Paula Radcliffe Loves NYC (ING NYC), by Alfons Juck, Note by Larry Eder

RADCLIFFE TO RUN NYC

NEW YORK (USA): The New York Times is reporting on their website that marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe will try for her fourth ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 1. Radcliffe, 35, is the race‘s defending champion. It will be her first marathon since winning the Big Apple in 2008 and in total her 11th marathon, from the 10 since 2002 nine are finished races.

OTHER NEWS

FRANKFURT (GER): 28th Frankfurt Marathon should be the last for German runner Luminita Zaituc (41). Her PB comes from Frankfurt when she in 2001 achieved 2:26:01 and was the winner.

BUDAPEST (HUN): All-Athletics.com website informs in its latest feature about best countries in sprints/hurdles combination. The order was made by simply adding scores that the countries are getting in All-Athletics com countries events rankings for 100 m, 200 m, 110/100 m hurdles and 400 m hurdles. In men ranking USA leads (20 195) ahead of Jamaica (19 462) and Great Britain (18 538). Other European country in top ten is France as fourth (17 968), Germany as 6th (17 470) and Poland as 10th (17 101). In women situation Jamaica is better than USA (19 906 – 19 857) with Russia third (18 325). Great Britain is fourth (18 045) ahead of Germany (17 582) and France (17 365). Other European countries in top ten are Poland as 8th (17 235) and Ukraine as 9th (17 171). Find out more at All-Athletics.com.

LONDON (GBR): UK Athletics have appointed Fayyaz Ahmed, an actor who has appeared in Coronation Street and Holby City, as its new national event coach for high jump in the build-up to the London 2012 Olympics. Ahmed, whose stage name is Alex Caan, has previously worked as a consultant coach for UK Athletics with several athletes, including 2008 Olympic silver medallist Germaine Mason and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Julie Crane, and a group of emerging athletes, including European under-23 finalist Jessica Leach. He has combined that with his career as an actor and appeared in three episodes of Coronation Street, Britain‘s most popular and long-running soap, in 2006 when he played a doctor. The other one is Toni Minichiello, the coach of world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis, who has been confirmed in his position as national event coach for combined events. Informs insidethegames.com.

KYIV (UKR): Ukrainain federation informs at its website about two new doping cases which resulted into two year bans. Both athletes are national team members. 400 m runner Natalya Pyhyda is silver winner from European Indoor Championships 2009 in Torino. She was positive at international meeting in Reims, France on July 14 (winner in 51.96). All her results from July 14 will be cancelled including her national title win on July 22 in Yalta (51.50). Also her PB will be removed, she clocked 51.28 at EA Premium in Rethymno after Reims. Second case is hammer olympian Yevhen Vinogradov (PB 80.58 from last year) who was positive for nandrolone and will be disqualified from July 7.

SAN DIEGO (USA): US Miler Jon Rankin is changing countries, local media are informing. Starting next year, Rankin has decided he will represent the Cayman Islands for international competitions. “It’s something I’ve been considering for four-and-a-half years. As I contemplated over the decision I realized once I decided to make the change, there was no going back. It‘s been a big consideration for a long time and now, running for them in the 2012 Olympics is the commitment I‘m honored to make,” said Rankin. His parents are from the small island nation tucked away in the Caribbean Sea. Rankin will have dual citizenship between both the Cayman Islands and the U.S. He has hit the Olympic qualifying standards several times in the past, but has never quite made it on a U.S. team for a major international competition. His 1500 m PB is 3:35.26 from 2005.

PARIS (FRA): French walking European Champion 2006 Yohann Diniz resumed training at the beginning of this week. The Osaka 2007 silver medalist did not decide yet about his plans for 2010 after only 12th position in Berlin at World Championships. The Pascal Chirat coached athlete is still considering a double (20/50 km) in Barcelona at European Championships.

NASSAU (BAH): TrackAlerts.com informs, that World and Olympics triple gold medallist Usain Bolt heads a list of eight male nominees for the 2nd Annual Caribbean Awards Sports Icons (CASI).

The other candidates down for the award, scheduled November 15-20 for ‘CASI Week’ in The Bahamas, are Javier Sotomayer from Cuba, Lennox Miller from Jamaica, Troy Kemp from The Bahamas, Wendell Motley and Hasely Crawford from Trinidad & Tobago, and Donald Quarrie, and George Rhoden all from Jamaica. On the female side, World and Olympics 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser, the youngest nominee; will be up against veterans Merlene Ottey and World and Olympics 400m gold medalist Tonique Williams-Darling. Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie from The Bahamas, Brigitte Foster-Hylton from Jamaica, and Ana Fedelia Quirot from Cuba are the other female.

Special thanks to Alfons Juck, EME News.

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