by Larry EderIf any actor in recent times has lowered the proverbial comedy playing field, it is actor Will Ferrell. Mr. Ferrell has to his credit, several years at Saturday Night Life, but also, Anchorman, Taledega Nights, among others.
Steve Hooker, the Australian vaulter, won in the Beijing pole vault shoot out in front of 91,000 track fans. On his return home, he was surprised to find that Mr. Ferrell and his co conspirator in bizarre comedies, John C. Reilly, both dressed up like Mr. Hooker to meet Steve. Apparently, Steve always wanted to meet the comedian. Be careful what you wish for….
EME NEWS (SEP 18, 2008) UPDATE
BHOPAL (IND, Sep 18): At 2nd Asian All-Star Meet in India new national javelin record was the highlight. 23-years old Anil Singh massively improved his PB in second series with 80.72 m. Official previous record of Salvin Singh from 1998 was 79.68. In the same year Ramandeep Singh achieved 80.56 but this mark was never officially ratified because in qualification. Japanese Mitsuhiro Abiko won the 400 m and equalled his PB 46.23. Vietnamese High Jump record holder Bui Thi Nhung cleared 188 cm.
MONTE CARLO: Olympic champion and World record holder for 100m and 200m Usain Bolt has only just turned 22-years-old. How fast will he go at 200m by the end of what will hopefully be a long career? In IAAF poll nearly 67 percent thinks that faster than sub 19.28. About 22 percent has the opinion that for sure at 19.28 and 11 percent that sub 19.30.
TORONTO (CAN): Canadian hurdles star and Olympic bronze medalist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep has a new website. At www.GoPriscilla.com you can see how busy programme waits for her even when athletics season is over.
AACHEN (GER): Next Wednesday on Sep 24 during special Pole Vault meet in Aachen, Germany called “Domspringen” the US jumper Jeff Hartwig (40) will have his last competition. The event is held in the city between City-Hall and Dom-Church. His US team-mates world champion Brad Walker and recent WAF winner Derek Miles will jump also.
MELBOURNE (AUS): Pole Vault Olympic winner Steve Hooker was happy enough to meet his TV-idol Will Ferrell in a TV show. Ferrell with his colleague John C. Reily tried to dress so that they looked like Hooker.
LAUSANNE (SUI): Former Moroccan 400 m Hurdles gold medalist Nawal El Moutawakel will lead the IOC panel to evaluate the four bids for the 2016 Olympic Games. The highest ranking woman on the International Olympic Committee, El Moutawakel was appointed Thursday as chair of the 2016 evaluation commission. She is also IAAF Council member. The panel will visit the four candidate cities (Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro) in the first quarter of 2009 and prepare a special report. From former athletes also French IOC Member and 1976 Olympic 110 m Hurdles winner Guy Drut is the member. Agencies are informing.
MOSCOW (RUS): On October 1 the General Assembly of Russian Athletics Federation will be held and elections will take place too. For the post of president for next four years two candidates are registered. The current (and IAAF Council member) Valentin Balakhnichev and Aleksey Kustov. For five vice-presidents 12 candidates are announced. Among them also long and triple jump Olympic silver holder Tatyana Lebedeva, current head coach Valentin Maslakov, also the previous one Valeriy Kulichenko, former IAAF Council Member and excellent long jumper Igor Ter-Ovanesyan and also current EA Council member Vadim Zelichonok. For the council membership also former great shot putter Tamara Press is biding.
MONTE CARLO: World governing body IAAF is looking into a request by three African long-distance runners to bring cross country back to the Summer Olympics. Ethiopians Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie and Kenya’s Paul Tergat made the request in a letter to the International Olympic Committee and the International Association of Athletics Federations. Cross country was last contested at the 1924 Olympics. The IOC has already referred the letter to the IAAF, since it is up to the international federation to ask for such a readmission. An earlier attempt to bring cross country into the Winter Games has already been turned down. Agencies are informing.
SARANSK (RUS): All-Sport informs that also the B-sample analysis of Russian top walkers Vladimir Kanaykin, Viktor Burayev and Aleksey Voyevodin confirmed the positive outcome of A-sample with EPO. It was confirmed by their coach Viktor Chegin. The samples are from April 20 this year, the Russian Athletics Federation needs now to announce its verdict.
Used with permission of Alfons Juck, EME News.
