byLarry EderMore on the global side of the sport…..
EME NEWS (JAN 31, 2009) UPDATE
Farah new UK record 7:40.99 at 3000 m
GLASGOW (GBR, Jan 31): A brand new British Record from Mo Farah and also a world leading 7:40.99 at 3000 m (worth of 5000 USD bonus) was the undisputed highlight of Aviva International Match at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. The Commonwealth Select took the team prize with 60 points from the GB team with 57, Germany were third with 51, USA fourth with 46 and Sweden fifth with 37. The sell-out 3500 home crowd also saw one more world lead as World Indoor Champion Lolo Jones clocked exactly the same 7.95 at 60 m Hurdles as Priscilla Lopes-Schliep of Canada at Millrose Games. In both events second places well noted with Kenyan Gideon Gathimba (7:49.65) and home Olympic finalist Sarah Claxton (8.06). Craig Pickering was also impressive with 6.57 at 60 m and beating US Ivory Williams (6.61) with former world champion Kim Collins fifth (6.70). Bahamian Shamar Sands won the 60 m Hurdles for Commmonwealth Team and equalled his own national record 7.59 (second home Andy Turner 7.64). High quality 231 High Jump win for world indoor medalist Andra Manson of USA ahead of home Samson Oni who improved his season best to 229 and third German Raul Spank 227. Another Commonwealth win for World Indoor Champion Tyler Christopher of Canada at 400 m (47.19). Sweden scored two good quality wins. Johan Wissman dominated the 200 m (21.05) and 22-years old Michel Torneus improved to 795 in second round and beat World Indoor Champion Khotso Mokoena from South Africa (792) and home Greg Rutherford (791) in Long Jump. Expected German win in Pole Vault as Alexander Straub cleared 565 cm. On the women side US World Indoor Champion Angela Williams got 7.32 for winning the 60 m. Home middle distances wins for Marilyn Okoro (2:02.53) and Susan Scott (4:14.66). Zakia Mrisho of Tanzania won the 3000 m in 9:00.55 indoor PB.
Chambers goes fast: 6.52
BIRMINGHAM (GBR, Jan 31): British sprinter Dwain Chambers achieved high quality PB and European leading time 6.52 at 60 m at the Birmingham Games. He is so on the best way to attack the golden podium later in March in Torino at European Indoor Championships. His time came from semifinals.
Tamgho sensational improvement in Triple Jump to 17.37 m
MONDEVILLE (FRA, Jan 31): Triple jump world junior champion Teddy Tamgho, recorded a world lead with a 17.37m effort, the 2nd best French performance of all time indoors, Saturday evening, during the second leg of the French indoor circuit in Mondeville. He also had 17.03 and 17.15 in the series. 50km walk 2007 world silver medallist, Yohan Diniz recorded a time of 19:02:34 in the 5000m walk. Salim Sdiri won the long jump with 7.88m and Damiel Dossevi won the pole vault with a 5.55m clearance. Belgium’s Damien Broothaerts dominated the 60m hurdles clocking a new indoor best of 7.71, while the women’s race was claimed by 40 year old Patricia Girard who achieved a time of 8.18 in final and 8.17 in the heats. In the men hurdles heats US Fred Townsend clocked the day´s fastest 7.70. Myriam Soumare won the women’s 60m in 7.39 while Gabon’s sprinter Ruddy Zang Milama improved her national record, finishing second with the same time 7.39.
Tsatoumas Greek record 820
ATHENS (GRE, Jan 31): Greek long jumper Louis Tsatoumas set a national indoor record and a world lead with a result of 820 for his season’s debut, Saturday in Athens (Peania). He started with 798 and achieved the national mark in second attempt. “I am very satisfied, as it was my first competition and I was expecting a jump around 7.90 or 8.00 m. But it came off as much longer, probably because I felt very relaxed during the event. My next competition will be at the Greek Indoor Championships, and this will probably be my last before Turin,” he was quoted. 21-years old Giorgos Tsakonas also achieved the Torino qualifying mark with a 798 mark.
