Newsletter. Valencia World Indoors, heading for a new participation record SUMMARY PUBLISHED BY COORDINATION

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1 Newsletter # 01-17th JANUARY 2008 SUMMARY Official bulletin of the 12th IAAF World Indoor Championships CONTENTS Preliminary entries...pag. 1 Big stars in Palau Luis Puig...pag. 2 The Worlds in Christmas...pag. 3 Valencian athletes in Palau...pag. 4 PUBLISHED BY Organising Committee Valencia 2008 COORDINATION Ignacio Mansilla Toni Prósper Luis Urrutia Valencia World Indoors, heading for a new participation record 814 athletes from 139 countries have registered in the preliminary entries The 12 th edition of the IAAF World Indoor Championships, which will be held in Valencia from 7 th to 9 th March could break the participation record for this event. The Organising Committee has already received all the preliminary entries from the different Member Federations with final figures totalling 814 athletes from 139 countries. Although there are still two months to the staging of the Championships and the figures can change, at the moment they are higher than those of all previous Championships. The Paris edition of the World Indoor Championships in 1997 currently boasts the highest number of participants, 712 athletes, nearly a hundred less than the ones entered in Valencia The Budapest edition in 2004 on the other hand registered the record for participating countries received the participating countries with 139, the same number that have shown their intention to participate in this 12 th edition. Out of the 814 athletes entries, 455 are men and 359 women. In addition, the secondary protagonists of the Worlds Indoors will increase these figures considerably. Based on this first estimation, including athletes, coaches, delegates and medical personnel, the competition in Valencia could count with persons from the different participating countries. Spain has announced the third highest number of athletes with 42, 20 men and 22 women, just behind the two main powers of this sport, Russia (53) and the United States (50). On 25 th February the exact number and the names of the participants in this IAAF World Indoor Championships will be revealed as that day is the deadline for the final entries. On the 2 nd of March, five days prior to the beginning of the Championships, the first delegations will start arriving at Valencia. An image of the 60 metres hurdles final of the last IAAF World Indoor Championships held in Moscow in

2 World starts to illuminate the Palau Luis Puig In brief The Organising Committee of the 12 th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics, to be held in Valencia from 7 th to 9 th of March 2008, and the Junta Central Fallera have reached a cooperation agreement in order that the falleros and falleras belonging the six commissions of the Benimamet quarter, the neighbourhood in which Palau Luis Puig is located, will take part in the competition s Award Ceremonies. Two representatives of each fallera commission wearing the traditional dress will accompany athletes and officials in each one of the 26 Award Ceremonies. All of them have shown their interest in becoming volunteers and collaborate in an altruistic way with the World Indoor Championships. The delegate city councillor of Ferias and Festivities of Valencia City Council and President of Junta Central Fallera, Félix Crespo, has expressed his hapiness for this agreement that will mean that the Benimamet neighborhood and all the city will live the World Indoor Championships as their own, taking advantage of the proximity of the Fallas Festivities. The presence of the Fallas representatives in the Award Ceremonies of this Championships comes in addition to the invitation made by the Organising Committee to the Benimamet Schools, allowing local children to attend the first morning session of events in Palau Luis Puig and with the Volta a Peu a Benimamet race, the last leg of the Popular Races Circuit of the city of Valencia, whose finish line will be within the premises hosting the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics only five weeks later. Valencia s Palau Luis Puig, which was renovated for the World Indoor Championships, will host the most important competition of its history since its construction in The best athletes of the moment don t want to miss the showcase competition of the winter season and a lot of them have publicy declared their intention of competing in Valencia. Among the ones who have stated their will are numerous Olympic, world and European Champions; superstars of this sport and outstanding names who will surely offer an impressive spectacle in the Valencian facility during the three days of competition. Given the names of the athletes who have announced they will be present in the Luis Puig, the jumping events are expected to be superlative. Top stars like pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, Croatian high jumper Blanca Vlasic or Bahamian Donald Thomas -all of themworld champions in Osaka- have advised of their intention of capturing gold medals in both Valencia and Beijing The Carribean high jumper will have to face strong rivals like Swede Stefan Holm, who has already won three World Indoors or Russian Yaroslav Rybakov, the current World indoor champion. The latter s teammate Yelena Slesarenko, also a gold medallist in Moscow 2006 in the women s event, will try to give strong competition to Vlasic, as will with Spanish record holder Ruth Beitia. The long jump also promises strong emotions taking into account that, if all goes according to the plans, the top three athletes of the 2007 world lists will compete in the World Indoors. Greek Louis Tsatoumas, Panamenian Irving Saladino and Italian Andrew Howe will be among the athletes fighting for the medals. The last time the first three of the previous season had all contested this event at the 2 Kenyan athletes will be the main protagonists in the middle and long distance events. World Indoor Championships was in the edition held in Maebashi The shot put starring American Reese Hoffa as one of its best attractions, and the races look set to be as thrilling as the jumps. Track races, from the shortest ones -60 metres and 60 metres hurdles- to the longest metres- will make spectators vibrate with emotion. With less than two months to the staging of the Championships thrilling duels have been announced like the one in the 60 metres hurdles between Chinese World record holder Xiang Liu and Cuban Dayron Robles, the silver medallist in Moscow. The show in the track will continue with some of the Osaka medallists, Kenyan Shadrak Korir (1.500), Ugandan Moses Kipsiro (5.000) and the World leader in the metres steeplechase, Kenyan Paul Kipsiele Koech, all likely to battle it out in the metres, according to the declarations of the protagonists. Blanca Vlasic could be one of the big stars of Valencia 2008.

