by Larry Eder
Allyson Felix told the bible of our sport, Track & Field News that she is seriously considering the double, 200m and 400m in Daegu next summer! I think that she can do it, and would heartily encourage the double. Lots of challengers, from VCB and Sanya, but Felix is not the fly by night dilettante, this women can fly. She will be challenged on both events, but RBR believes that she is not near her best as of yet over 400 meters. It would be the supreme test.
And would Felix then still run the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m? Allyson Felix is that good. Knowing
Coach Kersee, Felix will not run it if she is not completely prepared.
EME NEWS (SEP 11, 2010)
FELIX THINKS ABOUT DOUBLE IN DAEGU
MOUNTAIN VIEW (USA): World
champion Allyson Felix is strongly considering to double at next years World
Championships in Korea. The double 200/400 m is according to the time-table
a good possibility. As trackandfieldnews.com website quotes Felix: „We
haven’t finalized anything yet. Before I get back into training, we’ll
meet and talk about it again. But I think we have a pretty good idea
that, at least training-wise, we’ll go for it and see how it plays out at
nationals. The intent, at least in terms of preparation, is to go ahead with
a double.” As title holder she has a wild-card for the 200 m and would need to
qualify only in the 400 m
at the trials. Both events would also open the door for both relays. Another
contender for 2/4 double could be also Sanya Richards-Ross, on the men side
such strong names are not available for that combination. Unless Tyson Gay will
start to think about that.
PARS DEFENDS
SZOMBATHELY (HUN, Sep 10):
European bronze winner Krisztian Pars defended his win from last year at 2nd
Pal Nemeth Hammer memorial with second round throw of 78.34. Tajikistan´s
Dilshod Nazarov came close in last round with 77.45 and was second. Only third
this time European champion and Continental Cup winner Slovak Libor Charfreitag
(75.00). Fourth Latvian record holder Igors Sokolovs (74.60) ahead of Poland´s
past global winner Szymon Ziolkowski (73.97). Another top name for podium
Kuwaiti record holder Mohamed Al-Zankawi had three fouls.
SHOBUKHOVA READY
MOSCOW (RUS): London this year
and Chicago last year marathon winner Russian Liliya Shobukhova is in good
preparation for her big fall marathon. For Runners.ru she explained that
mistakes in the preparation and hot weather were responsible for her appearance
in Barcelona at European Championships where she did not finish the 10 000 m race. „We took
our lesson, now all is ok,” she said. Shobukhova will again run in Chicago to
defend her title and with big chance to get the World Marathon Majors title.
But she says that is all only preparation for the main goal, to win the
marathon at London Olympic Games 2012.
OTHER NEWS
MONTE CARLO (MON): IAAF
President Lamine Diack appointed USATF CEO Doug Logan to the IAAF School and
Youth Commission. Informs USATF website. „I am honored you have chosen to
appoint me,” Logan said in his acceptance letter, delivered to Diack this week.
„I know full well the importance of planting the seeds of our great sport in
the minds and hearts of young men and women throughout the world.”
PHILADELPHIA (USA): Ryan Hall
will defend his title at the ING Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon next
Sunday and after becoming the first American to win the race for 23 years will
be eager to pull another win (last year 1:01:52) off again. Hall’s major test
will come from Morocco’s Abderrahim Goumri, a 2:05:30 marathoner who was
second last year in the Chicago Marathon (2:06:04) and Gebre Gebremariam of
Ethiopia, the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Champion. Writes David Martin.
Australia’s Shawn Forrest second in the NCAA 10,000 metres last
year, Shadrack Biwott of Kenya, a four-time All-American while running for
the University of Oregon, Canada’s Simon Bairu of Canada who defeated Hall when
winning the Rock ‚n’ Roll Arizona Half-Marathon this January and Irish Olympian
Alistair Cragg, are also in the field.
SPLIT (CRO): Jamaican Ricardo
Chambers clocked fastest 4×400 m split at the IAAF/VTB Continental Cup in Split
with 44.26 as anchor for winning Americas Team. As Mark Butler informs, US Greg
Nixon who ran the third leg had also impressive 44.56. In second European team
two sub 45 seconds legs for Kevin Borlee on the second 44.66 and anchor Martyn
Rooney 44.71. Fastest for Africa was Kenyan Mark Mutai on the second leg 45.00
and for Asia-Pacific also second runner delivered the best split 45.47 Ben
Offereins. In women race the fastest split for Russian European champion
Tatyana Firova as anchor for second Team Europe 50.32. For winning Americas the
fastest 50.70 of Debbie Dunn as second runner (anchor Christine Amertil had
51.48). Third Africa had very fast last part by individual winner Amantle
Montsho (50.81) and fourth Asia-Pacific fastest runner was Jody Henry at second
leg 52.20.