Two more national indoor records were registered in Peania. Shot Putter Georgios Arestis from Cyprus broke twice his own mark from last year (18.79), recording a solid series of puts: 19.27 rec, x, 19.43 rec, x, 19.20 & 19.21. All his four valid throws were above the previous indoor record. The third record was set by 17-year old Marija Vuković from Montenegro, who, competing as guest in the high jump, cleared 1.84 and smashed her own 1.75 from last year, also set in Athens-Peania. This is also an overall NR for Montenegro. The Topić couple are frequent visitors in Greece. Dragutin still finds the motivation to carry on, probably because of his wife. Today he cleared 2.20, just as two other Greek high jumpers, 18-year old Adónios Mástoras (indoor pb, missed the national indoor record at 2.25) and KonstadÃnos Baniótis. On the other hand Biljana Topić won, albeit as guest, the triple jump competition with 14.16. In the men’s triple jump, outdoor record holder DimÃtrios Tsiámis started his indoor campaign with 16.34. Tsatoumas is one of a dwindling number of top carded athletes for 2009. The list of A1 category athletes is now just three names, with the retirement of Athanasia Tsoumeleka following the announcement of her positive drugs test from earlier this month. The remaining two are triple jumper Hrysopyi Devetzi (is passing the indoor season) and 400 m Hurdler Periklis Iakovakis.
OTHER RESULTS
GENT (BEL, Jan 31): Pole vaulter Kevin Rans achieved the standard for the European indoor championships with his 551m clearance, Saturday evening in Gent.
UDINE (ITA, Jan 31): Anna Giordano Bruno set the women’s pole vault Italian record clearing 435 cm. She had two close attempts at 445. Triple jumper Fabrizio Schembri went to 17.12 setting his overall best. It is also third best performance in the Italian all-time list behind Fabrizio Donato’s 17.33 and Paolo Camossi’s 17.32. For Schembri it is the second jump over 17 metres in his career after his 17.01 outdoors at last year’s European Cup in Annecy where he finished third.
VALENCIA (ESP, Jan 31): Men of Playas de Castellon and women of Valencia Terra i Mar won the Spanish Indoor Club Championships. Miguel Angel Sancho cleared in High Jump new national junior record 224 cm. On the women side in High Jump also good 198 by Ruth Beitia.
APELDOORN (NED, Jan 31): Dutch middle-distance runner Dennis Licht (24) clocked Torino qualifier 3:41.40 at 1500 m during a local meet here. It is also for him overall personal best.
MAGGLINGEN (SUI, Jan 31): Swiss sprinter Pascal Mancini qualified at a local meet for European Indoor Championships with 6.73 at 60 m. It is also National U23 indoor record, second placed Andreas Baumann achieved 6.74.
PRAHA (CZE, Jan 31): Pole Vaulter Jirina Ptacnikova improved to 435 cm at the Prague City Indoor Championships and qualified for Torino. She is joining in the Czech team for Italy also her boy-friend, one of the top hurdlers in Europe Petr Svoboda. Male Pole Vaulters also tried at the 555 standard, but this time no luck. Olympic finalist Jan Kudlicka started the season with 545 win.
ZARAGOZA (ESP, Jan 31): France is leading the international five countries combined event match with 9324 score ahead of Spain (9123), Czech Republic (9086), Great Britain (9016) and Netherlands (8979). Heptathlon first day leader is Czech Pavel Baar (3164) with 29 points over Dutch Eugene Martineau (3135).
ESPINHO (POR, Jan 31): Best result during club championships by walker Sergio Vieira who clocked 19:33.70 at 5000 m.
VILNIUS (LTU, Jan 31): Two best results here were 6.73 60 m by Rytis Sakalauskas and Long Jump 789 from Darius Aucyna.
BUCURESTI (ROM, Jan 31): European junior 2007 bronze medalist Cristina Bujin improved in Triple Jump to 14.33 and achieved the best result of National Grand Prix Meeting.
VORU (EST, Jan 31): New Estonian high jump record 192 by Ana Iljustsenko at club championships. It is also overall national record as outdoors her best mark is 191 cm.
