byLarry Eder
Well, sports fans, I am writing to you from the Terminal B of the lovely O’Hare International in Chicago, Illinois. I have finished my double espresso, and stopped gnawing on my plate of celery stalks. I have the ITunes cranked up, (Counting Crows, Rain King, Talk Talk, LIfe is what you make it…), and hope to board the last flight to Portland, with the last seat, to arrive somewhere south of midnight.
Looking forward to heading to PDX, and seeing two days of track & field, plus a few friends. Special thanks to Tony Bignell and I hope he is enjoying the World Cup in South Africa.
When I fly to Portland, I always remember the late Ken Kesey‘s The summer of our discontent, a homage to the US 1980 Olympic Trials, where the athletes did not get to compete in the Moscow Olympics. Something about Russians in Afghanistan…anyway, the part that stays with me is Kesey’s friend, Milo, who would sit down, eating a brown rice and veggie burritto and slowly cry about how beautiful the trials had been…Mrs. Kesey was kind enough to allow me to reprint that story in Athletes Only…one of Kesey’s best, originally written for Running magazine, the best magazine ever done on our sport. ( I still have all of the issues).
Last weekend, my son, Adam and his buddy, Deering, saw the Bone Thugs in concert. They were pretty excited about the show, and had a blast. After listening to them talk about the show, I got to thinking that, perhaps, that is how, we should feel about a well managed
track & field meet! More on that later, time to run to the gate!
EME NEWS (JUN 30, 2010) UPDATE
ANOTHER 2KM STEEPLE WORLD BEST, BAILEY AND BLAKE 10.00
REIMS (FRA, Jun 30): Cuban world record holder Dayron Robles clocked
his second fastest time of the year 13.09 (-0.4) at 4th Alma Athle Tour
meeting in France. But the star of the evening was Mahiedine
Mekhissi-Benabaad who clocked in the 2000 m steeple impressive 5:10.68
and improved the five days old all time world best 5:13.47 of his rival
Bob Tahri by nearly 3 seconds. It looks like he has the shape to run
under 8 minutes as first European. Second Ali Thamer of Qatar got
5:20.13 and third Ruben Ramolefi of South Africa 5:26.46. In fast 100 m
a tie for first as Daniel Bailey and Yohan Blake clocked impressive
10.00 (-0.1), for both fastest of the year. Third US Mike Rodgers
achieved 10.19. Cuban Alexis Copello got 17.24 (0.0) in triple jump
over world champion Philips Idowu (17.14, 0.0). Dema Daba Bikila of
Ethiopia won the 1500 m in 3:36.15 beating Kenyan Remy Limo Ndiwa
3:36.66. European champion Yohan Diniz won the 5000 m walk in 18:49.66
over Australia´s Luke Adams (19:03.48). Russian Mikhail Tsvetkov was
the best in high jump (227). In women events triple world champion
Yargelis Savigne improved her long jump best to excellent 691 (-0.1).
Antoher Cuban win for Yipsi Moreno in hammer (73.66). German Berlin
finalist Kristina Gadschiew improved her outdoor best in pole vault to
460 as the winner. Nigerian Ajoke Odomosu won the 400 m hurdles in
55.30 beating European champion Yevgeniya Isakova (55.32) and US
Jennifer Grossarth (55.51, PB). Jamaican Deloreen Ennis-London was the
best in the 100 m hurdles 12.75 (+0.7) over her team-mate Vonette Dixon
(12.87). Gabon´s Ruddy Zanga-Milama won the 100 m in 11.45 (-0.2)
beating Aileen Bailey of Jamaica (11.47) and French legend Christine
Arron (11.51).
HOWE IS BACK: 816, DI MARTINO 201
celebrated return of European Champion Andrew Howe. With 816 (+1.3) in
last round he got the national title and also had 805 in fourth round.
