News14 Aug 2006


Alekna, Lysenko and Lebedeva set for Tallinn

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Tatyana Lebedeva en route to her first European triple jump title (© Getty Images)

Three individual European gold medallists from last week’s area championships in Gothenburg, Sweden will compete at the EAA Premium Meeting in Tallinn, on Tuesday (15).

The Tallinn 2006 event will see Lithuania’s Discus Throw hero Virgilijus Alekna take on South African Frantz Kruger who here last year was the last man to beat the World and Olympic champion. Both other European medallists from the home country Estonia will be there too – silver medallist Gerd Kanter and bronze medallist Aleksander Tammert. Also in the field will be Spain’s Mario Pestano and Poland’s Piotr Malachowski.

All three medallists from the women’s Hammer Throw from Gothenburg will also be competing. World record holder Tatyana Lysenko who showed in rainy Sweden that her shape is excellent, former record holder Gulfiya Khanafeyeva from Russia, silver, and Kamila Skolimowska from Poland the bronze medallist will take on Olympic silver medallist Yipsi Moreno from Cuba.

The third fresh European Champion competing will be Triple Jump queen Tatyana Lebedeva from Russia, but this time in Long Jump, an event which she did not contest at Ullevi Stadium, eventhough she is Olympic champion. She will have a tough fight against World champion Tiana Madison from USA, Gotenburg silver medallist Oksana Udmurtova from Russia and 2002 European Champion 2002 Tatyana Kotova from Russia.

Olga Zaytseva, a member of Russia’s winning 4x400m team is scheduled to run the 200m, while Yulia Gushchina who gold as a member of the Russian 4x100m team and got silver at the individual 200m are other Gothenburg winners on show.

Elsewhere, the men’s Triple Jump has Cuban World championships medallist Yoandri Betanzos and Portuguese record holder Nelson Evora; the Javelin Throw, includes Latvia’s Ainars Kovals and World champion Andrus Varnik is also supposed to start; a very strong Shot Put is topped out by world leader Christian Cantwell from USA and European Championships finalists Manuel Martinez of Spain and Ville Tiisanoja from Finland; there should be a great race in the women’s 100m Hurdles with former World champion Perdita Felicien from Canada against Gotenburg silver medallist Derval O’Rourke from Ireland and NCAA Champion Virginia Powell from USA. The Jamaican sprinters are favourites in the short races (Ainsley Waugh and Steve Mullings running both 100m and 200m).

By an IAAF Correspondent


 

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