by Larry Eder
Athletes International, the newsletter by Peter Matthews & Mel Watman, has just announced their world rankings, and the toughest events: Men’s Steeplechase and Womens’ triple jump!
WORLD RANKINGS BY AI: TOUGHEST MEN STEEPLE AND WOMEN TRIPLE JUMP
LONDON
(GBR): Athletics Weekly published in its Christmas Issue the
traditional World merit rankings by Athletics International group of
experts (Peter Matthews, Mel Watman, Stan Greenberg, Mirko Jalava, Alfons Juck,
Lennart Julin and Ed Gordon). The panel assessed the year’s records of
the leading contenders and the ranking order was determined by
consensus. Among the factors considered were athletes’ placings in
significant competitions. This year there were no Olympic Games or World
Championships, so the focus varied for athletes and this made the
evaluations even more difficult than usual. Some had continental
championships, such as African Champs, Europeans and Asian Games, while
for many top athletes the Samsung Diamond League and the new
Intercontinental Cup were vital. As ever the group was concerned with
the quality of the best marks, consistency and win-loss records against
other ranked competitors. Marks made indoors were not considered, nor
were any athletes who were suspended during the year for drug-related
offences. There is a big group of clear number ones in each event (Gay
in 100 m, Bolt in 200 m, Wariner, Rudisha, A. Kiprop, Merga, W. Kiprop
at 10 000 m, Makau, Oliver, B. Jackson, Lavillenie, Phillips, Cantwell,
Harting, Thorkildsen, Yemelyanov at 20 km walk). Slightly more
discussion was in high jump (Shustov over Ukhov), triple jump (Idowu
over Tamgho), hammer (Charfreitag over Murofushi), decathlon (Barras
over Eaton and Clay) and 50 km walk (Diniz over Toth). This will be
different in some events as Track And Field News rankings due to the
fact that here indoors is not considered. Real open situation was in
steeple with Ezekiel Kemboi over Paul Kipsiele Koech and Richard
Matelong. Women situation saw less clear number ones. In that group
Felix over 400 m, Lagat at 1500 m, Tirunesh Dibaba at 10 000 m,
Shobukhova in marathon, Priscilla Lopes-Schliep 100 m hurdles, Milcah
Chemos in steeple, Blanka Vlasic in high jump, Brittney Reese in long
jump, Nadezhda Ostapchuk in shot put, Betty Heidler in hammer, Jessica
Ennis in heptathlon and Olga Kaniskina at 20 km walk as dominating
persons. Nearly clear was the situation for Cuban discus thrower Yareli
Barrios, Czech javelin thrower Barbora Spotakova, Fabiana Murer in pole
vault and Lashinda Demus at 400 m hurdles. More closer the situation in
the 800 m (Savinova over Jepkosgei) and 5000 m (Tirunesh Dibaba over
Vivian Cheruiyot). Different opinions in both sprints (Carmelita Jeter
over Veronica Campbell-Brown at the 100 m and Veronica Campbell-Brown
over Allyson Felix in the 200 m). But the closest was triple jump, Olga
Rypakova over Yargelis Savigne. Track and Field News rankings will be
published within next days.
KOGO TOP NAME FOR TRIER
TRIER
(GER): Kenyan Micah Kogo will be the top name of 21st Bitburger
Silvesterlauf in Trier, Germany on December 31. He won here already in
2008, last year the title went to legendary Haile Gebrselassie. Course
record 22:21 is still from 1997 achieved by Kenyan Isaac Kariuki at the 8
km course. Barcelona 1500 m medalist Carsten Schlangen is the best
German name in the field.
TADESE AND SHOBUKHOVA IN MADRID
MADRID
(ESP): Top Spanish end of the year race the 46th San Silvestre
Vallecana in Madrid on December 31 will see home stars Chema Martinez
and Jesus Espana running against world half marathon record holder
Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea. In women race European 1500 m gold medalist
Nuria Fernandez is entered. Her main rival should be current top
marathoner in the world Russian Lilya Shobukhova and fresh European CC
Champion Jessica Augusto of Portugal. In total 35 000 runners are
expected to take part.
OTHER NEWS
LAUSANNE
(SUI): European Athletics confirmed changes in the results of European
Champion Clubs Cup 2010 in the juniors category. For Serbian girls side
Novi Beograd and boys club AC Sirmijum some athletes competed without
full confirmation and that resulted in the fact that the winners of A
Group are now AK Olymp Brno of Czech Republic and Novi Beograd is down
to 6th from second. In boys category Sirmijum is down from fourth to
seventh and so downgraded to B-group.
BEOGRAD
(SRB): The indoor season of 2008 World junior long jump champion Ivana
Spanovic is under question due to health problems. In her stomach a
bacteria was found and she was told to reduce the training. Another
problem for the 8th placer from Barcelona is lack of funds which brings
in doubt the planned January trainÃng camp in South Africa.
SOEST (NED):
The short course race at the 30th edition of the Sylvestercross in
Soest promises to be a high quality field with 800m runners Yvonne Hak
and Arnaud Okken. The European silver 800m medalist Hak will face
opposition from Dutch 1500m champion Marije te Raa and 2009 winner Lotte
Jacobs. Arnoud Okken, 4th at the European championships, takes on Dutch
Pim Molenaar and Belgian Maarten Mortelmans. In the women’s race (6km)
Adrienne Herzog is the favorite for victory along with Moroccan Rkia el
Moukim. The men’s race (10,400m) features 2009 winner from Morocco Jamal
Baligha, Dutch Michel Butter, Dutch cross country champion Khalid
Choukoud, Abdi Nageeye and Vitaly Rybak.
