ISTANBUL NEWS

 

 

CUBA: Title defender Dayron Robles at 60 m hurdles is out due to minor leg problem. But it should not be something major. Chinese star Liu Xiang and US duo Kevin Craddock with Aries Merritt are remaining so the top favorites. The number of Doha defenders competing in Istanbul is so down to 10.

 

GREECE: European U23 triple jump champion Paraskeví Papahrístou will not travel to Istanbul. She feels she is not fully fit for competing at a high level, as she lost several training sessions during the last weeks due to illness. The Greek team will have so 7 athletes.

 

ITALY: Also down is Italian team with absent sprinter Michael Tumi (60 m, muscle problem) and female shot putter Chiara Rosa (not fully ready after an injury).

 

CANADA: The IAAF has ruled shot putter Justin Rodhe ineligible for the World Indoors. Rodhe, who has been living and training in Canada for close to four years and is married to Canadian hammer thrower Megan Rodhe, acquired his Canadian Citizenship on November 1, 2011. According to IAAF rule 5.2, Rodhe would be eligible to represent Canada in international competition as of October 31, 2013 Informs Athletics Canada.

 

 

 

KENYA NEWS

 

 

NAIROBI (KEN): After Athletics Kenya announced, in January, the short-list for Kenya's marathon team to the London Games this summer, many athletes gave up their quest and instead shifted their focus towards other big city races, some hoping their legs will carry them to the Games of the 2016 Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro. Writes The Nation. But not Lucy Kabuu who will celebrate her 29th birthday on March 24. Her amazing debut at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon on January 27, where she ran Kenya's fourth-fastest time of 2:19:34 saw people stand up and take note. She was immediately signed by David Bedford for the Virgin London Marathon on April 22 which could well decide Kenya's final squad for the Olympics. So Kabuu will target a very fast time in London that would see the AK selector reconsider their decision.

 

NAIROBI (KEN): Athletics Kenya has released a list of 64 athletes to contest 10 000 m and 5000 m Olympic team slot. The athletes are to report at the High Performance Training Centre in Eldoret between March 10-11. The athletes will be subjected to mini trials after one month training in Eldoret. The mini trials will be conducted at Nyayo National stadium in Nairobi on April 17 where the number will be whittled down to a size that AK is yet to decide. Also expected at Nyayo for the mini trials are athletes, who will be going for their trials in Eugene, Oregon, the US and also those based in Japan. AK stated Eugene was a fully sponsored qualifiers by Nike who have agreed to foot the athlete's accommodation and air fare. Informs East Standard.

 

 

 

HACKETT AND 4X100 M NR LOST

PORT-OF-SPAIN (TRI): The National Association of Athletics Administrations of Trinidad and Tobago disclosed at a press conference, that female sprinter Semoy Hackett (part of NCAA system) has been banned for six months following a positive test at National Championships on August 13. Trackalerts reports the stimulant methylhexaneamine was found in Hackett's system. She was banned retroactive for six months with effect from September 16. That means also that all her results are cancelled from the day of positive test. Trinidad will so lost the 4th 4x100 m place in Daegu and 42.50 national record in heats, she was also semifinalist in the 100 m and that will be cancelled too. Her 100 m best remains 11.17 from May last year.

 

ANOTHER CHANGE IN WOMEN 400 M

KOBE (JPN): Heinrich Hubbeling informs that after confirmed by IAAF the medal winner at the Asian Championships 2011 in Kobe, the 400 m runner Kolestane Mahmoud Ieso from Iraq lost her silver medal. That means after the winner Olga Tereshkova from Kazakhstan also the second placer was disqualified. The medalists at 400 m are so: Chen Jingwen from China 52.89, second Chandrika Subashini of Sri Lanka 53.35 and third Chisato Tanaka from Japan 54.08. In addition the Iraq 4x400 m team lost another silver (same as Kazakhstan earlier) and only two teams are remaining in results Japan and India. Kolestane Mahmoud Ieso competed in addition in the 200 m, where she was disqualified for a false start in the final. As a result of her suspension also her national records 24.25 in the 200 m and 52.80 in the 400 m will be cancelled.

