Ninth IAAF World Cup WORLD CUP COMING TO U.S. -- CEPLAK TO FACE MUTOLA IN MADRID Note: For Race Results Weekly (RRW) - 19-Sep-02 - Madrid, ESP -- In a move designed to improve the profile of the sport in the United States, the IAAF announced today that the 2006 edition of the World Cup will be held near Los Angeles. Speaking at a press conference on the eve on the ninth World Cup, IAAF President Lamine Diack said the decision to stage the event in the United States was made in July. "A team competition involving the USA and the rest of the world should work very well over there," he said, "and fits in with the IAAF's long- term strategy to help strengthen our sport in the USA." It will be the first time an IAAF athletics championship will be held in the United States since the 1987 World Indoor Championships in Indianapolis, and only the sixth time the U.S. hosts a championships event sanctioned by the sport's international governing body. World Cross Country Championships were hosted by New York in 1984, Boston in 1992, and Durham in 1995. In 1987, New York also hosted the World Race Walking Cup. The 2006 event is planned for a new facility being built at California State University-Dominquez Hills, near Los Angeles, which will include a 30,000 seat track and field facility. The two day event will be stretched to four, with three days of competition and one for the opening ceremony during the Labor Day weekend. "USATF has been working hard to bring an international meet of this caliber to the United States," said USATF CEO Craig Masback. "We appreciate Lamine's support and the high priority he has put on having major events in the U.S." Meanwhile, this year's World Cup, the only IAAF championship with a team focus, looks to be among the most competitive since its inception in Düsseldorf, Germany in 1977. Friday's distance events begin with the highly anticipated match-up between indoor world record holder and yearly leader Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia and world and Olympic champion Maria Mutola of Mozambique in the 800 meters. Mutola will be aiming for her fourth straight World Cup win. Going into Madrid, Mutola has beaten the European indoor and outdoor champion in their last three races over the distance. Cuban Zulia Calatayud, who pulled off a surprise win in the Monaco GL in 1:56.09, the year's second fastest performance, is looking for an upset, while the Spanish crowd could push Mayte Martínez, the Euro silver medallist, into the medal hunt. The overwhelming favorite in the men's 1500 is Kenyan Bernard Lagat, but a slow race could favor European champion Mehdi Baala, who recently lowered the French national 800m record to 1:43.15. Home field advantage could favor Euro silver medallist Reyes Estévez in a field that also boasts the Commonwealth champion, Michael East. Gabriela Szabo will defend her Cup title in the 3000 meters but will expect a challenge from Ethiopian Berhane Adere who's 8:26.14 is the fourth-fastest time of the year. Russian Yelena Zadorozhnaya, whose late season condition was made evident with her surprise win in last weekend's Grand Prix Final in Paris, could also be a factor. Madrid native Alberto García, the European 5000 champion, is the favorite in the final distance event of the first evening, while Ismail Sghyr of France is the only sub-13 minute performer in the field. A bout of the flu knocked 1992 Olympic champion Dieter Baumann off the German team, and was replaced by Michael May. Teams made up of continental squads -- Africa, Americas, Europe and Oceania-- will compete against national squads from the United States, Germany, Spain, Great Britain (men) and Russia (women). 14 reigning World Champions, nine current Olympic champions and three world record holders are among the more than 400 athletes competing. More than USD 3 million will be awarded, ranging from $30,000 for the winner to $1000 for ninth place, the biggest total prize money pot in 2002. The men's team from Africa will be going for their fourth straight Cup crown, while the US women will be defending theirs. Elsewhere... US sprinter Tim Montgomery, who became the world's fastest human last Saturday after lowering the world record to 9.78 for 100 meters, will not be competing in his specialty. "It takes a lot of time to recover," he said. "My feet and ankles are still swollen from it." He and his coach Trevor Graham will decide on Friday if he will still run the anchor leg on the 4x100 relay... The international athletics press corps has been having a field day this week describing the relationship between Montgomery and new girlfriend Marion Jones. Responding to a query that began the athlete's press conference, Jones, who will defend both her 100 and 200 World Cup titles, replied: "I know we're public figures, and I respect that. But we'd like to keep our private lives as private as possible." Smiling and sighing, Jones added, "We're very happy at the moment."... |
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