by Larry Eder
EME NEWS (APR 1, 2013)
Eaton also shot put best
STANFORD (USA): Decathlon olympic winner and world record holder Ashton Eaton confirmed his increased throwing results level at Stanford Invitational. In the shot put he achieved 15.40 in second attempt and improved his best by 62 cm. Two weeks before Eaton bettered also his javelin best substiantially by nearly five meters (66.64). That all together with his usual high level of speed and jumping ability shows that his first decathlon this year end of May in Gotzis, Austria could bring something special. Before the world championships in Moscow he also must contest another decathlon at US Championships in order to qualify. With Trey Hardee beeing the automatic entry in Moscow as title defender USA can have three more athletes in the competition in August in Russia.
Plans to redevelop
LONDON (GBR): West Ham United have revealed further plans for the redevelopment of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, including drawings illustrating how the lower level of retractable seats will be brought closer to the pitch over the running track to make the arena more suitable for football. The drawings, published on the club’s official site, show how the Stadium will be able to function as both an athletics arena – with seating withdrawn – and a football ground with the four sides of the lower bowl pushed towards the pitch by automated motors. West Ham also revealed that the stands at each end of the ground will be named after club legends Bobby Moore, who captained England when they lifted the 1966 FIFA World Cup, and Sir Trevor Brooking. The club have signed a 99-year lease for the ground in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and plan to move in for the start of the 2016-2017 season. It is expected that the work will be scheduled to allow the Stadium to host matches during the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The Stadium is also due to host the 2017 World Championships in athletics. Informs insidethegames.
Lemaitre to double in Moscow
AIX-LES-BAINS (FRA): L´Équipe writes that European champion in sprints Christophe Lemaitre confirmed he wants to double at World Championships in Moscow at 100 m and 200 m. That will change his Olympic attitude from London where he competed only in the 200 m. Lemaitre was training at home recently but will travel to USA with assistant coach Thierry Tribondeau (Pierre Carraz remains home). He is going to compete at Penn Relays end of April in 100 m and relay and later early May at Interclub meet.
Pyatnytsa after surgery
DNIPROPETROVSK (UKR): London Olympic silver medalist in javelin throwing Oleksandr Pyatnytsya told EME News about changes in his life after last year breakthrough. Authorities of his home-town Dnipropetrovsk have presented to unexpected Olympic medalist new one-bedroom apartment. “Until then I lived with my grandma and new flat was like a breath of fresh air for me and my wife.” But genuine happiness continued for a short space of time. On October 23 he was injured at training camp in Montenegro and came back home on crutches. “Medical examinations showed rupture of crucial and two lateral ligaments of right knee.” On November 7 Pyatnytsya was operated by Yaroslav Linko – Ukrainian surgeon who got famous after working with football players Andriy Shevchenko and Serhiy Rebrov. “Surgery was very difficult. Doctor took my under-knee ligament as implant for broken one. Fortunately everything passed successfully but I couldn’t even walk for month and half and limbed three months more.” Even now rehabilitation period of 27-year-old Ukrainian doesn’t finish. “I just make general physical exercises for strengthening of my operated knee and improve my power. I’m not in hurry to throw as I don’t want to harm the knee once more.” Pyatnytsya is aiming to be full recovered for summer 2013 but he’s not sure that he will be on time for the National championships. “I will not rush things. I’ll come back into the field step by step. If I throw over 80m this summer it’ll be my first victory. My main goal is to be in top shape for Rio 2016. I’m happy that my coach Mykola Gurnevych has the same view for our further teamwork. I train in his group from December 2011 only but already trust him completely. His support and confidence are ones of the most important things for me now.”
Makarov to coach Avan
ANKARA (TUR): Former javelin world champion Sergey Makarov is starting to work as coach of best Turkish javelin thrower Fatih Avan. He signed an agreement with Turkish Athletics Federation for one year with an option to extend in future. For 2013 the main goal is World Championships in Moscow, but also Mediterranean Games in Mersin and European Team Championships in Gateshead. “For us, the main target for Fatih is the 2016 Rio Olympics,” said Makarov. Avan achieved last year national record 85.60, but could not get into the finals in Helsinki and London. Makarov (celebrated 40 years this march) still did not end his career, achieved last year 83.39.
