Rajne Söderberg, the Meet Director of the 2011 DN. Galan Stockholm DL had much to be proud when he considers the success of this years DL meeting! A sell out crowd of 15,000 plus, WL performances, some great head to head matches and a text book example of how track & field, to grow and prosper, needs to be true entertainment.


We met Söderberg a few hours before the meet, as he was walking around the stadium, one of the world's most iconic and one that has hosted all of the greats, from Paavo Nurmi to Ron Clarke to Usain Bolt to Vivian Cheruiyot. Like all successful meet directors, Söderberg loves the sport (it should be noted that the DN. Stadium will host thousands of young athletes all weekend, from Saturday to Sunday. It should also be noted that the likes of David Oliver, and several other elite athletes help out at the youth meets as well).

From the on field updates for the fans, to the introduction of Swedish U23 medalists, to the San Jose Shark hockey player who is Swedish to Dolf Lundgren, Söderberg and his team understand that, with one of the most educated track crowds in the world, it must be more than a track meet. And, as many of Sweden's top track athletes are in their swansong or retired, Söderberg deftly promotes Swedish athletes (saw Susanna Kallur's little brother running national hurdle race) and the world stars.

The DN. Stadium dates back to the 1912 Olympics. The likes of Jim Thorpe, Hannes Kolhemainen have walked these hallowed walks. If athletics stadiums are where we come to worship the track gods, then the DN. stadium is one of our prime cathedrals. Even in track mad Sweden, though, there was a huge uproar over sharing the stadium with a local football (soccer) team. The DN. stadium won out as a track ONLY stadium, where six or seven of the city's top track clubs also train. 

What may be most remarkable about Mr. Söderberg, who is a medical professional by trade and meet director by avocation, is his control of the Swedish weather. Perhaps he has a relationship with the Scandanavian gods of the old days? Meteorologist all over Sweden were calling for gripping rain, and the meet was blessed with tremendous weather!


I also have to comment how lucky we are in this sport with out top athletes. I watched, from David Oliver, to Andreas Thorkildsen, to Yelena Isinbayeva to Usain Bolt, signing autographs with the young fans especially. 

Next post will be on revelations from the DN. Galan Stockholm DL which had some great surprises!
 

The 2011 Herculis Monaco meeting, the tenth of fourteen Samsung Diamond League meetings to be held in 2011, was another fine example of tremendous competitions leading up to the Daegu World Championships, now just over 40 days away!


One of the big stories of the season is the emergence of 2010 European Champion at 5,000m and 10,000m, Mo Farah, who has continued to outkick elite fields, from Eugene, Oregon to Birmingham, UK to Monaco. In this gutty 5,000 meters, Mo Farah held off Bernard Lagat, as Farah ran the WL and British record at 5,000m, in a fine 12:53.60, with Lagat in second, having set the AR for 5,000 meters once again!


Bernard Lagat is running at least at his 2007 level. His leg speed is strong, and his finish is withering. His new AR of 12:53.60 shows that Bernard is moving into the shape he will need to medal at the 5,000 meters in Daegu.
The men's 5,000 meters may be one of the most competitive races of the World Champs, as the level at 5,000m is crushing. Farah, Lagat look to be two of the top contenders at this time. Sad to see DNFs by Rupp and Solinsky. Better it happen in races like this than Daegu.  


Usain Bolt won over Nesta Carter in 9.88 to 9.90. Bolt is rounding into shape, but RBR wonders if Bolt will have the shape of 2009? He will need it, as the sprinting world has continued to develop and the Caribbe has become the Eldoret of sprinting. This development in the sprinting world has vast repercussions to U.S. sprinting, which will be challenged in Daegu like no other world championships before. Nice to see Mike Rodgers 9.96 after his cramping issues in Birmingham.


The men's 1,500 meter was a barn burner. Actually, it was a tryout for professional kick boxing. Not sure what it was over, but finisher 9, Mehdi Baala, the 2003 silver medalist at 1,500m, and finisher 11,Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad, got into a free for all (think old mosh pit, say, Black Flag & X, circa 1979-1980). The French Federation, shocked by the lack of decorum from two of their athletes, suspended the two, with a short, well written release.


Willis, Manzano, Kiprop, Lagat, Laalou, 2011 AREVA Paris DL, photo by PhotoRun.net

Between all of that fun, Matt Centrowitz finished tenth in 3:34.45. Silas Kiplagat won this one, in 3:30.47, holding off half of Kenya and Europe. Hats off to our Michigan neighbor (via New Zealand), Nick Willis, who set a NR with his fourth place 3:31.76. Willis the silver medalist from 2008 Olympics, is rounding into fine shape.

