7th Asian Indoor Championships – Day 1 Preview

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AAA Council

Eight titles will be decided on the opening day of the 7th Asian Indoor Championships on Friday (19 Feb) but none of these events will be as closely watched as the men’s high jump where local hero Mutaz Barshim will shine as the evening’s biggest attraction.

It’s a rare opportunity for the 24-year-old Olympic bronze medallist, who is also the reigning world indoor champion, to compete on a high level stage before a home crowd, and he’s already indicated that he’s hoping for big things.

With a 2.36m clearance in Malmö, Sweden late last month, Barshim has illustrated good form as the championships approach and has already suggested that assaults on his 2.41m Asian indoor record set one year ago may be in his sites.

His initial target is 2.38m, the world-leading mark set by Italy’s rising star Gianmarco Tamberi on 13 February.

Other medal contenders include China’s Yu Wang, Seunghyun Yun of Korea, and Majd Eddin Ghazal of Syria who have all topped 2.30m or better.

Bragging rights as the continent’s fastest man and woman will also be on the line with the evening-capping finals in the 60 metres.

The men’s side will likely feature a showdown between Qataris Samuel Francis and Tosin Ogunode. Francis will be targeting a fourth title in the short dash after victories in 2008, 2010 and 2014. Ogunode, who has 6.50 credentials from 2014, has clocked 6.66 this season. Eric Shauwn Cray of The Philippines, who clocked 6.60 in Karlsruhe, Germany on 5 February, will lead the challenge to break-up the host’s 1-2 ambitions.

In the women’s race, Victoriya Zyabkina of Kazakhstan, a two-time Asian champion in the 200 metres, comes to Doha on the heels of a 7.20 national record to take on the role of favourite. Maryam Toosi of Iran will be defending her title.

The standout in the women’s 1500 metres field is Bahrain’s Mimi Belete, a four-time Asian championships medallist over 1500 and 5000 metres. She’s clocked an impressive 4:00.08 in the metric mile outdoors.

Turning our attention back to the field events, look for China’s Tianqian Guo, the 2015 Asian champion, battle Iranian veteran Leyla Eajabi, the 2010 Asian indoor champion, for the title in the women’s shot put.

In the women’s long jump, 2015 Asian champion Minjia Lu (6.58m indoors, 6.74m outdoors) leads a competitive field, which also includes Yuliya Tarasova (6.54m indoors, 6.81m outdoors) of Uzbekistan and 2011 Asian champion Mayookha Johny of India. Also on the slate is Kazakhstan’s Olympic triple jump champion Olga Rypakova, who has yet to earn a long jump medal at these championships.

China’s Li Ling, the Asian record holder (4.51 indoors, 4.66m outdoors) in the pole vault, leads a strong field in that event. She’ll be taking on teammate Menquian Ren and Tomomi Abiko of Japan, the defending champion.

And finally, in the pentathlon, Ekaterina Voronina of Uzbekistan will be the woman to beat. The 24-year-old won the heptathlon at last year’s Asian championships and at the Asian Games two years ago.

 

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