European Indoors: w3000 heats

[nevetsllim]

Alminova also lining up in the 3000m hts :shock:

Tough heat with Alminova, Bekele and Fernandez.

[Flumpy]

Why is Fernandez doing the 3k instead of the 1,500m. She's World No1 in the latter whereas her 3k best is 9.03???

[nevetsllim]

I thought it was quite strange as well - she doesn't strike me as having the strength to live with Alminova, because she was about 45th at the Euro Cross in December! However, she looked pretty good and Alminova's legs must be a bit weary tomorrow.

[joeltetreault]

I thought it was quite strange as well - she doesn't strike me as having the strength to live with Alminova, because she was about 45th at the Euro Cross in December! However, she looked pretty good and Alminova's legs must be a bit weary tomorrow.

She said her goal this indoor season was to focus on the 3000m. The 4:01i was a very surprising (and pleasant) side effect of that training:

An ecstatic Fernández astonished the media assembled when she confessed that, “After so many years competing over 800m (PB of 2:00.35) and 1500m, this winter season I had planned to tackle the 3000m thinking of the Europeans in Turin. Actually I made the Spanish team for the European Cross Country championships in Brussels last December and lowered my 10km PB by one minute (33:30) later that month. Today, I had decided to make my season’s debut over 1500 to check my speed. This great performance now opens a big question mark about the event I’ll contest there. It’s time now to enjoy today’s success.”

http://www.iaaf.org/WIM09/news/newsid=49320.html

[LopenUupunut]

Fernández and Alminova both surprisingly tame...

1 1237 Bekele Degfa, Almitu TUR 8:46.50 NR
2 1173 Moreira, Sara POR 8:48.18 PB
3 1108 Cullen, Mary IRL 8:48.47
4 1037 Fernández, Nuria ESP 8:49.49 PB
5 1137 Weissteiner, Silvia ITA 8:50.17 SB
6 1187 Alminova, Anna RUS 8:51.36
7 1214 Zarudneva, Yuliya RUS 8:58.55
8 1176 Bobocel, Ancuta ROU 8:59.78 PB
9 1083 Wootton, Katrina GBR 9:01.83
10 1170 Augusto, Jessica POR 9:04.48
11 1107 Byrne, Deirdre IRL 9:08.89
12 1172 Monteiro, Ines POR 9:14.34

[nevetsllim]

...as was Jessica Augusto.

I think too many people under-estimated Bekele - she was seventh in the Olympic Games last yr but why Fernandez ran the 3000m is beyond me. :?

[Rineanna]

Delighted for Mary Cullen. Did not see Moreira as a medallist, but fair play to her also.

[Grazerism]

Alminova looked so good and relaxed. I thought she might have gotten stepped on with a lap to go. Any word on what happened to her (besides plain old fatigue)?

[AthleticsInBritain]

Really pleased to see Mary Cullen get the bronze. A good reward for doing the hard work over the last 1k. Didn't expect Alminova to fade so badly though. You would've picked Bekele for a medal but you wouldn't necessarily have chosen Moreira or Cullen for the other medallists. Turned out to be a good race in the end.

[Jon]

Looks like Alemitu Bekele will be heading to Berlin with a very 'Turkish' preparation, having not competed AT ALL since her win in Turin. :?