The 1,500 meters in Monaco was won by Silas Kiplagat, the 1,500m gold medalist from the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Kiplagat held off most of Kenya and all of Europe with his fine run in Monaco, running 3:30.47, holding off Nixon Chepseda and Abubaker Kaki, in 3:31.74, 3:31.76, respectively. Kiplagat is a 1,500m specialist with a withersome kick. 


The 1,500 meters for Daegu is getting to look like a kicker's hell. Anyone who is silly enough to let the pace dawdle in Daegu, should not be surprised when some surprise drops a 24 second last 200 meters in front of 50,000 screaming fans. Look at the picture from the AREVA 1,500 meters-that is what the last 150 meters could look like in Daegu! (Well, with Silas Kiplagat in picture! ) 

The team at the shoe addicts was given a challenging task a few weeks ago. SPIKES USA magazine was launched over the late Spring & there was an opportunity to send a video to two million track & running fans about SPIKES USA. Their job: capture the first issue of the magazine and get potential readers excited the magazine.


We think that they did a very nice job-what do you think? Send us your response at runblogrun@gmail.com or watch for the upcoming subscription offer.

With almost two entire years on the injury list, Kenenisa Bekele has very little time to prepare to defend both his 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter titles from the 2009 World Champs in Berlin. Per Jos Hermans, his manager, Bekele will focus on the 10,000 meters and may consider the 5,000 meters. RBR believes that Bekele will do what Gebrselassie had to do in 2001: focus on one race, as the competition is just too high a standard in 2011. The 5,000 meter may be the toughest distance race of the Championships. Bekele is the world record holder at both 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. For him to be successful in Daegu, he will have to pull out all of the stops. In 2003, the last 1,600 meters was covered under 4:03 and the last 800 meters under 1:54 off a fast pace from 2,000 meters to 8,400 meters.

Some fun races to look forward at Friday's Herculis Monaco Meeting, numero 10 of the 12 Samsung Diamond League 2011 meetings!

Talk about pressure! Oscar Pistorius, the Blade Runner, as he is referred to in the media and by his fans, handled the pressure and delivered. On the last day of the qualifying period, Oscar Pistorious ran a blistering 45.07 to hit the A standard for both Daegu and London. This performance by a man with artificial limbs from the knee on both legs is unheralded. However, in listening to one of his interviews, it became quite clear that Oscar sees this a just another part of his journey.


Neither his mother, nor his brother or sister ever gave him any sympathy. He was expected to do all the things that the other kids could do. He does tell the story about his brother's go-cart, where both Oscar and his brother were flying down a hill near their house, hell bent to reach the end of the road, but with no way to stop the go cart from hell. Oscar was asked by his brother for one of his artificial legs, which had a pair of sneakers on the foot.

The brother took the artificial leg, placed it between tire and road, and as the smell of burning rubber enveloped the two young boys, the go cart, which was on a course from which some damage would have occurred to the two occupants, came to a screeching halt. At that time, Oscar recollected, he learnt the value of his artificial limbs. (Watch for upcoming feature in SPIKES USA Summer.)

Yelena Isinbayeva, 2009 WC, photo by PhotoRun.net

Yelena Insinbayeva no heighted at 4.60m. That happens in the world of the pole vault. The big deal for Isinbayeva right now is to get some competitive experiences before Daegu.


Teddy Tamgho injured his ankle at the U23s last week. An MRI showed that his injury is more severe than expected and he will not be able to compete in the World Champs in Daegu.

Related articles

• Sammy Wanjiru: Mercury among Mortals, by Pat Butcher, note by Larry Eder (runblogrun.com)
• Sammy Wanjiru The World's Greatest Marathoner Has Died (femaleimagination.wordpress.com)

FILA USA responded today to the piece I posted on the Vibram lawsuit over the articulated toes of a FILA USA shoe called Skeletoes. The folks at FILA USA have a different opinion and have expressed it below.. It is nice to see people actually reading and responding to RBR. So, read on, gentle readers:

Stephanie Hightower has taken a position of President and CEO with the Columbus Urban League, leaving the position she had held at Columbus College of Art & Design as the vice president of Institutional Advancement. She will continue as the USATF President & Chairman.
 

Well, the World Champs will be shown on Eurosport. With that, access to the World Athletics Champs for most of Europe will be guaranteed, if one has cable. Nice to see this one!

ASICS America announces new department, Onitsuka Tiger. This is how ASICS America goes after the lifestyle market and keeps from annoying the performance running food chain. My big question will be what happens when the gold medal accounts want to carry Onitsuka Tiger apparel or shoes?  It is in this type of
set up, that authentic and cool fuse. Hugh opportunity for ASICS America.

