FAST
QATARI 400 M
JUNIOR

GUANGZHOU (CHN, Nov 22): Second day of
Athletics at Asian Games saw Liu Xiang easily clocking 13.48 (+1.2) in his 110 m hurdles heat (finals on
Wednesday). It is the fastest ever heat time at Asian Games in this event.
Injured (right knee) 1500 m
world champion Youssef Saad Kamel of Bahrain was out in the heats
(3:58.80) and claimed he was forced to compete despite his health problems as
per media reports. Qatari junior Femi Ogunode won the 400 m in new national junior
record 45.12 what is second fastest in the world this year by a junior. Former
Nigerian has also 10.25 personal best and did not compete in Moncton in summer. Japanese Yuzo Kanemaru
achieved also good 45.32 as second ahead of Saudi Arabian revelation Youssef
El-Masrahi (45.71). China achieved first 100 m men´s gold at the Games ever when Li Yao
clocked 10.24 (+1.7) to beat Yasser Al-Nassiri of Saudi Arabia (10.26 personal
best) and Oman´s record holder Barakat Al Harthi (10.28). Asian record holder
Samuel Francis was disqualified in his semifinal. In the absence of Japanese
record holder Daichi Sawano the pole vault gold went to Chinese list leader
Yang Yansheng (550). Japanese record holder Chisato Fukushima confirmed her
position with 100 m
win in 11.33 (+1.2, faster 11.32
in semis) just 0.01 ahead of Gizel Khubbieva of
Uzbekistan (11.34) and Vietnam´s record holder Vu Thi Huong (11.43). Japan scored
first gold in women´s 100 m
since 1966.  Kazakhstan ruled in women´s 400 m as Olga Tereshkova won
in 51.97 (defended her title) and Marina Maslenko was third (52.70). In-between
Japan´s Asami Chiba (52.68). Olympic and world hammer medalist Zhang Wenxiu
defender her hammer title from 2006 (72.84) ahead of team-mate Wang Zheng
(68.17) and representative of top Japanese throwing family Yuka Murofushi
(62.94).

REID
AND CHELANGA WINNERS

TERRE HAUTE
(USA,
Nov 22): Favorite wins at NCAA first division CC Championships. Canadian Sheila
Reid of Villanova won the 6 km
in 20:07 and her squad clearly dominate the women race (120 points ahead of Florida State and Texas Tech). Second Emily
Enfeld (20:10) ahead of Jordan Hasay (20:13). Kenyans ruled in men´s 10 km. Title defender Samuel
Chelanga won in 29:23 over Stephen Sambu (29:27). Third place for Luke Puskedra
(29:38). Oklahoma State won the team title (73) ahead of Florida State, Wisconsin
and Stanford.

ISINBAYEVA
READY FOR INDOOR

MONACO (MON): Pole vault multiple
world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva was among the guests at the IAAF World
Athletics Gala on Sunday. “Im back in training, all is going well, I m very
much looking forward to return to the competition,” she was saying. It is
expected she will be back in the indoor season 2011. Her first competition
scheduled (but not finally confirmed) is the Russian Winter meet on February 6 in Moscow. Also today athletes representative
Daniel Wessfeldt announced the following: “This is to inform that myself and my
former colleague Karl Stith no longer work for Podium S.A.M in Monaco. This
has resulted in a friendly split which means that Yelena Isinbayeva now
officially is represented by Mr Karl Stith. All my other athletes will follow
me in a new company that I will own and have full control over. It is important
to say that myself, Yelena and Karl will remain friends and that this is a
strictly business decision that will allow all of us to take on the future in a
positive way.”

OTHER NEWS

LONDON (GBR): British sprint sensation Jodie
Williams has opted against competing at the 2011 IAAF World Championships in
Daegu. The junior athlete feels she is too young to make the transition to the
senior ranks and instead will prepare for the European junior championships in Tallinn. “I thought I
would be ready, but I’m not,” she said. “That’s the only reason. It’s about
maturity. Physically, I think I would be ready to run in Daegu but mentally and
maturity-wise, I just don’t think I am quite old enough yet.” Williams was
quoted. The world junior 100m champion might however run in one or two Diamond
League competitions and conciders competing at the European indoor
championships in Paris if selected. The 17-year old athlete also refused for
the second year in a row to sign a contract that would entitle her to Lottery
Funding. The youngster wants to continue to make her own decisions and feels
she would be forced to run certain senior races should she receive funding
writes The Telegraph.

LAUSANNE (SUI): Belarussian discus legend
Elina Zvereva just celebrated her 50th birthday but still is far from thinking
about retirement she said in an interview for European Athletics. Zvereva
announced she intends to compete for at least another two years and wants to
qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games. The Belarusian won an Olympic gold medal at
the Sydney Olympics, at the age of 39, and if she makes it to London she will be celebrating her 6th
Olympic Games. This year Zvereva managed a season’s best of 58.52, it was the
first time since 1981 that she ended the season with a best throw at less than
60.00, apart from 2003 in
which she was injured all year.

