byLarry Eder
It is now one day past the USA Outdoor Champs and many of those athletes are headed to Europe to race in Lausanne, Paris and or Birmingham.
The US team has some interesting components, from the men’s shot to the women’s long jump, from the men’s 1,500 meter team to the women’s 100m hurdles. We have several events that can take one to two medals in the Worlds in the event and others, that it will be a cold day in hell before we see a medal.
That being the case, the loss of Tyson Gay, Wallace Spearmon, Jr. will hurt us in the sprint medals. My modest suggestion is for Walter Dix to focus on the 200 meters, where he has a reasonable shot (his double was superb, but this is the World champs). The Jamaican athletes in the sprints are parallel to the Kenyans in the long distances. It took us two decades of asking questions and challenging our training stratigems for US distance runners to begin making inroads. I believe it is time to ask the right questions for U.S. sprinters, as the world of sprinting has changed, and there are great sprinters from all over the world.
I have seen Christophe Lemaitre run several times, and I enjoy watching him run. I remember asking Brooks Johnson one time if white kids could run fast. The response was quick, the look was something I have never forgot: ” Color means nothing, do they want it? are they willing to work? Are they willing to fall?”
Watching David Oliver show his stuff, especially against Liu Xiang at Nike Pre, was fascinating. Oliver was nervous before the race, and yet, he stayed the course, he went past his comfort zone, and battled Xiang for five straight hurdles before David took the race.
This weekend, watching Adam Nelson throw his best since 2008 was one of my highlights of the weekend. Reese Hoffa and Christian Cantwell responded as well, and Cantwell’s big foul shows that these three may be our best men’s shot put team EVER.
On the women’s side, Michelle Carter and Jill Camerena were the highlight of Thursday night. The 19.85m throw by Camerena, followed by 19.86m by Carter and then, a 19.84m by Camerena was, well what sport is supposed to be about.
Then, there was the men’s 1,500 meters, and Matt Centrowitz, Jr., running that 52.25 last lap, holding off the likes of Bernard Lagat and Leonel Manzano, running a the last 200 meters like he was Portugal’s Rui Silva. Now the job is, get those A standards and focus on Daegu.
Hot, humid conditions and all of the world’s best, running for medals. The focus must be there now, the notes on the mirror, about one’s goals and one’s aspirations. And can one do it in front of 60,000 track fans and few billion TV viewers? That is the nature of the beast: it is what makes our sport so exciting.
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LEMAITRE AGAINST BOLT ALSO IN HERCULIS
MONTE CARLO (MON):
In addition to Usain Bolt, the Fédération Monégasque d’Athlétisme is
proud to announce the presence of triple European Champion Christophe
Lemaitre who will run the 100m at the Louis II Stadium on July 22nd .
After setting a new French record of 9.95 at the European Team
Championship in Stockholm Lemaitre will come to Monaco for the 10th
stage of the Samsung Diamond League with credible ambitions. Ideally
scheduled one month ahead of the IAAF World Championships in Daegu,
Herculis will offer the European champion a chance to run against the
world’s best runners. In addition to the triple Olympic and World
Champion Usain Bolt, Lemaitre will be running against European Indoor
Champion Francis Obikwelu, and the rising stars Yohan Blake and Mike
Rodgers, both qualified for Daegu. Organizers are informing in a
release. Lemaitre runs against Bolt also in Paris on July 8, but in the
200 m.
ARMSTRONG AGAINST AMERICANS, REESE ALSO THERE
LAUSANNE
(SUI): Athletes who achieved top marks over the weekend will compete at
Athletissima of Lausanne on Thursday. Men´s shot put will see the duel
of world leader and Canadian record holder Dylan Armstrong with all
Daegu bound US putters Adam Nelson, Christian Cantwell, Reese Hoffa and
Ryan Whitting. Also in the field olympic winner Tomasz Majewski. Fresh
US world leader in long jump Brittney Reese is the star of long jump.
Also other Americans will jump with Janay De Loach and Fumi Jimoh.
Belarus European leader Veronika Shutkova, Euro winner Ineta Radevica
and Russian junior record holder Darya Klishina are completing the
field.
STRONG POLE VAULT
BIBERACH
(GER): The Weltklasse in Biberach meet (EA Classic) on Tuesday will
have the best field in men´s pole vault. Danny Ecker is returning and
also jumping Bjorn Otto. Against them Greek record holder Kostadinos
Filippidis and best Poland jumpers Pawel Wojciechowski and Lukasz
Michalski. European medalist Carsten Schlangen runs the 800 m, European
indoor medalist Thomas Schneider faces in the 400 m South African
Offentse Mogawane. Briton Rikki Fifton is the 100 m favorite. In women
events Cuban Yareli Barrios is the star of discus and French record
holder Eloyse Lesueur in the long jump.
