by Larry EderIn an huge increase over testing in Sydney, the folks at WADA, and the IOC are increasing the testing by 90 percent over Sydney levels, with 4,500 planned tests. These tests will be in camp, in the village, virtually anywhere they want to do them. They are also noting that if said athlete test positive during Olympics or from July 1, 2008 on, said athlete will not be going to London 2012.
We applaud the testing. We also applaud European meets and agents in agreeing to a) not allow athletes with a 2 year ban to compete and b) not represent athletes with two year ban. We are hearing positive signs from various shoe companies about supporting such measures and would be the first to applaud that support.
The key is that we need to focus testing on out of competition and focus on the high level cheating-anyone caught in a championship event is a complete and total idiot. But, it does happen.
I still contend that IOC, WADA and USADA catch about 90 percent of the cheaters. The final ten percent are what pollute our sport because they have made all great peformances questionable.
EME NEWS (JULY 3, 2008)
Top guns and their plans
The hottest issue currently on the circuit are the male sprinters. Top trio is World record holder Usain Bolt, former world record holder Asafa Powell and US record holder Tyson Gay with fastest ever even with too much wind support. But for example Osaka silver holder Derrick Atkins, Richard Thompson of Trinidad the other US sprinters are not far away. Here so far known plans for the top trio: Powell arrives this week in Lignano Sabbiadoro for his usual base in Italy and plans to compete in Rome and London. Bolt has twice 200 metres in vision in Athens and London. Tyson Gay still must qualify for 200 m in Eugene and then plans to run 100 m in Paris and London. Other races for this top sprinters are not confirmed yet, but negotiations are still going on. For example Stockholm´s DN Galan meeting director Rajne Soderberg said for Swedish media that he is working on 100 m duel between Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt for July 22.
Luke Kibet wants world record in Berlin
BERLIN (GER): Marathon world champion Luke Kibet of Kenya who did not qualify for Olympic Games wants to attack the world record in Berlin Marathon on Sep 28. As The Standard informed he said: “I want to get the record back to Kenya.”
Marinova retires
SOFIA (BUL): Olympic triple jump winner 2000 Tereza Marinova (30) of Bulgaria announced her retirement. She was coached by former world champion in this event Christo Markov. The reason is her Achilles injury which caused problems for her in last six months. She is one of the candidates for IOC Athletes Commission, the elections will be during the Beijing Games. She plans to continue to work in athletics possibly in coaching or managing field. Last time she achieved a solid international position was the 6th place at World Indoor Championships in Moscow. Her 15.20 from Olympic win in Sydney still remains Bulgarian national record. She was also European Indoor Champion 2002 and bronze winner from European Championships 1998 in Budapest.
Jamaican Team: T. Smith is included
KINGSTON (JAM): The Jamaican olympic team announcement is not having any surprises. The only one possibly is the inclusion of 2005 triple jump world champion Trecia Smith who jumped only 13.61 at the trials in her so far only competition of the year. Of course the surprise of the trials was the fourth place of Veronica Campbell-Brown at 100 m and so for the moment the reigning world champion will not run the short dash in Beijing.
MEN
100 m: Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Michael Frater, 200 m: Usain Bolt, Marvin Anderson, Christopher Williams, 400 m: Michael Blackwood, Ricardo Chambers, Sanjay Ayre, 800 m: Aldwyn Sappleton, 4×100 m relay: above 100m/200m men plus Nesta Carter,Dwight Thomas, Julien Dunkley, Andre Wellington, 4×400 m relay: above 400m men plus Allodin Fothergill, Marvin Essor, Lansford Spence, 110 mH: Maurice Wignall, Richard Phillips, 400 mH: Danny McFarlane, Markino Buckley, Isa Phillips, alternate Adrian Findlay, LJ: Herbert McGregor, SP: Dorian Scott, decathlon: Maurice Smith
WOMEN
100 m: Kerron Stewart, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Sherone Simpson, 200 m: Veronica Campbell-Brown, Kerron Stewart, Sherone Simpson, 400 m: Rosemarie Whyte, Novlene Williams, Shericka Williams, 800 m: Kenia Sinclair, 100 mH: Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Delloreen Ennis-London, Vonette Dixon, alternate Andrea Bliss, 400 mH: Melaine Walker, Shevonne Stoddart, Nickiesha Wilson, TJ: Trecia Smith, 4×100 m relay: above 100m/200m women plus Sherri-Ann Brooks, Aleen Bailey, Simone Facey, Nickeisha Anderson, 4×400 m relay: above 400m women plus Shareefa Lloyd, Bobby Gaye Wilkins, Anastasia Leroy, 3000 m SC: Mardrea Hyman, Korine Hinds, LJ: Chelsea Hammond, JT: Olivia McKoy
German Championships Preview
NURNBERG (GER): The motto of the German national championships on July 5th and 6th is ‘Olympic standards – who already has them, who has not yet?’ Last chance is Nurnberg before the final nomination will take place on July 15th. And then there are the events where more than three athletes have fullfilled the standards like in the women’s and men’s pole vault. Silke Spiegelburg, Carolin Hingst, Kristina Gadschiew have done so twice. Martina Strutz, Lisa Ryzih and Anastasija Reiberger have cleared 4,50m once and could do so again in Nurnberg. In the men’s event there are Danny Ecker, Tim Lobinger, Bjoern Otto, Alexander Straub and Raphael Holzdeppe who have cleared 5,70m twice (or once if they placed amongst the first eight at the Osaka World championships). Plus Richard Spiegelburg and Lars Boergeling who have achieved 5,70m once and could do so again in Nurnberg. Another exciting fight will be seen in the men’s long jump where four jumpers managed 8,05m – Nils Winter, Sebastian Bayer, Peter Rapp and Christoph Stolz. As 8,05m is only the B-norm only one of them will fly to Bejing if the 8,20m won’t be achieved. The men’s javelin event will also be kind of an Olympic trial because four athletes are fighting for three Olympic tickets: Stephan Steding, Matthias de Zordo, Alexander Vieweg and Peter Esenwein. Finally there are athletes who have fullfilled the criteria partially: Thomas Blaschek (110m hurdles – 13,45s needed), Charles Friedek (triple jump – 17,00m needed), Michael Moellenbeck (discus – 64,50m needed), Melanie Bauschke (long jump – 6,72m needed).
More tests than ever
LAUSANNE (SUI): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that they will carry out nearly double the number of drugs tests they did in the 2000 Sydney Games. More than 4,500 tests will be administered – 25 % more than were conducted in the 2004 Games in Athens and 90 % more than the number of tests in Sydney in 2000. During the period of July 27 through August 24, the IOC, in co-operation with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and Beijing 2008, will test the competitors at any time and at any place.
In a change of policy, athletes will be tested whether they are at an Olympic venue, the Olympic Village or a far-away training facility. All controls will be co-ordinated under the IOC, while WADA will conduct pre-competition controls during the Olympic period on Olympic athletes not in Olympic venues and Beijing 2008 will conduct controls at the Olympic venues. An athlete who tests positive will be denied the right to participate in the next Olympic Games in London. This ban will extend to those caught breaking the doping rules from July 1 and forward.
Vote for European Athlete of June
LAUSANNE (SUI): The main part of this important Olympic year kicked off in June with the various European Cups and the IAAF Golden Leagues taking pride of place and providing most of the top performances. Following this, European Athletics is pleased to announce that athletes from 16 countries have been nominated for the European Athlete of the Month Award for June. The voting will close on Monday June 14 at 12 noon.
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