26th February 2013 07:32
Women's high jump:
Italian teenager Alessia Trost will be hoping to succeed her countrywoman Antionetta di Martino to take this title. Trost, the world junior champion, has been one of the breakout stars of this indoor campaign advancing her personal best by 0.08m to a world-leading mark 2.00m, which she achieved in Trinec. She is also unbeaten in all five indoor competitions this winter and her appearance in Göteborg is eagerly anticipated.
The older generation represent her main opposition. Ruth Beitia will be chasing a fifth successive medal at the European Indoor championships having won silvers in 2005, 2009 and 2011 and a bronze in 2007. The 33-year-old Spaniard landed the European outdoor title last summer and with a season's best of 1.98m, expect her to play a significant role in the podium picture.
Also entered is 2007 European Indoor champion Tia Hellebaut of Belgium. The 35-year-old, who landed gold at the Beijing Olympics, has achieved 1.97m this season and is also sure to threaten.
Olena Holosha (1.95m) of Ukraine and Sweden's Emma Green Tregaro of Sweden (1.94m) shared the European bronze medal last season (alongside Irina Gordeeva of Russia) and the pair both have designs on a podium spot in Göteborg.
Other competitors include Bulgaria's evergreen 38-year-old Venelina Veneva-Mateeva, a European Indoor bronze medallist eight years ago, and Estonian record holder Anna Iljustsenko (1.94m).
Women's pole vault:
In what looks like a wide open competition Anna Rogowska is hoping to create history and become the first women to successfully defend this title. The 31-year-old Pole, who set a national record of 4.85m en route to victory in the 2011 championships, has not quite yet been at her best this year. She has no-marked in two of her four competitions but as a former world outdoor champion she should not be dismissed. Holly Bleasdale vaulted to a European lead of 4.77m to land the UK title and for much of the campaign has hugely impressed on the international circuit. However, the 2012 World indoor bronze medallist from Great Britain had a competition to forget in her final pre-championship outing in Stockholm. There the 21-year-old finished down in joint fourth with a best 4.45m and she will be hoping for better on her return to Sweden this week. One of the vaulters ahead of Bleasdale in Stockholm was Anastasia Savchenko, who that achieved a notable personal best of 4.71m. The rising Russian talent has advanced her indoor personal best by 0.19 this winter and is another with serious medal ambitions.
| |
Women's long jump:
Russia's high profile Darya Klishina heads the entrants probably aware the greatest threat to a successful defence of this title is likely to come from within her own team.
Klishina (6.80m) has enjoyed a solid indoor season, winning three out of her five competitions, including a victory over Olga Kucherenko - the woman who could prove her main obstacle to gold in Göteborg – at the Russian Championships.
Kucharenko's defeat in Moscow was a slight surprise, not least because the 2009 European Indoor bronze medallist sits top of the world rankings with a best of 7.00 achieved in Krasnodar back in January. However, the 2011 World silver medallist will still be a formidable rival. The third Russian jumper, Svetlana Denyaeva (6.76m), is another with medal potential.
European champion Eloyse Lesueur offers genuine claims she can dent the Russian challenge. The French champion has a season's best of 6.81m and is unbeaten in all four indoor competitions this winter.
World Indoor bronze medallist Shara Proctor of Great Britain – who claimed an impressive win in Birmingham with 6.78m - should also be considered.
Other entrants include Balkan champion Ivana Spanovic (6.73m), who has set or equalled the Serbian record five times this winter and Germany's Melanie Bauschke (6.68m).
Women's triple jump:
World and European outdoor champion Olha Saladuha will be favoured to add the European Indoor crown to her impressive roll of honour in Göteborg. The 29-year-old Ukrainian is unbeaten in her two indoor competitions this winter and boasts the top two marks in the world for 2013 – headed by her 14.61m effort in Birmingham.
Among her chief opposition will be Simona La Mantia, who will attempt to become the first woman in history to mount a successful defence of this title. The Italian landed her national title in Ancona with a winning jump of 14.06m in her only previous outing this season, but she should not be discounted.
Russia's three-strong challenge is led by national champion Irina Gumeniuk (14.48m) and supported by Viktoriya Dolgacheva (14.41m) and Veronika Mosina (14.30m). The trio are all capable of crashing the podium.
The two-time European Indoor bronze medallist Dana Veldakova (14.04m) of Slovakia will also be in the mix while Great Britain World Indoor champion Yamile Aldama (13.91m) is another with the potential to win precious metal.
Women's shot:
On current form Christina Schwanitz will start favourite to upgrade on the silver medal she won at the 2011 European Indoor Championships in Paris. The powerful German holds five of the six longest throws in the world this year – her best is 19.79m – and she is unbeaten in six competitions this winter.
Hoping to upset the form book will be Olympic silver medallist Evgeniya Kolodko. The Russian champion has won her two indoor competitions in 2013, securing her national title with 19.24m, and she has the pedigree to challenge.
Her compatriots, the European silver medallist Irina Tarasova (18.24m) will also be a danger.
Belarus champion Alena Kopets (19.06m), the 2009 World University Games bronze medallist, also has medal-winning ability. Another threat is veteran Romanian Anca Heltne (18.67m), the 2009 European Indoor bronze medallist. Ukrainian champion Olha Holodna (18.24m) is also entered.