by Larry Eder
Jenny Meadows, en route to her British record, Saturday, February 20, 2010, AVIVA Grand Prix, photo courtesy of uka.org.uk
Jenny Meadows ran tough last summer in Berlin, gaining her world championship medal. Last weekend, Ms. Meadow’s breaking of the British record, in Birmingham supported what many observers of Ms. Meadows have considered for some time: Jenny Meadows is a medal contender.
EME NEWS (FEB 25, 2010) UPDATE
MEADOWS NEW WORLD LEADER
BUDAPEST (HUN): In latest All-Athletics.com world rankings UK Jenny Meadows takes number one in the 800 m global situation. Czech record holder Petr Svoboda is now European number one in the high hurdles ranking. More at www.all-athletics.com.
FELIX STILL IN THE START LIST
ALBUQUERQUE (USA): 200 m world champion Allyson Felix says on IAAF web: “Although I won’t open my season until April, it‘s been exciting to watch Laverne Jones and Carmelita Jeter compete against each other in the 60m indoors. I‘m looking forward to their race at World Indoors.†It should be noted she is still in the 400 m start list for the US Championships this weekend. In the scratches department 800 m runner Andrew Wheating, hurdler Joel Brown, women 400 m runner Monica Hargrove and Morgan Uceny for the women 800 m.
KIPKETER TO TRINIDAD
PORT-OF-SPAIN (TRI): Danish 800 m world record holder Wilson Kipketer will be conducting a middle and long distance seminar at Trinidad’s Mt. Irvine Hotel, on March 6. Informs TrackAlerts.com. The North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) Athletics Association and the National Association of Athletic Administration (NAAA) of Trinidad and Tobago are hosts to the seminar the day before the Area Cross Country Championships.
WINNER FOR SURE
MOSCOW (RUS): Russian Championships this weekend will have following qualifying modus for World Indoors in Doha. In all events Russia wants send two athletes (depending on IAAF entry standards), winner of the national championships will have it clear. Second athlete will be selected on coaches decision. Except Yelena Isinbayeva and Yaroslav Rybakov. That means in women pole vault and men high jump only one more athlete will be selected. Not competing from top athletes is 800 m runner Yuriy Borzakovskiy who is not seeking Doha qualification. Because of injuries not competing indoors are Tatyana Lebedeva and pole vaulter Yevgeniy Lukyanenko. Also missing relay medallists Anastasiya Kapachinskaya and Lyudmila Litvinova. Lyudmila Kolchanova the long jump European champion 2006 is experimenting in training and so will be missed too. In combined events two Russians recieved invitations. In heptathlon Aleksandr Pogorelov and Aleksey Drozdov and in pentathlon Tatyana Chernova and by wild-card also Marina Goncharova.
TEAM EXPECTED BY FRIDAY
EMBU (KEN): Kenyan national team for World CC Championships in Poland is to report to residential training at Kigari Teachers Training College in Embu on Friday. Newly appointed head coach, David Letting told East Standard from Eldoret: „We are ready for the task ahead and without disclosing much, I believe we shall achieve our objectives in the camp.“ The team departs for Poland on March 25.
FUNERAL ON FRIDAY
NAIROBI (KEN): David Lelei, the 1999 All-Africa 1500m silver medallist who died last week, will be laid to rest on Friday. Informs The Nation. The athletics champion, who was killed in a road accident on the Nakuru-Nairobi highway, will be buried at his farm in Kapsaret, Wareng District. Business came to a near standstill in Eldoret on Thursday as the hearse carrying Lelei’s body, escorted by a convoy of more than 30 vehicles, traversed the town in a final lap of honor for the athlete.
BIG NAMES TO BE CONSIDERED
ADDIS ABABA (ETH): The Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) will decide next week whether to exclude or give wild cards to a number of athletes as it announces its squad for the World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoscz, Poland. Writes Great Ethiopian Run website. Multiple men‘s champion Kenenisa Bekele, three-time women‘s champion Tirunesh Dibaba, and defending champion Gebregziabher Gebremariam did not compete, while Genzebe Dibaba, who competed in the senior race but dropped out after two laps, is still eligible for a place in the junior team. While Dibaba has indicated her intentions of competing in Poland after sitting out last year due to injury, Bekele has explictly declared in interviews that his 2008 victory would be his last world cross country championship race. On the other hand, Gebremariam, who missed the trials due to illness, expects to be given a wild card entry courtesy of his victory last year in Amman.
VAN DAMME TO END THE FIRST DL YEAR
BRUSSELS (BEL): Belgacom Memorial Van Damme will be the last IAAF Diamond League event in debuting year 2010 on August 27. The organizers announced that except of the Diamond Race events they will stage two additional events, men´s 400 m and men´s steeple. In the 16 finals of the Diamond race for example javelin with expected Andreas Thorkildsen vs. Tero Pitkamäki duel. In women high jump Blanka Vlasic vs. returned home star Tia Hellebaut, in men´s pole vault Steve Hooker of Australia could be the star. In the 100 m Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay should have a clash. The participation of Usain Bolt is also possible, but not yet for sure confirmed as his plan for 100 m and 200 m within the Diamond League is not announced yet. Already about 10 000 tickets are sold. Still places in all stands are available, prices are ranging from 20 to 85 E.
MAGGI FOR FC SAO PAULO
SAO PAULO (BRA): FC Sao Paulo club officially returned back to athletics after some years and at the presentation also olympic gold medalist Maurren Higa Maggi (33) took part as the new club member. FC Sao Paulo was the first winner of Brasil Trophy in the past. The most historical member of the club was legendary triple jumper Adhemar Ferreira da Silva. Maggi signed with FC Sao Paulo until 2012 and declared that after 2012 she will end her career.
BEKELE STILL UNDECIDED
LIEVIN (FRA): The organizers of the indoor Meeting Pas de Calais on March 5 in Lievin (IAAF Indoor Permit) are still waiting on the final decision of Kenenisa Bekele to compete. After his cancellation of Birmingham due to injury they are ready to stage 2000 or 3000 m for the Ethiopian legend. From the French top runners Boubdallah Tahri is ready to compete in the 2000 m. Steeple olympic medalist Mahiedine Mekhissi will run in any case the 1500 m, in this event he also wants to compete at World Indoor Championships in Doha.
RESULTS
TEHRAN (IRI, Feb 25): During second day of 4th Asian Indoor Championships Kuwaiti record holder Mohamed Al-Azemi won the 800 m (1:53.22). High jump talent from Qatar, Mutaz Essa Barshim (18) cleared 220 to win his event, Satheyder Singh of India was best in shot put (19.17). Iranian decathlon record holder Hadi Seperhzad won the heptathlon (5292). Men competed in the evening, while women in the morning. Here the best result 4 meters clearance of Malaysian Roslinda Samsu while winning the pole vault.
Special thanks to Alfons Juck, EME News.
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