byLarry EderOne of the top new US sprinters, who ran 10.05 and 20.45 for the 100m and 200m at the JUCO championships this year has just signed with Mark Wetmore’s Global Athletics & Marketing…at the California State Meet yesterday, Ryan Wyatt ran 35.02 for the 300m hurdles, breaking the 2007 record of Jeshua Anderson of 35.28!
BAILEY SIGNS WITH WETMORE
EUGENE (USA): Sprinter Ryan Bailey (20) became a professional track athlete this week, but he wasn‘t sure Friday afternoon what logo he might wear on his spikes at Sunday‘s Prefontaine Classic. Informs Eugene media. By midweek he had decided to hire Mark Wetmore, president of Global Athletics & Marketing to represent him. Wetmore represents numerous track athletes, including Tyson Gay and Ethiopian stars Meseret Defar with Tirunesh Dibaba. Bailey improved this year at JUCO Championships to 10.05 at 100 m and 20.45 at 200 m. Bailey is considered one of the top sprinting prospects in the U.S., with a tall build that reminds some of Jamaican Olympic champion and world-record holder Usain Bolt (195 cm).
KEMBOI WILL NOT ARRIVE
EUGENE (USA): Surprise sub 8 steeple runner from Doha in early May and 2004 olympic winner Ezekiel Kemboi of Kenya is a late withdrawal from Pre Classic due to visa difficulties. He was to face his Kenyan rival Paul Kipsiele Koech and attack the meet record 8:08.08 from 2007 (by Koech).
FRIEDRICH OVER 2 METRES
BAUNATAL (GER, June 5): The European Athletics Classic Meet was moved from Kassel (stadium reconstruction) to Baunatal under the name “Weltklasse in Baunatalâ€. European indoor champion Ariane Friedrich showed 5000 spectators excellent shape before her next weekend duel with Blanka Vlasic at ISTAF in Berlin. She started with 190 and jumped also following 195 and 200 in first attempt. Failures came only at 205 what would mean equalling the German record of Heike Henkel. She jumped as second this year two metres in the summer after Blanka Vlasic. Olympic bronze winner Christine Obergfoll after losing to Barbora Spotakova on Wednesday in Strasbourg came back with another excellent throw 67.48. Her team-mates achieved season bests (Steffi Nerius 64.80, Linda Stahl 62.67, Katarina Molitor 61.07 and Mareike Ritweg 60.00). From other German athletes Robin Schembera won the 800 m in 1:45.94, Arne Gabius the 5000 m in 13:31.51, Carolin Nytra improved her season best to 13.00 (0.0) at 100 m hurdles and Alexander Straub with Malte Mohr cleared 560 in pole vault. Shot putters also confirmed growing shape as Peter Sack got 20.43 and Ralf Bartels 20.23 ahead of World junior champion David Storl who improved his outdoor best with senior implement to 18.93 as third. Also to note 13.56 (0.0) 110 m hurdles fastest time for Dutch Gregory Sedoc, 46.15 for Bahamian olympic relay medalist Michael Mathieu at 400 m and 16.71 (-0.1) in triple jump by Grenada record holder Randy Lewis.
SPOTAKOVA THE TOP STAR
PRAGUE (CZE): Javelin world record holder and olympic/world winner Barbora Spotakova is the biggest star of 16th Josef Odlozil Memorial on Monday (EA Premium Meeting) at Juliska Stadium. It will be her third meet of the year and in both previous she achieved excellent winning marks 65.96 and 66.31. Organisers offered for her 20 000 USD world record bonus and her shape may allow to attack her own meet record 68.81 from last year. She daily trains in Juliska stadium so will be feeling home. But the spectators will also be able to see another star of Czech Athletics, the decathlon world record holder Roman Sebrle who is scheduled to compete in long jump (here he is even one of the favorites and has been offered 1000 USD bonus for jumping 8 metres) and shot put. Very good fields are prepared for Czech European indoor hurdles medalists from Torino. Petr Svoboda will face in men race at 110 metres US Dexter Faulk who on Thursday improved to 13.29 in Torino. Lucie Skrobakova will run against British olympic finalist Sarah Claxton and former US champion Danielle Carruthers at 100 m hurdles. Olympic finalist Zuzana Hejnova at 400 m hurdles is going to run against Russian Beijing 6th placer Yekaterina Bikert and US world leader Lashinda Demus (54.17). Another top home athlete will be discus thrower Vera Cechlova competing with Romanian Nicoleta Grasu and olympic medalist Olena Antonova of Ukraine. Sprinter Laverne Jones of US Virgin Islands who improved her national records in Hengelo on Monday (11.13 and 22.46) could well dipp under current meet record at 200 m (22.74 by Stephanie Durst in 2007). In 800 m race world indoor medalist Tetyana Petlyuk of Ukraine is the favorite (she already ran this year under 2 minutes) and is going to face Briton Jenny Meadows and olympic fourth placer Russian Svetlana Kluyka. In men´s races very interesting the 400 m hurdles with European champion Periklis Iakovakis against former olympic medalist and Jamaican veteran Danny McFarlane. Kenyan Collins Kosgei (meet record holder with 8:14.32 in 2007) is the favorite for steeple and Jamaican Steve Mullings for both men sprints at 100 m and 200 m. The memorial 1500 m (Josef Odlozil was olympic medalist in 1964 at 1500 m) is seeing Ethiopian Bikila Demma (3:35.27), French Abdeslam Kennouche (3:32.46) and Kenyan Cornelius Ndiwa (3:37.35) as favorites. In remaining men technical events as usual tough field in men´s hammer with world leader Krisztian Pars of Hungary, former olympic winner Szymon Ziolkowski of Poland, Slovak world medalist Libor Charfreitag and fresh national record breakers of Tajikistan (Dilshod Nazarov) and Latvia (Igor Sokolovs). Men´s pole vault will see French world medalist 2007 Romain Mesnil (on Friday European leading 581) against Germans Fabian Schulze and Tim Lobinger with best home jumper and olympic finalist Jan Kudlicka. Top names in shot put are European champion Ralf Bartelts and French European indoor medalist Yves Niare.