 

 

 

OTHER NEWS

 

 

KINGSTON (JAM): Interesting to note from Usain Bolt February overview that he pledged 25 000 USD to the Sigma Corporate Run - Chain of Hope Foundation charity walk for the Bustamante Hospital for Children. Facebook fans surpassed 6.1 million, Twitter followers moved to 381,400. His book My Story: 9.58 will be after Czech also published in Italian. On April 11 one year anniversary of Usain Bolt's Tracks and Records restaurant will be celebrated.

 

ROMA (ITA): Race Results Weekly informs that the organizers of the Rome Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race scheduled for Sunday, March 18, have increased their prize money purse this year to €202,000, with €40,000 going to the race winners. That's nearly triple the amount awarded to the race winners compared with last year. However, athletes will need to run fast to claim the full prizes on offer for the the top-3, race director Max Monteforte reported. Fast times are possible in Rome, despite the fact that some of the course is paved with cobblestones. The men's course record is 2:07:17 by Kenya's Benjamin Kiptoo (2009), and the women's standard is 2:22:53 set by Russia's Galina Bogomolova in 2008. Monteforte also has €25,000 in prize money set aside for Italian citizens. Those awards are also subject to certain time standards for the first three Italians.

 

OTTAWA (CAN): The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has ruled Justin Rodhe of Kamloops, B.C., ineligible for the upcoming World Indoor Championships in Istanbul. Rodhe, who has been living and training in Canada for close to four years and is married to Canadian hammer thrower Megan Rodhe, acquired his Canadian Citizenship on November 1, 2011. According to IAAF rule 5.2, Rodhe would be eligible to represent Canada in international competition as of October 31, 2013. Justin is obviously disappointed at this turn of events having worked diligently in following all of the appropriate processes. "This is an unfortunate event as my coach (Dr. Bondarchuk) and I have worked very hard to prepare for my first international championship. Istanbul was not a competition for me to simply gain experience; I was prepared for a great result. I am starved for opportunities to test myself against the world. I look forward to future opportunities to represent Canada." Informs Athletics Canada.

 

BRUSSELS (BEL): Hurdler Damien Broothaerts saw his two year suspension reduced to one year after it was judged that there is no legal ground to suspend the athlete based on his whereabout failures. Broothaerts had three whereabout failures and was consequently suspended for one year by the Walloonian athletics federation, later he received a second ban for an anti doping test failure for a stimulant. Broothaerts' one year suspension for a positive doping test remains.

 

LAGOS (NGR): Bahamas 400m runner Chris Brown is banking on Nigerian athletics coach Innocent Egbunike to help him retain his 400m title at the 13th IAAF World Indoor Championships reports Vanguard Nigeria. The 34- year old athlete said that with Egbunike's guidance he would be able to achieve his gold both in Turkey as at the London Olympic Games. Egbunike was unveiled as Nigerian head coach by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.

 

PORT-OF-SPAIN (TRI): The National Association of Athletics Administrations of Trinidad and Tobago disclosed at a press conference, that female sprinter Semoy Hackett (part of NCAA system) has been banned for six months following a positive test at National Championships on August 13. Trackalerts reports the stimulant methylhexaneamine was found in Hackett's system. She was banned retroactive for six months with effect from September 16. That means also that all her results are cancelled from the day of positive test. Trinidad will so lost the 4th 4x100 m place in Daegu and 42.50 national record in heats, she was also semifinalist in the 100 m and that will be cancelled too. Her 100 m best remains 11.17 from May last year.

 

KOBE (JPN): Heinrich Hubbeling informs that after confirmed by IAAF the medal winner at the Asian Championships 2011 in Kobe, the 400 m runner Kolestane Mahmoud Ieso from Iraq lost her silver medal. That means after the winner Olga Tereshkova from Kazakhstan also the second placer was disqualified. The medalists at 400 m are so: Chen Jingwen from China 52.89, second Chandrika Subashini of Sri Lanka 53.35 and third Chisato Tanaka from Japan 54.08. In addition the Iraq 4x400 m team lost another silver (same as Kazakhstan earlier) and only two teams are remaining in results Japan and India. Kolestane Mahmoud Ieso competed in addition in the 200 m, where she was disqualified for a false start in the final. As a result of her suspension also her national records 24.25 in the 200 m and 52.80 in the 400 m will be cancelled.