I can see Onitsuka Tiger line being quite popular with the 19-30 year old market. Very authentic, with strong logo I.D. and some cool colors not found in nature.

In recent releases, as Wulff evolves ASICS America, he has been quite adamant about ASICS focus to keep it's number one performance running position. It has to be obvious that Mr. Wulff was brought in to find other profit centers while shoring up performance running, which is more competitive, and will be more so in 2012-2015.

Recent economic slow downs do not seem to be hurting performance running footwear ($100-$125 plus), while apparel seems to, as always, have its ups and downs. Watch for strong back to school sales with cross country runners (especially the 100,000 or so newbies) purchasing running shoes in August & September.

The running look continues to be popular and just go to any music club ( I was in one this weekend). Most of the trend setters are in tshirts, and authentic running brands. 

The Monterrey Peninsula is one the most beautiful places on earth. Every time I go to California, my parents and I spend a day in PG (Pacific Grove), and Carmel. My favorite restaurant in Carmel is Casanova's, and just walking around Carmel and PG on a sunny day is all one needs to feel much better.

The Big Sur International Marathon is the creation of a team of dreamers. I put much of the kudos on Wally Kastner and his team. Wally, a former career military man, is one of those people who loves the sport and knew he had the place to run a marathon. The views on the Big Sur course are like nothing you will ever see anywhere else in the world.

So, if you can, find a way to run the Big Sur International Marathon, it will be worth your while! www.bsim.org.

If one creates something great, it will be copied. If one creates something half great, it will be copied. And the minimalist movement, which has gone from some whispers in Bolder, Colorado, to nearly a complete bookshelf of books, websites and clinics (remember Step into Minimalism, presented by Saucony, at the 2011 Boston marathon?), is now a movement that includes lightweight, is challenging valued givens in the running footwear world. There is money in this movement, and quite frankly, the lawsuits are just a fact of modern business life in these rarefied parts.

Lightweight shoes have always been around-look at track spikes and racing flats. Many athletes, performance based, figured out, over time, that as they got fitter, they could use less shoe, for long runs, trail runs, workouts on the track, etc.

Esteemed researcher Jack Daniels, advisor of Magdelena Lewy Boulet, takes a different approach. He believes that the least shape one is in, the lighter the shoe that is needed. Contrarian? Sure? But, consider it.  

In 2006, when Nike launched the Nike Free, and the minimalist shoe movement was really started. However, it was the Vibram Five Fingers, that really changed the paridigm.  While I believe that Five Fingers is quite excellent for my passion, flyfishing for trout, bass, bluegill, catfish (yes) (if there is water, I fish) in creeks and streams. Some people run trails in them. Some run on concrete in them.  Other folks love running marathons in them. Although, readers, I would suggest a word of caution in that pursuit.


I still believe that the market has missed major opportunities here: Foot health and core training for senior citizens, and folks who are trying to regain mobility. Lightweight, and the challenges from the consumer for the market to explore products that give the runner more of a contact with the surface, are all mantras, some contradictory, but some will lead to great advances.

Coaches like Brooks Johnson advocated light shoes and foot health in the seventies. So did Percy Cerrutty, the iconic coach famous for his Portsea training camp, training Herb Elliot (1960 Olympic champ, 1,500m). Cerutty had Elliot running barefoot up sand dunes and down them. My high school coach, Steve Pensinger, had us doing repeat 300s around a grass oval at DeAnza college. Proper foot action, good foot health, all are key.


In the case of the article that I spied on my press release pile, Vibram believes is protecting its trademark with this lawsuit. The lawsuit is against the FILA company, which produces a shoe, found on the J.C. Penny website, called Skeletoes. We will provide updates....

Ivan Ukhov won, via count-back over Jaroslava Baba in the 33rd Eberstadt, Germany high jump competition was 2.24m. Watch Baba, who is on a roll, and Ukhov, is well, a brilliant tactical jumper.

Teddy McCook will now have a second term as President of the NACAC. He will also be IAAF Area representative during his tenure...the IAAF and adidas announced a new site for licensed products, featuring promotional products for the major IAAF championships with their apparel and footwear sponsor, adidas.

Madrid, Spain, hoping that, like Pyeonchang, South Korea, that the third time is the charm, will bid once again to host a Summer Olympics, this time it is 2020. We wish them well.


Yelena Isinbayeva will be jumping outdoors this weekend, and her first meet will be in Heusden, Belgium on July 16 (this coming Saturday).

The BAA Boston half marathon filled to its 7,000 capacity in three hours and fifty minutes on Wednesday, July 13. Nice job BAA!

And, congrats to the New Balance Training Center, for announcing its schedule of a record 105 events for the 2011-2012 Indoor season.

