Editor's Letter
Latest News
More news articles Idowu set for tough assignment in Stockholm
After a sub-par performance in Gothenburg, world champion Phillips Idowu faces an equally tough field at the GE Galan in Stockholm, including David Giralt and Christian Olsson.
WORLD champion Phillips Idowu has failed to hit the high notes so far this year and in his last competition at the Samsung Galan meeting in Gothenburg, the Belgrave Harrier finished a lowly fifth in an ordinary 16.74m but Idowu has a chance to gain revenge, as the reigning world indoor champion faces a field with similar stature at the GE Galan in Stockholm, February 10.
David Giralt, who won in Gothenburg with a world-leading mark of 17.27m, heads the entry-lists again and the Cuban, who won silver behind Idowu at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia, is joined by his compatriot Alexis Copello, who won the bronze medal in Berlin.
Home favourite Christian Olsson was fourth in Gothenburg in his first competition in more than one year and the former world and Olympic champion will have home support to his advantage, as he looks towards the 17m barrier again.
European silver medallist Nathan Douglas is also in the line-up.
Other highlights include the men's 800m, as world indoor champion Abubaker Kaki from Sudan takes on his compatriot and Olympic silver medallist Ahmed Ismail, as well as Olympic 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop from Kenya and former Olympic 800m champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy, who starts as the athlete to beat.
Paul Kipsiele Koech moved to No.4 on the all-time 5000m lists with a 13:02.95 victory in Dusseldorf last week and the steeplechase specialist will take on a strong field in the 3000m including Sammy Mutahi, who easily won the Glasgow International last month, as well as Commonwealth 5000m champion Augustine Choge and Ethiopia's Tariku Bekele.
Former Olympic champion Meseret Defar narrowly missed breaking her world indoor 3000m record in Stuttgart on Saturday but it is rumoured the 2007 world 5000m champion will attempt to lower her world indoor 5000m record of 14:24.37, which she set on this track last year.
In the women's 1500m, two-time world 1500m champion Maryam Jamal from Bahrain faces a strong field including Polish veteran Lidia Chojecka, world 5000m silver medallist Sylvia Kibet and European indoor champion Anna Alminova from Russia.
Blanka Vlasic cleared 2.06m to move to equal third on the all-time indoor lists in Arnstadt and naturally, the two-time world champion starts as the pre-competition favourite in the high jump.
Read Athletics Weekly Online: Click here for a Free Trial
