More than 100 athletes are playing their ticket to Beijing in Barcelona
16/07/2008
More than a hundred athletes taking part in the Meeting Ciutat de Barcelona next Saturday will compete with the clear objective of getting the qualifying standards to go to the Olympic Games of Beijing. Out of the total group of athletes who have confirmed their participation, 127 have already got their goal and those other 100 are desesperately looking forward to getting it as soon as possible. Deadline is next 31 July.
Getting the standards is one of the most important motivations of this meeting, that is going to take place at about two weeks before the beginning of the Olympics.
This is the very special situation of the Spanish athletes because they will only have the chance of reaching their goal in the National Championships in Tenerife (26 and 27July).
Just three days before the celebration of the Meeting very outstanding athletes continue sending their confirmations. The last one comes from Morocco, it is Amine Laalou's. He is one of the best known middle racers from the beginning of this century. The Moroccan athlete will take part in the 800m race, one of the event's star competitions. Laalou is in an excellent shape. He has just won the Golden Gala in Rome. In that event he beated the Cuban Yeimar López. Laalou's best is 1:43.25, he has been in the last 2004 Olympic Games and he got the sixth position in the 800m and also was in the World Championships in Osaka last year. This year, he counts on a best of 1:44.27 got in Rome and he is on the ninth position in the world ranking this season.
With the registration of Laalou, the Meeting continues increasing its number of participants.There are 17 athletes taking part in Montjuic who belong the group of the five top this year in their disciplines. There are other 16 who appear in the world ranking between the sixth and the tenth position. Furthermore, there are also five leaders of that ranking who will participate in Montjuic: Abubaker Kaki (800m). Moses Masai (5000m), Veronica Campbell-Brown (200m), Eunice Jepkorir (3000m Steeplechase) and Hrisopiyí Devetzi (Triple Jump).
The USA, maximum referent point in this sport, sends a team in which there are ten athletes who are part of the Olympic team. This one will be managed by Jeanette Bolden (women) and Bubba Thornton (men).
