by Larry EderWallace Spearmon showed up on crutches for a going away party for Coach McDonnell, who has retired from the University of Arkansas. Wallace has a torn meniscus, which he has dealt with all season long….
EME NEWS (SEP 22, 2009)
TOP HAMMER THE MAIN STORY
KAWASAKI (JPN): The traditional late-season Super Meet in Japan is again switching venue. After Tokyo, Shizuoka, Yokohama the next edition will be held on Tuesday in city of Kawasaki. The meet started back in 1966, has the name Super Meet from 1988 and witnessed in its history two world records of legendary Sergey Bubka (607 in 1991 and 613 in 1992). The main story this year will be men´s hammer throw with Olympic winner Primoz Kozmus of Slovenia and two most-likely medalists Krisztian Pars of Hungary and home star Koji Murofushi. Their medals are depending on the outcome of doping case of Belarus throwers. Another Olympic winner competing will be Tomasz Majewski of Poland in Shot Put. Other Olympic medalists entered are bronze winner at 400 m Hurdles Bershawn Jackson of USA and in Long Jump Russian silver winner Tatyana Lebedeva against US heptathlon silver holder Hyleas Fountain. The versatile Fountain will also compete at 100 m Hurdles against another top US athletes Damu Cherry and Candice Davis. Briton Harry Aikines-Aryeetey is scheduled to run the 100 m against US Mike Rodgers. US WAF winner Derek Miles is the main name in Pole Vault and in High Jump Linus Thornblad of Sweden is the top entry.
NEW GENERAL SECRETARY
DAKAR (SEN): A meet of the executive board of the African Athletics Confederation was held in Dakar last week. Amongst the major decisions was the implementation of the „athletics at school” programme in Africa, starting with the training of primary school teachers from 12 countries in Dakar in October. Another topic was the appointment of Lamine Faty as general secretary to succeed to Abdoul Wahab Barka Ba who passed away during the summer. Also the date of the Dakar IAAF Grand Prix was set for April 18, 2009.
ETHIOPIAN RUNNING CIRCUIT
ADDIS ABABA (ETH): The Ethiopian Athletics Federation has established a schedule of 21 competitions for the new season, starting with a 12km road race on October 19. The highlights of the calendar will be the National cross-country championships on February 22, 2009 and the track championships from April 29 to May 3, ethiopiarun.org informs.
BOLT WITH SMALL DIFFICULTIES AT THE AIRPORT
KINGSTON (JAM): As reported by Nationwide News Network in Kingston two weeks after receiving a hero’s welcome upon his return to Jamaican shores, the sprint king, Usain Bolt, had difficulties on his way out of the country yesterday. The triple world record holder was denied boarding on a Delta Airlines flight destined for Atlanta, USA, from the Sangster International Airport yesterday. It’s understood that the gate supervisor in charge of Delta Flight 360 closed the aircraft door on the ace sprinter eight minutes before its scheduled departure. This despite arrangements made with airport operators, MBJ Airports Limited, for Bolt’s late check-in. This was to ensure proper security arrangements were in place to deal with the likelihood of a crowd of adoring fans. But, the Delta agent said no one informed her of the arrangement. Bolt, who was scheduled to attend an event in Atlanta yesterday evening, was accommodated on an American Airlines flight to Miami. He was also booked to connect from Miami to Atlanta the same afternoon.
NDEREBA LOST
PHILADELPHIA (USA, Sep 21): Kenya’s Olympic marathon silver medallist and world champion 2007 Catherine Ndereba suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Russian 5000 m track European record holder Liliya Shobukhova in the ING Philadelphia Distance Run. The Russian forged ahead of Ndereba in the final mile of the half marathon race winning by 10 seconds in 1:10:21. Another Kenyan Irene Limika was Kenya third (1:10:50). Yirefu Birhanu led a clean sweep of the podium places for Ethiopia when narrowly holding off Terefu Zwedie by a second in 1:01:22 and Girma Tola third in 1:01:26.
FLANAGAN WINS
PROVIDENCE (USA, Sep 21): Anthony Famiglietti unleashed a powerful kick to win his second men’s 5km title in 13:42, while Olympic bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan cruised to her second consecutive women’s title in 15:28 at the USA 5km Championships in Providence, Rhode Island. USATF informs. Eight seconds behind was Matt Tegenkamp (13:50) with Kenyan Luke Kipskogei third (13:58) and Dan Browne fourth (14:01).
TWELL IS THE RISING STAR 2008
LAUSANNE (SUI): European Athletics announced that 19-year-old middle distance runner Stephanie Twell of Great Britain will be awarded the second Waterford Crystal European Athletics Rising Star award. The male winner will be announced on Tuesday. Twell is this years world junior champion at 1500 m and European Junior Cross Country champion from December 2007. „This is a whole life package. I live this sport, breathe it, dream it. The plan is to run 1,500m or 5,000m in London 2012, the 5,000m in 2016 and then I’d love to step up to the marathon in 2020,” added Twell recently, setting out her long-term ambitions. Last year winner of this trophy was also a Briton, the heptathlete Jessica Ennis.
