byLarry EderWith almost two entire years on the injury list, Kenenisa Bekele has very little time to prepare to defend both his 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter titles from the 2009 World Champs in Berlin. Per Jos Hermans, his manager, Bekele will focus on the 10,000 meters and may consider the 5,000 meters. RBR believes that Bekele will do what Gebrselassie had to do in 2001: focus on one race, as the competition is just too high a standard in 2011. The 5,000 meter may be the toughest distance race of the Championships. Bekele is the world record holder at both 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. For him to be successful in Daegu, he will have to pull out all of the stops. In 2003, the last 1,600 meters was covered under 4:03 and the last 800 meters under 1:54 off a fast pace from 2,000 meters to 8,400 meters.
Kenenisa Bekele, Berlin 2009 WC, photo by PhotoRun.net 
ANTYUKH 54.84
CHEBOKSARY (RUS,
Jul 22): In the Friday´s morning program of Russian Nationals European
winner Natalya Antyukh was the fastest in the 400 m hurdles heats 54.84.
Aleksey Derevyagin achieved 49.48 fastest time in men´s heats. In the
high jump qualification the only failure name was Andrey Tereshin who
did not qualify with 212 and Sergey Mudrov was not jumping as he
prepares for World University Games in China. On the other hand world
champion Yaroslav Rybakov qualified for the final despite having the
possibility to use a bye. Sergey Mikhailovskiy was the best in the long
jump qualification (794, Aleksandr Menkov having a bye and was not
competing), Bogdan Pishchalnikov was the best in the discus
qualification (59.56) and Mariya Abakumova in the javelin (55.00).
SCHIPPERS 647
TALLINN
(EST, Jul 22): In the morning program of second day of 21st European
Junior Championships Dutch Dafne Schippers leaped to national junior
record in heptathlon long jump 647 (-0.8). In the 110 m hurdles heats
favorite Gregor Traber of Germany false started and fastest was so
Briton Andy Pozzi with 13.50. Norway´s world junior champion Isabelle
Pedersen was the fastest in the 100 m hurdles heats 13.59. In the 400 m
hurdles heats the best times for Russian Vera Rudakova 57.68 and
Ireland´s Thomas Barr 51.29. French favorite Pierre-Ambrose Bosse was
the best in the 800 m heats 1:51.11 and Turkish Kaya Kivilcim in girls
hammer qualification 65.77.
OGUNODE 10.07
RIO
DE JANEIRO (BRA, Jul 21): Last year Asian Games 200/400 winner Femi
Ogunode of Qatar won the 100 m at 5th World Military Games in fast
personal best and meet record 10.07 (+0.2). His previous best was 10.25.
Silver for Moroccan record holder Aziz Ouhadi 10.17 and bronze for
Nilson Andre of Brazil 10.34 with best European Italian Emmanuele Di
Gregorio fourth 10.39. In the women 100 m Ukrainian win for Marya
Ryemyen 11.34 (0.0) ahead of Ana Silva of Brazil 11.37 (but meet record
11.28,-0.1 in semis) and Olesya Povh 11.49. Sajjad Hashemi of Iran won
the 400 m in new national record 45.81 ahead of Kenyan Mark Mutai 45.91
and Arismendy Peguero of Dominican Republic 45.95. Kenyan win at 10 000 m
for Kiprono Menjo 28:36.92. Dominik Bochenek was the best at 110 m
hurdles for Poland (13.74, 0.0), Andriy Semenov of Ukraine in the shot
put (20.02) and Italian European indoor champion Simona La Mantia in the
triple jump (14.19, +0.2) beating home star Keila Costa (14.11, 0.0).
But home joy for Jefferson Sabino winning the men´s triple jump 16.89
(-0.6). Another home gold for the 4×400 m women team in 3:32.42. Meet
records in semifinals, Brazilian Geisa Coutinho in the 400 m (52.03) and
Yekaterina Poplavska of Belaurs in the 100 m hurdles (13.22, +0.7).
KENENISA PLANNING ONLY FOR 10K
ADDIS
ABABA (ETH): Universal Sports informs that the four time world 10,000m
champion Kenenisa Bekele is automatically eligible to run the Daegu
10,000 and 5000 races as the defending champion, but his preparations
need to fall into place after injuries destroyed his 2010 and early 2011
seasons. “He has begun training and he will return to competition,
perhaps in a short while,” said his brother Tariku Bekele after the New
York Diamond League meet in June. “He’ll be ready for the world
championships.” But, while his 5000m title defense has been ruled out,
the world record-holder Kenenisa now has just over five weeks to go
before the August 28 10,000 final in Daegu and he has less time than
that to get in some races before it.
OTHER NEWS
KASSEL
(GER) : The German national championships take off this weekend in
Kassel with main stars and world leaders such as Betty Heidler, Robert
Harting and Martina Strutz present at the championships. Also competing
are Silke Spiegelburg, Malte Mohr, Nadine Müller and Christina
Obergföll. Ariane Friedrich and Verena Sailer will also be in Kassel
this weekend but only to sign autographs to the fans reports leichtathletik.de.