Richard Thompson, Usain Bolt, Christophe Lemaitre, 2011 Compeed Golden Gala, Roma, photo by PhotoRun.net

VISA Europe is predicting a record consumer spend increase of $1.2 billion in the seven weeks around the Olympics and Para- Olympics in London 2012! Do not let anyone tell you that sports do not support the economy.

The second most popular sport in the summer Olympics on NBC TV is....drum roll please....track & field. I am curious about that. Someone challenged me on that last night in a quick note. As during the summer Olympics, around the world, there is no more popular sport than track & field. I believe, that in the US, it continues to be the powers that be in American TV that control the viewing hours and perception of our sport. If a product is poorly done, only the real fans can tolerate it.

The word,  "Olympian"  means something to the nearly six billion people on this planet. The significance of the Olympics is that, every four years, 214 or 15 of the worlds 300 countries come together to run, jump, throw (and do lesser sports-yes, some humor) for 18 days.

I am wondering out loud if we should not consider having our World Champs every three years, increase the visibility of the Samsung Diamond League, so we can lengthen the careers of our athletes. Having World Champs means that in 2011, Worlds, 2012, Olympics and Euros, 2013, Worlds, three very tough years.

Sometimes, absence does make the heart or fan grow fonder. Our future also requires track & field and road running to find a way to help each other.

Send me your ideas, to runblogrun@gmail.com.

As we come down to the final seven weeks before the 2011 World Championships, many things are going on...the Kenyan Trials are from Thursday to Saturday of this week, the European U23s are in Ostrava (opening on Wed, events Thursday to Sunday), and then two meets in Belgium as well!

I spent the last ten days traveling to Lille, France for the 2011 World Youth Champs, then to AREVA Paris on July 8 and AVIVA Birmingham on July 10. Some great track and field action and some points to consider. The USA team at the World Youth Champs took sixteen medals. Amazing considering that the USA full team was assembled so close to the event.

In watching the sprints in AREVA Paris & AVIVA Birmingham, team USA has to see that its' normal stalwarts for medals, the 100m, 200m, will be very tough in Daegu, Korea. The 400 for men and women is suprisingly open, with the men's 400 meters eerily open. Jeremy Wariner needs to find the form that gave him 2004, 2005 and 2007,2008 and 2009 medals. His race in Paris had to be considered a real upset.

Two of the most exciting events for the Worlds will be both the 110m hurdles and 100m hurdles. On the men's side, Dayron Robles, Lui Xiang and David Oliver are ever as exciting as the 100 meters. On the women's 100m, with Sally Pearson, Danielle Carruthers, Kellie Wells, among others, should also a great competition.

The men's shot put has the eight top guys competing against each other everywhere. Dylan Armstrong is taking on all comers, and Tomasz Majewski, 2008 Oly champ, and Christian Cantwell, 2009 World Champ, are moving into the battle at the right time.

The men's triple jump, with Phillips Idowu and Teddy Tamgho, are two iconic charac

We shall know more about the fields over the next few weeks, as each of the 206 plus countries who will have athletes at the World Champs will announce their teams. More to come here!

The 2011 AVIVA Birmingham Grand Prix, the eighth stop on the 2011 Samsung Diamond League series, is now one for the record books. Held on a new Mondo track surface at the Alexander Stadium, the sell-out crowd of 15,000 plus was entertained by a very crisp program and some extremely competitive races.


Thanks to Universal NBC, we have highlights of the top races. Here were my favorites:

The men's 100 meters shows that Asafa Powell is the king of the world right now. Powell and Bolt will clash in Daegu, with a completely different cast of characters than we have seen on most of the world stages. Face it, Jamaica is to sprints what Kenya is to distance running.

The men's 5,000 meters. A new found confidence, shown in several races this year by Mo Farah, (remember the Nike Pre 10,000m?), is exhibited here once again, in probably the most exciting 5,000 meter race so far of the year. Notice the crucial work that Craig "Buster" Mottram and Collis Birmingham do to keep the pace honest. Farah's win, and his team mate Rupp's move on Merga are two highlights of this race!

Sally Pearson's world leading 100m hurdle win, over Danielle Carruthers, was another highlight of the meet. Pearson, who has sprint talents as well as hurdle talents, controlled these races from start to finish.

Blanka Vlasic, high jump queen. Vlasic won here, as she was able to get up near two meters on Sunday, which portends well for the crucial part of this season.

Amante Monsho has been winning her races everywhere. The 400 meters for women is going to be a real battle.

Phillips Idowu, the 2009 WC gold medalist, won here over Teddy Tamgho, the world leader. This event, along with the men's 110m hurdles and the women's 100m hurdles, look to be the most competitive events in the World Championships.


