Thrilling contests on card at Galan meet – European Athletics (EAA) – NEWS

The sell-out 10,000 Swedish crowd will have plenty to cheer about at the 20th edition of the GE Galan at the Globe Arena in Stockholm on February 18.

Home-grown pool of talent is headed by joint-world second best in the high jump, Linus Thornblad, who recently cleared 2.36 in Banska Bystrica after recovering from a heavy cold.

Having cleared all the heights on first attempt in Slovakia, the Swede's only stutter came at an outright World 2009 best of 2.38. Thornblad will go into the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Turin as one of the hot favourites for gold and the Swedish public will want to give him a good send-off.

Olympic Pole Vault silver medallist Yevgeniy Lukyanenko will face-off with Beijing champion Steve Hooker of Australia. Hooker has been chasing Sergey Bubka's World Indoor record this winter however the World Indoor champion Lukyanenko, who joined the 6m club last year, will have to prove that he possesses the armoury to push Hooker.

Also in the mix are second in the current European lists, fellow Russian Pavel Gerasimov, while Britain's Steve Lewis, who cleared 5.75 in Manchester in January, could spring a surprise as well.

The 800m field packs quality with the presence of last two Olympic champions; Russia's Yuriy Borzakovskiy and William Bungei (KEN). Both will have to find something special to tackle the Sudanese Ahmed Ismael who finished narrowly short of the Kenyan in Beijing. Ismael has been in lightening form this winter and will be hard to dislodge, even though Bungei outwitted him in Karlsruhe on Sunday.

Two-time European outdoor 1500m champion Mehdi Baala will confront teen sensation Abubaker Kaki over 1000m. Kaki seems to have recovered from his surprise elimination in Beijing as he holds the1000m world lead of 2:16.23 from Stuttgart.

But coming off his excellent French mile and 1500m records in Lievin and Karlsruhe, Baala is looking to add the 1000m to his cabinet of trophies prior to Torino and Stockholm could provide him that opportunity.

 After coming within 0.01 of his European record over 300m in Lievin, Sweden's Johann Wissman, returns to the 400m where he hopes to threaten his best of 46.04 and go under 46 for the first time in his indoor career.

Pushing him will be the World indoor champion, Canadian Tyler Christopher, who defeated Wissman in the Valencia World indoors. Wissman, with two World indoor silvers to his name, will compete in 400m at Torino.

In the 3000m Sweden's Mustafa Mohamed and France's Bob Tahri have the World Indoor silver medallist, Paul Kipsiele Koech (KEN), standing in their way.

Russian Evgeniy Borisov is joint leader over the hurdles so far this winter with 7.45. He comes up against American Anwar Moore who was ranked 5th in the World last year outdoors.

On the women's side, World record holder for the 3000m, Ethiopian Meseret Defar, will be attacking the world record for the 5000m held by her rival and compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba.  

The women's 400m will give the world a chance to take a close look at the new Russian 21-year-old star Antonina Krivoshapka from Volgograd. She clocked 50.55 and 50.56 at the Russian Indoor championships at the weekend.

Russian Indoor Long Jump champion World leader this year Olga Kucherenko will be the top contender after clearing 6.81 in Moscow earlier this month.

Fresh from her Italian record in Karlsruhe, Italy's Elisa Cusma, will be looking to add Stockholm to her portfolio and strengthen her bid for European gold on home soil in three weeks.

Having excluded herself from the long jump as a precautionary measure while she recovers from a stress fracture, Carolina Kluft, gives herself another outing over 60m. However the favourite tag in the event will belong to European leader Russian Ana Geflikh with a time of 7.18 from Moscow this winter. Britain's Joice Maduaka who won her fifth national indoor title at the weekend at the age of 35 will also be in contention in the category.

European Athletics (EAA) – NEWS