OTHER NEWS
PARIS (FRA): French star sprinter Christine Arron is training normally again. The European record holder has been slowed in her preparation by a calf injury and she could not run for two weeks. No date for her competition return is set, but it might be in July.
REIMS (FRA): The meeting of Reims (part of national Alma Athlé Tour series) will have a special star in men pole vault competition on July 14. Olympic winner Steve Hooker will face 2007 world medalist Romain Mesnil and other French top pole vaulters including European Indoor champion Renaud Lavillenie. Hooker is already contrated to Athletissima in Lausanne which will be held on July 7.
PARIS (FRA): Meeting director of AREVA Paris Golden League (July 17) Laurent Boquillet did not rule out the invitation to British sprinter Dwain Chambers. “He has cheated and he was suspended. Now, let him trust,“ he was quoted. Paris is part of Euromeetings group which recommended to its members not to invite athletes who can harm with their presence the reputation and image of their meetings. Chambers will next compete in France, at the meet of Montreuil on June 11.
BERLIN (GER): The AF Golden League opener in Berlin disclosed more names in women high jump. On June 14 at Olympic Stadium during DKB-ISTAF not only Blanka Vlasic will face her main current rival German Ariane Friedrich. But also 2004 olympic winner Yelena Slesarenko of Russia, Spain record holder Ruth Beitia, Italy´s world medalist Antonietta Di Martino, US top jumpers Amy Acuff and Chaunte Howard and another Russian Viktoriya Klyugina are making the field in this event worth of world championships final.
RESULTS
BIELSKO-BIALA (POL, June 5): US hurdler Jeff Porter clocked solid 13.63 (+0.8) to win the 110 m hurdles at Beskidianathletic meeting.
SAULHEIM (GER, June 5): More than 600 spectators saw Anna Battke jumping 455 cm to win the 6th international women pole vault meet here. She fulfilled so the Berlin World Championships standard. Kristina Gadschiew as second and Russian Tatyana Polnova as third went over 440 cm.
BUCURESTI (ROU, June 5): Fast women steeple at National Grand Prix meet in Romania. Ancuta Bobocel achieved 9:40.83 ahead of Cristina Casandra (9:42.73). World youth champion Bianca Perie achieved 68.35 in hammer, Mihaela Neacsu 4:12.13 at 1500 m and Viorica Tigau 651 (+0.5) in long jump.
HEROUVILLE (FRA, June 5): Osaka 2007 silver winner Romain Mesnil who made headlines with his special promotional video recently jumped in third attempt new European lead 581 cm at D1 French meet. Interesting overseas wins for US Phil De Rosier at 200 m (20.62, +1.9), Ethiopian Dino Sefer at 3000 m (7:54.95) and Fred Townsend of USA at 110 m hurdles (13.65, -0.7).
ELDORET (KEN, June 5): World Cross Country sensations Peter Kisorio (29:37.5 at 10 000 m) and Nelly Chebet (16:30.7 at 5000 m) dominated their races at the national secondary schools athletics championships in Eldoret on Friday. Africa Junior 3000m steeplechase champion and World Junior silver medalist Elizabeth Mueni won the women’s steeplechase (10:30.6) beating Commonwealth Youth Games 1500m finalist Purity Cherotich (10:36.7). The Nation informs.
NAIROBI (KEN, June 5): This year Berlin Half-marathon winner Bernard Kipyego won the 10 000 m at Kenya Police Championships with fast 28:10.1 (taking high altitude into account). Lucas Rotich (28:15.0) and Titus Mbishei (28:17.6) followed with also impressive times. 2006 World junior medalist Mary Wacera won the women 5000 m in 16:01.6.
CLOVIS (USA, June 5): Reggie Wyatt achieved at 300 m Hurdles in heat at California State Championships new national HS record 35.02. He improved the time of 35.28 set by Jeshua Anderson of Woodland Hills Taft in 2007.
Special thanks to Alfons Juck, EME News.
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