 |
| Estonia's Rasmus Magi and Liina Laasma, Swedish pole vaulter Angelica Bengtsson, Great Britain’s 110m hurdler Andy Pozzi and Dutch multi-events exponent Dafne Schippers at the official European Athletics and LOC press conference ahead of the 21st European Athletics Junior Championships in Tallinn on Wednesday. |
Swedish pole vaulter Angelica Bengtsson, Dutch multi-events exponent Dafne Schippers and Great Britain’s 110m hurdler Andy Pozzi - the top European juniors in their events this year – as well as the Estonia pair of Rasmus Mí¤gi and Liina Laasma were at the traditional press conference ahead of the 2011 European Athletics Junior Championships in the Estonian capital Tallinn on Wednesday.
Here are excerpts from the press conference with the athletes.
Angelica Bengtsson (SWE): the pole vault world junior record holder with 4.63m indoors
What are your hopes and expectations coming into these Championships?
At the beginning of the summer I was ill quite a lot and I didn’t train for some weeks but I’ve now recovered and I’ve been training well during the last week. I’ve been jumping at the sort of heights that mean I could do well here. People are talking about what I did indoors but my aim here is to do a 4.51m, which would be a Swedish outdoor best.
Dafne Schippers (NED): the 2010 IAAF World Junior Championships heptathlon gold medallist
What are your hopes and expectations coming into these Championships?
I’m aiming to get a medal and I’ll do the heptathlon which is probably my best chance for a medal. I’m also entered in the 100m, 200m and long jump because I had an injured finger a short while ago but now I will not do any of those events now because that would be too much. If I feel fine on Sunday, I will be part of the 4x100m relay team.
Andy Pozzi (GBR): the third fastest European ever in the 110m hurdles having clocked 13.29 last month
What are your thoughts on your event, which potentially could be one of the highlights of these Championships?
The hurdles this year will be really competitive. There are a couple of other athletes other than myself who have got personal bests of quicker than the championships record of 13.36. I’m excited more than anything else. I want to now get out there and compete. Jack Meredith [Great Britain’s 2010 World Junior Championships] and Germany’s Gergor Traber are great competitors.
I think it’ll be a great experience. I’m obviously slightly nervous I can’t control what they do, however I’m very satisfied with where my training is at. I’m confident I can produce a good result and that’s all I can ask of myself.
Can you elaborate on who you train with?
I train in Bath with Malcolm Arnold, who is obviously well-known for having been the coach of Colin Jackson [Great Britain’s former world record holder and still the European record holder with 12.91]. One of my training partners is Lawrence Clarke, who won the European junior title in Novi Sad two years ago, also Jack Meredith, who I’ve already mentioned, and also a lot of very successful senior athletes.
Taking into account the fact that Lawrence won two years ago; if training is going well against that kind of calibre of athlete then that sets you up quite well for going to major championships.
Rasmus Mí¤gi (EST): fourth ranked European junior in the 400m hurdles
What is it like competing in front of at these Championships in front of your own family and friends?
I think it will be something special, an outstanding event. The track is very good, very fast. This is the first big championship in athletics that’s come to Estonia. I would like the public to come out and support us. As for me personally, l I think my mother and father will be there. They are my coaches, and I hope my sisters will be there as well. It should be interesting and I’ve had a great year, including going to the European indoors, I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in.
Liina Laasma (EST): one of Estonia’s best hopes for a medal in Tallinn and the third-ranked junior javelin thrower in Europe this year
What is it like competing in front of at these Championships in front of your own family and friends?
It’s a fantastic motivation and it should be a great experience. What I want to do is just do my best here.