by Larry Eder
Allyson Felix has had a long season. A short indoor season, ending with a gold in
the 4×400 meters, a change in sponsorship (adidas to Nike), and lots of 400 meter
and 200 meter races, showed what might be on the minds of Coach Bob Kersee and
Allyson Felix; the double in Daegu 2011 or London 2012?
Here double, 200 meters on Friday and 400 meters on Saturday, at the AVIVA London
Grand Prix, showed what she is capable of, and she can win such a double!
FELIX LOOKING FORWARD TO VACATION
BRUSSELS
(BEL): 400 m Samsung Diamond League winner (and expected 200 winner
this evening) Allyson Felix is eager to get on her plane to Los Angeles
and a vacation and revealing her plans for the fall, said: “I’m going
on holiday. I am going to go to the Bahamas and take a cruise with my
friends.Then I am actually going back to London to do some stuff. My
Lakers are playing in London and I’m going to check out an Arsenal game
– just things like that before I get back into training.” Writes David
Martin. Despite her normally precise forward planning, her
considerations haven’t taken into account the IAF World Gala in Monaco
where she is likely to be a really strong candidate to be named: “Woman
Athlete of the Year.” Felix a shy grin on her face, admitted: “Oh, I
haven’t even given it any thought at all It would be a shock. I don’t
know about that but it would be an honour. You’ve mentioned it for the
first time.”
SEMENYA TWICE IN ITALY
BRUSSELS
(BEL): 800 m world champion Caster Semenya is “confident” of winning
gold at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, in October, her manager
said on Thursday per media reports. She was included among the final
names added to the South African team on Wednesday. She runs on Friday
evening in Brussels and has two more European meetings scheduled. In
Rovereto on Aug 31 (EA Premium meet) and in Milano on September 9. In
Rovereto her main rivals will be Russian 1:58 runner Yelena Kofanova
and home star Elisa Cusma.
YELENA AND BUBKA IN RIETI
RIETI
(ITA): Special guest of the 40th jubilee meet in Rieti will be
multiple world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva. She is in training in
Formia near Rome and will come after her appeareance as ambassador at
Youth Olympic Games. She is scheduled to meet with the press on
Saturday. Also IAAF Senior Vice-President Sergey Bubka is planning to
come as special guest of this jubilee Rieti meeting.
BLAKE VS. GATLIN
ROVERETO
(ITA): Italian EA Premium Meeting 46th Palio Citta della Quercia in
Rovereto next Tuesday August 31 will have a special highlight in men´s
100 m. Fast Jamaican Yohan Blake who improved this year to 9.89 and
runs in Brussels on Friday will face returning former olympic and world
gold medalist Justin Gatlin. The US sprinter had so far including heats
five races in Europe since his ban ended and the fastest is 10.17.
Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius will compete in Rovereto at 400 m. Another star will be German javelin thrower Christina Obergfoll, the silver medal winner from Barcelona.
OTHER NEWS
LAGOS (NGR): Nigerian media are informing that with only a month to
go, for the Commonwealth Games billed for October 3-14 in New Delhi,
India Nigerian elite athletes have vowed not to report to camp unless
their allowances from the African Championships in Kenya were paid. As
at yesterday only a handful of athletes were in camp in Oghara, Delta
State. The coaches listed for the exercise are still expecting a full
house since the camp was opened last Wednesday.
RIETI (ITA): The hammer competitions in Rieti will be organised as
qualifications and final. First stage on Saturday will have all
athletes competing and havÃng 3 throws. Only top four men and women
will qualify for the Sunday´s second stage and will have four throws
then. For IAAF HT Challenge for the finalists only result from Sunday
will count, for those who will finish on Saturday 5th and lower their
mark will count for the challenge. Men´s competition is having in total
12 athletes, women 11. Except of Betty Heidler, all European medalists
are entered.
PARIS (FRA): Legendary French sprinter Christine Arron (36) decided
to end her season after running 11.59 at 100 m on Tuesday in Lille. She
was a silver medal winner at European Championships in the relay. She
will resume the training in the fall.
LJUBLJANA (SLO): Sunday´s 5th Cvetan and Sustersic Memorial meet
will be one of the best in Slovenia this year. Part of National Grand
Prix series will see for example olympic medalist Mariya Abakumova
fighting with home record holder Martina Ratej in javelin throw.
Another local top athlete Snezana Rodic will have strong opponents in
triple jump with European Champion Olga Saladukha of Ukraine, Russian
Nadezhda Alekhina and Slovak Euroindoor medalist Dana Veldakova.
Poland´s Przemyslaw Czerwinski who was third in Barcelona is the pole
vault main name. Slovenian best sprinter Matic Osovnikar will have good
opponents in Austrian Ryan Moseley and Jamaican world relay medalist
Marvin Anderson. Legendary Merlene Ottey at age of 50 will also run.
RESULTS
VALGA
(EST, Aug 25): Asian discus record holder Ehsan Hadadi won a discus
competition in Estonia with solid 65.18 m. Second was home Mart Israel
(63.08).
