The time is here!
As I type,there are less than three hours to go before the European INdoor Championships 3 Day Extravaganza begins!
As always, my Preview will provide the following--
Events listed by day, in order of the finals, with Men's events listed first for each day!
The Meet Record!
Names of key competitors--with the disclaimer that these are NOT predictions of who will win or medal!!
And odds for the Meet Record to be broken!!
Lots to do, so let's begin!!
Friday, March 1
MEN
Shot Put (72-9.75)
There are some great entrants, but only David Storl has shown any consistency this INdoor season!
But with Konrad Bukowiecki, Thomas Stanek, and Michal Haratk around, Storl won't have it easy!
The MR is safe, with 10-90 odds!
WOMEN
Pentathlon (5000)
KJT (aka Katerina Johnson-Thompson) is here, but hasn't shown anything near 5000 points shape!
But the field is strong, and could see several score 4500 or more!
Niamh Emerson, Alina Shukh, Anouk Vetter, and Solene Ndama could win if KJT falters!
ZERO odds for the Meet Record!
(Shock me, KJT!!)
3000 (8:35.67)
Laura Muir is doubling here, but Konstanze Klosterhalfen isn't!!
Knowing KoKo as I do, she may put pedal to metal and force Muir to RUN this race rather than safely win it to rest for the 1500!
And I hope she does!
IF KK takes off early, the MR is GONE!!
Especially if Muir chases her and a tag race is on!!
Watch for Karoline Grovdal, Melissa Courtney, Aline Reh, Mo Koster, and Elish McColgan to be close in a tactical race!
Saturday, March 2
MEN
High Jump (7-10.50)
Forget the MR! ZERO odds!!
Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi should be favored!
He has the talent--and the personality to be a BIG star!
Andre Protsenko and Sylvester Bednarek could challenge!
Pole Vault (19-9.50)
Two BIG names aren't here--Renaud Lavillenie (injury??) and Mondo Duplantis (wimpiness??)
That means Piotr Lisek should win Gold!
But the MR appears safe--unless Lisek has his Day of Days!!
Odds are 25-75!
While Mondo is remaining home to rest for the NCAA's. Sondre Gutormsen--the "other" Collegiate--is not!!
But he'll have (besides Lisek) Pawel Wojcieckowski, Konstadina Filippidis, Axel Chapelle, and Emmanuel Karalis to watch for!
3000 (7:38.43)
Tactical races in championships being the norm,give the odds here 40-60!
And that's because ALL of the Family Ingebrigtsen are competing here!!
Because he's been HOT, give this one to Jakob over Filip and Henrik!
Watch for Yoann Kowel, Andy Butchart, and Chris O'Hare!
Will the Ingebrigtsen's work as a team for the first 2000 or 2400??
400 (45.33)
The MR holder is here in Pawel Maslak, but he's not favored!
That designation goes to Karsten Warholm!
He's run 45.56 for the NR of Norway, but odds for the MR are 60-40!
60 (6.42)
No MR--not even close!!
ZERO odds!
The probable favorite would have been Reece Prescod, but he's not entered!
His fellow Brit is--Richard Kilty!
Jan Volko seems his only real challenger!
WOMEN
400 (49.59)
That MR will probably be around 100 years from now!
Forget it!
Justyna Swiety-Ersetic seems the best here, but watch closely for Elidh Doyle and Lea Sprunger!!
60 (7.00)
This could be a good one!
And would be even better if Dafne Schippers were in top shape!
But she's basically stuck in the 7-teens, and seems unlikely to be a serious challenger!
The race should be between Ewe Swoboda and Mujinga Kambundji!
MR odds are 40-60, and that's just to tie!
Asha Philip, Rebekah Haase, and Ezine Okparaebo will challenge for the podium spots!
Missing is Dina Asher-Smith, who didn't enter!
Sunday, March 3
MEN
Long Jump (28-7)
Unless Luvo Manyonga and Juan Echevarria suddenly move to Europe, this MR will be around awhile!
ZERO odds, of course!
The ONLY name to watch is Miltiadis Tantoglou!
If he betters 27 feet, I'll be surprised!
60H (7.39)
Another fairly safe MR, with 25-75 odds!
The only person who COULD challenge it is Orlando Ortega!
But Ortega better not crash any hurdles, as he has Pascal Martinot-Legarde, Andrew Pozzi, and Milan Trojkovic ready to pounce!
800 (1:44.78)
Marcin Lewandowski is doubling back in the 1500, but he should be favored here!
The MR gets 35-65 odds!
Amel Tuka seems his key challenger, but watch also for Mark English,Alvaro De Arriba, and Tom Kupers!