ABAKUMOVA VS. STAHL, RYBAKOV AND FEOFANOVA
VELENJE
(SLO): 16th International Meeting on Miners Day in Slovenia (EA
Classic) is having some top names competing on Tuesday. In women javelin
Russian Mariya Abakumova will fight with German European champion Linda
Stahl. Reigning world champion Yaroslav Rybakov is the star of high
jump and reigning European champion Svetlana Feofanova of women pole
vault. Excellent field in men´s hammer with home world and olympic
winner Primoz Kozmus against European champion Libor Charfreitag,
Hungarian Krisztian Pars and German Markus Esser. Other top field for
home spectators is women triple jump with Marija Sestak and Snezana
Rodic against Russian Anna Pyatykh, Brazilian Keila Costa and Slovak
Dana Veldakova with Yamile Aldama representing Sudan. Belarus European
leader Veronika Shutkova is in long jump, Jamaican trials finalist
Jacques Harvey runs the 100 m and Kenyan Abel Mutai the steeple.
DEHIBA IS GETTING HELP FROM THE COURT
PARIS
(FRA): Le Parisien informs that French miler Hind Dehiba who was
suspended from 2007 to 2009 for EPO brought her case to justice last
week and requested Vaud Canton Court in Switzerland a provisional ruling
to allow her to compete in Lausanne on Thursday in the 1500 m. Her
argument was that she can only have a shot at Daegu’s A standard in
high-level races. The court gave a favorable provisional ruling, which
would allow her to compete. This is a provisional ruling. The court has
not yet ruled on the merits due to too short time between now and
Thursday´s race. Athletissima did not invite her as the event is
following the recommendation of Euromeetings not to invite athletes with
doping past who can harm the image of the sport and the meeting.
OTHER NEWS
ZAGREB
(CRO): Croatian Athletics Federation confirmed 6 months ban for discus
European Champion Sandra Perkovic. She had positive tests at Diamond
League meetings in Shanghai and Rome for methylhexaneamine which is
stimulant that is why the sentence is not more. But she will loose her
wins and results at the two mentioned meetings and also her huge
national record and world leading 69.99 m.
COLORADO
SPRINGS (USA): In the wake of current positive tests for
methylhexaneamine USADA said that the substance is known by many names
including 1,3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA), dimethylpentylamine (DMP)
4-methylhexan-2-amine, Geranamine, and geranium oil, extract, or stems
and leaves. Many products sold as dietary supplements openly list this
substance on their labels, such as Jack3d (USP Labs), Lipo-6-Black and
Hemo-Rage Black (Nutrex), Spriodex (Gaspari Nutrition), F-10 (Advanced
Genetics), Clear Shot (E-Pharm), 1.M.R. (BPI Sports) and many others.
While it is not known whether the above products actually contain
methylhexaneamine, athletes should steer clear of products that
advertise to contain these substances. The ongoing problem of dietary
supplement mislabeling continues to create risky environment for
athletes. Unfortunately, due to the current permissive regulations
governing the supplement industry, USADA cannot give guarantees to
athletes regarding which products are safe and free from contamination.
KINGSTON
(JAM): Additions to Jamaican Championships are that Kaliese Spencer did
not contest the 400 m flat final, but she is qualified to Daegu for the
400 m hurdles and should be included into the 4×400 m team. Briggite
Foster-Hylton was not running the final of 100 m hurdles because of the
injury. Another note is that Leford Green qualified for 400 m hurdles
will most probably not use his 400 m flat Daegu bound-position which
will allow Jermaine Gonzalez to take it.
PARIS (FRA) :
Junior decathlon sensation Kevin Mayer is eyeing 8000+ points at the
European Junior Championships in Tallinn in July. The French youngster
recently brought the French junior record to 7992 points when competing
with senior implements and believes he will be in better shape when
competing in Tallinn he said for athle.com.
MADRID (ESP):
European 1500m bronze medalist Natalia Rodriguez will be one of the
highlights of the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Madrid on July 9th.
Rodriguez will face 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Natalyia Tobias,
Olympic finalist Siham Hilali and junior Ethiopian Tizita Bogale. Other
top names for the competition are discus legend Virgilijus Alekna and
hammer world champion Primoz Kozmus.
LONDON (GBR):
Another 850,000 tickets for the London 2012 Olympic Games were sold in
the second round sale reports Insidethegames. More than 150,000
applications have been processed since Friday for around 850,000
tickets. About 60 per cent of request applications were made in the
first two hours and during that time 10 sports sold out, some within 15
minutes. Tickets remain only for football, volleyball and wrestling.
