MOSCOW: Double Olympic pole vault champion Elena Isinbayeva will spearhead Russia’s challenge in the world championships, as the country announced a strong squad for the for next month’s event in Moscow.
“We expect our team’s leaders to produce world-class results on their home turf,” Russian athletics federation president Valentin Balakhnichev told reporters.
“We have set our team the task of winning six gold and 15 silver medals at the event.”
Isinbayeva, the 2004 and 2008 Olympic champion who will bring down the curtain on her golden career in Moscow, will be hoping to bow out with a victory in front of her adoring home fans.
Russia’s high-jumpers Ivan Ukhov and Anna Chicherova, who both won gold at the London Olympics, will also be hot favourites at the men’s and women’s events.
Olympic and world women’s hammer champion Tatiana Lysenko, who won her sixth national title on Wednesday with a throw of 78.15m, the world’s leading mark for the season, is also strongly tipped for gold.
Meanwhile, nine reigning world champions and 20 medalists from the London Olympics were among the athletes named to the United States team for next month’s World Championships in Moscow.
A trio of teenagers -- 17-year-old 1500 metres runner Mary Cain, 19-year-old 400m runner Arman Hall and 19-year-old 800m runner Ajee Wilson are among those set to compete in Russia from August 10-18.
Defending world champions include Jason Richardson (110m hurdles), Christian Taylor (triple jump), Jesse Williams (high jump), Dwight Phillips (long jump), Trey Hardee (decathlon), Carmelita Jeter (100m), Jenny Simpson (1500m), Lashinda Demus (400m hurdles) and Brittney Reese (long jump).
Five world record-holders are in the American lineup, including Ashton Eaton (decathlon and heptathlon), Aries Merritt (110m hurdles), Jenn Suhr (indoor pole vault), Allyson Felix and Carmelita Jeter (4x100m relay). AFP
