Istanbul-based club Enka has named a strong men’s team and they will also be strong contenders in the women’s division at the ECCC Track & Field Group A in Birmingham on 26-27 May.
Bulgaria’s veteran sprinter Ivet Lalova-Collio - a double Olympic finalist as far back as Athens 2004 - opened her season at the Turkish Super League in Mersin last weekend in good form, producing a sprint double in 11.20 and 22.94. Lalova-Collio has been entered for both sprint events in Birmingham as well as the 4x100m relay.
Another athlete on double duty at the Alexander Stadium is reigning European 5000m and 10,000m champion Yasemin Can, who will be contesting both the 3000m and 5000m for Enka.
Can eased to victory in both events in Mersin last weekend and another distance double is on the cards, although Sara Moreira - who is representing 2016 champions Sporting Clube de Portugal - could provide some opposition if she has recovered from her exertions in the Prague Marathon at the start of the month.
Can’s teammate and clubmate Meryem Akdag has been entered for both the 800m and 1500m although the 800m entry-list is headed by Rotterdam Atletiek’s Sanne Wolters-Verstegen - the only athlete in the line-up with a sub-two minute PB at 1:59.29. Akdag will also face strong opposition from Valencia Esports’ Marta Perez in the 1500m, although Akdag has a marginally faster PB - 4:05.47 to 4:05.82.
Sporting Clube de Portugal’s team also includes reigning European triple jump champion Patricia Mamona who has also entered the long jump. Mamona leads the entry-lists in her specialist event by more than half-a-metre with a lifetime best of 14.65m but Karin Melis Mey, who has a 6.93m PB albeit dating back to 2007, is expected to win the long jump for Enka.
Enka are tipped to perform well in the throwing events too. Former world and European U20 champion Emel Dereli is the favourite for the shot put and Kivilcim Salman is the favourite for the hammer, although Irina Rodrigues should claim maximum points for Sporting Clube de Portugal in the discus.
Slovenian club AD Kladivar will have three good chances of maximum points in the field events. Veteran Martina Ratej is the favourite for the javelin while Marusa Cernjul and Tina Sutej are expected to claim victories in the high jump and pole vault.
The British team in action on the women’s side is Thames Valley Harriers whose team includes Zoey Clark, who won a silver medal for Great Britain in the 4x400m relay at the IAAF World Championships last summer, and European U20 pole vault silver medallist Molly Caudery, who has already improved to 4.40m this season.
Live streaming of the ECCC Track & Field Group A will be available on both Vinco Sport and RunnerSpace.