Yago Lamela in action in the men's long jump final at the 1999 IAAF World Championships (© Getty Images)
Zaragoza, SpainYago Lamela, Spain’s 1999 World silver medallist both indoors and out, produced the world’s longest jump so far this indoor season with a 8.25m effort at the ‘Gran Premio Vodafone’ held on Saturday afternoon (1 February).
The 25-year-old Lamela accomplished his feat in round 3, and also produced a 8.19 jump with his next attempt. His series was: (7.97 - x - 8.25 - 8.19 - --- - --- ).
In winning the contest the reigning European indoor silver medallist had to defeat his fellow countryman Raúl Fernández (7.78) the man who beat him to the European indoor title last March in Vienna. Now the score of the clashes between them is 25-8 to Lamela. Saturday’s event was Lamela’s second outing of this season after a 7.98m debut on January 25 in Valencia.
Lamela’s main focus for this winter is on the World Indoors in Birmingham in March. There, the Valencia-based athlete who is also the European outdoor bronze medallist, will be aiming to at least match his 1999 form, when he took the World silver medal behind Cuba’s Ivan Pedroso.
800m World Cup winner Antonio Reina was surprisingly beaten by his compatriot Manuel Olmedo in a tactical affair on the tight 180m track. Olmedo, still 19, stayed glued to Reina’s shoulder as the pair entered the short final straight, eventually pipping Reina for first place by just three hundredths of a second (1:51.00-1:51.03).
Reigning European Indoor silver medallist Juan Carlos Higuero was the overwhelming winner in the 3000m with a 7:56.09 clocking, ahead of the former (1998) European 5000m champion Isaac Viciosa, runner-up in 7:56.84. Reyes Estévez was a distant 8th in 8:12.00.
Roberto Parra won the 1500m event on what was his indoor debut, recording a promising 3:40.12. Parra became 800m European Indoor champion in Stockholm back in 1996 at the age of 19, and ran 1.44.97 to win the European Cup Superleague in Madrid later that same year. Since then he has been hampered by injuries. Parra was pushed until the finish line by Sergio Gallardo, European U23 1500m bronze medallist, second in a PB of 3:40.30.
On the women’s side, 2002 European 5000m champion Marta Domínguez took the 3000m, running on her own to record a finish of 8:55.41, while another continental champion from the Munich last summer, Glory Alozie clinched victory in the 60m Hurdles (8.09), 0.05s clear of Aliuska López.
There was also a double national Pole Vault record by Spain’s Naroa Agirre with first-time clearances at 4.26 and 4.30.
European Cross Country team Cup
In Jaén (Spain) on Sunday morning, the European Cross Country team Cup was run but there were no real surprises, as the ‘Adidas’ and ‘Maratona’ teams retained their titles respectively, in the men’s and women’s races.
Adidas’ success was never in danger as at half way, up to five of their men remained in the leading pack alongside France’s Driss El Himer and Italy’s Daniele Caimmi. Fabián Roncero made the the key move pushing the pace with three kilometres left, and only Alberto García and El Himer could live with his pace.
When the leading trio went through the seventh kilometre, 5000m World Cup winner García unleashed a devastating kick which left the others with no chance, and built an impressive 100m gap within less than 1000m. Over the last lap the Spanish pair of Yousef El Nasri and José Ríos, overtook El Himer to complete the local medal sweep of the podium .
In the women’s race Portugal’s Monica Rosa made most of the early running and by half way only her compatriot Helena Sampaio, and Spain’s Alessandra Aguilar remained at her shoulder. Over the last lap Sampaio pulled clear of her team-mate to take an easy win by 9 seconds, while Aguilar had to settle for fourth, as she was overhauled in the closing stages by Denmark’s Dorte Vibjerg.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
Results
Men(teams)
1 C.A. Adidas (Spain) 10 points
2 G.A. Fiamme Gialle (Italy) 30
3 Olympique Marsella (France) 74
Individual (9120m course)
1 Alberto García (ESP) 26.20
2 Fabián Roncero (ESP) 26.38
3 Yousef El Nasri (ESP) 26.44
4 José Ríos (ESP) 26.46
5 Driss El Himer (FRA) 26.52
6 Michele Gamba (ITA) 26:55
7 Daniele Caimmi (ITA) 26:55
8 Gabriele De Nard (ITA) 26:56
9 Marco Mazza (ITA) 27:05
10 Paulo Guerra (POR) 27:09
Women (teams)
1 Maratona (Portugal) 10 points
2 Universidad de Salamanca (Spain) 19
3 Centro Sportivo Forestale (Italy) 35
Individual (5530m course)
1 Helena Sampaio (POR) 19.15
2 Monica Rosa (POR) 19. 24
3 Dorte Vibjerg (DEN) 19.30
4 Alessandra Aguilar (ESP) 19.33
5 Sonia Bejarano (ESP) 19.45
6 Rosita Rota Gelpi (ITA) 19:52
7 Analidia Torre (POR) 19:55
8 Carla Sacramento (POR) 20:01
9 Elizabete Lopes (POR) 20:04
10 Sara Valderas (ESP) 20:11
