Christophe LeMaitre, 2011 Euro Indoors, photo by PhotoRun.net

Updates from the European Team Champs…….

EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

TEAMS

STOCKHOLM: Russia
leads clearly with 213 points ahead of Germany 183.5. Then it is close
third Great Britain 166 just
3 points ahead of Ukraine
163. Then is group of six countries close in the positions 5-9. France 131,
newcomer Czech Republic 129.5, Spain
128, Poland 124 and Italy 118.5. At
three relegation places with serious points behind Belarus
105, and remaining promoted teams Portugal
104 and home side Sweden
69.

IZMIR: Greece and Turkey battling
for top spot, 178 and 173.5 after first day. Third Norway also in the promotion area
150.5. But following Belgium
144, Romania 142, Netherlands 136.5 and Hungary 136 are not far away.
Safely in 8th place Switzerland
and Finland 129 and also
tenth Ireland
121. Two relegation places are looking as reserved for Slovenia 96.5 and Croatia 94.

NOVI SAD: Bulgaria
with 115.5 is leading, second promotion place so far for Estonia 108.5 but Serbia is close third 102. Fourth
Denmark 95 ahead of Lithuania
92 and Austria
90. In
relegation spaces Slovakia
and Latvia,
both teams having 76 points.

REYKJAVIK: Israel
with 254 and Moldova with
251 are in top two promotion places but Cyprus as third with 234 could not
be without chances. Fourth Azerbaijan
219, fifth Iceland 215 ahead
of Bosnia and Herzegovina
194.  Seventh is Armenia 180 with Luxembourg 8th 157. In
9th place Malta 138 ahead of Montenegro 131. Macedonia is 11th 123
followed by Small States
Team 95 and Andorra
83. Remaining two teams are Georgia
as 14th (79) and Albania
as 15th (55).

RESULTS

World leading marks were achieved in
Stockholm in three events (women pole vault
Anna Rogowska and Silke Spiegelburg 475, women javelin Christine
Obergfoll
66.22 and men high jump equalling 235 by Dmytro Demyanyuk). And also
another
four European leading results of 2011. Christophe Lemaitre 9.95 in the
100 m, Olesya Syreva at 3000 m 8:53.20 and in both
relays Great Britain 38.60
and Ukraine
42.85. Interestingly two winning marks from Izmir were the best of the
day (400 m Kevin Borlee 45.61 and
hammer 80.14 by Krisztian Pars) and also three winning marks from Novi
Sad (100 m Ivet Lalova 11.20 and 400 m with 400m hurdles Vania
Stambolova 50.98 and 53.70). Best marks in all other events of Saturday
were
set in Stockholm.

RECORDS

Stockholm saw three national records (France 9.95
Lemaitre at 100 m,
Czech Republic Zuzana Hejnova 53.87 at 400m hurdles and Portugal 440 in pole vault by Maria
Tavares). The mark of Lemaitre is also European U23 record. In Izmir five senior national records were set.
For home Turkey
in men´s 400 m
(Serdar Tamac 46.43) and both relays (men 40.00 and women 44.71). Croatian
record also in women relay (45.14) and Netherland´s triple jump record by
Brenda Baar (13.51). Novi Sad saw only one
national record, Denmark
in men´s 4×100 m 39.71. In Reykjavik six national records (women pole vault for
Azerbaijan and Malta, women javelin for Armenia and Montenegro, women 3000 m for Montenegro and
women 3000m steeple for Bosnia). 

BACKGROUND

In Stockholm in men´s shot put young
David Storl of Germany
beat for first time olympic winner Tomasz Majewski and European winner Andrey
Mikhnevich. Unusual men long jump quality with 4 athletes over 810. Betty
Heidler continues in her winning streak in women hammer and confirmed she is
the undisputed number one.

In Izmir legendary Merlene Ottey was
running the last leg for Slovenia
in the 4×100 m but unfortunately her team was disqualified after the last
hand-off happened too late. Another interesting name here is Paralympic gold
medalist Jason Smyth of Ireland
who was 4th in the 100 m
(10.44).

In Novi Sad Estonian sprint talent
Marek Niit returned to Europe after NCAA season but was only second at
the 400 m (46.50). Slovakia had 3
individual wins (Charfreitag, Klocova, D. Veldakova) but also too many
low
places and is last.

In Rekyjavik fast but windy 100 m by Ruslan Abbasov of Azerbaijan to
note 10.22 (+3.7).

TRACK RESULTS

BILBAO (ESP, Jun 18): Turkish representative Ramil
Guliyev is unable to compete for his new country in Izmir
and so won the 11th edition of the Villa de Bilbao meet in 10.11 (+3.2) ahead
of Aziz Zakari of Ghana
10.16. Kenyan Hillary Maiyo achieved 3:39:56 in the 1500 m and his team mate
Abraham Kashongwor the 5000 m
in 13:29.19. Jumps were wind aided, Moroccan Yahya Berrabah 828 (+5.6) in the
long jump over Russian Pavel Shalin (812, +3.4), in triple Cubans David Girat
17.42 (+3.4 and legal 17.10 +1.4) over Yoandri Betanzos 16.91 (+0.3). In women
triple Mabel Gay 14.37 (+3.7) and Yamile Aldama of Sudan 14.18 (+2.3). Mario Pestano
won the discus with solid 64.96. Other throws were won by Cubans. In shot put
Carlos Veliz (19.96) and Misleidys Gonzalez (18.35), Yareli Barrios in discus
(62.47) and Yipsi Moreno in hammer (69.33).

