Watch for the controversy over the legacy of the 2012 London athletics facility get caught in all kinds of legal wranglings. Insidethegames.biz suggested that Downing Street never even considered that London would even win the 2012 Games, so the issue of the athletics legacy was mute.
On the contrary, the sales job by Lord Coe and former PM Blair may have been the best on record. Be careful what you wish for. London 2012 has to find a way to keep the athletics legacy going in UK, and work with the soccer club that sees athletics fans as sports fans, so another opportunity to grow their fan base. Stay tuned….
INDOOR
(Tamgho 17.46)
VILLEURBANNE (FRA, Jan 22): Olympic 7th
placer from Beijing Jerome Clavier won the Perche Elite Tour competition in
pole vault with new life-time best of 581 cm.
LIEVIN (FRA, Jan 22): World
indoor record holder Teddy Tamgho started his season in impressive way. At
regional meet he leaped to excellent world lead 17.46 m. The 21-years old
World indoor champion never before in first competition achieved such a high
quality mark. Interesting personal best for Gaetan Bucki (30) in shot put with 20.35 m. He missed the
national record of Yves Niare from 2009 only by 7 cm (20.42).
HIRSON (FRA, Jan 22): European
junior champion 2009 Sergey Mudrov of Russia is having good shape at the
beginning of the season with 225 win at a High Jump meeting here. He missed
then his overall PB of 232.
USA (Jan 22 action:
Charfreitag 24.71, Phiri 20.80, Simpson 4:28.60)
BOULDER: Fast 60 m at Potts Invitational.
John Morris achieved 6.63 ahead of Jeremy Dobson 6.68.
LUBBOCK: Markus Henderson sped to 6.16 at 55 m during second day of
Texas Tech Invitational. Sub 45 runner and Berlin participant Gil Roberts won the 400 m in 47.35. Fast also the
7.10 of Omo Osaghae at 55 m
hurdles. Jamaican Jura Levy sprinted in the women 55 m to 6.82. Shade Weygandt
(will be soon 20) improved to 440
in pole vault.
BLACKSBURG: Maurice Mitchell posted at Hokie
Invite 20.97 at 200 m
and relay world indoor champion Deedee Trotter clocked 52.84 at 400 m.
ALBUQUERQUE: Latvia´s Ronalds Arajs won the 60 m during second day of
Cherry and Silver Invitational in 6.73. Kevin Craddock (world junior bronze in
2004) improved over 60 m
hurdles to 7.67.
KENT: Another hurdles improvement
by 21-years old Terence Somerville here to 7.68 at 60 m H. His former best was
7.86.
JONESBORO: Ricky Robertson cleared 228 in high jump at Arkansas
State Invitational what is his indoor best. Michael Granger sprinted the 55 m to 6.22.
NORMAN: At JD Martin Invitational excellent
world lead in weight throw by Slovak European Champion Libor Charfreitag with
24.71. It was new meet record. “I think there is room for improvement. I just
need more competition, here we were only very few. But technically I m feeling
it is going better and better,” said the Slovak Athlete of the Year 2010. In the history of
this event only 9 athletes achieved so far 24+ marks. Rakieem Salam clocked 6.67 in 60 m heats.
MANHATTAN: Lithuanian Mantas Silkauskas
equalled his own national 60 m
hurdles record at Wildcat Invitational with 7.80. Jim Dilling cleared 223 in high jump.
COLLEGE STATION: Zambian Gerald
Phiri achieved another national record in the 200 m at the dual meet with
20.80 ahead of Horatio Williams (20.86, indoor PB). In the 60 m Phiri clocked 6.63 ahead
of talented Prezel Hardy (6.67, life-time best at age of 18). Bahamian
Demetrius Pinder got 46.87 at 400
m. In women sprints also very solid times. Semoy Hackett
of Trinidad won the 60 m in 7.24 and was overall
third in the 200 m
(22.98). Ahead of her Jessica Beard (22.95) and Jeneba Tarmoh (22.98). Bear
also scored the fastest 400 m
(52.97).
PHOENIX: At Puma Indoor meet Dan Taylor
registered 20.16 in
shot put.
PRINCETON:
Ashton Eaton continued in excellent results at Princeton Relays in his warm-up
before Millrose Games. He won the 60
m hurdles in huge PB 7.68 (before 7.77) and pole vault
with 510. At the end in special 800
m race which he contested for the first time in his
career he was second in impressive 1:55.90.
