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Chojecka poised for historic double at Euro Champs

Posted March 3rd, 2007 at 9:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

With her convincing victory in today’s 1500m final at the 29th European Indoor Championships here, Poland’s Lidia Chojecka is poised to complete a historic double victory should she also win the gold medal in tomorrow’s 3000m. She is the defending champion in that event, winning gold in Madrid in 2005, and is definitely the favorite again this year for gold.

In today’s race, Chojecka (who pronounces her name Hoy-ET-ska), bided her time while Britain’s Helen Clitheroe set the pace for most of the race.

Indeed, Clitheroe led for the first five laps and ensured a relatively quick pace, passing the 1000m point in 2:46.02.

But just past the 1000m mark, the Pole took the lead and visibly upped the pace. The two Russians, Natalya Pantelyeva and Olesya Chumakova, immediately gave chase, but their battle would ultimately be for second.

“That race was perfect for me,” said Chojecka whose time of 4:05.13 was the fifth-fastest winning time in the history of these championships. “The pace was just what I wanted.”

Pantelyeva got the silver in 4:06.04, a personal best, with Chumakova getting bronze in 4:06.48. Clitheroe ended up fourth, more than two seconds behind.

In tomorrow’s 3000m –a straight final– Chojecka will face formidable challenges from Britain’s Jo Pavey, with a seasonal and personal best of 8:31.50, and Spain’s Marta Domínguez, twice European 5000m champion. Domínguez is a gifted championship competitor with fierce closing speed.

CALIANDRO STEALS TACTICAL MEN’S 3000M

Italy’s Cosimo Caliandro was not on anyone’s short lists to win the men’s 3000m, with established stars like Spain’s Jesus España, Britain’s Mo Farah, Ireland’s Alistair Cragg and France’s Bob Tahri in the field. But the little known 2001 European junior 1500m champion managed to prevail here by producing a sub-27 second final lap, outkicking the field to win in the slowest winning time at these championships in 22 years: 8:02.44.

“Today I felt like a bull,” he told the media after winning Italy’s first gold medal at these championships. “I didn’t expect to win but I knew I was going to perform well. As the race went on I got more confident and I knew I could rely on my finish. I am very happy.”

Tahri came from fourth place with 100 meters to go to take second in 8:02.85, while España, who led at the bell, came home third in 8:02.91. Farah, who was tripped up in yesterday’s preliminary round, managed to finish fifth, while defending champion Cragg was a disappointing sixth.

“I worked my hardest,” said Farah who leaves tomorrow to resume his training in South Africa in advance of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships later this month.

TEAM TACTICS COULD PLAY ROLE IN WOMEN’S 800M FINAL

The outcome of the women’s 800m semi-finals sets up a team match between Britain and Slovenia, with Ukraine and Russia also having a good shot at the gold. Marilyn Okoro and Jenny Meadows of Britain advanced in their respective heats as did Jolanda Ceplak and Brigita Langerholc of Slovenia. Ceplak, the world indoor record holder for the distance, controlled the first heat before easing off near the end and allowing Russian Oksana Zbrozhek to win, 1:59.53 to 1:59.84. Okoro was third in a personal best 1:59.87. In the second heat Tetyana Petlyuk of Ukraine got an easy win in 2:00.10 with Meadows (2:00.79) and Langerholc (2:01.00) following.

“To beat Jolanda was great,” said Zbrozhek. “I know it will be hard to do this again in the final, but I’m looking forward to it.”

After her heat Ceplak complained that the huge television display in the National Indoor Arena was showing the women’s high jump final instead of the 800m, making it more difficult for her to judge her place in the field. Closed circuit transmission of races is now so common that athletes have integrated it into execution of their race tactics.

Meadows has an outside chance at a medal. “I can’t even think about that right now,” she said.

QUESADA TO FACE OKKEN IN MEN’S 800M FINAL

Unlike yesterday’s preliminary round, the men’s 800m semi-finals went into the books without a single disqualification. Spaniard Miguel Quesada won the first heat in 1:48.62 over Mattias Claesson of Sweden and Maurizio Bobbato of Italy. Dutchman Arnaud Okken won the second heat easily in 1:49.65 over Luis Alberto Marco of Spain and David Takács of Hungary.

The big casualty was Thomas Chamney of Ireland. He was sitting in second place with just 20 meters to go in the second heat, but tied-up badly and finished fifth.

“I just didn’t have it in the last meters,” said Chamney shaking his head. “What’s so frustrating is I gave it all I had.”

SPANIARDS LEAD MEN’S 1500M QUALIFYING

The Spaniards Arturo Casado and Juan Carlos Higuero won their respective heats of the men’s 1500m qualifying, and their teammate Sergio Gallardo took third in his, opening up the possibility of a medal sweep in tomorrow’s final. Welshman James Thie, who took fifth in the second heat, said that the home country advantage shouldn’t be undervalued.

“I’m in the final with the British crowd,” said a smiling Thie who finished fifth in heat 2.

CHAMPIONSHIPS CONCLUDE TOMORROW

The 29th European Indoor Championships wrap-up tomorrow, and a sell-out crowd of 8500 is expected. Host nation Great Britain is at the top of the medal table with two golds and five total medals. Their most impressive medal came this afternoon when Nicola Sanders scorched the 400m in a world-leading 50.02 seconds, a British record.