New day can change everything in the distance races
In the long distances it's always difficult to say, who really will be the favorite, because you never know who definitly will run which race. Some of the athletes even make their decision one or two days before. After her big victory in 14:31,43 Minutes, which is the fastest time in the world this year, in Manchester at the Commonwealth Games, Paula Radcliffe will be the top favourite. If she is running. "I will run in any case the 10 000 Meter. They are at the first day of the Europeans Championship, so I can see, what happens and after that I decide, if I will run also the 5 000 Meter", the 28 years old "allrounder", who runs on the track, on the street and Cross as well, said after her success in Manchester, which gave her a lot of selfconfidence.
Paula Radcliffe (Photo: Chai)
The russian World Champion, Olga Yegorowa belongs to the circle of medal candidates like Sonia O`Sullivan from Ireland or the 19 year old Elvan Abeylegesse, who was born in Ethiopia and is now running for Turkey. In any case it will be quite difficult for Sonia O´Sullivan to defend her two titles she won four years ago. But she will run both distances again. In the European list of the best runners of this year, the irish woman is number three, behind Botezan and Biktashewa. In a 5 000 Meter race normally everything could happen. You never know, if there is somebody who surprises the others. What`s about the portugiese girls once again ? Ribeira will probably run both distances too, even she ran only 15:17,62 Minuten this year. Or the italian runners are dangerous as well. And what will Marta Dominguez from Spain do? It doesn`t count, what you did before, it counts, what shape you have in Munich.
10 000 Meter promisses an exciting race: The east european against the english-irish fraction
The 10 000 Meter race promisses an exciting event. And the slogan will be: the east european will fight against the english-irish fraction. The new 5000 Meter-queen, Paula Radcliffe will run this distance in any case. And when she can preserve her fantastic shape, everybody who will win, must beat the 1,73 Meter and 54 Kilogramm woman with the long blond hair. Even Mihaela Botezan from Romania is the number one in Europe at the moment, might have problems to beat her. The 25 year old runner was running 31:19,74 Minutes in April in Camaiore. And this time is still the fastest in Europe. But the situation could change as fast you are not able to look.
A new day, new race, different conditions can change everything. And at the European Championships it will be a tactical race, that`s sure. But the competitors of Paula Radcliffe are big and strong. Four years ago she was fifth, suffering on a virus. But one thing won`t happen again: At the Olympic Games in Sydney, Paula Radcliffe led for 24 laps, pushing the pace beyond the Olympic record and she ended up a disappointed fourth, allthough that was an british and Commonwealth record.
But even Paula Radcliffe is the big favourite now, beside Botezan, Lyudmilla Biktashewa from Russia, title defender Sonia O`Sullivan, Fernanda Ribeiro, who became second in Budapest, are not to underestimate and they won`t make it easy for the British runner.
Sonia O`Sullivan planed the double start form the beginning on. Like in Budapest. In the European list of the best runners of this year, the irish woman is number three, behind Botezan and Biktashewa .
In a 10 000 Meter race normally everything yould happen. You never know, if there is somebody who surprises the others. What`s about the portugiese girls once again ? Or the italian runners are dangerous as well. And what will Marta Dominguez from Spain do ?
No big favourite in the womens marathon - Marleen renders has the best result in the entry list
There is no big favourite in the womens marathon this time. Paula Radcliffe, who ran the fastet time in the world this year in London, will definitely not compete in the marathon.
27 runners will participate at the 42,195 Kilometer through the City of Munich. Only one name is found in the entry list, who was under the best eight women 1998 in Budapest. It´s Marleen Renders from Belgium who was fifth at the last European Championships and who has the best result in the entry list from all runners, they will compete. She suddenly became a medal candidate. Nobody else from the leading group of Budapest will be in Munich.
But, as in the other events of the long distances, you can say the same in the marathon: you never know, what happens. The route of the Marathon in Munich seems to be quite difficult.
In the last ten years always a portugiese women have won the marathon. But the title defender, Manuela Machado won`t run. And the Spanish runners, who are often able to surprise, as they did at various championships in the past, neither. The strongest position could have the russian, they seems to have a strong team, and the italian runners, a few women have medal chances. One of them all, is Sonja Oberem from Germany. The eldest one, who is in the entry list is Marie Soenderstoerm-Lundberg from Sweden. She is 41 years old.
Ursula Kaiser