The European Junior championships start tomorrow. I've become wary of writing these little previews, as I get my hopes up for certain athletes, and they never seem to produce--not unlike the predictable build-up to every LeMaitre race, during which everyone gets so worked up that they're disappointed when he fails to run the first 7-second 100. Nevertheless, I will once again highlight some of the more promising young European runners for this meet:
100M--Really, just Gemilli. Still no sign of the "LeMaitre effect" inspiring young runners.
200m--this is wide open with a lot of possible medalists and winners. Julien Watrin has a 21.02 PB into a negative wind, and he did that a year ago. So he's a major contender if he's in good form. Spain offers up two young studs, Alberto Gavaldo and Oscar Husillos. I'm especially excited about Husillos as he is one of the youngest in the race and still has a 21.20. Poland has two runners in the 21.3's, and both, like Husillos, have 1993 birthdays, making them younger than most.
400m--We've really got to start paying attention to this Hungarian Nagy. I know I've mentioned his name from time to time (he finished a close second to the seemingly invincible Kirani James at last year's world juniors, and his best time, 45.74, puts him ahead of Gehret, Braddy, etc, all of whom I'm keen on. Let's face it, he's within half a second of the 2011 edition of Jeremy Wariner.
800m--I'd never heard of him before today, but his French kid, Pierre Ambroise Bosse, has just burst onto the scene. He looks like a total thoroughbred. 1:46.18 at his age?? Phenomenal. Puts him well ahead of where our current collegiate superstars (Andrews, Loxsom, Greer, etc) were at the same stage. Martijn Scheepers is also running, and he, too, is ahead of where our collegians were at that age: 1:47.42. In looking at these times, be sure not to compare them to the Kenyan winners at the "youth" worlds. They were balding, mustachioed, had gristly adult bodies, and wore wedding rings. Scheepers and Bosse are legitimate juniors. Oh, and the young Norwegian, Johannes Rogestedt, is running. He once beat the Kenyans (apparently in a year they didn't age-cheat) in world youth finals.
1500m--Should be the most exciting race. Two awesome young Britons are in it, Adam Cotton and Charlie Grice, both of whom I've mentioned before. They've run times in the low 3:40's, putting them at close to a 4:00 mile pace. In looking over the startlist, however, I discovered someone I'd never heard of: Thomas Solberg Eide, who has run an unreal 3:40 for the 1500. That definitely equates to a sub-four mile. He's been under the radar, but he's running as good or better than Verzbicas at the same age.