The Boston Marathon weekend is beginning. The Icelandic volcanic eruptions has stopped nearly 500-600 marathoners from reaching Boston so far. The BAA is opening number pick up for these runners (check website) on Monday morning, for about an hour!

Special thanks to Alfons Juck, our roving global news man, for his updates on this weekends world of track & field!

EME NEWS (APR 17, 2010)

SALADINO 819

PANAMA CITY (PAN, Apr 16):
Olympic long jump winner Irving Saladino started in home country his summer
season. During first day of 9th Central American Games he won the long jump
with 819 (0.0) and had also 808 and 807 in the series. Another Panamian star and
world medalist sprinter Alonso Edward won the 100 m in solid 10.24 (-0.2)
beating Rolando Palacios of Honduras (10.36). 22 years Andrea Ferris of Panama
improved hugely to 2:02.52 at 800
m what is also new meet and national record (and fastest
of the outdoor season). Cuba is not competing at these games.

MORE THAN 170 AGENTS REGISTERED

MONTE CARLO (MON): IAAF
published the list of registered athletes representatives for 2010. The list
contains huge number of 173 names what must be record itself. This is most
probably last year with such a big number as IAAF council recently approved new
regulations for athletes representatives which should be valid from 2011. It
will be a four-step process (examination, application, authorisation and
registration) and will also include a 30 000 USD guarantee. Interestingly some
of the top athletes do not have listed official representatives although it is
widely known they have one. Interesting changes in ranks of top athletes, for
example South African Peet Van Zyl represents 800 m world champion Mbulaeni
Mulaudzi, new name Wilson Joseph takes care of 400 m hurdles world champion
Kerron Clement, Hungarian Attila Spiriev works now with hammer thrower
Krisztian Pars, Wesley Felix (brother) represents 200 m world champion Allyson
Felix and Jose Praia of Portugal has now Russian javelin thrower Mariya
Abakumova. Interesting to note that AR for 800 m world champion Caster
Semenya is Jukka Harkonen of Finland who is a keen insider of South African
scene and also a highly respected coach.

US FRIDAY
ACTION

NASHVILLE: Canadian Gavin
Smellie posted 20.46 (+2.1) win at 200 m during first day of Vanderbilt
Invitational meet.

CLEMSON: ACC Conference
Championships is having one of the highest quality in current US college season
in women hurdles. In 100 m
hurdles heats each winner clocked sub 13 even when windy. Queen Harrison 12.82
(+2.2), Ti´erra Brown (12.74, +4.2) and Kristi Castlin (12.84, +2.0). Two of
them contested also 400 m
hurdles and Harrison achieved 56.89 with Brown being even faster (56.41). In
men´s 100 m
heats Maurice Mitchell got windy 10.12 (+3.6). Interesting to note that Belgian
Kevin Borlee clocked 46.69
in 400
m heats. German Liane Weber improved to 5928 in heptathlon.

WALNUT: Fast 5000 m races at 52nd MtSAC
Relays. Former multiple NCAA Champion Sally Kipyego of Kenya registered
15:02.83 what is her lifetime (outdoor) best and world lead. Second Molly
Huddle improved to great PB 15:05.71. Great also the invitational men´s 5000 m with top 8 under
13:30. Steeple specialist Dan Huling won and bettered his PB from 13:46 level
to 13:24.72. Second Brent Vaughn who was third at US half-marathon
championships in January in Houston got 13:26.05. Puerto-Rican hurdles record
holder Hector Cotto clocked lifetime best 10.37 (+1.4) in University/Open
division 100 m
heats. Javelin world finalist Sean Furey was the best with second career mark 79.31 m. 

AZUSA: At Bryan Clay
Invitational British 400 m
olympic gold medalist Christine Ohuruogu opened with 52.30 the season. Asian
record holder Samuel Francis of Qatar posted fast 10.27 (-0.4) in the 100 m. In the 200 m his winning time was
20.89 (+1.1) with Ireland´s 400
m runner David Gillick second (21.20) and decathlon
olympic winner Bryan Clay fourth in 21.48. Long jump specialist Briana Glenn
won the 100 m
in 11.53 (+2.0).

OTHER
RESULTS

CAIRO (EGY, Apr 14): National
record holder in hammer Mohsen Anani continues in good marks at local meets,
this time 76.33 m.
Informs Tilastopaja.

SHIJIAZHUANG (CHN, Apr 16):
World junior 2008 finalist Meng Qianqian achieved in women shot put 17.29 what
was one of the best results during first day of national junior championships.

OTHER NEWS

BOSTON/VIENNA (USA/AUT):
International marathons and races of this weekend are having difficulties
because many of Europe’s major airports are closed, flights are canceled. It is
all due to the atmospheric disturbances caused by the volcanic eruption in
Iceland.  The impact will be felt at the
Boston Marathon, where on Friday afternoon organizers said as many to 500 or
600 runners entered in
Monday’s race could have their travel here affected. Writes
Universalsports.com. For Sunday´s Vienna City Marathon around 2000 possible
participants could be affected. While in Europe train is a good possibility.
Also many of European athletes at training camps could not return home.

PRAGUE (CZE): Javelin world
record holder Barbora Spotakova during the announcement being one of the
ambassadors of IAAF Diamond League also outlined her whole plans for the
summer. The media briefing on Friday was attended by Czech minister of defence
Karel Bartak as she is member of army club Dukla Praha. She plans to start in
Doha on May 14, then continue at Danek Memorial in Turnov (May 25) and Ostrava
Golden Spike on May 27. Apart of Diamond League meetings she plans Odlozil
memorial on June 14 in
Praha, European Team Championships in Budapest (First League), Czech national
championships in Trinec in July and of course the European Championships in
Barcelona. Spotakova just returned from training camp at Grand Canaria. „We had
a very good training camp, some nice and long throws. I started with quality
training earlier than last year and also the fact that I competed indoors
helped me a lot,” said the olympic gold medalist. Next training camp is planned
for Debrecen, Hungary since April 25 with her usual training partner Barbara
Madejczyk of Poland. Spotakova hopes that the early season ending, her event
final is in Zurich will allow her still to have something from late summer at
home. „The only thing might be Continental Cup in Split aftewards,” she
comments.

JOHANNESBURG (RSA): Pole vault sensation
Cheyne Rahme and hammer throw star Annemie Smith are among the 28-member
national squad named by Athletics South Africa (ASA) on Friday in preparation
for the13th IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada, between July
19-25. South African media are informing. The squad also includes 100m hurdles
star Rikenette Steenkamp (13.61 seconds this season) and Boland long jump
talent Luvo Manyionga (8.05m).

WARSZAWA (POL): On Thursday a
special running race was staged in honour of Polish Olympic Committee president
Piotr Nurowski who died in the plane crash of Smolensk, Russia last Saturday.
It started in Krakowskie Przedmescie and finished near the building of the
national olympic committee.

ATHENS (GRE): Greek Athletics
Federation SEGAS confirmed dates for different national championships for
summer 2010. The senior championships will be held on June 12-13 in Patras, one week before
the European Team Championships.

For more on the sport, please click on www.runningnetwork.com.