News and Notes - 10th World Indoor Track & Field Championships

Budapest, HUN - News and notes on the eve of the 10th World Indoor Track & Field Championships from Hungary's capital city, which are already the biggest ever. 765 athletes from 150 nations were entered, surpassing the figure from Lisbon 2001 where 136 nations participated, and Paris 1997, where 712 athletes attended. The largest field is the men's 60m, with 64 athletes entered.

On the track:
With seven of the year's ten fastest times, Briton Jason Gardener, twice a bronze medallist, is a heavy favorite in the 60m. And it's a prediction he's taken to heart. "I came here to win the gold medal," he said, "I wouldn't be satisfied with anything less." Only seven men have ever run faster than Gardener's world-pacing 6.46.

But Hungarian coach Gyula Nemeth is not among those willing to bet on "The Bath Bullet."

"I think that the biggest favorite, Jason Gardener, will not win the race. Although he is a very good athlete, but not a real competitor, therefore the Americans can beat him in the final." Nemeth said that a good showing for his pair of sprinters, Gabor Dobos and his son Roland, would be to reach the semifinals.

Gail Devers is being widely touted as the pre-meet favorite at both the 60m flat and hurdles races. French hero Christine Arron may have something to say about that.

"I don't think it's impossible to beat Devers," said Arron, who has fond memories of her last competition in Budapest. Arron sped to a 10.73 win at the 1998 European championships, a performance that's still the European 100m record. "I feel strong and fast this week. I ran a national record [in the 60m] two weeks ago and maybe I can go under 7.08 this time."

At 37, Devers won't even be the most senior competitor in the 60m field. Merlene Ottey, who has collected 20 medals at world indoor and outdoor championships, plus another eight in Olympic competition, is the only athlete in the field who competed when the WIC were last held in Budapest, in 1989. Then, the 43-year- old Jamaican-born Slovenian won her first of two world indoor 200m titles. This time around, she's aiming for an appearance in the semifinals. "Two runs would make me satisfied," said Ottey, who finished a respectable fourth last year in Birmingham. "Everything depends on the start. It's likely for me to reach the final if my start will work out." Ottey sees Arron as the favorite, with Devers and Belgian Kim Gevaerts as potential winners as well. But she quickly adds, "As I said, everything depends on the start."

Allen Johnson hasn't ever been one to follow the crowd. In a winter when many top stars are bypassing the indoor season to fully prepare for the upcoming Olympics, the two-time world indoor and four-time outdoor champion never remotely considered skipping the indoor campaign.

"For me competing indoors is a major part of the preparation for the outdoor season every year. Moreover, as the title holder, I think it's important to face the challenge."

World indoor 200m record holder and 1999 champion Frank Fredericks feels just as strongly about competing indoors. "This race is the pinnacle of the indoor season," said the 36-year-old Namibian, widely perceived as one of the most popular sprinters in the world. "Many athletes sacrifice the indoor championships in the interest of the Olympics, but I think we can't do this to our fans and sponsors. I'll have time to worry about the Olympics later."

A reporter asked Fredericks, one of the most recognized individuals in Namibia, if he was considering a career in politics. No way, Fredericks said. "Switching to politics would be foolish for me because I would like to stay popular."

When Maria Mutola tumbled to the track two weeks ago at the Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham, it apparently was more than an innocent stumble and rare DNF. The five-time world indoor champion, affectionately dubbed "The Maputo Express," suffered a hip injury serious enough that her training was confined to the pool for the week after her fall. But she said the problem is a thing of the past.

"I feel absolutely well," she said, before adding her standard modest pre-race "prediction." "At the world championships anything can happen, but hopefully I can defend my title," adding, "I know I have to be careful with Jolanda Ceplak," the world indoor record holder from Slovenia. "But I haven't worked out any tactic."