NEW YORK: At the 16th New Balance Games at
the Armory Jenny Simpson won the mile in world leading 4:28.60. She was
followed by Villanova alums Canadian Carmen Douma-Hussar (4:30.88) and Frances
Koons (4:31.53 PB). Last year’s NCAA 800m champion Phoebe Wright achieved 2:00.39 in the 800 m. Second Heidi Dahl
(2:01.80) and third LaTavia Thomas (2:01.81) both clocked personal best indoor
times. Maggie Vessey finished fourth in 2:03.40. Craig Miller, the former
Wisconsin Badger, won the men’s invitational mile in 3:59.10. In other action,
the invitational 400m races were won by Natasha Hastings in a world-leading
52.29, and Michael Courtney of Bahamas
in 47.19. The elite men’s 1500m, essentially an overflow race from the
invitational mile, was won by Kyle Miller in 3:41.99, another early
world-leader. Reports RRW.
ROAD AND
TERRAIN
ELGOIBAR (KEN, Jan 23): Road
world record holder Leonard Komon won the 68th Juan Muguerza Internacional
cross race and defended his last year title here at 10.8 km in 32:05. Second
was olympic medalist Micah Kogo (32:14) and third European champion Sergiy
Lebid of Ukraine
(32:15). Women´s race winner was Sara Moreira of Portugal at 6.6 km beating two home
runners Diana Martin and Gema Barrachina. The race was held in only 3 degrees
temperature.
CANBERRA (AUS, Jan 23): Collis Birmingham won
the Australian World CC Trials in Stromlo Forest Park of Canberra. At 12 km in 35:10 he beat by 3
seconds next runner Michael Shelley (35:13). Distant third was Liam Adams
(36:00). Multiple World CC participant Lara Tamsett won women 8 km clearly in 27:06. Second
Anna Thompson (27:46) ahead of Kaila McKnight (27:50).
KHON KAEN (THA, Jan 23): New
course records at 8th Khon Khaen Marathon in Thailand. In both cases the best
marks were achieved by last year winners from Kenya. Best male Kennedy Lilan got
2:16:44 and Fridah Lodepa as top woman 2:40:50.
HIROSHIMA (JPN, Jan 23): Tochigi prefecture
won the Inter-Prefectural Men’s Ekiden. It was their first victory in the 16
years history of this Ekiden. Their final time was 2:19:31 ahead of Nagano 2:20:02 and Hiroshima
2:20:37.
HUESCA (ESP, Jan 23): Eritreans
dominated the 34th Memorial Jesus Luis Alos CC race at 10.56 km. Kidane Tadese
was the best in 31:06 ahead of Hais Welday (31:18). Best Spanish Eliseo Martin
was fourth (31:39). Kenyan Rebecca Cheptgenei was the best woman at 6.42 km in 22:02. Isabel
Macias second (22:11) beating Moroccan Saoud Kambouchia (22:14).
OTHER
NEWS
MOSCOW (RUS): Russia’s richest
man Vladimir Lisin has been appointed vice-president of the country’s National
Olympic Committee and been tasked with raising funds to help its athletes
prepare for London 2012 and Rio 2016. Informs Insidthegames. The 54-year-old
from Ivanovo, the owner of Novolipetsk Steel who is estimated by Forbes
magazine to be worth $15.8 billion (£9.9 billion), has been elected President
of Russia’s National Association of Summer Olympic Sports, a position that
carries with it the role of vice-president of the Russian Olympic Committee
(ROC). Lisin, who is President of the Russian Shooting Union and the European
Shooting Confederation, replaces Sergeiy Bogdanchikov, the President of
Rosneft, the oil company who are one of main sponsors of the 2014 Olympics and
Paralympics in Sochi.
LONDON (GBR): Former olympic
javelin champion Tessa Sanderson has threatened legal action unless she is
given back her vote in the decision over whether Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham
United take over the Olympic Stadium after the London 2012 Games. Sanderson says she has no conflict of
interest and that the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), of which she is a
Board member, should allow her to vote. The 1984 javelin gold medallist was
told this week by the OPLC’s chief executive, Andrew Altman, that she would be
excluded from the vote due to a conflict of interest because she has a personal
consultancy contract with Newham Council, who are West Ham’s partners, and that
the contract had not been disclosed. Informs Insidethegames.biz.
ATHENS (GRE): The court case of Greek
sprinters from 2004 started on Friday. It is about the accident of Kostas
Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou during the night of August 12, 2004. But national
federation president Vasilis Sevastis and the doping control responsible on
that day Mr. Valasiadis sent apologies to the court. It should continue next
Thursday.
NAMPA
(USA):
Trackfocus.com writes that Galen Rupp was unable to complete the mile race he
entered at the Boise State Invitational. He suffered an asthma attack and was
unable to finish. A similar thing happened to him about a year ago in
Albuequerque. Alberto Salazar said that Alan Webb came down with flu four days
ago. Salazar immediately asked his other runners to get flu shots in an effort
to prevent them from picking up the virus. Rupp had a flu shot on Thursday and
wasn’t feeling well on Friday.