And finally, Morgan Uceny. Morgan has been winning all season, and she is showing a presence of mind in her 1,500m races that puts her in the thick of the battle for a medal in Daegu, Korea. In Birmingham, Morgan moved perfectly through the field and held off her super last kick over 200 meters until it meant something!

And finally a tip of the hat to Ian Stewart, and the team at UK athletics, who know how to put on track meets. Nearly perfect pacing of the events, a strong on ground announcer and in stands announcing gave the fans up to date info on all of the major events. 

Here are the highlights of Ato Boldon's Cooldown video on the 2011 AVIVA Birmingham Grand Prix,the 8th meet of the Samsung Diamond League series. Some tremendous events in 2011: Men's triple jump with Phillips Idowu, Women's 100m hurdles with world leader Sally Pearson and Danielle Carruthers, Women's 1,500 m win by Morgan Uceny and the tremendous 5,000m race with Mo Farah, Galen Rupp, Imane Merga, Craig Mottram and Collis Birmingham.
 

In one of the most exciting 5,000 meter races that I have seen, the crowd at the AVIVA Birmingham Grand Prix was entertained by some serious middle distance racing. It was not just the fast pace, but the gutty running between 2,000 and 4,000 meters when the pace could have dropped.

None other than Aussies Craig Mottram, bronze medalist from 2005, who has been bravely coming back from injuries.  Abera Kuma lead through 2,000 meters in 5:17.79. Imane Merga lead through 3,000 meters, and then, "Buster"  Mottram and fellow Aussie Collis Birmingham went to the fore and kept the pace honest!

I was in Athens in September 2006, when Mottram, for the second time in a row, took Kenenisa Bekele down in the World Cup 3,000m, going to the front and making Bekele hurt. That is what Mottram did tonight, for the first time in nearly four years. 

They were rewarded with both making the A standard and both of their seasonal bests! Craig Mottram ran 13:11.51, and Collis Birmingham ran 13:15.70. For Craig Mottram, that is his fastest time since 2006!

Mo Farah has been racing with a confidence that he did not have a year ago. His run at the Nike Pre Distance Gala was a real eye opener, as were his 2010 European Championship wins at 10,000m and 5,000m. His 3:42 last 1,500 meters, 2:25 last 1000 meters and 54.03 last 400 meters is what one has to do to win the big ones today.

Galen Rupp has been developing his kick. His 1:52 for the last 800 meters in Eugene for the 10,000m championships is the type of finishing that a world class distance runner needs to play in this world of uber talented distance runners. Kick or be destroyed ( I seem to remember a coach, who coaches a 12.89 hurdler reminding us of that way back in about 1977 in old RW?).


Galen Rupp is showing some serious guts. Mo Farah's training partner, Rupp was perfectly positioned over the last 1,000 meters and helped push the pace as well (Collis Birmingham lead at 4,000m, in 10:41.45, which really kept that race fast). Buster Mottram and Collis Birmingham put it all on the line to keep the pace honest, and they did! 

Mo Farah has won the two 5,000m in Birmingham this year-the first in February at the NAI and the second, last night at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. And guess who was second in both races? Of course, his training partner, Galen Rupp!

The crowds loved the gutsy racing and the tough finishing of all! What a fun race to watch last night!

This has been one of my highlights of my second part of the European tour!

The 2011 AVIVA Birmingham Diamond League will be held this evening, July 10, in the Alexander Birmingham stadium, featuring a new Mondo surface. We have provided you with the Preview of the meet, by Alfons Juck.

Here are my picks:

Men's 100 meters: Asafa Powell versus the world. Watch for Michael Rodgers of the US to run fast.

Men's 800 meters: Kaki is in race, but I want to see how fast Nick Willis of New Zealand can run-can he come near Peter Snells' 1:44.8?

Men's 5,000 meters: Mo Farah wants to win in front of his home crowd and Imane Merga wants to win it too-this will be an epic battle. Totally stacked field!

Men's Shot Put: Dylan Armstrong, Christian Cantwell, Adam Nelson, Reese Hoffa, Tomasz Majewski-are you kidding, these guys will throw long.

Men's javelin: Andreas Thorkildsen wants a big throw. He asked me what the stadium record was (95 meters, meet record is 98 meters). He smiled. 

Women's 200 meters: Coach John Smith said she is ready, she is Carmelita Jeter. Let's see what happens here.

Women's 100 m hurdles: Some serious hurdlers here, I am looking at Danielle Carruthrs and Tiffani Offili.

Women's 1,500 meters: A very hard one to pick, but I am going with Morgan Uceny.

