Estonian star Gerd Kanter was one of five athletes invited to the press conference launching the European Athletics Team Championships on Friday afternoon at the Kadriorg stadium.
Also present were Norwegian sprinter, Ezinne Okparaebo, Olympic hammer champion Krisztián Pars of Hungary and the Borlée twins, Jonathan and Kevin, from Belgium.
One of Estonia’s greatest athletes of modern times, Kanter was asked first what it was like to compete in his home stadium after competing all over the world down the years.
“This particular stadium is one of my favourites so I am really looking forward to it,” he said.
Former Olympic and world discus champion, he still has missing from his CV a gold medal at the European Athletics Championships which this year take place in Zurich.
What did he think his chances were of rectifying the situation?
“I am a little better this year so I hope for good results,” he said. “There is still two months to go at the moment and that is enough to enable me to fight for gold,” he promised.
Alongside Kanter sat the diminutive Norwegian sprinter Okparaebo, who competes in the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relay in Tallinn.
Norway was relegated from the Super League last time round.
What did she think were their chances of bouncing back?
“We have a young team but we have a chance to end up on top,” she noted.
Asked which event she preferred she explained that the “the 100m is my specialty but the relay will be interesting because it is the first time I come together with my team so hopefully we will do well.”
The Norwegian record holder has had a problem recently with the tendon in the big toe of her right foot and was originally obliged to cut a hole in her spikes to ease the pain. But she now insists that the problem has been solved.
Pars is the current Olympic champion who leads the hammer rankings with his 81.57 from Ostrava this week, but even he is not over confident of what he will throw tomorrow: “We get only four throws in this competition so it is difficult to say. Also, it is my first time in Estonia and I don’t know the circle but we will see tomorrow what happens.”
The hammer is first to get under way on Saturday and in it Pars meets a man he has competed against no fewer than 69 times, Primoz Kozmus of Slovenia.
At the moment Pars leads 41-28 over his rival and with Kozmus a full 10 metres down on the Hungarian this year, it would be nothing short of a sensation for Pars not to stretch his lead in this personal duel.
The Borlée twins, Jonathan and Kevin were on site, but Jonathan revealed that he has been obliged to pull out of the 400m because of a stubborn cold that has lasted a month so far: “I am still not 100 percent so I want to wait one or two weeks before I run 400m,” he explained.
Kevin, meanwhile, contests the 200m and explained the difference between the two events: “In the 400m you pace yourself, but the 200m is easy because it is not my event and I can just go all out. I just want to prepare for my specialty.”
In the 200m Kevin will be up against local favourite Marek Niit, not to mention Norway’s Jaysuma Saidy Ndure, who has a season best of 20.43.