Polish NC, Szczecin, 4-6 July

[Powell]

are taking place in Szczecin from tomorrow (Friday) until Sunday. In principle, this is the last chance to qualify for the Olympic team. The rules set by the national federation are that you need an A standard performance from 2008 (Except in marathon and walks, where performances from 2007 also count. In the marathon, the federation set its own standards of 2:12:00 and 2:30:00).

Startlists and live results will be available at http://forsport.info/

As of today, the following athletes have achieved the qualifying standards:

Men
200m Marcin Jędrusiński 20.58
800m Paweł Czapiewski 1:45.19, Marcin Lewandowski 1:45.90
Marathon Henryk Szost 2:11:59, Arkadiusz Sowa 2:12:00 (2007)
400mH Marek Plawgo 49.05
3000mSC Tomasz Szymkowiak 8:22.20
HJ Michał Bieniek 2.30
SP Tomasz Majewski 20.82
DT Piotr Małachowski 66.65
HT Szymon ZióÅ‚kowski 79.26
JT Igor Janik 83.21
20kW Beniamin Kuciński 1:21:58 (2007), Rafał Augustyn 1:22:44, Jakub Jelonek 1:22:57
50kW Grzegorz Sudoł 3:45.47, Rafał Fedaczyński 3:48:07 (2007), Artur Brzozowski 3:52:09, Rafał Sikora 3:59:25
Women
1500m Sylwia Ejdys 4:05.40, Wioletta Frankiewicz 4:06.21, Anna Jakubczak 4:06.94
100mH Aurelia Trywiańska 12.81
400mH Anna Jesień 54.71
3000mSC Wioletta Frankiewicz 9:25.20, Katarzyna Kowalska 9:45.94
PV Monika Pyrek 4.75, Anna Rogowska 4.66, Joanna Piwowarska 4.46
SP Krystyna Zabawska 18.68
DT Joanna Wiśniewska 62.32, Wioletta Potępa 61.89, Żaneta Glanc 61.42
HT Kamila Skolimowska 73.50, Anita Włodarczyk 72.65, Małgorzata Zadura 69.51
JT Urszula Piwnicka 61.65, Barbara Madejczyk 61.24
Heptathlon Kamila Chudzik 6494, Karolina Tymińska 6351
20kW Sylwia Korzeniowska 1:31:16

[Sinafan]

Not many medal candidates for Beijing, are they? Even women's PV isn't a certain bet.

[Powell]

There are no certain bets on the Polish team, it's true, but the situation was pretty much the same last year, and they still managed to win 3 medals in Osaka. Plawgo and Jesien are running at approximately the same level as they did at the same stage of the season a year ago, and they might manage to peak again. Pyrek still has a reasonable chance. Hopefully Kamila Skolimowska will also be in peak form when it matters. Majewski and Malachowski (and possibly Ziolkowski) might have a bit of a chance. It's hard to say with the men's 4x400 - they haven't shown any real form so far, but we'll see what happens in Szczecin.

[Moura]

I think Jesien has good possibilities to medal. Demus probably out, Rawlinson with some injury problems, Benjing weather is not good for Pechenkina, the others are not better than Jesien.
Pyrek did well in majors altough russians seem very strong this year and Stuckinsky showed a big improvement, I thing Pyrek experience can lead her to a medal. Plawgo, relay team and Skolimowska seems to me less probable a medal.

[nevetsllim]

Definitely agree with Jesien being a good medal shot. The event has been pretty weak this year and she can always get herself ready for the champs these days.

[Powell]

Definitely agree with Jesien being a good medal shot. The event has been pretty weak this year

But you can say the same thing about men's 400H. The US OT were won in 48.17 and of all the non-Americans, no one has even broken 48.50 this year! If Plawgo can run at the same level he did in Osaka, there's no reason he shouldn't medal.

[andyjgt]

What time does it start, Powell? I can see no timetable, even when I press on the link to it.

[Powell]

The timetable (in Polish) is here. Only the qualifying in the men's SP takes place early today, other events start in the afternoon. I assume the website will have the timetable and startlists in a few hours.

[andyjgt]

Definitely agree with Jesien being a good medal shot. The event has been pretty weak this year and she can always get herself ready for the champs these days.

Even better shot now Tereshchuk-Antipova is out with a back injury.

[Powell]

Lidia Chojecka is in a difficult position, still not having run an Oly qualifier this year. She is on the start list for Madrid tomorrow, which will certainly give her a much better chance of running sub-4:07 than the NC, but the problem is there are 3 other Poles with A qualifiers. If she becomes the fourth, the race in Szczecin will be the team qualifier. It may be technically possible to make it to Szczecin in time for that race (it's on Sunday at 5 PM), but even if she does, I doubt she can run well there. Of course, if Wioletta Janowska didn't want to do the 1500 in Beijing, it would solve the problem, but apparently she does... She and Chojecka aren't the best of friends, to put it mildly, so I wouldn't expect her withdrawing in a friendly gesture.

[Powell]

What time does it start, Powell? I can see no timetable, even when I press on the link to it.

The timetable and startlists are now available.

[Powell]

Małgorzata Pskit 56.22 in the heats of 400H. It looks like she went for the A qualifier (she won the race by over 3 seconds), but she didn't get all that close.

[andyjgt]

Did Jesien get an exemption from these champs? I see she isn't in the 400 flat either.

I notice Plawgo didn't get one.

Also, Rostkowska is in the Madrid startlists as well as the NC, but they're on the same day - which one will she do, since she lacks the A?

[Powell]

Did Jesien get an exemption from these champs? I see she isn't in the 400 flat either.

Also, Rostkowska is in the Madrid startlists as well as the NC, but they're on the same day - which one will she do, since she lacks the A?

In principle there are no exemptions (unless you get a doctor's certificate stating you are unable to compete). I don't know what the deal is with Jesien - perhaps she is doing the 200?

Rostkowska could potentially run the 1500 in the NC on Sunday.

[nevetsllim]

Like I said before, I think Janowska is being greedy because she has doubled up at the 2005 and 2007 WC and underperformed in both events on both occasions.