Sport

Russian women hard to beat

Britain's Mark Lewis Francis. - reuters

florence, (ap)

RUSSIAN WOMEN WILL be aiming for their ninth straight team title at this weekend's European Cup, which pits Europe's top athletics nations against each other.

In the men's competition, Germany will be trying to defend their crown.

Olympic silver medalist Irina Simagina will lead Russia's assault in the long jump. The 23-year-old is undefeated in three outdoor meets this season, reaching 7.04 metres on home soil in Sochi in May for the only jump beyond seven metres this season.

Simagina's main competition could come from British-born Italian Fiona May, the local favourite and 2001 world champion, who could be competing for the last time in her adopted country.

The closest race could be the 800 metres.

Spain's Manuel Antonio Reina, the 2002 World Cup champion, should be challenged by Rene Herms of Germany, Britain's James McIlroy, Nicholas Aissat of France, and European Indoor champion Dmitry Bogdanov.

Ronald Pognon of France and Mark Lewis-Francis of Britain highlight the 100-metre field, although both are in questionable form.

Pognon, who ran a European indoor record of 6.45 seconds in the 60m in February, began his season with a solid 10.09 in April in Martinique, but has since been bothered by injuries and has not competed in more than a month.

Lewis-France beat former world record holder Maurice Greene in Glasgow two weeks ago, but failed to advance past the semifinals in Athens on Tuesday, clocking 10.36.

Lewis-Francis, the anchor of Britain's gold-medal winning 400-meter relay team at the Athens Olympics, was stripped May 13 of the 60m silver medal he won at the European Indoor Championships in March after testing positive for marijuana. He was not suspended.

Under an expanded three-day format, the competition begins today with four endurance events.

The eight women's teams are France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia and Ukraine. The men's teams are Czech Republic, France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland, Russia and Spain.

The meet will take place at the Luigi Ridolfi Stadium, which was inaugurated for the 2003 European Cup.

The British women, led by Paula Radcliffe, will be competing at a First League meet in Leiria, Portugal, after being relegated last year. The men's First League meet will be in Gavle, Sweden.