by Larry Eder
Usain Bolt, Berlin World Champs, August 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net
On Wednesday, May 19, 2010, forty thousand track fans in Daegu, Korea were able to witness Usain Bolt blast a legal, and world leading 9.86! In the 110m hurdles, David Oliver hurdled an excellent 13.11 to take the world leader in the 110m hurdles…
EME NEWS (MAY 19, 2010)
WORLD
LEAD AND MEET RECORD FOR UB
DAEGU (KOR, May 19): 40 000 saw Usain Bolt in his first 100 m of the year clocking
world leading and meet record 9.86 (+0.1) in nearly wind-less conditions. At 6th
Daegu Colorful meet (IAAF World Challenge) he said after the race that this
year is not for breaking records. “There is a high possibility of me setting a
new world record next year,” he was quoted. It was his 18th legal
sub 10 of the career since 2008 when he took the 100 m seriously. His relay
team-mate Michael Frater was second (10.15) ahead of US sprinters leaded by Mike Rodgers
(10.18). In the 200 m
it changed, US Ryan Bailey beat Jamaican Marvin Anderson (20.58-20.59). In women US-JAM duel
Carmelita Jeter won the 100 m
(11.00, -0.3) over Veronica Campbell-Brown (11.05). Besides Bolt world lead
another one by David Oliver at 110
m hurdles in 13.11 (-0.2) over world record holder
Dayron Robles (13.26) who debuted into the season. It was first loss for Robles
in healthy situation since Lausanne
meet in September 2008. World champion Ryan Brathwaite way back 5th
in a tie (13.67). Virginia Crawford won the 100 m hurdles in close duel
over Lolo Jones (12.77 – 12.78). More US wins on the track by Angelo
Taylor (400 m,
45.21) and Bianca Knight (200
m, 22.92). World champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi won the 800 m (1:45.60), in women
race world leader Kenia Sinclair beats olympic winner Pamela Jelimo of Kenya (2:00.51
vs. 2:01.52). Kenyan Elijah Chelimo was the best in steeple (8:14.59). In
technical events the best level in women hammer where German 2007 world champ
Betty Heidler got 75.28 and reigning world winner Anita Wlodarczyk was only
fourth (71.86). Between them Tatyana Lysenko (72.36) and Kathrin Klaas (72.12).
Yulia Golubchikova made far low Doha
outing with a pole vault win (465) and Funmi Jimoh was clear long jump first
placer (668, with Carolina Kluft 5th, 629). In two men technical
events Igor Janik of Poland
won the javelin (80.46) and Randy Lewis of Grenada the triple jump (17.01,
-1.6). The meet, broadcast live in 3-D, was enjoyed by Seoul citizens on large television screens in
city center plazas. Daegu will host the 2011 IAAF World Championships.
FRASER
FOR OSTRAVA
OSTRAVA (CZE): One of the last top names announced for 49th Ostrava
Golden Spike meeting next week (May 27) is the reigning world and olympic 100 m gold medalist
Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica.
She starts her season on 100 m
in Shanghai on
Sunday and next race will be at the Czech IAAF World Challenge meet. She so far
only competed in relay at Penn Relays. Organizers are hoping she may attack the
11 seconds barrier and become the first in the meet history with sub 11.
Current meet record is 11.03. “I am looking forward to running in Ostrava has I have never
been there before, seeing its my first time and I heard it is always wonderful
there, great track and exciting fans. With those two ingredients I am looking
forward to a exciting meeting,” she said for the organizers. Also confirmed is US high jumper
Chaunte Howard, Jamaican world bronze medalist and title defender here Deloreen
Ennis-London at 100 m
hurdles and Slovenian Martina Ratej for javelin.
AND
FOR RABAT
RABAT (MAR): Shelly-Ann Fraser is also the star
of Rabat IAAF World Challenge meet on June 6 in Morocco. Also running is US world
medalist Wallace Spearmon in the 200
m. Around 140 athletes from 40 countries are expected.