MARATHON SYMPOSIUM
MARATHON (GRE): The second annual AIMS Marathon Symposium will be held in the town of Marathon, Greece, on November 8, the day before the Athens Classic Marathon, run on the traditional course, from Marathon to Athens. The symposium, backed also by the IAAF and SEGAS, the Greek federation, was inaugurated last year by a new management committee for the Athens Classic Marathon, eager to upgrade the race to the status that its history deserves. Writes Pat Butcher. The organisers have also arranged for a Marathon Flame, similar to the Olympic torch to be delivered around the world, something that several other major city races have already enjoyed. The theme of this year’s symposium, opened by the Mayor of Marathon, and the Deputy Minister for the Interior will be ‘Adding Value To Your Marathon’. Last year’s inaugural symposium was attended by marathon luminaries, such as Abel Anton of Spain the 2004 Olympic winner in Athens, and Rosa Mota, winner of the first women’s championships marathon, the European race in Athens 1982. The symposium attracted representatives from over 30 international marathons from around the globe.
SPEARMON ON CRUTCHES
FAYETTEVILLE (USA): Olympic sprinter Wallace Spearmon Jr. arrived on crutches for the function for retired Razorback track coach John McDonnell. Momentarily a bronze medalist in the Olympic 200-meter dash until learning he and another competitor were disqualified on lane violations, Spearmon arrived on crutches Thursday night explaining,”Coach McDonnell thought I wasn’t coming so he beat me up. No, actually I had surgery last Friday here.” Turned out Spearmon had been competing for a year despite knee pain caused by a torn meniscus. He hopes to resume training in six weeks. Asked if he was over the disappointment of believing he had a bronze medal only to see it gone after official review, Spearmon said,” I’m smiling now, but the day of, no.” NWAnews.com informs.
RESULTS
POLTSAMAA (EST, Sep 19): Olympic winner Gerd Kanter competed again after his win at ERGO World Challenge and achieved 68.57 m ahead of Russian Bogdan Pishchalnikov (61.96).
TORVA (EST, Sep 20): Discus throwers continued to compete in Estonia and Hungarian Gabor Mate won here with 65.65 m ahead of Poland´s Olympic silver medalist Piotr Malachowski (64.48).
JOGEVA (EST, Sep 21): 2004 olympic medalist Vadim Vasilevskis of Latvia achieved here 82.00 m in Javelin.
NIVELLES (BEL, Sep 20): Poland clubs of Podlasie Bialystok won the C Group European Champion Clubs Cup for Juniors and will be promoted into B Group for 2009. Lukasz Wilamowski clocked 48.85 to win the 400 m and hammer throwers Joanna Fiodorow (53.45) and Damian Wesolowski (62.17) registered interesting wins. Dutch world junior medalist Melissa Boekelman won the shot put in best result of the day 16.42 m. Israeli Hellen Wolfson dominated the 1500 m in 4:44.87.
ODENSE (DEN, Sep 21): Kenyan win at Hans Christian Andersen Marathon. Benjamin Serem clocked 2:14:44 ahead of Charles Kamayo 2:16:41. Russian Tatyana Mironova achieved 2:42:00 to win the women category with home vet Gitte Karlshoj (2:44:43).
SYDNEY (AUS, Sep 21): Kenyan Julius Maritim won for fourth time in a row the Sydney Marathon with a final time 2:19:01. Lisa Flint as best woman clocked 2:47:43. In all events of Sydney Running Festival more than 25 000 participants were registered.
PONTE SAN GIOVANNI (ITA, Sep 21): Kenyan Julius Kirwa won the 19th Campanile Half-Marathon with 1:03:59 ahead of home Denis Curzi (1:O5:35).
LEPPAVIRTA (FIN, Sep 20): Marja Penttinen took the national title at 20 km walk with great PB 1:33:34.
PARALEPA (EST, Sep 20): At National Walking championships Agnese Pastare improved at 20 km to 1:37:27 and took the title.
MYRSKYLA (FIN, Sep 21): 17th placer from Olympic marathon Francis Kirwa won a 10 km road race in 30:34 in his preparation for Firenze Marathon on Nov 30.
OTWOCK (POL, Sep 14): Czech Stepan Janacek won here the Pole Vault Tadeusz Slusarski Memorial meet with clearing 550 cm. Joanna Piwowarska was the best woman (440).
KRAKOW (POL, Sep 14): Great shape of Pawel Czapiewski was confirmed by his 1:16.83 600 m time at local meet. Later in Shanghai he was second and improved his season best.
Used with permission of Alfons Juck, Publisher of EME News.