Women's high jump: OH, Blanka Vlasic, please clear 2.00m!

Women's discus: Stephanie Trafton Brown-on a roll.

The same night as the AREVA Paris, the 39th Meeting de Atletismo, Madrid took place, here were the notable performances:


Justin Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic and 2005 World Champ, recently back from drug suspension, continues to run into form. In this race, Gatlin defeated Dwain Chambers, 10.10 to 10.13, with Travis Padgett, 10.18. Gatlin had lost in Rheims on Monday, July 4.

Kevin Borlee ran a fine 44.74, the same day his brother, Jonathan ran 45.05 in Paris! The Borlee brothers are the real thing. With seven weeks to go to Daegu, the 400 meters is very, very open.

In the 800 meter mens, Tyler Mulder defeated Yuriy Borzakovsky, 1:45.10 to 1:45.54. Note that Borzakovsky ran 46.84 for 400 meters a couple days back in Russia.

In a tactical 1,500 meters, Nuria Fernandez of Spain won in 4:06.00! 

The AREVA Paris Meeting was the second Samsung DL meeting after the USA Outdoor champs. With a crowd of 49,000 plus fans, the nearly three hour meet entertained and had fans on their feet. The local relays started the event and are always a nice way to get the local crowd going. The French crowd was great, their only frustration was when the hurdler Bascou was disqualified.

Hats off to the interview area for media and the quality of the interviews. I think that it may be the best interview area ever, and the interviews opps were excellent. Robles & Oliver, Semenya, Wariner, Lavillenie, Lemaitre were all very good.

My first time back to Stade de France since 2003, and what a facility! Nice organized, orchestrated and produced!

Usain Bolt, 2011 Ostrava, photo by PhotoRun.net

Here are some of the highlights (more details below):

Men's Events

Saving the best for last, Usain Bolt, reportedly, with a cold, ran a controlled 20.03, his slowest 200 meters since June 2009. To the delight of the crowd, Christophe Lemaitre, the 21 year old sensation of France, ran a brilliant race, running 20.21, which is his second best, and seasonal best. Darvis Patton ran 20.59 for third.

In the 400 meters, Christopher Brown upset Jeremy Wariner. Brown ran well, running 44.94 and broke Wariner's winning streak in AREVA Paris. Oh, how the mighty have fallen, as someone once said. .

A fast 1,500 meters where the American men all hit the standard.

A epic 110m hurdle race between Dayron Robles and David Oliver.

A discus duel between Robert Harting and Piotry Malachowski.

And a huge screaming steeple victory by a Frenchman!

Welcome to Runblogrun's coverage of the 2011 AREVA Paris Meeting! Three hours of tremendous track and field. For US fans, note that Shalane Flanagan will be running for the U.S. record for 5,000 meters, now held by Molly Huddle. The women's 5,000 meters should be a screamer, with the field trying to run 14:30 or better.

Usain Bolt and Christophe Lemaitre will be running the last event of the night, the 200 meters. Good shot for Lemaitre to break the French national record for 200 meters of 20.16. He discounted that in the press conference, but there is a real shot. 

The men's pole vault with Renaud Lavillenie should be very good as well. And of course, the men's 1,500 meters is stacked, with Bernard Lagat, Mekkonen Gebremedhin, Asbel Kiprop, Nick Willis, Andrew Wheating, Leonel Manzano and Matt Centrowitz, Jr, are all in the field!

Here is the schedule, we will update after each event, as well as twitter info out on twitter.com/runblogrun:

 

2011 Events

17h30	DOORS OPENING
18h40	LIFA relay (Girls)
18h45	Triple jump Women
18h50	LIFA relay (Boys)
18h55	Javelin throw Women
19h00	Shot put Women
19h10	LIFA 800m Women
19h20	LIFA 1500m Men
19h30	Pole vault Men
20h03	400m hurdles Women
20h05	High jump Men
20h13	3000m Steeplechase Men
20h25	Long jump Men
20h28	400m Men
20h38	800m Women
20h40	Discus throw Men
20h48	100m Women
20h58	5000m Women
21h18	110m Hurdles Men
21h33	1500m Men
21h46	200m Men
22h00	END OF THE MEETING

Better than just about anyone, Christophe Lemaitre knows that he has many roads to run, and 100 and 200 meters to double before he reaches his best. While paying respect to Usain Bolt, he knows that, as the best French sprinter and European champion over 100 and 200 meters, he has to focus on his development. Pretty impressive for someone who is not yet 22 years old!



However, that will not stop 70,000 screaming French fans from not willing him in front of Usain Bolt tomorrow night!