Athletes coordinator Wilfried Meert also informed about 400 m with world indoor
champion Chris Brown of Bahamas
with Martyn Rooney and David Gillick as strong European presence. In the 5000 m Joseph Ebuya is entered
with Kenyan steeple specialist Paul Kipsiele Koech. In the 1500 m home runners Amine
Laalou and Abdelati Iguider are the top favorites. Olympic bronze medalist and
another home star Hasna Benhassi runs the 800 m.
RETURN
OF OPREA ON NEW TRACK
OHRID (MKD, May 19): The opening during inauguraiton of a stadium with new
Mondo track saw Romanian former olympic, european and world medalist Marian
Oprea competing for first time since 2008. The national triple jump record
holder returned after injuries in bad weather (12 degrees, rain) with very
solid 16.88 m.
He was jumping only with 7 strides approach. In his best times he achieved
16.80 with 7 strides. That shows he could be back in top shape. His Romanian
record from 2005 is 17.81. Oprea trains in Athens last three months with Georgi
Pomashki. Special guest at the event IAAF Senior-Vice President Sergey
Bubka.
GAY
VS. POWELL IN STOCKHOLM
STOCKHOLM (SWE): Tyson Gay vs. Asafa Powell that will be one of the
highlights of DN Galan, the Swedish leg of IAAF Diamond League on August 6. It
will be his seventh appearance in Olympic Stadium. “The 100 m race at DN Galan will
be extraordinary. Tyson Gay together with motivated and hungry Asafa Powell
will be a fantastic match-up!” said meet director Rajne Söderberg. They might
meet in duel in more IDL races and together with Usain Bolt is for the moment
confirmed for the final in Brussels.
OTHER NEWS
LOS ANGELES (USA): Usain Bolt is nominated for
the BET AWARDS’10 on June 27 because of his performances on the track. There
will be also Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant in line to challenge Bolt for the
award. Informs TrackAlerts.
NOBEOKA (JPN): Brett Larner informs on his blog that on
Wednesday the organizers of the 21st Golden Games in Nobeoka track
and field meet scheduled for May 22
in Nobeoka, Miyazaki
prefecture, announced that the event would be cancelled due to an outbreak of
foot and mouth disease in Miyazaki.
On May 18 Miyazaki Prefectural Government officials asked organizers of
upcoming events within the prefecture to postpone their events, but with the
difficulties of rescheduling a major track meet in mind, Golden Games
organizers opted to cancel this year’s competition.
FRANKFURT (GER): German
hurdler Thomas Goller did not ask for B-sample analysis in his doping case and
that gives clear sign that he will accept the result of the first one which was
positive. He can expect two years ban. Goller also announced he is retiring
from top sport.
LOS ANGELES (USA):
US
female sprinter Mershevet Myers (formerly Hooker) explains on her blog why she
is missing the Asian meets. “Last Wednesday I did block starts. On my second to
last start I felt an extreme tightness in my upper left calf. I got a little
massage and ice on it that day and decided to take the rest of the week off
from training just as a precautionary measure. I was just really trying to
focus my mind on getting ready for my upcoming meets in Asia.
My coach and I agreed we needed to test out my calf full speed before getting
on the plane to head to Asia to compete so
we’d know exactly what my status was. I went out and had a great warm-up. I
just knew I was ready to compete. After my warm-up I had to do a few bursts out
of a three point stance. When got down to do this and tried to push off I felt
the pain. We have yet to decide if I’m going to compete again before the adidas
Track Classic in New York
on June 12th. The main goal is to get healthy and then pick the
meets after that. “
LONDON (GBR): UK media are
informing that 1992 Olympic 100
m gold medalist Linford Christie collapsed in the road
in agony last night after his car smashed head-on into a taxi. The former 100m
champion’s Audi A8 and the Mercedes minicab collided on a country lane in
Buckinghamshire just before midnight. He was discharged un the morning after
treatment. But police reported that three people who were in the cab are still
in hospital ‘in a serious but stable condition’.
OTTAWA (CAN): Canadian middle distance runner
Gary Reed has announced four races in Europe
for the beginning of his season. He will compete in Ostrava, Czech Republic,
May 27. Then in Hengelo, the Netherlands,
May 30. Will continue in Oslo, June 4 and
finish in New York
June 12. Informs thestar.blogs.com.