LONDON (GBR):
Athletes competing at the 2012 Olympic Games in London are free to tweet
during the competition, the Olympic Committee said. The athletes are
actively encouraged to “take part in social media and to post, blog and
tweet their experiences,” the guidelines from the Olympic Committee
(AOC) say, as long as it’s not for commercial purposes. Athletes can
upload photos to social media sites but cannot sell them or distribute
them in other ways. During the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, uploading
photos taken at venues was prohibited. Broadcasting audio or video taken
inside the venues will stay prohibited in the 2012 London Olympics
reports mashable.com.
LAGOS (NIG):
Former African sprint queen Mary Onyali has made the list of nominees
for ministerial appointments at the Nigerian cabinet of President
Goodluck Jonathan. Onyali is Nigeria’s most decorated track and field
athlete and is hoping to become Nigeria’s Sports Minister writes
Allafrica.com.
VALLADOLID
(ESP): The New York City Marathon is recipient of The Gabarron
International Award of Sports 2011, chosen by the jury that is chaired
by Mrs. Carmen Izquierdo Vergara, which met in Valladolid, Spain. The
members of the jury chose to award one of the most important sporting
events after reviewing 26 candidates from Germany, Brazil, China, Spain,
the United States, France, England, Italy, Mexico, Portugal and Russia.
The Award – an original 18 karat gold work by Cristóbal Gabarrón, the
artists who gives the foundation its name – will be presented on October
7th at the Calderon Theater in Valladolid. During the ceremony, nine
recipients will be awarded in their respective categories.
ZURICH (SUI):
Swiss sprinter Cedric Nabe was provisionally banned by Swiss Antidoping
because he did not inform about his whereabouts. The final sanction will
be decided later. Nabe clocked this year already 10.30 and is the
number one sprinter in the country and was supposed to be also part of
the 4×100 m team.
MOSCOW (RUS): The Moscow Open meet (EA Premium) scheduled for June 27 was canceled one month ago.
RESULTS
BIBERACH
(GER, Jun 27): The EA Classic meet of Biberach started already on Monday
with men´s shot put at the square in the city center. David Storl
confirmed top shape with 20.88 win over Candy Bauer 19.98 PB and Ralf
Bartels 19.96.
METZ (FRA, Jun
27): At National Meeting Moselle Athlelor Olympic 2004 winner Yuriy
Borzakovskiy was second in the 800 m with 1:45.92. He was beaten by
Kenyan Job Kinyor 1:45.45. Also other races had good results. Benson
Seurei of Kenya 3:36.26 at 1500 m and South African Elroy Gelant
improved to 7:41.59 in winning the 3000 m. Another South African win for
Edwin Molepo at 3000 m steeple 8:26.82. British sprinter James
Ellington scored a fast double 10.23 (+0.4, equalled PB) and 20.52
(+0.6, PB). In the 100 m second Idrissa Adam of Cameroon (10.31) and in
the 200 m Simon Magakwe second 20.74 ahead of German Sebastian Ernst
20.78. Pavel Krivitskiy of Belarus won the hammer 77.80 and junior
Quentin Bigot got 78.00 with 6 kg implement. Veronique Mang won the 100 m
in 11.41 (+0.2) and Justyna Korytkowska of Poland achieved 9:48.67 in
the steeple.
KRAGUJEVAC
(SRB, Jun 25): Former European champion Dragutin Topic cleared here 221
cm at age of 40 what is new world masters record. He started to think
about qualifying for London Games next year where he needs at least 228
cm. He already competed at five Olympics, all since 1992. The previous
officially recognized outdoor world best for 40+ category was 215 by
Dalton Grant in 2008.
VANCOUVER (CAN, Jun 26): Lethbridge’s resident Kenyan, Kip Kangogo won the 13th Vancouver Half Marathon in 1:03:22.
ST.
PETERSBURG (RUS, Jun 26): Morrocan Abdellah Taghrrafet won the White
Nights Marathon in 2:14:12 PB ahead of his team-mate Hassane Ahouchar
2:14:15 and best Russian Sergey Lukin 2:16:48. Alevtina Ivanova as women
winner achieved 2:38:16.
CALABAR (NGR,
Jun 25): Ajoke Odumosu won the 400 m hurdles at Nigerian Championships
with 56.24. In the 200 m finals Obinna Metu clocked 20.84 and Damola
Osayomi 23.33 ahead of Gloria Asumnu 23.47.
KARDLA (EST, Jun 23): At first Taavi Peetre Memorial the Latvian Maris Urtans got excellent 20.60 in the shot put.