3 Valencia Worlds protagonist in Christmas festivities The city of Valencia demonstrated a huge enthusiasm during last Christmas festivities for the upcoming IAAF World Indoor Championships, which fugured at the heart of three social activities like Expojove, San Silvestre race and Cabalgata de Reyes. Expojove is an important Feria for young people and was held in the Valencia Trade Fair. This year it has celebrated its 25 th edition and covered a surface of square metres. In this exhibition area, visitors of all ages could enjoy a variety of leisure activities like Feria attractions, sports, adventure circuits, workshops, dancing and other activities catering to all tastes. One of the activities, entirely dedicated to the World Indoor Championships generated great enthusiasm among the visitors to the Feria. In addition, the city experienced the traditional San Silvestre race, the last competition of Close to participants said goodbye to the year running Valencia City Hall facade during San Silvestre race, with the World Indoor Championsips mascots in the front. the metres of the event over a new course in the city centre. Throughout the race the fans of athletics in Valencia were reminded of the World Indoors that are going to be held next March in the Palau Luis Puig. Finally, in the evening of 5 th January, the most emblematic streets of Valencia city witnessed the traditional Cabalgata de Reyes, which included a float dedicated to the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics. Spectators in the stands located in front of Valencia City Hall gave this float the most resounding applause of the evening. IAAF World Indoor Championships symbols start being an usual elements in all sports activities hold in the city of Valencia. On the left one image of Expojove. 3

4 Valencia region s best athletes tested Palau Luis Puig s new track Valencia region s best athletes with the Luis Puig s new track on the back. Valencia region s best athletes were the first last December to test the new track installed in Palau Luis Puig, the venue of the 12 th IAAF World Indoor Championships to be held there from 7 th to 9 th March. Athletes representing the most outstanding clubs of Valencia region performed a symbolic 200 metres lap on the track that in March will host the best athletes in the world. Niurka Montalvo, current Sports Director of Valencia Regional Government and long jump World champion in 1999, had the honour of firing the gun for this special race, showcasing the best athletes from Valencia Region. The event was attended by the President of Valencia Region Athletics Federation, Vicente Revert accompanied by athletes who have contributed to history of athletics in Valencia like Glory Alozie, Iván Mocholí, Marta Fernández de Castro, Ana Torrijos, José Antonio Redolat, Josephine Onyia, Elena Córcoles, José Emilio Bellido, Joan Estruch, Jorge Gimeno, Miguel Ángel Sancho, David Canal, Concha Montaner and Juan Carlos Esteso. All participants closed the function with a toast for a successful year We hope to obtain some medals for Spain and for Valencia athletics in the World Championships declared Niurka Montalvo. Niurka Montalvo, current Sports Director of Valencia Regional Government and long jump World champion in 1999, was the person in charge of shooting the gun to this symbolic race. Valencia region s best athletes toast for the new year and for the success of the World Indoor Championships 2008 that are going to be held next March in the city. 4

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