After an inspection of the track a few days ago, 2002 NCAA 400m champion Gary Kikaya expressed high hopes. "The track is excellent," said the Democratic Republic of Congo native who competed for the University of Tennessee. "I think in these circumstances I will be able to run the best time of my life. I will have to concentrate in the semis as well to get through to the final and have a chance of winning not only the gold, but also the big bucks." Each individual winner takes home $40,000 for the win.

On the field:
When qualifying begins tomorrow afternoon in the women's pole vault, all eyes will be on the Russian pair of Yelena Isinbayeva and Svetlana Feofanova. Both have raised the world record this season. But US and reigning Olympic Champion Stacy Dragila isn't counting herself out. "The two excellent Russian vaulters are extremely dangerous," she said. "I have a great deal of respect towards them, but I am not afraid at all." Dragila added that being erased from the record books by the younger Russians helps feed her fire. At last year's world indoor championship, Dragila didn't advance to the final after a no-height in qualifying.

Reigning outdoor long jump champion Eunice Barber pulled out of the long jump beacause a thigh problem that surfaced during the Lievin meeting last weekend hasn't heeled.

While the Budapest Sportarena facility looks shiny and new, Fiona May, the 2001 outdoor long jump champion, didn't provide a rave review. "I just recently tested the track and I must say I expected a harder track surface."

On Friday, world champions will be crowned in the men's and women's 60m, and women's shot put. Track events include the first rounds of the men's 400m and 3000m, and women's 800m, 1500m and 3000m. On the infield, the schedule includes qualifying in the men's high, long and triple jumps and women's pole vault and triple jump, along with the first day of the pentathlon.

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World-leading Performances

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World Leading Performances for standard indoor events (as of 04- March, as reported by the IAAF):

MEN -

60m: Jason Gardener, GBR, 6.46

200m: Joseph Batangdon, CMR, 20.57

400m: Jerry Harris, USA, 45.52

800m: Yuriy Borzakovskiy, RUS, 1:44.58

1000m: Berhanu Alemu, ETH, 2:20.51

1500m: Ivan Heshko, UKR, 3:35.15

Mile: Paul Korir, KEN, 3:53.26

3000m: Haile Gebrselassie, ETH, 7:29.34

5000m: Kenenisa Bekele ETH, 12:49.60 WR

60m H: Allen Johnson, USA, 7.43

HJ: Stefan Holm, SWE, 2.37 [7-9 1/4]

PV: Jeff Hartwig, USA, 5.88 [19-3 1/2]

LJ: Savante Stringfellow, USA, 8.41 [27-7 1/4]

TJ: Christian Olsson, SWE, 17.65 [57-11]

SP: Christian Cantwell, USA, 21.95 [72- 1/4]

WT: Libor Charfreitag, SVK, 24.48 [80-3 3/4]

Heptathlon: Roman Sebrle, CZE, 6350

WOMEN -

60m: Yuliya Tabakova, RUS, 7.06

200m: Veronica Campbell, JAM, 22.51

400m: Natalya Nazarova, RUS, 49.68

800m: Maria Mutola, MOZ, 1:57.48

1000m: Kelly Holmes, GBR, 2:32.96

1500m: Kutre Dulecha, ETH, 4:01.90

Mile: Hayley Tullett, GBR, 4:27.28

3000m: Berhane Adere, ETH, 8:33.05

5000m: Berhane Adere, ETH, 14:39.29 WORLD RECORD

60m H: Gail Devers, USA, 7.76

HJ: Anna Chicherova, RUS, 2.04 [6-8 1/4]

PV: Svetlana Feofanova, RUS, 4.85 [15-11] WORLD RECORD

LJ: Irina Simagina, RUS; Tatyana Lebedeva, Rus, 6.95 [22-9 3/4]

TJ: Tatyana Lebedeva, RUS, 14.97 [49-1 1/2]

SP: 20.73 Vita Pavlysh UKR, 20.73 [68- 1/4]

WT: Erin Gilreath, USA, 23.95 [78-7] WORLD RECORD

Pentathlon: Natalya Dobrynska, UKR, 4602

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