byLarry EderFelix Sanchez, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist is coming to Europe to race this summer, in preparations for the Beijing Olympics. More news on athletes coming around into shape, such as former WR holder in the pole vault Stacy Dragila, who cleared 4.55 meters in Chula Vista this weekend. She has a real shot at making the Olympic team in the U.S. ….
EME NEWS (JUNE 16, 2008)
MOSOP HOPES FOR TRIALS
NAIROBI (KEN): Kenyan 2007 world cross-country silver medallist, Moses Mosop is racing against time to recover from a knee injury sustained last summer and be fit for the Olympic trials to be held on July 4, informs the Nation.
SANCHEZ COMING TO EUROPE
BYDGOSZCZ (POL): Reigning Olympic 400 m hurdles champion Felix Sanchez from Dominican Republic after some delay in preparation set-up his plan of four races in Europe before the Olympic Games. He will start on July 1 at European Athletics Premium meeting in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
BARBER COMPETES ON WEDNESDAY
PARIS (FRA): Back in France since Thursday, after two months training in the USA, Eunice Barber will make her season debut in the long jump on Wednesday in Grenoble, informs l’Equipe.
SAVIGNE AND MENENDEZ FOR MADRID
MADRID (ESP): With less than 20 days before the 2008 Madrid International Meeting, event organized by the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation with the support of the Madrid City Council, the list of participants is improved by Cuban triple jump wochronicalion Yargelis Savigne and javelin world record holder Osleidys Menéndez.
HARTWIG LAST MEET ANNOUNCED
AACHEN (GER): US pole vaulter Jeff Hartwig will compete for the last time in his career on September 24th at the special meeting in Aachen – one day before his 41st birthday. The organizers are very proud that Hartwig chose their meeting to say good-bye and want to make it as beautiful as possible for him, standing ovations included.
MARTINEZ OUT OF GAMES
MADRID (ESP): Mayte Martinez, Spain´s 800m bronze medallist in Osaka, has to give up her Olympic dreams due to a chronic plantar fasciitis on her right foot. When even a minimal invasive operation did not relieve her pain, Martinez finally had to renounce on her participation in the Bejing games.
LA GRUYERE IS CONTINUING
LAUSANNE (SUI): After being a partner in two successful European Athletics events in 2006, Swiss quality cheese maker Le Gruye‚re AOC has entered now a long-term partnership with European Athletics, Europe’s governing body for athletics. The partnership comprises of all European Athletics top events, such as the European Athletics Indoor Championships 2009 in Turin, SPAR European Team Championships, European Athletics Indoor Cup and SPAR European Cross Country Championships, and includes visibility on TV, in event promotion and at the event all over Europe.
DOUCOURE OUT OF EUROPEAN CUP
PARIS (FRA): After his 13.64 debut on the 110m hurdles in Sotteville on Sunday, the 2005 world champion Ladji Doucoure announced he preferred not to be part of the French team for the European Cup, second-placed Samuel Coco-Viloin (13.52) deserving the place.
ROBLES FIRST MEET AFTER WR – UPDATED
SOTTEVILLE (FRA, June 15): For his first outing since he broke the 110 m hurdles world record in Ostrava last Thursday, Cuba’s Dayron Robles wasn’t pushed much by 2005 world champion Ladji Doucoure in Sotteville. He easily won the race in 13.49 while, Doucoure, who was making his debut after missing the winter season through injury, was in contention for the second place until a big mistake on the last hurdle moved him back to fourth (13.64) 2006 world junior silver medallist Samuel Coco-Viloin took second place, improving his best to 13.52. Robles was afterwards quoted: „The time of the final was moved repeteadly, so I couldn’t warm up properly. Otherwise, I could have done better.”
Yohan Diniz achieved his second best on the 5000m walk, (18:42.68) thus restoring his confidence about his speed after missing three weeks of training end of April, early May due to a virus caught during a training camp in South Africa. The Osaka 50km silver medallist will now carry on with a specific 50km training cycle from Monday. A French team made of Kankarafou Pognon, Calligny and Sialo clocked a good 38.74 in the men’s 4x100m. Martial Mbandjock won the 100m in 10.17, just one hundredth short of his personal best. In the women’s race Lina Jacques Sébastien improved her PB by 12 hundredths to 11.30. US Candice Davies had edged Cuba’s Anay Tejeda by one hundredth of second in the 100m hurdles, 12.72 to 12.73 while 40 year old Patricia Girard improved her season’s best to 13.26, an excellent performance for a master. Jerome Clavier won the pole vault with a height of 5.65m, while Osaka silver medallist Romain Mesnil finished second with 5.50m, failing two attempts at 5.65m and another one at 5.70m. The long jump was won by Kafetien Gomis with 8.06m while Tunisia’s Habiba Ghribi dominated the women’s 3000m steeple in 9:36.52 and Zimbabwe’s Talkmore Nyongani was the strongest in the men’s 400m, clocking 46.11. 2006 European champion Marc Raquil finished only 7th of the 400m in 47.68. Long jumper Salim Sdiri withdrew from the meet after a knee inflammation became more acute following the competition in Pierre Benite where he achieved 8.21m on Friday.
OTHER RESULTS
ABUJA (NGR, June 14): Abia State (39.90) and Olabisi Onabanjo University (45.61) won the 4x100m at the final of the National Sports Commission / Athletics Federation of Nigeria relay series held in Abuja on Saturday. In individual events, Adetoyi Durotoye set a 10.28 PB to win the 100m ahead of Deji Musa (10.34) and Onyeabor Ngwaogu (10.35), while Agnes Osazuwa dominated the women’s race in 11.50.
ANNECY (FRA, June 14): Last year world youth finalist Christoph Lemaitre improved his 200 m best to 20.94 (-1.4). He also won the 100 m with 10.44 and clocked 10.43 in heats.
LEAMINGTON (GBR, June 15): Top three at 50 km walk during Leamington European Athletics Permit meet achieved personal bests and Olympic A-qualifiers. Poland´s Artur Brzozowski 3:52:09 and two French walkers Cedric Houssaye 3:56:43 and Herve Davaux 3:57:57. Home record holder Jo Jackson won the 20 km women race with 1:32:40 ahead of Greek Despina Zapounidou (1:33:23 PB) and two Slovaks Zuzana Malikova (1:35:14 season best) and Maria Galikova (still missing the A-qualifier with 1:38:22).
SALAMANCA (ESP, June 15): Additions to Spanish meet by Cuban High Jumpers Victor Moya and Lisvany Perez as both cleared 227 cm. Roxana Diaz clocked 23.21 (+1.7) at 200 m and Puerto-Rican Javier Culson 49.89 at 400 m Hurdles.
CHULA VISTA (USA, June 13-15): Former world record holder Stacy Dragila jumped here season best 455 cm and so is coming into contention in right time before Olympic Trials. James Dennis improved his best in discus to 63.55. In windy long jumps Trevell QUinley got 816 (+4.1) and Grace Upshaw 682 (+2.2). Shani Marks improved her triple best to 14.30 (+0.8).
INDIANAPOLIS (USA, June 14): Interesting running PB´s here by Andrew Ellerton at 800 m 1:46.07, Steve Sherer 3:36.81 at 1500 m and Anna Willard at women´s 1500 m 4:06.26.
GYOR (HUN, June 14): From Jumping Gala in City of Gyor in Hungary to add also men Pole Vault competition won by 2005 world champion Rens Blom of Netherlands who achieved 540 cm.
