Nine
star-studded teams are prepared for World Cup
IAAF
18 September 2002 – The IAAF World Cup in Athletics may principally be a team
contest but that doesn’t preclude us focusing on some of the top individual
performers that each of the nine teams will bring to the competition in Madrid.
Here are some of the
principal players to look out for at the 9th IAAF World Cup in
Athletics, Friday 20 – Saturday 21 September 2002:
Africa - Namibia’s
Frank Fredericks, who stormed back from two years of injury to take the men’s
200m title at the Commonwealth Games this summer, is a talent matched on the
women’s side of the African team by Maria Mutola of Mozambique who is going for
her fourth World Cup title at 800m.
Americas - Olympic
110m Hurdles champion Anier Garcia leads the blue and white vested team from the
Americas, which is made up of athletes from Canada, Central & South America and
the Caribbean. Mexico’s Ana Guevara (400m), the winner of a quarter share of the
IAAF Golden League Jackpot, is the leading name among the women.
Asia - Sri Lanka’s
Susanthika Jayasinghe, the Olympic 200m bronze medalist, is the pre-eminent
female athlete from the world’s largest continent, and in Madrid she will
attempt a sprint double. Japan’s Koji Murofushi, who won the Hammer at the IAAF
Grand Prix Final in Paris last weekend and then flew to a meeting in Yokohama on
Monday, makes a quick return to Europe to lead the Asian men in Madrid.
Europe - Sweden
provides two of the principal names in the European line up in Madrid. European
champion Christian Olsson will continue his triple jump duel with Britain's
World record holder Jonathan Edwards, who he unexpectedly beat into third place
in Munich. Kajsa Bergqvist is
the leading name in European Women's athletics this year, having made 2 metre
clearances a matter of routine. The Swede leads the world with 2.05 this summer.
Oceania - Jana
Pittman, the 2000 World junior champion and now Commonwealth gold medallist over
400m hurdles, is the rising star of Oceania’s women’s athletics. The equally
fast improving distance runner Craig Mottram, who has run an Area record at
3000m of 7:37.30 this summer, heads the men’s line up.
Great Britain -
European 100m champion Dwain Chambers who equalled the continental record of
9.87 behind Tim Montgomery’s 9.78 World Record in Paris last Saturday is the
British men’s star. With no British women’s team represented in Madrid, the
other principal name to watch out for is Steve Backley, who is intent on winning
his fourth World Cup title in the Javelin.
Germany - 400m
runner Ingo Schultz took Germany’s only gold medal on home soil at the
continental championships in Munich in August. This time the tall lanky German
who has a best of 44.97 this summer, must face the might of the USA’s Alvin
Harrison (44.48) and Jamaica’s Michael Blackwood (44.64). With the withdrawal
due to injury of Grit Breuer and Heike Drechsler, the German women’s team is now
most likely to depend on reliable scorers such as Steffi Nerius in the Javelin
and Astrid Kumbernuss in the Shot.
Russia - is
qualified only for the women’s competition in Madrid. European 400m champion
Olesya Zykina and Tatyana Tomashova (3000m) who was a close second to Romania’s
Gabriela Szabo (who will also be in Madrid competing for Europe) in the Grand
Prix Final, are the track stars to watch. In the field, all eyes will be on
Svetlana Feofanova, Russia’s pole vaulting ace, who is both outdoor and indoor
European champion, and leads the 2002 world standings with 4.78.
USA - The winners
of the women’s World Cup team title last time out in 1998 but at the same year a
dismal fifth in the men’s match, both USA teams in Madrid have much pride to
defend and also a lot to recover. Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones head the line
up but away from this speedy couple, don’t forget world stars such as sprint
hurdlers, Allen Johnson and Gail Devers.
Spain - The Host
country but with a lot more than a stadium to offer! Munich distance stars such
as European 1500m silver medallist Reyes Estevez, 5000m champion Alberto Garcia,
and steeplechase third finisher Luis Miguel Martin, head their men’s squad. The
women have the 100m flat and hurdles talent of Glory Alozie, the European
champion over the latter, and Marta Dominguez who was the 5000m winner in
Munich.
**NB.
Since the original version of this preview was released, the French Federation
has confirmed that France's Stephane Diagana has withdrawn from the European
team.
Original copy read >>
Stephane Diagana the European 400m Hurdles champion has another chance to
challenge the Americas' Felix Sanchez, who is the reigning World Champion and
one of four winners of IAAF Golden League Jackpot<<