LONDON (GBR):
Triple-jumper Phillips Idowu has said that he will not talk to UK
Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee again until he receives a
public apology. Van Commenee criticized Idowu in a BBC TV interview in
June after he used Twitter to reveal he was pulling out of the European
Team Championships. Van Commenee, however, has blamed him for not
following the correct procedures.
LONDON (GBR):
The fall-out from the News of the World’s newspaper could hit British
medal hopes at next year’s London Olympics as Rupert Murdoch’s News
International Group had agreed to support Team 2012, an elite athlete
fundraising body set up jointly by the London 2012 organizing committee
(LOCOG), the British Olympic Association (BOA) and UK Sport, as the
official media partner. But after the far-reaching phone-tapping scandal
that brought down the Sunday tabloid, Team 2012 is now reviewing its
partnership with News International and may look elsewhere for an
alternative media partner reports Reuters.
PRAGUE (CZE):
After a successful past six months, the Prague International Marathon
can reflect back on astonishing results and smashed records. The Hervis
Prague Half Marathon, holder of the IAAF Road Race Gold Label, sold out
three weeks early and boasted a huge turnout of supporters, making this
the biggest sporting event in the Czech Republic so far this year (9,614
runners). The winner of the men’s race, Philemon Limo, setting a new
record of 59:30, the third fastest performance in the world so far this
year, as well as being the third fastest event of the year for the half
marathon. The women’s winner, Lydia Cheromei, setting a new race record
of 1:07:33, which was the second fastest performance in the world this
year and the second fastest event to date. May’s Volkswagen Prague
Marathon, another IAAF Road Race Gold Label holder, also sold out early,
welcoming its maximum capacity of 8,500 runners. The race resulting in
the tenth fastest men’s performance as well as the 6th fastest event so
far this year, with Benson Kipchumba Barus finishing in a new personal
best of 2:07:07. The Kenyan runner, Lydia Cheromei, smashing the women’s
record by more than three minutes in a time of 2:22:34, to become the
fourth fastest woman in the second fastest event in the world this year.
BIRMINGHAM
(GBR): Kelly Sotherton took time off her preparations for the Aviva UK
Trials and Championships to visit patients and staff at Birmingham
Children’s Hospital yesterday, many of whom are due to watch the Olympic
bronze medalist in action at Birmingham Alexander Stadium next weekend.
The Birchfield Harrier spent several hours touring wards at the
hospital, including the intensive care and cardiac departments, ahead of
a visit by hospital patients and staff to the Birmingham Alexander
Stadium, organized as part of the hospital’s relationship with UKA. The
former heptathlete-turned-400m runner, spent time talking to parents of
patients and posing for countless photos with fans. Informs the
organizers.
BIRMINGHAM
(GBR): UK Athletics have confirmed that British sprinter Bernice Wilson
has tested positive for anabolic steroids. The 27-year-old runner’s
sample was found to contain both testosterone and clenbuterol, after she
was tested at the Bedford International Games on June 12. She has been
provisionally suspended from all competitive meetings – with the ruling
backdated to July 9 – pending her response to the charge. She could now
face a two-year ban from the sport – along with a lifetime exclusion
from future Olympic Games, including London 2012. Agencies are
informing.
TUSCALOOSA
(USA): Former University of Alabama All-American and national champion
in the long jump Miguel Pate has been hired as an assistant coach on the
Crimson Tide’s track and field staff, head coach Dan Waters announced
Thursday. “Miguel is a great addition to our staff and he’s exactly what
we need and are looking for in our program,” Waters said. “He’s
energetic and has the passion and desire be a great coach. He has a
great background and reputation in the South as a coach and athlete.
Plus he carries the experience of being a national champion and
understands the level at which we aim to compete.” University website
informs. Pate in the 2008 finished third at the US Olympic Trials to
earn his first spot on an Olympic team at the Beijing Games. He ended
the 2008 season ranked number one in the U.S. by Track & Field News
and followed that up with a fourth-place finish at the USA Outdoor
Championships.
KINGSTON
(JAM): Jamaica Gleaner informs that multiple championship-winning
Holmwood Technical coach, Maurice Wilson, is expected to be approved as
the head coach of Jamaica’s team to the World Championships . This
appointment is perhaps just reward for his much-acclaimed work at the
Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, last year and his constant success
at the local high-school level with the eight-time consecutive girls’
champions Holmwood. Wilson effectively replaces Racers Track Club
patriarch Glen Mills, who announced in 2009 that he was ending his
‘reign’ as national senior head coach; a position he held for 22 years
and spanned every Olympic Games since 1988 and every World Championships
in Athletics since the inaugural staging in 1983 and the 2003
installment. The Gleaner sources have also revealed that the G.C. Foster
College of Sports and Physical Education head coach will be joined in
Daegu by another track and field heavyweight, Fitz Coleman, who has been
appointed as technical director. Coleman, who heads the IAAF High
Performance Training Centre in Kingston, replaces Donald Quarrie in the
technical director capacity.