BERLIN
(GER): The German Athletics Federation DLV is worried about the short amount of
time left to conclude a television deal to air the 2011 IAAF World
championships in Germany.
German media are reporting about possibilities to Before the end of the year
IEC, the IAAF partner for its television rights in Europe,
must find a deal with a German television channel ARD/ZDF or the private
channel Sport1. If not, the biggest market for athletics in Europe threatens to
miss the World Championships in Daegu, just as they missed the IAAF World
Indoor championships in Doha
earlier this year.

LAUSANNE
(SUI): Romanian distance runner Ancuta Bobocel will not compete in the SPAR
European cross country championships and decided to concentrate on the
2011European indoor championships in Paris.
Bobocel plans to compete in the 1500
m and maybe the 800m. Bobocel won the European cross
country championships as a junior and as a U23 athlete, she also managed to win
the gold medal at the 2009 European U23 championships for the 3000m
steeplechase writes European Athletics.

NEUBRANDENBURG (GER): European shot put
champion Petra Lammert is ending her career. Informs leichtathletik.de. It is
because her right elbow injury. She was not able to fully train in last two
years. “It is my personal decision,” she said at age of 26. She was 6th this
year in Barcelona
at European Championships. Only once in her career she achieved 20+ mark, in
2007 20.04 in
May at meeting in Zeven.

AUCKLAND (NZL): Shot put world and olympic
winner Valerie Adams is splitting from her French coach Didier Poppe.  It’s her second split from a coach after she
parted company with Kirsten Hellier earlier in the year, informs nzcity.co.nz. Adams wants in future work with Swiss Jean-Pierre Egger.

BIRMINGHAM
(GBR): UK Athletics has axed Gateshead as a venue for next year’s Samsung
Diamond League meeting on July 10 moving it to Birmingham’s Alexander stadium. Writes David
Martin. The decision comes as no surprise given the disappointing crowd at this
summer’s event of  “former home of
British athletics” as it was known when it used to attract capacity crowds in
the halycon days of local heroes, Steve Cram. 
Brendan Foster, Mike McLeod  and
other world class stars. Moving UKA’s second Samsung Diamond League meet – the
other will be a two day event in London – to the
Midland’s is
hoped to generate much more interest in the 14 fixtures in the series.
Birmingham City Council has signed a three-year deal with UKA joining big city
venues such as Brussels, New York, Paris, Rome, Shanghai and Zurich, whilst
also extending their contract to host the 2011 Aviva UK Trials and
Championships. Plans for a £12.25 million redevelopment of the Birmingham
Alexander Stadium were given the green-light in September, with work already
underway on a new 5,000-seater stand and work is scheduled to finish in May.

JOHANNESBURG (RSA): South
African media are reporting that following intense pressure from various
quarters to hand over the sport back to athletics, Sascoc announced on Friday
that the ASA board will now have full control of the running of athletics. “We
need to engage all stakeholders to map out the way forward,” said ASA deputy
administrator and board member and top marathon runner Hendrick Ramaala.

SPORTS BUSINESS WORLD: FIFA is
concerned over clashes with Wimbledon and
other events in World Cup Bid Countries. Informs Sportscal. In another
interesting point ATP approves two-week extension to men’s off-season from
2012.

RESULTS

BANGKOK (THA, Nov 21): Standard Chartered
Marathon was dominated by Kenyans. Winners were Lilan Kiprop in 2:16:10 and
Fridah Lodepa 2:42:47. Informs Heinrich Hubbeling.

ADDIS ABABA (ETH, Nov 21):
Azmeraw Bekele (29:24) and Sule Utura (33:35) were the men’s and women’s
winners of the 2010 Ethiopian Airlines Great Ethiopian Run 10km as Haile
Gebrselassie flagged a record number of runners for a road race in Africa on
the streets of Addis Ababa. Informs event website. With 32,000 medals
distributed at the finish and many more unofficial participants joining in, an
estimated total of around 35,000 took part in the race, many walking round the
10km course which this year used a new route to cater for the larger numbers.
Gebrselassie acted as starter for the race alongside Lornah Kiplagat, visiting Ethiopia for the first time from her home base
in Iten, Kenya.

PHILADELPHIA
(USA,
Nov 21):  Daniel Vassallo won the 2010
Philadelphia Marathon in 2:21:28. Women winner Mariska Kramer (36) of Netherlands
clocked personal best 2:38:55 ahead of Russian veteran Ramilya Burangulova who
achieved with 49 years impressive 2:40:32.

MARABANA (CUB, Nov 21): Cuban
Yailen Garcia won the women section of 24th Marabana Maratjon in 2:45:12
missing the course record (2:43:29).

CRETEIL (FRA, Nov 21): Ethiopian wins at Val
de Marne CC race. Feyisa Bertukan was the best woman at 5.49 km (19:23) ahead of
World junior 1500 m
champion Tizita Bogale (19:25). Terefe Terefe was the best male runner at 9.32 km in 28:42 ahead of
Kenyan Paul Meli (28:47) and Eritrean Samson Kiflemariam (29:12). Former
European junior CC champion Florian Carvalho finished 5th (29:30).

MARSEILLE (FRA, Nov 21): Kenyan
Philemon Limo achieved fast 27:58 at 10 km to win the La Provence race. Second
Mangata Ndiwa (28:41). Women winner Hilda Tanui posted 33:40.