BUDAPEST (HUN, Jan 31): World finalist Matic Osovnikar of Slovenia clocked 6.71 at 60 m at Hungarian indoor opening in SYMA hall of Budapest. Olympic finalist in triple jump Marija Sestak won the long jump (618) and solid 3000 m 7:58.53 by home runner Barnabas Bene.
MOGILYOV (BLR, Jan 31): Former European junior medalist Dmitriy Dzetsuk improved to good 16.81 in Triple Jump at Belarus Indoor Cup meet. Russian guest Stanislav Malyarenko cleared new PB in High Jump with 228 cm and second home Artyom Zaytsev achieved also good 224. Alyona Kievich (21, formerly Daniliuk) registered good indoor PB 23.58 at 200 m.
OTHER NEWS
SOCHI (RUS): In current financial difficulties interesting news from Russia. Sochi Winter Olympic Games 2014 secured a $460 million corporate sponsorship deal for the 2014 Winter Olympics that they claimed was the largest of its kind in the history of the Games. State-controlled long-distance telephone company Rostelecom and Russia’s number three mobile carrier, MegaFon, pledged $260 million in sponsorship, plus a further $200 million to develop infrastructure in the region. Informs insidethegames.com.
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): Another good business news for the sport. UK Athletics have secured another major sponsorship deal after Lucozade agreed to become the first official sports nutrition supplier to the sport. They will supply an extensive range of contaminant-tested sports nutrition products and support services to athletes at leading international events, High Performance Athletics Centres (HiPACs), and throughout the network of clubs in the UK. Informs insidethegames.com.
NEW YORK (USA): World Youth Champion 2005 Bianca Knight was satisfied after Millrose Games 60 m win and promised a world record attack in a quote for USATF: “I was a little jumpy at the start. I caused the first false start. I apologized to the ladies because I probably made them sit in the blocks a little. I felt pretty good. It was my first Millrose Games, so to come out with a win, I’m excited. It’s really noisy in here, even after they tell the crowd to be quiet. Over the years, I became good running indoors. This year I decided my goal is to break the 200 world record indoors at Fayetteville during the Tyson Invitational on February 13.”
NEW YORK (USA): Former Pole Vault world record holder Stacy Dragila confirmed after good 461 at Millrose this will be her last season : “It was fun to fly high again. That was the most consistent set of jumps I’ve had in years. Having a full fall of training gives me confidence. This year, I just want to give myself a chance to redeem myself and go out with flying colors, since this will be my last year competing.”
GOTEBORG (SWE): Former Olympic triple jump winner Christian Olsson is still unsure about his comeback. As Swedish media are reporting, he is doing training for High Jump, mostly for fun and still hopes for a triple jump comeback.
MOSCOW (RUS): World indoor champion at 60 m Olusoji Fasuba of Nigeria cancelled his participation at Sunday´s Russian Winter IAAF Permit in Moscow. At one of last trainings before traveling to Russia he injured his knee. There is a possibility he will not be able to compete during the whole indoor season.
NAIROBI (KEN): The world marathon record can go down to 1:58, the best marathoner ever Haile Gebrselassie, has predicted. Informs Kenyan media. But the Ethiopian legend, who has been in Nairobi since Monday on a training mission with his sponsors, G4S, said this record time will only be registered after 20 to 25 years. Gebrselassie and his long-time nemesis, Paul Tergat, were the star attractions at a sumptuous dinner hosted by G4S at the Laico Regency Hotel in Nairobi on Friday night.
KINGSTON (JAM): Triple Olympic winner Usain Bolt admits there is room for improvement in the first 30 metres of his 100m races, and the Jamaican sprint sensation agrees with former American sprinting ace Maurice Greene that he can get better in the event. Informs Jamaica Observer. The 22-year-old Bolt, reacting to Greene’s comments, acknowledges that he will go even faster than his 9.69 seconds world record with improvement to the first 30 metres of his race. “My coach (Glen Mills) has said a few things… I’ve run some races which I think I did pretty well in and he has found a lot of problems, so I guess Maurice Greene may know what he’s talking about,” Bolt told Sporting World. Bolt is scheduled to open his 2009 season with a 400m run at the Camperdown Classics on February 14.
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Special thanks to Alfons Juck of EME News.