Top names for Daegu Marathon
DAEGU (KOR): Daegu, the host city of the World Championships in 2011 is having the first IAAF Silver Label Marathon in Korea. Over 16 000 participants are expected to run on the World Champs course on April 14. The event has top support of the City of Daegu and this guaranteed a strong field of elite runners. Top name is Ethiopia’s Yemane Tsegay Adhane, the winner of last year Rotterdam Marathon, where he set his personal best of 2:04:48. This will be Tsegay’s first race in 2013. Race Director Jun Kim also welcomes the top three from the 2012 edition. Kenyan winner David Kiyeng who set the course record of 2:07:57 last year will return, also runner-up Gilbert Chepkwony and third place finisher Benson Barus. They will have it tough with strong Ethiopian group headed by Debebe Tolossa with 2:07:41, former track top runner Ali Abdosh should debut in the marathon here. European touch in the field will come from French veteran Patrick Tambwe (37, last year 2:07:30 in Tiberias Marathon). The women elite field includes three runners with fast personal bests: Kenyan Margaret Akai 2:24:17 last December in Shanghai, another Kenyan Agnes Barsosio 2:24:27 last October in Frankfurt and Ethiopian Meseret Legesse 2:28:01.
OTHER NEWS
MELBOURNE (AUS): Former top marathon runner Steve Moneghetti was unveiled as Australia’s Chef de Mission for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. It will mark a sentimental return to Scotland for Moneghetti, 28 years after he made his international breakthrough there by claiming a bronze medal in the marathon, the last occasion the Games were held there, at Edinburgh in 1986, having only been a late inclusion in the Australian team.
COLORADO SPRINGS (USA): Runnersweb.com writes that over the past decade, the half-marathon has become America’s most popular distance by virtually any metric: by finisher growth, by debut half-marathons, by “buzz” and by survey. Last year, U.S. half-marathons had an estimated 1.85 million finishers (a new high), an impressive 14.9% increase from 2011 (1,610,000 to 1,850,000), but lower than the historic 24% rise in both 2009 and 2010. Also, in the same 1,136 U.S. half-marathons for 2011 vs. 2012, there was a 5.1% finisher increase (1,522,637 vs. 1,599,838).
DUBLIN (IRL): Irishtimes.com are informing that lack of sponsorship has forced organisers of this year’s Dublin Marathon to make substantial cutbacks for the 2013 event, including a one-third reduction in prize money and the elimination of an elite athlete fund. The entry fee will also be increased for
the first time in nine years, although race director Jim Aughney has told The Irish Times this is essential for the survival of the event in the face of such an adverse sponsorship climate. The race will be held on Monday, October 28.
NASSAU (BAH): Jamaica enjoyed another successful day, but in the board room. Jamaica was successful in moving the motion for the quota for athletes to be increased from 70 to 80. Garth Gayle, Secretary of Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), described the change as “a victory for the larger countries.” Gayle continued, “it means we are able now to send a wider pool of athletes in all the disciplines to the next and future Carifta Games,” he added. Informs Trackalerts. For future each county will have the right to have two competitors per event. That will be valid for next Carifta Games 2014 in Martinique. The age for younger category was also changed to U18 like IAAF goes for its World Youth Championships. The 300m hurdles for Under-17 girls will now be changed to 400m hurdles, the girls’ pentathlon changed to heptathlon while the boys heptathlon changed to octathlon.
TOKYO (JPN): Like his running, Saitama’s civil servant runner is set to take his moniker to the next level. Having renewed his assignment as an office worker at Kasukabe High School for the fiscal year beginning Apr. 1, at a press conference Yuki Kawauchi, 26, announced that he will run for governor of Saitama in the upcoming prefectural elections. “I want to do my best for all the people of Saitama,” Kawauchi told reporters. Informs Brett Larner.
