Rio De Janeiro looks well after IOC Evaluation commission, by Alfons Juck, Note by Larry Eder

EME NEWS (SEP 2, 2009)

Kozmus world leading 82.58

CELJE (SLO, Sep 2): World and Olympic hammer winner Primoz Kozmus is in excellent shape. At Wednesday´s National Grand Prix meeting he achieved in third round new Slovenian record and world leading 82.58 m. He bettered his previous national mark 82.30 from 2007 by 28 cm. He undermined this with other marks in the series 81.76, 81.91 and 80.56. Some 2000 spectators watched the meet at Kladivar Stadium. His next meeting is the Athletics Bridge in Dubnica, Slovakia on Sunday. Second Mohamed Al-Zankawi again improved his Kuwait national record to 79.74 ahead of Hungarian Krisztian Pars 79.36. Another solid quality was in shot put. Serbian Asmir Kolasinac improved to 20.41 to win over home star Miran Vodovnik (20.38), Croatian Nedzad Mulabegovic (20.31 PR) and another Serbian Milan Jotanovic (20.14 also PB). US Thomas Hunter was sprint winner in 10.48 (-1.9) and 20.88 (-0.6). Croatian Jurica Grabusic posted 13.77 (-1.3) at 110 m hurdles. In women events returning Jolanda Ceplak won the 800 m in 2:06.85 and javelin record holder Martina Ratej achieved 58.12.

Top names for Shanghai: Bolt and Isinbayeva

SHANGHAI (CHN): The Shanghai Grand Prix IAAF Permit meeting (Sep 20) will see an array of international stars. Not only Usain Bolt who is contracted to run the 100 m. But also other Berlin winners like Mbulaeni Mulaudzi at 800 m, Yusuf Saad Kamel at 1500 m, Dwight Phillips in Long jump, Allyson Felix at 200 m and Jamaican hurdlers Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Melaine Walker. But main female star will be fresh world record holder in pole vault Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia. Wallace Spearmon runs the 200 m, Jeremy Wariner the 400 m in sprint department. Tough opposition for Mulaudzi at 800 m with 2007 world champion Alfred Kirwa Yego and returning olympic winner Wilfred Bungei. For Kamel the rivals will be olympic winner (nearly) Asbel Kiprop and world silver holder Derese Mekonen of Ethiopia. At 110 m hurdles US duo Terrence Trammell and David Oliver could race against home hero Liu Xiang if ready after his rehabilitation following the surgery. In women´s 100 m 2007 world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown will compete against US bronze winner from Berlin Carmelita Jeter and in-shape coming Jamaican Sherone Simpson. Debbie Ferguson of Bahamas is the star of the 200 m. At 400 m olympic winner Christine Ohuruogu will compete with second from Beijing Shericka Williams of Jamaica. Very interesting the 1500 m where 800 m silver winner from Beijing and Berlin Janeth Jepkosgei will clash with olympic gold winner Nancy Lagat. Dawn Harper the olympic winner is the 100 m hurdles star. The meet will be part of new IAAF Diamond League in 2010.

Hot sprints at Van Damme

BRUSSELS (BEL): In the 200 m race of Usain Bolt in Brussels on Friday the only possible rival could be US Wallace Spearmon who was third in Berlin. Bolt was part of opening ceremony of the new track at King Baudouin Stadium. Canadian Priscilla Lopes-Schliep will have a chance for Berlin revenge against Jamaican Brigite Foster-Hylton. Another hot women 100 m with Stewart, Jeter and Fraser will be added by Veronica Campbell-Brown and Sherone Simpson to have it as one of the most competitive races of the season. For Gelete Burka in the 2000 m the 5k world champion Vivian Cheruiyot will be the main rival. Only in three events the world champions will be missed (Yargelis Savigne in triple jump, LaShawn Merritt in the 400 m and Caster Semenya at 800 m).

Evaluation Commission report

LAUSANNE (SUI): Rio de Janiero seemed to come out on top when the International Olympic Committee's Evaluation Commission published its Report analyzing the bids of the four cities campaigning to follow London 2012 and host the 2016 Games. This report was written following the Commission’s visits to the four Candidate Cities vying to host these Games: Chicago (United States), Tokyo (Japan), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Madrid (Spain). The report is a technical analysis of the four Candidate Cities, which is sent to the IOC members. The Evaluation Commission chaired by Nawal El Moutawakel, IOC member from Morocco and Olympic champion at 400 m hurdles, spent four days in each Candidate City to conduct on-site analyses and assess their ability to stage the Olympic Games in 2016. The election of the host city of the 2016 Games will take place on 2 October 2009 during the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen.