Second Emanuelle Formichetti improved from 784 to 810 (+1.6) and was
second. Another top mark was the 201 clearance in third attempt (and
season best) by Antonietta Di Martino in high jump. She also had one
try at 204. Second Rafaella Lamera cleared 190. Fast 100 m for Simone
Collio in 10.16 (-0.2) over Emanuele Di Gregorio (10.22) and Fabio
Cerutti (10.24). Walking olympic winner Alex Schwazer won the track 10
000 m in 40.04.99 clearly beating Giorgio Rubino (40.43.12). Manuela
Levorato clocked 11.49 (-0.4 and 11.48 in heats) to get the 100 m
title. Elisa Cusma confirmed good shape with 4:09.93 1500 m win. Solid
first places also for Simona La Mantia in triple jump (14.02, +0.2) and
Silvia Salis in hammer (70.23).
JENSEN 821 IN LONG JUMP
ESPOO (FIN, Jun 30): Second of five meetings Vattenfall Circuit in
Finland registered great long jumping. Danish record holder Morten
Jensen leaped to 821 (+0.7) over home Tommi Evila with Barcelona
standard 807 (+1.2), Korean Kim Duk-Hyeon also 807 (+1.0) and South
African Luvo Manyonya 803 (+0.4). Lavern Spencer of St. Lucia went over
195 to win the high jump and Trinidad´s world medalist Josanne Lucas
impressed with 55.41 at 400 m hurdles over Latvian Ieva Zunda 56.11.
Jamaican Commonwealth Games gold medalist Sheri-Ann Brooks won the 100
m in 11.32 (-0.6). In men´s 200 m also Jamaican win for Steve Mullings
in 20.96 (-1.2). Kenyan Jackson Kivuna won slow 800 m in 1:48.63 and
Sweden´s Mustafa Mohamed got 8:31.48 in steeple. Osku Torro cleared 225
to win the high jump and Poland´s legend Szymon Ziolkowski was the best
in hammer (75.42). Antti Ruuskanen was the best in javelin (81.16).
OTHER RESULTS
TEL AVIV (ISR, Jun 30): Jillian Schwartz cleared during 1st day of
74th Israeli National Championships 444 a meet record. Russian guest
Tatyana Polnova was second (434). US Donald Sanford won the men´s 400
m in 46.44. Yochai Halevi leaped to 16.57 (+0.6) in triple jump.
IZMIR (TUR, Jun 29): During first day of Turkish Championships the
European indoor champion Alemitu Bekele clocked european leading 4:02.2
at 1500 m. Second Asli Cakir also impressive personal best 4:04.8.
Meryem Erdogan won the 5000 m in 15:42.1. Esref Apak achieved in hammer
72.75 and Kemal Koyuncu 3:38.6 at 1500 m.
PATRAS (GRE, Jun 30): The Meeting Patras 2010 which replaced
Thessaloniki and was organised by Greek Federation saw Jamaican Ainsley
Waugh winning both sprints in 10.33 and 20.56. Ireland´s former world
indoor champion Derval O´Rourke was the best at 100 m hurdles in 13.13
over US Nichole Denby 13.26. Bulgarian Venelina Veneva cleared 193 in
high jump and German Fabian Schulze 555 in pole vault. Sotiris
Iakovakis achieved 50.70 at 400 m hurdles and Igor Janik of Poland was
the best in javelin (77.55). Konstadina Kefala improved in steeple to
9:54.01 and achieved Barcelona standard.
NAMUR (BEL, Jun 30): US Otis McDaniel was again fast in Belgium. At
15th Atletissima meet (EAP Circuit) his winning time was 10.29 (+0.8)
at 100 m. Ireland´s Ailis McSweeney was the best in women´s 100 m
(11.62, 0.0). Belgian world indoor relay medalist Antoine Gillet won
the 400 m in 46.36.
ADDITION
LONDON (GBR): Usain Bolt´s agent Ricky Simms pointed out that the
article in The Nation about the attendance of the fastest man on earth
at African Championships is nottrue.
