 |
| World season leader Antonietta Di Martino of Italy will be looking for her first major international gold medal in Paris. |
European Athletics presents the sixth in a series of previews leading up to the Paris 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships to be held from 4-6 March.
High Jump:
In the absence of Croatia’s world and European outdoor champion Blanka Vlasic and the defending European indoor champion Ariane Friedrich of Germany, veteran jumper Antonietta Di Martino is fancied to profit.
The 32-year-old Italian, who won a European indoor silver medal in 2007, produced the best performance of her career to set an Italian record of 2.04m to win in Banska Bystrica in Slovakia in February to propel herself to the top of the world rankings.
However, Di Martino, although favourite will not have matters all her own way and the three-pronged Russian challenge is strong. Svetlana Shkolina equalled her lifetime best to clear 2.00m to finish second behind the Italian in Banska Bystrica and she will be determined to shrug off the frustration of finishing fourth at the 2009 European Indoor Championships and in the same position at last summer’s European outdoor Championships.
Supporting Shkolina in the Russian team are Viktoriya Klyugina (1.92), the 2009 European Indoor bronze medallist, and precocious 18-year-old talent Mariya Kuchina, who set a world junior record of 1.97m in Trinec earlier this winter.
Spain’s experienced Ruth Beitia (1.95) should not be discounted, especially as she has snared a medal in each of the past three European Indoor Championships (silver in 2005 and 2009 and bronze in 2007). Also watch out for 36-year-old Bulgarian Venelina Veneva-Mateeva, the 2005 European Indoor bronze medallist, who cleared 1.97m in her one outing this indoor season in Bucharest.
Pole vault
In the absence of European leader Yelena Isinbayeva, who decided to opt out of competing in Paris following a bout of flu, two outstanding candidates emerge from the pack.
 |
| World champion Anna Rogowska of Poland. |
A strong claim can be made for ever-improving Silke Spiegelburg who set a national record of 4.76m in Karlsruhe earlier this season. The 24-year-old German certainly fits the profile as a potential winner having won European Indoor silver in 2009 and the same colour medal at last summer’s European Championships in Barcelona.
Among her main rivals will be world champion Anna Rogowska (4.76m) who will be determined to complete the full set of medals at the European Athletics Indoor Championships. The Pole snared silver in the 2005 edition and bronze two year later in Birmingham and gold is certainly more than within her capability.
Germany are traditional a powerhouse in European pole vaulting and their team is further strengthened by the presence of Kristina Gadschiew, who set a personal best of 4.66m in Potsdam and the European outdoor bronze medallist Elizaveta Ryzih (4.65m).
Arguably, the most exciting entrant, though, is Swedish prodigy Angelica Bengtsson (4.63m). The 17-year-old world youth and world junior champion has set a slew of world junior records this season and her presence in Paris could be a fascinating glimpse into the future of this event. Russian champion Aleksandra Kiryashova (4.61m) and Czech Jirina Ptacnikova (4.60m) are also entered.
Long jump
Kseniya Balta will bid to become the sixth woman in history to successfully defend the European Indoor title in this event, although to achieve this goal the Estonian knows she will have to resist a mighty Russian challenge.
Balta was the surprise champion in Torino two years ago and after leaping out to 6.73m in her one previous long jump competition this year the 25-year-old knows she is a serious contender again.
However, predictably, Russia provides a powerful trio in opposition led by European and world leader Anna Nazarova who leapt to a personal best of 6.89m in Krasnodar.
She is supported by Russian champion Darya Klishina (6.82m), the 20-year-old European Junior champion and the formidable threesome is completed by former European Junior bronze medallist Yuliya Pidluzhnaya, who set a personal best of 6.70m earlier this winter.
 |
| Estonia's Kseniya Balta is hopeful of defending her long jump title in Paris. |
Portugal’s Naide Gomes has a relatively modest season’s best of 6.59m, however as a two-time former winner of this title she should not be discounted. Meanwhile, the 2007 European Indoor silver medallist Concepcion Montaner (6.57m) of Spain is another with chances at her best.
Belarus duo Veranika Shutkova (6.71m) and Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova (6.64m) have performed well domestically this season and could also be a factor.
Triple Jump
This event promises to be one of the most wide-open in the championships with any one of up to half a dozen women with realistic gold medal claims.
European No.1 Katja Demut of Germany has been the find of the winter bounding out to a national record of 14.47m in Dusseldorf and proving it was no fluke with a 14.45m effort in Chemnitz.
Reigning European under-23 champion Paraskevi Papahristou (14.40m) is another contender and her Greek team-mate Niki Paneta who set a personal best 14.39m in Athens also be considered.
The 2007 European Indoor silver medallist Olesya Zabara appears in decent nick after winning the Russian title with 14.38m and European outdoor silver medallist Simona La Mantia (14.33m) is another with podium aspirations.
Marija Sestak of Slovenia, who won European indoor silver in 2009, is also entered. However, she appeared some way short of her best after registering a modest best of 13.73m in her one previous competition this season.
The 2009 European Indoor bronze medallist Dana Veldakova of Slovakia (14.05m) also competes as does Belgium’s European outdoor bronze medallist Svetlana Bolshakova (14.31m).
Shot put
Christina Schwanitz heads the European rankings and starts a slight favourite following an unbeaten indoor campaign. The 25-year-old German, who finished sixth at the 2008 World Indoor Championships, boasts a seven out of seven record this winter highlighted by a season’s best 18.87m to land her national title.
Belarus has a proud tradition in women’s shot and Alena Kopets (18.82m), the 2009 European Under-23 silver medallist, could be set to emerge from the shadows and make her mark.
Russia boast a full complement of athletes in this discipline and all three will fancy their chances. Their challenge is led by European bronze medallist Anna Avdeyeva (18.81m), who is ably backed by Olympic sixth-place finisher Anna Omarova (18.26m) and Irina Tarasova (18.04m).
Italian Assunta Legnante was the gold medallist in this event at the 2007 edition and her compatriot Chiara Rosa (18.34m) is not without chances in the French capital.