European Cup Combined Events: Ukraine women, Belarusian men favoured to repeat in Super League
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| Ukraine's Hanna Melnychenko will spearhead the campaign of the defending champions at the European Cup Combined Events, Super League, in Szczecin, Poland, this weekend. |
The 2009 European Cup Combined Events Super League, First League and Second League take place this weekend, June 27-28, in Szczecin, Poland, Zaragoza, Spain, and Maribor, Slovenia, with the Ukraine women and Belarusian men favourites to repeat their Super League triumphs of last year. European Athletics has previewed the action from the three leagues:
Super League (Szczecin): WomenUkraine's Hanna Melnychenko was the star of last year's European Cup Combined Events Super League and will again be the one to watch this weekend when the event takes place in Szczecin, Poland.
The 26-year-old Melnychenko claimed a personal-best 6445 points in Götzis, Austria, at the end of May and leads the 2008 winners alongside Lyudmyla Yosypenko, Alina Fyodorova and Inna Ahkozova.
Yosypenko, 23, also earned a personal best in the Heptathlon in Götzis with 6361 points, while Ahkozova improved her PB to 6015 this year in Yalta, Ukraine, and so, despite the absence of Olympic Heptathlon champion Natalya Dobrynska, Ukraine are in a good position for a repeat performance of Hengelo.
Poland's Kamila Chudzik, 22, and 24-year-old Karolina Tyminska will help Poland push Ukraine hard. Chudzik notched a season-best 6155 points in Pila, Italy, earlier in June and has a personal best of 6494 from last year. Tyminska's PB is 6428, earned at the Beijing Olympics where she finished seventh.
Other athletes to watch out for include Russians Marina Goncharova (PB of 6319 in Götzis in 2008) and Svetlana Ladokhina (6003 points in Sochi, Russia, this year). The Russians, who finished third last year, are sending a younger generation of athletes competing for World Championships selection.
The 2008 runners-up France have Antoinette Nana Djimou, who claimed her PB of 6204 points for second place at the Super League in Hengelo in 2008. This weekend will see the French athlete, who finished 18th at the Beijing Games, contest her first Heptathlon of the year.
Great Britain are without their top names but have Phyllis Agbo, who improved her PB in Götzis to 5952 points.
Italy, Netherlands and Sweden are expected to be fighting to avoid relegation.
Super League (Szczecin): Men
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| French hopes will ride on Beijing finalist Romain Barras. |
Russia are sending two high quality names and must also be considered. Aleksey Drozdov is the 2006 European bronze-medal winner (PB 8475 points), while Aleksandr Pogorelov finished fourth at the 2008 Olympics (PB 8429). These two can also qualify for the Berlin World Championships if they get good-enough results.
Oleksiy Kasyanov, who finished seventh at the Beijing Olympics, leads Ukraine. He improved his PB to 8286 in Götzis this year.
French leader Romain Barras was fifth in Beijing (PB 8416) and Anders Raja (13th in Beijing and with a season-best 8088 in Götzis) is the top name from Estonia.
Netherlands, Sweden and host Poland will most probably fight to avoid the two relegation places.
First League (Zaragoza): Women
World junior silver-medal winner in 2008 Yana Maksimava of Belarus is the one of the top names for the Heptathlon with a score of 5951 this year.
On the same level is Estonian Kaie Kand, who improved in Götzis this year to 5979, while Switzerland's Linda Zublin notched 5957 this year, also in Götzis.
Greek record holder Aryiro Strataki, who competed in Beijing, will have her first Heptathlon of the year.
Latvia, despite promotion, are not taking part so seven teams will fight for the two promotion places and to avoid the one relegation place. Belarus, Czech Republic, Estonia and Finland are the key members of this league.
Spain were promoted and will hope to hang on to their position. Greece and Switzerland were relegated from the Super League.
First League (Zaragoza): Men
In the men's Decathlon, Italian William Frullani with 7984 points has the best PB, with Latvia's Edgars Erins (7961) and Finland's Lassi Raunio (7862) not far behind.
Spain and Belgium were relegated last year and Latvia with Switzerland promoted. The other four teams competing are Czech Republic, Great Britain, Finland and Italy.
Second League (Maribor): Women
World University Games 2007 medalist Sara Aerts of Belgium has the best score in the women's Heptathlon with 6048 points and will be favourite.
Austrian junior Lisa Egarter improved in Götzis at the end of May to 5314 points and is also expected to be among the top names.
Only four countries will fight for promotion in the women's Heptathlon: Last year's relegated teams Hungary and Lithuania, alongside hosts Slovenia and Turkey.
Second League (Maribor): Men
Norway's 2004 Olympian Hans-Olav Uldal is the athlete with the best personal best (8018 points) going into this weekend's Second League - which returns to last year's venue of Maribor, Slovenia.
Slovenian national record holder Damjan Sitar (7718 points last year) will be another name to watch.
The two top teams will be promoted to the First League. Six countries will have men's teams: Norway and Hungary, both relegated from the First League last year, Slovenia, Greece, Romania and Turkey.