 

KOLN (GER): Organisers of the 5th European Pole Vault Conference, the first conference in this year's European Athletics Coaching Summit Series, have announced that more than 250 participants from 21 countries have signed up for the event, which will be staged at the German Sport University in Cologne from 16 to 18 March. The conference includes a parallel session on the high jump and in keeping with this dual structure there will be two keynote speakers: Günther Lohre, many time German national pole vault champion who is currently a vice president of the German athletics federation, and the 2009 European Indoor Champion in the high jump, Arianne Friedrich, also from Germany. Informs European Athletics.

 

STOCKHOLM (SWE): Sweden´s female hammer record holder Tracey Andersson leads the team for the European Cup Winter Throwing in Bar, Montenegro (March 17-18). In total 6 athletes are forming the squad.

 

 

 

RESULTS

 

 

PONTEVEDRA (ESP, Mar 4): To add to Spanish 50 km walking champinships that winner was actually Erick Barrondo of Guatemala 3:44:59 and second Joao Vieria in new Portugal record 3:45:17 (and also Portugal Champion) and Spanish Jesus Angel Garcia overall third.

 

WOODLANDS (USA, Mar 3): Solid winning times in course records at The Woodlands Marathon in Texas. Jeff Eggleston achieved 2:15:42 and Camille Herron 2:37:19. From RRW.

 

COREGGIO (ITA, Mar 4): Foreign athletes attached to Italian clubs dominated the Clubs CC Championships. William Kibor won at 10 km in 29:09 ahead of Solomon Kirwa Yego 29:10 and Abraham Talam 29:20. Best Italian Gabriele De Nard as fifth 29:50. In women 6 km Nadia Ejaffini in 19:26 beat fresh national HM record holder Valeria Straneo 19:58. Third Elena Romagnolo 20:08. Informs RRW.

 

LIMA (PER, Mar 4): Brazilian runners were ruling at 27th Southamerican CC Championships. Gilberto Silvestre Lopes won the men´s 12 km in 31:06 and Tatiele Roberta de Carvalho the women 8 km in 28:59. Best non-Brazilians were in men category Raul Machacuay of Peru as third 38:55 and Colombian female runner Angie Rocio Orjuela as second 29:31. Brazil won both senior team competitions too.

 

MAURITIUS (MRI, Mar 3): South Africans Lungisa Mdedelwa and Mpho Mabuza won the senior men's and senior women's races at the Southern Africa Cross country Championship at Gymkhana Grounds Vacoas in Mauritius. Mdedelwe clocked 33:22 in the men´s 12 km and Mpho Mabuza was the best woman in 24:48 at 8 km.

 

BRUGGE (BEL, Mar 4): Kenyans won the 10th edition of the ten miles road race. John Kipsang 47:30 beating Peter Kariuki 47:33 on the men side and Tabitha Wambui 54:58 on the women side.

 

TORONTO (CAN, Mar 4): Shai-Anne Davis set a new Canadian Junior record in the 60 m at the Ontario Bantam Midget Junior Championships with 7.32. Davis improved the mark of Keturah Anderson 7.33 from 1986.

 

MERSIN (TUR, Mar 4): At Turkish Winter Throwing Championships good shape by Ercument Olgundeniz who achieved with discus 64.80 m. Female hammer thrower Tugce Sahutoglu achieved her second best ever result 69.64 m.

 

HAVANA (CUB, Mar 2-3): World discus medalist Yarelis Barrios got at another local meet 63.66 in discus ahead of Denia Caballero 62.58. Junior Diaz assembled 7808 points in decathlon and new U17 record for Yargelis Rodriguez (born in 1995) with 5789 points in heptathlon. Former world hammer champion Yipsi Moreno tried with 5kg hammer 60.81 m.