European Champion Clubs Cup Preview – European Athleltics (EAA) – NEWS

A great gathering of 29 European Athletics Clubs will meet in Vila Real de Santo, Portugal this weekend to compete in group A and B of the European Champion Clubs Cup.

Teams will do battle not only for titles, but also to avoid relegation. The last two teams in group A will be dropped to the B-group in 2009, while the B-groups top two finishers will find themselves in A next year.

In an unparalleled winning streak, the women's team of Russian club Luch Moscow, have won all editions of the cup since 1997 and as Finpromko UPI, they appear determined to maintain this position.

Women

Finpromko UPI boasts the jumping talents of reigning Olympic and World Long Jump Champion and European Triple Jump Champion, Tatyana Lebedeva. Lebedeva, who has recently recovered from injury, will make her season debut this weekend contesting Long Jump for her club.

However Lebedeva is just one jewel in the Finpromko UPI crown that also includes Steeplechase World record holder Gulnara Samitova-Galkina (3,000m), former World and reigning European 1,500m Champion Tatyana Tomashova, European 400m Champion Yevgeniya Isakova, World and European medallist Yelena Zadorozhnaya (Steeplechase) and European 200m medallist Yulia Guschina, will all turn out to ensure their club successfully defends its title.

However last year's second place finishers Valencia Terra i Mar (ESP) will be ready to fight for the top podium place with Spanish High Jump record holder Ruth Beitia, much improved hurdler Josephina Oniya (she already achieved 12.64 this year), and guest competitor (every team can have two foreign participants) Morrocan 800m Olympic and World medallist Hasna Benhassi.

Turkey's third place finalist from last year, Enka Spor Kulubu, can rest assured that their 5,000m is in good hands with World 10,000m silver medallist and recent European Cup 10,000m Champion Elvan Abeylegesse set to speed round the track. Turkey's invited guests include former European 400m Hurdles Champion Ionela Tirlea of Romania and Asian record holder Olga Rypakova from Kazakhstan for jumps.

Finally, the other teams looking to cause an upset to that Russian stranglehold are Czech USK Praha, Italian Fondiaria Sai Atletica (with Ukrainian middle distance runner Iryna Lishchinska), Greek Panellinios and last years promoted teams; CA Montreuil (FRA) and Spartak Dubnica (SVK).

Men

The Russian domination continues into the men's competition, with eight-time winners Luch Moscow favourites again to lift the trophy; however their challenge could be tougher than the female squads.

World Indoor medallist Andrey Yepishin is the sprinting star of the Russian team, but he will have it tough competing in the 100m against home star and double European Champion Francis Obikwelu (for Sporting Clube de Portugal) and Italian Simone Collio (Fiamme Gialle, winners from 2005).

Spain's Puma Chapin Jerez club are also expected to be strong competitors (especially with the inclusion of Cuban Discus thrower Frank Casanas), and there may just be a surprise from Slovakia's Spartak Dubnica whose team includes World Hammer bronze medallist Libor Charfreitag, and World Triple Jump finalist, Dmitrij Valukevic.

Turkish club, Enka Spor Kulubu, will be helped by a number of guest performers including Jamaican sprinter Ainsley Waugh. Past winners Dukla Praha (CZE) mark their return to the A-group after one year of relegation together with CA Montreuil (FRA).

B-Group

In the B-group, Britain's Manchester City looks ready to fight for promotion with Hurdler Andy Turner and Sprinter Alex Nelson, there toughest competition looks like Israeli club, Maccabi Tel Aviv, who will make the most of European Pole Vault Champion Alex Averbukh and Hungarian Discus thrower Gabor Mate.

In the women's competition the home club – Clube de Portugal – is the favourite to win with European Indoor Long Jump Champion Naide Gomes competing along with a selection of strong runners and Latvian world class marathoner Jelena Prokopcuka entered for the 3,000 m and 5,000m.

Germany's USC Mainz could be another candidate for promotion with Sprinter Marion Wagner and World Indoor Pole Vault finalist Anna Battke ready to boost the points on their score card.

European Athleltics (EAA)