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| Defending 100m champion Verena Sailer of Germany. |
Defending European champion Verena Sailer of Germany looks to be coming into form with an 11.19 clocking in Mannheim on June 9, backed up by a windy 11.13 heat but she could have plenty of other potential challengers.
Ukraine will field a strong duo with European leader Oleysha Povh narrowly the favourite. Povh was only seventh in her semi-final at Barcelona, but has greatly improved since, evidenced by her 11.08 clocking in Yalta.
Her countrywoman Mariya Ryemyen, who was fifth in Spain last time, is highly ranked but is focusing on the 200m but their number three Natilya Pohrebnyak has run 11.20 this year and should challenge for a medal.
Back in 2010, France provided the other medallists behind Sailer but both Veronique Mang and Myriam Soumare are not competing and the sole French entry is European record holder Christine Arron, She is 38 years-old and while she won’t be remotely close to her 10.73 PB, she is certainly more than capable of making the final, which she won way back in 1998. She was eighth in 2010.
One athlete coming into form is Norway’s recent national record breaking Ezinne Okparaebo. She ran 11.16 in Floro and was fourth in Barcelona.
Bulgarian Ivet Lalova certainly isn’t in her 10.77 form of 2004, but she has shown good form on the circuit, finishing fifth in the Diamond League in Rome and she is certain to be in the medal hunt.
Russian sprinters have been slow off the mark thus far in 2012 with no one inside 11.30 and their entries Yevgeniya Polyakova and Olga Belkina look possible finalists but don’t seem like medal material.
Britain, who had no finalists in 2010, have named five athletes but will not let anyone compete in events with heats, who qualifies for the Olympics. Former Olympic 200m finalist Abi Oyepitan would be a medal contender based on her 11.21 best this year, if she ran but looks likely to make the team for London. A more likely competitor is Olympic 100m finalist Jeannette Kwayke, who needs racing after injury and she will almost certainly show vast improvement on her modest 11.68 season’s best if she participates.
Hanna-Maari Latvala is the sole Finnish entry and she will probably need to improve on her 11.50 PB to advance to the semi-finals.
Soumare faces tough challenge from Ukrainian runners
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| Myriam Soumare of France celebrates after winning the 200m gold in Barcelona. |
This is another event that could have potentially been dominated by Ukranians as they have three of the fastest four runners though European silver medallist Yelizaveta Bryzhina, who heads the rankings with her 22.69 in the Ukranian Championships on June 14, isn’t participating. Close behind her in Yalta was Viktoriya Pyatachenko who timed 22.71 there but she lacks international experience. Mariya Ryemen has run 22.72 and should be a factor and another sub-23 runner Hrytyna Stuy gives them a slight chance of a clean sweep.
Second ranked Abi Oyepitan of Great Britain, who has run 22.71, is entered but unlikely to be allowed to run.
The other non-Ukranian in the top five, Holland’s rising heptathlon star Dafne Schippers could well be a factor based on her 22.73 best this year.
Her teammate Jamile Samuel is another sub-23 competitor who should be in the mix for medals.
France’s Defending champion Myriam Soumare had a 2012 best of just 23.13 compared to her winning time of 22.32 in 2010 before she won the French title last weekend in 22.74. That return to form, and with Bryzhina absent, means she could well start as favourite. Her teammates Johanna Danois and Lina Jacques-Sebastien are possible finalists.
Russia have just a single entry and Yekterina Voronenkova won’t be a contender with just a 23.15 PB but may be close to making the final and that also applies to the only German entry, Inna Weit.
Oyepitan’s team-mate European junior champion Jodie Williams is entered but hasn’t raced outdoors this year and is more likely to race for fitness than medals.
Home interest is not expected to last long with Anna Hamalainen not having broken 24 this summer.
Grenot’s opportunity to go for gold
Italy’s Libania Grenot, who finished out of medals by a whisker in Barcelona, has been in top form this summer. She has consistently been running under 51 seconds and will be among the favourites in Helsinki.
Russian runners have always been a force to reckon with in this event and Helsinki will be no different, despite the absence of some top runners in the Finnish capital. However a repeat of the clean sweep like Barcelona is unlikely. Kseniya Zadorinawho is the top Russian bet with a best of 51.39.
Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu, who in European terms, is the fastest non-Russian is focusing on just the 4x400 while the only other runner quicker than the Italian this year, Bulgarian Vania Stambalova will concentrate her effort on the 400m hurdles.
Sviatlana Usovich, who has run 51.00 this summer, is another absentee but her sister Iloha, who has a 50.31 PB could be a finalist for Belarus.
Ireland’s Joanne Cuddihy also looks a likely finalist as do France’s former 200m champion Muriel Hurtis and Marie Gayot.
The British team will again depend on their trials this week but a likely competitor is former World silver medallist Nicola Sanders, who has run just 52.33 this summer while former medallist Lee McConnell will likely compete if she doesn’t better 51.55 at the trials.