Ethan Cochran took one throw to qualify for the discus final and one personal best to take silver in the 7th World Youth Championships, held in Lille, France on July 6. First, Ethan threw 60.37m/198-00 and then, in the finals, 61.37m/201-4.

This was RBR's first visit to the World Youth Champs, and it is an event I would recommend for any track fan! From the opening ceremony, which combined the arts and culture of Lille, with the enthusiasm of teenagers visiting a new country for the first time, to the Lille Metropole Stadium, all was good in Lille.


As I am now in Paris for the AREVA meeting, we will rely on the IAAF and USATF coverage of the event, highlighting the major performances. Know that the US media was the largest contingent in Lille, with the staff of the NSSF, the team that puts on the New Balance Indoor and Outdoor Championships, in attendance.

The 1,375 athletes, from 173 countries will be competing July 6-10 in Lille, France for the 7th World Youth Championships. RBR is here to get a feel of the first day, and then we will keep up to date with IAAF coverage! The opening ceremony is tonight!

Bonjour mes amis. I am in Lille, France, from July 4-6, to get a feel and taste of the World Youth Championships. From there, I go to AREVA Paris and then AVIVA Birmingham.

I arrived in Paris, France on July 4, and spent a few hours in Charles De Gaulle, one of the world's largest and most confusing airports. After spending some time with my brother Brian and his partner, Cherri, I figured out how to get a ticket for the train to Lille. A very comfortable one hour trip, I was in the center of Lille and then off to my hotel, Appart City. A group of 134 apartments, with kitchens and very reasonable, right in a cool neighborhood, with streets named after some of my favorite artists and writers. Allee Simone de Beauvoir was just down the block, named after the writer of the Feminine Mystique, (long time confidante and love of Jean Paul Sartre) land mark book on how women were viewed by society and how they saw themselves.

I am in the media center of the Lille Metropole Stadium, where the French federation is hosting the World Youth Championships. My first question is, when is the U.S. going to host a youth championship? Which, then leads into the question when the US is going to host an indoor and outdoor World Championships?  Complicated, yes, but we are missing the importance of hosting such events not only for the current generation but the future generations.

It is fascinating getting in a bit early and watching the last minute preparations for the Youth World Champs. I can hear the starters practicing and watching as the signage is checked and final preparations for the meet are double and triple checked. 

Nadezhda Ostapchuk and  Yuriy Borzakovskiy produced a World leader in the women's shot put (20.94m) an European leader in the men's 800 meters, in 1:43.99. That the 2004 World Champ is obviously rounding into shape and Ostapchuk could prove menacing to Valerie Adams, defending champ in women's shot put. I have to admit that I really enjoy watching Valerie get challenged, as she has tremendous last throws!


And a happy Fourth of July to all those in U.S. A. and those abroad!

Related articles

• Borzakovsky makes victorious return (rt.com)
• Herculis Monaco: Bolt vs. Lemaitre, by Alfons Juck, note by Larry Eder (runblogrun.com)
• 2011 Athletissima, Videos courtesy of Universal/NBC, note by Larry Eder (runblogrun.com)
• Lalova, 10.96 at 100m, by Alfons Juck, note by Larry Eder (runblogrun.com)

 


The final day of the USA Outdoor Champs had two fantastic 800 meter races, plus an exciting 100m hurdle race, and finally, two epic 200 meter runs! The crowd got their fill of track and field, as Adam Nelson, Reese Hoffa and Christian Cantwell put on quite the show! Photos by PhotoRun.net, RN gallery courtesy of webmaster Chuck Bartlett. We hope you enjoy!

Day 3


Day Three gave us the women's 100 meters, and two very different 1,500 meter finals, where Morgan Uceny chased down a gallant Christin Wurth, as she missed the team by .01, and Matt Centrowitz, Jr. ran 52.25 to take down all the US had to offer, over the metric mile. Photos courtesy of PhotoRun.net, gallery created by Chuck Bartlett, Webmaster for the RunningNetwork.com.

I met Peter Abraham while he was creative director at the LA Marathon. I spent the Honda La Marathon watching the coverage and updating the marathon live via twitter.

I was very impressed with the coverage and the level of interest from the running community in every part of the Honda LA Marathon digital experience.

The actual marathon coverage, as well as the story telling, were excellent, and Toni Reavis was in rare form. In truth, the coverage grabbed the interest of the viewer because they remembered Peter Abraham's mantra: TV is trying to  tell a story.

I asked Peter to opine on the state of TV for our sport, and here is what he sent. I would love to hear your comments, please use the contact form on runblogrun.com. 

day 2 The second day of the 2011 USA Outdoor featured some tremendous distance and sprint races: the men's and women's 5,000 meters, and the men's 100 meters. Great weather, an enthused crowd made for a great day and evening of track & field. Photos courtesy of PhotoRun.net, our photo partners and special thanks to Chuck Bartlett, Webmaster of the RunningNetwork.com.

