF Golden League Jackpot and remained unbeaten in 12 competitions over 800m in 2008. In 2009 Jelimo has been nowhere near that form but she is confident that her race in Heusden-Zolder will put her back on the right trail towards the World Championships in Berlin.
So far in 2009, Jelimo has suffered two severely bad defeats in Rabat and in Eugene respectively. She looked completely off schedule in her preparation for the World Championships in Berlin to the extent that her training and competition programme were reconsidered. Jelimo intensified her training and is confident now that she has closed some gaps in her building up of the right form.
In Heusden-Zolder Jelimo faces a solid field that should allow the Kenyan to regain confidence and to pick up the rhythm of the competition again. Kenia Sinclair (JAM) and Neisha Bernard-Thomas (GRN) can push Jelimo to her first sub 2 minutes race of the year.
Josphat Bett Kipkoech challenges Lucas Kimeli Rotich in the 5000m
The middle distance and distance events are always the main attraction at the KBC Night of Athletics. Again meeting director Christophe Impens managed to establish some impressive line-ups. “It is the 30th Night of Athletics this year and we wanted to do something special. Of course Pamela Jelimo is the top of the bill, but in the 1500m, 3000m steeple and 5000m we are presenting truly interesting competitions.”
The 5000m promises to become one of the highlights. Kenyans Josphat Bett Kipkoech, Jacob Chesari and Boniface Kirui showed impressive form at 3000m in Liège last Wednesday and they count amongst the favourites in tomorrow’s 5000m. The Kenyans will be taken on by Alistair Cragg (IRL), Matt Tegenkamp (USA), Juan Luis Barrios (MEX) and most of all by fellow Kenyan Lucas Kimeli Rotich who broke the 13 minutes mark in Rome last week. The meeting record of 12:58.58 by Moukled El-Outaibi (KSA) may well be in danger.
Taher and Volkova protagonists in the Steeplechase
Tareq Mubarak Taher is the clear favourite in the men’s 3000m Steeplechase. The Bahraini finished third in one of the strongest races of the year in Athens recently. The women’s Steeplechase welcomes 2007 World champion Yekaterina Volkova from Russia who will find Sofia Assefa (ETH) and Sophie Duarte (FRA) on her way, as well as Jessica Augusto and Sara Moreira who represent the Portuguese interest in the race.
World Indoor champion and 2009 Oslo Dream Mile winner Deresse Mekonnen (ETH) will be tough to beat in the 1500m. Moroccon Abdelaati Iguider could be the main threat in that race. Belgian based Mimi Belete (BRN) will be eager to win the women’s 1500m with American Erin Donohue as her main contender.
Berings, Bolshakova and Kevin Borlée carry the local hopes
European 60m Hurdles indoor champion Eline Berings faces another test in Heusden-Zolder. The Belgian had a few below par races over the past weeks, but is gradually coming into her best form. Cruising to victory in Liège this week gave Berings the boost of confidence that she requires to take on Derval O’Rourke (IRL) and Lucie Skrobakova (CZE) on the high hurdles.
In the Triple Jump, Svetlana Bolshakova makes her debut as a Belgian before her home crowd. The former Russian got married to high jumper Stijn Stroobants and is now entitled to compete for her new home country. Bolshakova underwent serious surgery on her knee and her ankle but she seems stronger now than she has ever been before. “I count on the support of the local fans to improve the national record of 14.27m that I established in Thessaloniki,” says the 25-year-old Bolshakova in immaculately Dutch language. If Bolshakova wants to win the event she will need to jump further than Dana Veldakova of Slovakia who is already credited with 14.43m in 2009.
The bad news for Belgian athletics is that Jonathan Borlée, who set the national 400m record at 44.78 winning the NCAA Championships this year, is sidelined with a stress fracture and won’t compete anymore in 2009. His twin brother Kevin defends the family colours on the distance against Joel Milburn (AUS) and Jamaal Torrence (USA).
Other athletes to watch out for include 2007 World champion Jana Pittman-Rawlinson (AUS) as she continues her comeback from injury in the 400m Hurdles, Brian Dzingai in the 200m and Dorian Scott (JAM) and 2008 Olympic bronze medallist Andrei Mikhnevich (UKR) in the Shot Put
Ivo Hendrix for the IAAF