Discus Conference

TALLINN (EST): With just two weeks to go before the official opening, Estonian Olympic stars Erki Nool, the 2000 Decathlon champion, and Aleksander Tammert, the 2004 Discus bronze medallist, have been added to the speaker line-up for the 2ndWorld Discus Throwing Conference, which will take place in Tallinn on 15-16 September. Informs European Athletics. The pair will join Estonia's current Olympic Discus Champion, Gerd Kanter, top coach Vesteinn Hafsteinnsson of Iceland and former British shot putter Shaun Pickering, who have already confirmed their participation. According to organiser Mariken Puks, the inclusion of Nool has created a new focus for discussion in the conference: discus throwing for decathletes. In addition to his previously planned presentation on speed training for throwers and the practical demonstration he will conduct together with Mr Kanter, Mr Hafsteinsson will speak about his practical work with combined event athletes.

Powell again in Rieti
RIETI (ITA): The 39th international meeting of Rieti in Italy (IAAF Grand Prix) will have as the top sprinting star Berlin bronze winner Asafa Powell of Jamaica who will run here for sixth time. Winner in 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008 he clocked in 2007 in heats the world record (at that time) 9.74. Against him fellow Jamaicans Mike Frater, Nesta Carter and Trinidad´s world finalist Marc Burns. Another highlight could be women´s 1500 m where world champion Maryam Jamal will face other world medalists Lisa Dobriskey and Shannon Rowbury. Also in the field Kenyan olympic winner Nancy Lagat and best Italian middle distance runner Elisa Cusma. In women discus Australia´s world champion Dani Samuels will face the olympic winner Stephanie Trafton-Brown of USA.

Wanjiru in Rotterdam

ROTTERDAM (NED): The Olympic marathon champion and World record holder for the Half Marathon Samuel Wanjiru is the top attraction of the sixth edition of the Fortis Half Marathon Rotterdam on Sunday 13 September The 22-year-old Kenyan athlete, who won the London Marathon last April, knows the proven very fast, flat course in Rotterdam very well. He won the race in Rotterdam on 11 September 2005 in 59:16, still the fastest ever time by a junior. Wanjiru will face strong opposition in Rotterdam. The organisers have contracted another five athletes with personal bests under sixty minutes. Most dangerous of them looks to be Kenyan Sammy Kitwara. The also 22-year-old scored an impressive victory this year in The Hague on 14 March. On the same course where Wanjiru set the World record Kiwara clocked 59:47 beating the famous Haile Gebrselassie into second place. Bernard Kipyego is also a dangerous opponent. The 23-year-old won the Vattenfall Half Marathon of Berlin on 5 April this year in a personal best of 59:34, while two other Kenyans John Kiprotich and Charles Munyeki both have a personal best of 59:44. The sixth athlete sub 60 minutes is the 19-year-old Ethiopian Tilahun Regassa, who has a personal best of 59:36 from winning the half marathon in Lille 2008 writes IAAF. Wanjiru runs the half-marathon in preparation for the Chicago Marathon in October.

Discus Meet

HELSINGBORG (SWE): World Record Challenge in Discus Throw is to be held in Helsingborg, Sweden on Saturday Sep 5 at 14.00 hrs for women and 15.00 hrs for men. This meet has been held twice before as Helsingborg is one of the best places in the world to throw. It is a none budget meet, throwers come for throwing far and pay their own way. Participants will be among others olympic winner Gerd Kanter, Egyptian record holder Omar El Ghazaly, Austrian record holder Gerhard Mayer and US Ian Waltz. Then on the women side Swedish Anna Soderberg fore example.

RESULTS

AACHEN (GER, Sep 2): Bjorn Otto cleared new meet record of 575 to win the 5th International street pole vault meeting in Aachen before 5000 spectators. Between City-Hall and Dom Church second place for French world medalist Romain Mesnil (555) ahead of Wout Van Wengerden of Netherlands (555 equalled his PB). Mesnil passed 560 and had three close attempts at 570. Otto tried also at German season best 582.

PARDUBICE (CZE, Sep 2): Hammer thrower Lukas Melich won here at International meet with solid 76.07, Antonin Zalsky posted 20.06 in shot put and Jan Marcell 60.18 in discus. Pole vaulters could not go higher than 540 (Jan Kudlicka over Michal Balner).

SLOVYANSK (UKR, Aug 29): Ukrainian road 10 km champions are Serhiy Zachepa in 30:24 and Tetyana Holovchenko who clocked 36:49.

Special thanks to Alfons Juck, EME News.

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