Justin Gatlin made the U.S. team in the 100 meters at the USA Outdoor Champs. He will also be part of the 4 x 100 meter relay pool. Those two facts and the fact that Mr. Gatlin served out a USADA and WADA drug ban have made him a pariah to some, but, for more, an example in the differences in how some Europeans see our sport and some Americans see our sport.


Allow me to explain.

The fact is that drugs continue to dirty our sport. And that is because there is not ONE policy globally in how to treat athletes who have been banned for six months or more. USADA and WADA have done an exemplary job with the exception of a few things: focusing on Lance Armstrong, busting athletes for Marijuana, and the need of testing that can hold up in courts of law or arbitration.

The Euromeetings meet managers put a line in the sand. Athletes with two year drug bans are not welcome in their events. Now, there are meets that will get around it. Most are not members of the Euromeetings group.

The Athletes Managers group, AAM, has agreed that manager members should not represent an athlete with a ban of two years or more. Most follow the rule, however, as in all things, some will do their own thing. 

The issue is, where does the line in the sand go? When does it start?

There is also the idea of jurisprudence. US and British law has some differences. Americans tend to, as part of our national culture, see someone who has served time or a ban, for that matter, as someone who should be given a second chance. In Lausanne, Dihiba, the women who served a two year ban for EPO, was able to get a court to support her desire to race at Athletissima as there were not many opportunities for her to compete at that level. A judge gave her a ruling that supported her right to race at that elite level, citing the unique chances for her to race at that level. 

Justin Gatlin has let his legs do the talking. He is running well and he, is of course, tested. In the end, the US team will most likely use him in the 4 x 100m relay and that will cause some complications in meetings in Euro meeting membership.

So, the truth is, Justin Gatlin will find some places to race, just like he did last year. This year, there will be a larger focus on the sprinter. In many ways, Gatlin is similar to Dwain Chambers situation in UK.

Many Europeans see Justin Gatlin and LaShawn Merritt as examples of how drug ridden our sport is in the U.S. The truth is in between: while we have more effective drug testing, the suspicions are that athletes with money, specifically lots of it, can find ways to develop designer drugs that will not, at this time be triggered by USADA and WADA testing. But this is around the world, and the issue is there-there are cheaters who are not getting caught. And some federations have drug testing that is, well, a joke.
The fact is that USADA tests USA Track & Field athletes in the tens of thousands of tests. Just go and see how many out of competition tests are done on other sport federations. Some of the athletes feel like pin cushions.
It is a fact of their sports life.

It should not be a shock that drugs play such a place in our sport. Our society welcomes drug use, from coffee to pain killers, to weight reduction medicine. There is a pill for everything, just watch TV in US (in Europe, pharmaceutical advertising is much more controlled.) Our false god of sports, with the golden calf of money, money, money, gives some even more rationalization for cheating.That is why, I believe speaking of a clean, ethical sport is key. Right and Wrong are not casual topics.

On the other hand, as tests are made by humans, how does one deal with false positives, which happen. How does one deal with that, or does one look the other way, as catching a cheat requires " any means necessary." I fear that this is the lesson that we have learnt as WADA and USADA pursue Mr. Armstrong.  

My gut tells me that what should happen is that the IOC should just make a ruling, which would mean all members of the IAAF would have to follow. If athletes who have been banned are not allowed to race in Olympics, then they should not be able to race, period. Federations will seldom choose to take the higher road when a medal is in play. The greatest addition that Dr. Rogge, the President of the IOC could do is deal a death blow to drug cheating and the mixed message it currently gives: Six month ban or more, and the part is over, no more competition ever. The message to fans, athletes, coaches, sponsors would be overwhelming. The message would be clear: cheat, and get caught, your life as an athlete is over.  

The mixed messages sent out right now, at least in North America, and non-Euro meetings events, is confusing and takes the focus off the sport and those who run, jump and throw clean.

About fifteen years ago, I was sitting in the stands of a track meet. I was taken to task by a real track fan. He told me that he hoped and prayed that Ben Johnson, the disgraced sprinter, came back and ran 9.8 totally clean, being tested every week if they had to!

Why, I asked?

Because, the person said, you can not make a race horse out of a work horse.

But, he was wrong. They can. Or better yet, we believe that drugs can do just about anything.

I love this sport. I have found few athletes, officials or even Boards of Directors of federations that I do not admire for their love and drive to make the sport better.

Let's really open this discussion and make this a learning moment. I request your thoughts and comments, please send to runblogrun@gmail.com.