KINGSTON
(JAM): Jamaican junior talent Samantha Elliot wants to focus on both the
short and long hurdles in 2011. Elliot has moved to coach Lennox Graham
at the Johnson C Smith University, who will take over the athletes
conditioning next month writes trackalerts.com.
Elliott ran 13.42 this year to set a new Carifta Games record. She aims
at representing Jamaica at the Pan Am junior championships in 2011.
TOKYO (JPN):
In an article on Japanese Olympic hopefuls female sprinter Chisato
Fukushima said the Japanese 4x100m relays team could be very competitive
at the London Olympics. Fukushima won gold in the 100m and 200m at the
Asian Games in Guangzhou and recorded this season a national record of
11.21. She aims at competing in both the 100m and 200m at the London
Olympics and wants to reach the finals with the 4x100m team writes asahi.com.
RIO DE
JANEIRO (BRA): The Rio City Hall and the construction company Carvalho
Hosken have signed a contract for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic and
Paralympic Games. The company will built the athletes village, which
will comprise of 34 12-storey buildings, on an area of 75 hectares in
Recreio dos Bandeirantes. The village will offer 2448 three and four
bedroom, high standard apartments with balcony, dining and living rooms,
a kitchen and a utility room. The Olympic village will be located at
less than 10 minutes traveling from the training and competition
facilities for 46% of the athletes. 73% of the athletes will be under 25
minutes away from their training and competition venues reports insidethegames.biz.
LONDON
(GBR): The organizing committee of the 2014 Commonwealth Games have
appointed Glasgow-based design agency Tangent Graphic as its leading
design agency. The agency will, among other graphic elements, produce
the pictograms that represent the core disciplines of the Commonwealth
Games writes Insidethegames.biz.
BRUSSELS
(BEL): The Flemish athletics federation (VAL) has restructured its
athlete development project ‘Atletiek Vlaanderen’. The VAL will move
away from supporting athletes with employment contracts to re-focusing
on promising athletes who combine their careers with part-time school
obligations. The group consists of 14 athletes such as European junior
cross country champion Jeroen D’Hoedt, European junior decathlon
champion Thomas Van der Plaetsen and break-through hurdler Michael
Bultheel.
MUNCHEN
(GER): Leichtathletik.de lists top ten athletes of the 2010 without
specific rankings. Included of course David Rudisha, Christophe
Lemaitre, Blanka Vlasic but also Jessica Ennis, David Oliver, Chaunte
Howard-Lowe, Teddy Tamgho, Mo Farah, Sergiy Lebid and Andreas
Thorkildsen.
MOSCOW
(RUS): Magazine PROsport listed in its new year issue 15 nicest Russian
sportswomen. Inlcuded also three track athletes. Long jumper Darya
Klishina, 400 m runner Kseniya Vdovina and high jumper Tatyana
Kivimiagi.
SAN SALVADOR
(ESA): More CAC countries AOY are in Bahamas 400 m runner Shaunae
Miller and high jumper Donald Thomas. In Bermudas long jumper Tyrone
Smith with heptathlete Shianne Smith.
PANAMA CITY
(PAN): World 200 m medalist Alonso Edward while visiting his country
stated that he is in good shape, healthy and ready for 2011. He suffered
last April a left thigh injury which ruled him out from any other
competitions. His main aim is Daegu World Championships. Indoors he
plans to race only in USA at 400 m. Edward is training in Oklahoma under
the guidance of Matt Kane.
TOKYO (JPN):
Brett Larner informs on his blog that after retiring following the 2009
Tokyo Marathon to become a mother, two-time World Championships
marathon medalist Reiko Tosa announced that she will make a comeback to
competitive running. Tosa will spend the new year training with Team
Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo on Miyako island and will run in February’s Tokyo
Marathon. Tosa gave birth to her first baby, a daughter, in April.
NEW YORK
(USA): RRW informs that the New York Road Runners have released the
final professional fields for Friday night’s Emerald Nuts Midnight Run, a
four mile road race held in Central Park at the stroke of midnight to
celebrate the New Year. The final list does not include defending
women’s champion Erin Donohue who withdrew from the race today with a
foot injury. Canadian Carmen Douma-Hussar and marathon specialist
Desiree Davila are the favorites. In men´s race Sean Quigley with Bobby
Curtis.
ZAGREB
(CRO): Another award for Blanka Vlasic. The European high jump champion
has been awarded the Sports Personality of the Year in Croatia by the
national olympic committee.
RESULTS
FUNCHAL
(POR, Dec 28): European CC Champion Jessica Augusto won the 52nd
Funchal Sao Silvestre road race at Madeira Island with 18:46 at 6 km.
Second Ethiopian Almensch Belete (19:09) ahead of Belgian Veerle
Dejaeghere (19:29). Fourth place for Fernanda Ribeiro (19:56). Eduardo
Mbengani was the best male runner after 16:48 clearly over Kenyan David
Bett (16:58) and Rui Pedro Silva (17:07). In total 1061 runners were
registered.