KAMPALA (UGA): Local media are informing that there were no Easter holidays for London 2012 Olympic Marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich. The world star has decided to sacrifice the festive break and continue training in the Kenya Highlands of Eldoret in preparation for the London Marathon. Kiprotich, who is training under Kenya coach Peter Sang – the trainer behind his success at the Olympics Games – is determined to prove that his breakthrough on the international stage was no fluke.
PARIS (FRA): European Indoor 60 m champion Jimmy Vicaut completed his first two weeks of training after winning in Goteborg. His coach Guy Ontanon says the indoor was just an appetizer but the main course should come in summer in Moscow. Ontanon also hopes that Vicaut will finally break the 10 seconds in the 100 m (his best 10.02 last year at Athletissima of Lausanne). He will in two weeks travel to training camp at Reunion Island and compete also there at a meet on April 20 in both 100 m and 200 m within 45 minutes. Informs L´Équipe.
LISBOA (POR): Portugal Federation announced already 3 athletes selected for the 50 km event at European Cup Race Walking in Dudince, Slovakia on May 19. They are Luis Gil, Pedro Martins and Dionisio Ventura. The remaining team members will be selected on May 2.
PARIS (FRA): Organizers of Areva Meeting (part of Samsung Diamond League) informs about ticket prices for the July 6 event (Bolt, Lavillenie, Lemaitre confirmed). The costs are from 70 to 20 Euros. There are also options to buy in the pack Areva tickets with French Championships which will be held on July 13-14 at Charlety Stadium of Paris at discounted cost.
KYIV (UKR): Three-time Olympic champion at 400m and 4x400m relay Olga Bryzgina was awarded with “Sport Glory of Ukraine” award at annual ceremony “Heroes of Sport Year” organized by National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. “This award means a lot for me. There are many great athletes in Ukraine deserving such honour that is why I’m so proud to be selected for it. I’m continuing to work in athletics as coach and official next generations of runners. Their achievements and success will be the most important reward for me,” Bryzgina who is now vice-president of Ukrainian athletics federation.
PRAHA (CZE): Already about 90% of start numbers have already been sold out for the Volkswagen Prague Marathon on May 12. The registration will fully close within the week. Over 8000 runners have already been registered for its 19th edition, 26% of whom are women. The Prague Marathon remains the most international race out of all the RunCzech Running League with 40% of runners hailing from over 82 countries. Italy, France, UK, Germany, Slovakia and Poland are the leading countries in the number of runners. Organizers informed.
RESULTS
NASSAU (BAH, Mar 31): In the 4×100 m relays Jamaica got three out of four wins during second day of Carifta Games which are ending on Monday. Only Bahamas junior girls in 44.77 got the remaining gold medal. Jamaica winners both youth teams boys 41.38 and girls 45.62 and junior men 39.92. Jamaica also had both junior hurdles winners at 400 m with Omar McLeod 51.46 and Kimone Green 59.31. Only 17-years old Bahamian Laqvan Nairn won juniors long jump with good 740 cm.
STAWELL (AUS, Apr 1): Launceston student Andrew Robinson became the first Tasmanian in 72 years to win the Australia Post Stawell Gift in a nail-biting conclusion to the 132nd edition of the famous 40 000 USD footrace. Running off 7.25m, the 20-year-old recorded 12.01 seconds for the 120m event to take the victory by just 0.02. It was a dramatic start to proceedings when race backmarker and favourite Mitchell Williams-Swain, initially running off 4.5m, broke and was pulled back a further metre. Williams-Swain, who ran 11.95 in the semi-finals, narrowly failed in his bid to become just the fourth two-time winner of the race recording 12.03. There was plenty of drama too in the State of Victoria Strickland Family Women’s Gift where Sydney’s Davina Strauss (off 10m) was a comfortable winner in 13.98 seconds. Whilst Asafa Powell unfortunately scratched from the semi-finals there was still a Jamaican victory at Central Park as Khan Marr, a former bobsleigh competitor now residing in Australia, won the XXXX Gold Chris Perry Memorial Invitation Backmarkers 120m 12.23. Organizers are informing.
NOTE
WESTFIELD (USA): David Monti points out that the 5 km course in Westfield is massively downhill (not slightly), almost 6m/km, six times allowable limit for record-setting.