Triple Jump (58-9.50)
This MR is also safe!!
Seems most of them are, sad to say!!
Aleksey Fyodorov will have some famous names to challenge him--Nelson Evora and Fabrizio Donato!
Add Max Hess (aka Heb) to the mix!
Heptathlon (6479)
The OUTdoor Decathlon World Record holder--Kevin Mayer--isn't here!!
Give the MR 15-85 odds!
Tim Duckworth might be a slight favorite, but he won't have it easy!
Ilya Shkurenyov and Thomas Van Der Plaaten will be key challengers!
Jorge Ureno and Vitali Zhuk are others to watch!
(Of course, the Hept begins on the 2nd, and ends on Sunday!)
1500 (3:36.70)
Just two-thirds of the Ingebrigtsen herd is competing here--Filip and Jakob!
Give this one to the 18 year old!!
After all, he holds the National Record of Norway, and he recently beat Sam Tefera!!
In fact, give the kid the MR also--with 80-20 odds!!
But he could have a HUGE challenge thrown at him by former 800 specialist Marcin Lewandowski!!
4 X 400 Relay (3:02.87)
While they may have been supplanted as THE family of Europe by the Ingebrigtsen's, the Borlee's ARE still around!
As always, Kevin, Jonathan, and Dylan are three-fourths of Team Belgium, and are probably favored!
Main reason being that Poland doesn't have Pawel Maslak listed for the Relay!
Why not?
(In the same vein, why aren't any of the Borlee's entered in the open 400??)
Despite Maslak's absence, Poland should challenge, as will Great Britain!
WOMEN
Triple Jump (49-9)
Despite a veteran of veteran's present--Olga Saladukha--this MR gets 10-90 odds!
Favored should be Yekaterina Koneva!
Kristin Gierisch and Greece's Paraskevi Papachristi could challenge!
Shot Put (70-5)
Another MR that will travel through eternity without a scare!
Laughable!
But Europe's best are all present!
Led by Christina Schwanitz, also watch for Anita Marton, Alina Dubitskaya, and Radosheva Mavrodieva!!
Long Jump (23-11.75)
Ivana Spanovic SHOULD be the favorite, but Milaika Mihambo has been sharpest this season!
Yet you can't dismiss Spanovic!
Maryna Romanchuk is another to watch!
Odds are 5-95!!
Pole Vault (16-0.75)
Everyone is here!!
Here's another event where the "obvious" choice for Gold might NOT win!!
Ekaterina Stefanidi has had some off meets this season!
And with Holly Bradshaw on fire, she'll have some serious challengers to the Throne!
Angelica Bengtsson just PR'ed, and you have to watch for Ninon Guillon-Romano of France, Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou, as well as maybe THE name to watch--Anzhelika Sidorova!!
This could be the best Women's event, barring any NH's or last minute scratches!
(BTW, Lisa Gunnarsson is yet another US Collegiate who isn't here!! Why not??)
MR gets 65-35 odds!
60H (7.74)
The MR gets 10-90 odds, and that is a gift!!
Pam Dukiewicz should be favored, but it might be close if Cindy Roleder or Alina Talay live up to their reps!
Also watch for Nadine Visser!
High Jump (6-8.50)
Can Mariya Lasitskene get this MR??
That might be the main source of interest here, not whether she'll win!
Give her 45-55 odds!!
Yuliya Levxhenko could be close--at least 2.00 meters!
Airine Palsyte, Morgan Lake, and Alessia Trost should be the key podium challengers!
800 (1:55.42)
Since the MR is also the WR, give this one ZERO odds!!
(If Athing Mu was from Europe....!! LOL)
Shalayna Oskan-Clarke from Great Britain is the slight favorite here, but don't expect her or any others to break 2 minutes--0dds for that are 40-60!
Olga Lyakhov is good, but Siofra Buttner, Renelle Lamote, Lovina Lindh, and Selina Buchel are others to watch!
1500 (4:02.39)
Laura Muir is doubling here, but Konstanze Klosterhalfen is doing a onesie only!
So the only question here is whether Muir goes for her own Meet Record!
Give her 70-30 odds!
Watch for Sofia Ennaoui, Ciara Magaeen, Luige Gega, and Claudia Bobacea!!
4 X 400 Relay (3:27.56)
With no really great 400 runners here, this MR is safe--with 15-85 odds!
Great Britain, Switzerland, and Poland should be the top podium contenders!
That's it, folks!
Enjoy the meet, now just one hour away--given the time difference from the Pacific Coast!!
See you soon!
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