CALI (COL,
Jun 18): Good marks at South American GP meet. Caterina Ibarguen got 14.43 in the triple jump.
Yennifer Padilla improved in the 400
m to 51.59 ahead of another Colombian runner Norma
Gonzalez 51.76. Alvaro Gomez won the 100 m in 10.32 (-0.2). Hector Cotto from Puerto-Rico
was the best at 110 m
hurdles (13.69, -0.5). Colombia
won both relays in 44.06 and 39.35.

NEUBRANDENBURG (GER, Jun 18): Martina Strutz improved at
regional championships to excellent 470 in the pole vault in first attempt.

TRIER (GER, Jun 18): Kristina Gadschiew cleared at
regional championships Daegu standard in the pole vault with 455 cm. World junior
champion Till Woschler won the javelin (79.82).

DESSAU (GER, Jun 18): Christina Schwanitz improved
here her season best in shot put to 18.72. In men´s shot put Candy Bauer got
19.88.

ROAD RESULTS

DULUTH (USA, Jun 18): The 35th Grandma´s
Marathon saw the closest finish for first place ever. Kenyan Christopher
Kipyego won in 2:12:15 ahead of Ethiopian Teklu Deneke 2:12:17. The winner got
10 000 USD for first place and 1500 USD time bonus. Third was another Kenyan
Sammy Malakwen in 2:12:38 personal best. In women race Yilhunlish Bekele
clocked excellent personal best to win in 2:30:38. Second Evelyne Lagat of Kenya 2:31:32
and third US Dot McMahan improved her lifetime best to 2:31:48. Marathon had 6333 finishers in cool conditions.

OLOMOUC (CZE, Jun 18): As the younger brother of the Hervis Prague Half
Marathon the Volkswagen Olomouc Half Marathon saw Shami Dawit of Ethiopia
winning in new course record 1:00:44 ahead of Eliud Kiptanui of Kenya 1:01:23
and another Ethiopian Adugna Takele 1:01:39. Netsanet Achamo of Ethiopia was the best woman in another course
record 1:10:41 beating Pamela Lisoreng of Kenya 1:11:39 and another Ethiopian
Tadelech Bekele 1:12:13.

ZWOLLE (NED, Jun 18): Fast times at Zwolle Half-marathon. Wilson Kipsang of Kenya clocked
1:00:49. In close finish second El Hassan El Abbasi of Morocco 1:01.53
ahead of Kenyan Stephen Tum 1:01:53. Best European was Briton Phil Wicks as 14th
(1:04:41). Filomena Chepchirchir improved her best to 1:08:22 as best woman.
Second Valentina Kipketer also of Kenya 1:10:54.

ALYTUS (LTU, Jun 17): New Lithuanian 20 km walk record 1:30:15 by
Brigita Virbalyte highlighted the 37th International Race Walking Festival (EA
Walking Permit). Second Kristina Saltanovic also improved her PB to
1:30:36.Third place for Latvian Agnese Pastare 1:32:10. In the men´s 20 km Belarus ruled.
Ivan Trotskiy as the best got 1:21:22 ahead of Denis Simanovich 1:21:26. Third
Lukasz Nowak of Poland
improved to 1:21:30 ahead of best Lithuanian Marius Ziukas 1:21:40. 50 km world medalist Trond
Nymark of Norway
was 8th 1:23:47. Interesting to note 42:35 win for home talent Marius Savelskis
in the U17 category at the 10
km.

JUNIOR RESULTS

GREENSBORO (USA, Jun 18):  For the second straight day, records fell in
bunches here at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals, including two national and
two meet records. Aisling Cuffe, from Cornwall on Hudson, N.Y., bettered
current American record holder Molly Huddle’s national high school mark in the
two-mile, running 9:54.22 in front of a large crowd late in the evening. Then
in the final event of the night, the boy’s 4x800m relay, another national
record fell with Long Beach Poly TC of California coming from behind to post a
mark of 7:28.75. Meet records of 8:49.85 in the girl’s 4x800m and 4.17m in the
pole vault also fell, with Bronxville TC (NY) and Morgann LeLeux (GA) claiming
those marks, respectively. Informs RRW.

BRESSANONE (ITA, Jun 18): Fast 400 m at junior championships by Marco Lorenzi
46.39.

CHEBOKSARY (RUS, Jun 17): At Russian U17 Championships
Anna Kudashkina won the 3000
m in 9:13.79.

SAN SALVADOR (ESA, Jun 18): At Central American Junior
champs double sprint winner Mateo Edward of Panama clocked 10.62 (-0.8) and
21.64 (-1.5).

ADDITIONS

CHULA VISTA (USA, Jun 16): World finalist
Brianna Glenn during her 700
cm windy win also achieved legal personal best 687 cm with +1.3 support. It
is also fifth best mark of the 2011 season. Her series: 700 +4.1 – 696 +3.3 –
685 +2.3 – f – 672 +1.5 – 687 +1.3.

CORRECTION

ATLANTA (USA):
Gerald Phiri is from Zambia
(not Zimbabwe),
and the national record holder for 100m and 200m.