KINGSTON (JAM): Jamaica
Observer informs that in case of Shelly-Ann Fraser it appears certain that the
governing body for world athletics will go with a recommendation for
a suspension of no longer than six months. World and Olympic 100 metres champion
Fraser tested positive for the banned substance Oxycodone at a meet in
Shanghai, China on May 23 and has not competed since. A final decision is
expected by early next week.
GABORONE (BOT): Media are
informing that Botswana´s 800
m Olympian Onalenna Baloyi had positive doping test and
was suspended for two years and will miss Commonwealth Games in India. In last
edition 2006 in
Melbourne he was a finalist. Baloyi clocked this year 1:46.32 and has
a personal best of 1:46.06 from 2005.
MELBOURNE (AUS): Australian
middle distance talent and record holder Ryan Gregson (20) has a stress
fracture in his foot and notified Athletics Australia earlier this week of his
withdrawal from the team. Informs Insideathletics website. “Obviously I’m
devastated,” said Gregson in an exclusive interview with Inside Athletics. The
injury had forced Gregson to withdraw from his two most recently scheduled
races in Brussels and Split. Gregson’s withdrawal comes as a major blow to
the Australian team on the back of fellow 1500m runner Jeff Riseley’s withdrawal
in July due to plantar fascia surgery. In an event where Australia boasts
exceptional depth, the nation’s best two athletes will not be present; With the
deadline for additional selections closed Australia will not fill its quota of
three athletes in the event, with Jeremy Roff and Mitch Kealey the only two
athletes set to take to the track in the metric mile. Gregson should be back
for Australian domestic season.
MONTREAL (CAN): Canadian media
are informing that after 12 years of struggles and rewards along the path to
becoming one of Canada’s top three champion sprinters, Nicolas Macrozonaris
(30) has announced his retirement from the sport and the start of a new
phase in his life, during which he hopes to give back to the community.
Nicolas’s plan now is to develop an athletics program for children and teens in
conjunction with one of Laval’s two school boards. His best 10.03 in the 100 m was achieved in Mexico
City altitude in 2003. At world level his best year was 2003 when he advanced
into semifinals at World Championships in Paris. He was also three times
semifinalist at World Indoor Championships in the 60 m, at this distance his
best was 6.56.
SYDNEY (AUS): Both sprinter
Matt Shirvington and long jumper Fabrice Lapierre have backed John Steffenson’s
decision to boycott the Commonwealth Games over a row with Athletics
Australia. Shirvington claims Athletics Australia must make significant changes
before becoming a super power again in athletics and says to understand
Steffensen’s situation. Shirvington especially fires at the selection procedure
that holds the Australian national championships in April and so decides over
its Commonwealth selection several months before the event takes place in
October.
RESULTS
ZARAGOZA (ESP, Sep 10):
European junior champion in the steeple Antonio Abadia won the 6th edition of
the road mile „Villa de Muel” in Zaragoza region in 4:24. Isabel Macias was the
best woman.
MARANO (ITA, Sep 10): Rain
destroyed the 6th edition of Citta di Marano meeting in Neapol area. Gianni
Carabelli posted despite the weather solid 50.59 at 400 m hurdles. Kenyan
Josephat Koech won the 3000 m
(7:59.78) and Mathew Gnanligo of Benin achieved 46.96 at 400 m. European relay silver
winner Simone Collio dominated the 100 m in 10.59 (-0.5).
VESZPREM (HUN, Sep 8): At
throwing meeting the 15-years old talent Bence Pasztor achieved with 4 kg hammer 83.45 (his world
best from July is 85.49). He showed his great talent with huge improvement in
discus where he achieved with 1.5
kg excellent 59.10 and added 17.05 with 4kg shot. World
junior medalist Akos Hudi got 78.16 with 6 kg hammer and Croatian Andras Haklits won the
senior event (72.98).
JURMALA (LAT, Sep 9): Only 18
years old Zigismunds Sirmais improved the national junior record in javelin to
excellent 82.27. It is second best result in 2010 by a junior, better is
only the world junior champion German Till Woschler with 82.52. Sirmais was 7th
in Moncton.
ATHENS (USA, Sep 7):
Tilastopaja informs about Vince Muia Shot Series at Spec Towns Track where the
winner Adam Nelson achieved solid 20.57 m.