LONDON
(GBR): New Sports and Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson has laid out
the priorities he has set himself after being officially confirmed in the roles
by Prime Minister David Cameron. Robertson, the Conservative MP for
Faversham and Mid Kent, will replace Gerry Sutcliffe as Sports Minister and
Tessa Jowell as Olympics Minister – just as was reported he would do on
insidethegames six days ago. Robertson has immediately been pitched into
the row involving England’s
campaign to host the 2018 World Cup after Lord Triesman was forced to resign as
bid leader and chairman of the Football Association following claims in the
Mail on Sunday that Russia
and Spain,
two of the rivals to host the tournament, were involved in bribery. The World
Cup bid, along with the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, is not
surprisingly top of the agenda for Robertson, a 47-year-old former Major in the
Life Guards who saw active service in the first Gulf War, Bosnia and Northern Ireland. Writes insidethegames.biz.
LONDON (GBR):
Officials are working on having around 250 000 people in the Olympic Park at
any time during the 2012 London Olympic Games. Organizers want for as many
people as possible, also for those who have not bought tickets to events, to
enjoy the “Olympic experience”. People without event tickets would be issued
with a non-event ticket. Informs telegraph.co.uk.
BANGALORE (IND): At top Indian 10 km road race this Sunday
one of the favorites will be Turkish double olympic medalist Elvan
Abeylegesse.
HENGELO (NED): The preliminary start list of FBK Games
(IAAF World Challenge) in Hengelo on May 30 is having six world champions
from Berlin, six olympic winners from Beijing and in total sixteen medalists
from last year event in Berlin. Latest top names for women 1500 m where olympic winner
Nancy Langat will run against world champion Maryam Jamal.
BERLIN
(GER): German heptathlete Julia Mächtig will not compete this summer. Mächtig
had surgery on her right foot after the World Championships in Berlin last
year, however successfully went back to full training this winter. Her coach
confirmed she has had good training sessions but is now forced to have surgery
on the Achilles tendon of her left foot. This means Mächtig will not compete in
Gotzis next week, neither in Kladno mid-June and will also have to miss out on
the European Championships.
VALENCIA
(ESP): European walking champion FranciscoFernandez will testify in the court
of Granada in a doping case that links several high placed doctors and athletes
in a major doping network. The Spanish police found prohibited
substances in Fernandez’ house in 2009, although the athlete never tested
positive he received a two year ban for the possession of those substances. In
the case eleven people were arrested as alleged members of a network that
supplied performance enhancing drugs in Spain writes marca.com.
PARIS (FRA): French walker Yohann Diniz has injured his
ankle at last weekend’s IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Mexico. Diniz
walked into a hole and had to abandon the race after 8km. The injury will keep
Diniz out of training for 10 days but does not compromise the season and the
European Championships writes athle.com.
LONDON
(GBR): Media are informing that BBC will show all Diamond League Meetings live
via its digital channels.
RESULTS
PARDUBICE (CZE,
May 19): Antonin Zalsky fulfilled at local meet with 20.21 shot put the
qualification for Barcelona European Championships.
JONESBORO (USA,
May 18): Two metres tall pole vaulter and Berlin participant Jeremy Scott improved at
local meet his outdoor best in pole vault to 582. Second Derek Miles cleared
575.
COLUMBIA (USA, May 16): Still to add fast
times from Big 12 Conference Championships. Zambian Gerald Phiri equalled his
own national record from last year with 10.13 (+1.4). Lithuanian Martynas
Jurgilas was fifth in 10.37 but in heats clocked new national record 10.33
(+0.8). Ronnie Ash was fastest over the hurdles in 13.31 (+0.9). In women
sprints Jeneba Tarmoh clocked two life-time bests 11.19 (+0.1) and 22.65
(+0.7). Jamaican Natasha Ruddock won the 100 m hurdles in windy 12.89 (+2.1). Curtis
Mitchell impressed in the 200
m (20.46, life-time best).
