LeMaitre, Powell, Frater, 2011 Lausanne GP DL, photo by PhotoRun.net

It is down to the last several weeks before the World Championships, to be held in Daegu, Korea, August 27-September 4, 2011. It has been a long season for many of the athletes, and in the past few weeks, Teddy Tamgho withdrew, as did Jeremy Wariner this very week.

Asafa Powell, who RBR interviewed yesterday, has pulled out of the AVIVA London GP as a precaution, per his manager/agent Paul Doyle. ” This is just a precaution, his achilles was a bit tight and he wants to be ready for Daegu.” was how Paul Doyle spoke to us this afternoon as we took the bus to the AVIVA London GP.

A great day, with a sold out crowd, the meet should be tremendous. The womens on camp with Kelly 800 meters just finished, which was won by Jana Hartmann of Germany in 2:01.97.

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POWELL OUT OF TODAY RACE

LONDON (GBR): World leader Asafa Powell will not run
FridayÂ´s London race as precautionary measure. “I have had some tightness in my
groin since the race in Budapest.
I had hoped that it would have cleared by now but it is still there. I am only
focusing on Daegu, as much as I would love to run tonight I just can’t risk
anything with Daegu 3 weeks away,” Powell was quoted. His agent Paul Doyle
adds: “We’re making this decision to not race tonight as a precaution. Asafa
has a tightness in his groin that has been getting better every day, but to run
tonight would put him at risk for injury. If we had 2 or 3 more days I think he
would be fine and able to race, but unfortunately that is not the case.”

FAST 100 M WOMEN RACE EXPECTED

LONDON (GBR): SaturdayÂ´s programme of Aviva London
Grand Prix is promising more highlights after top Friday action. For example
women 100 m
has a top field, the same goes for menÂ´s high jump and discus. Home crowds
waiting on Idowu, Ofili-Porter against Pearson and much more.

Saturday preview event by event

Men

200 m: US Champ Walter Dix against the clock.

Emsley Carr mile: B. Lagat has the fast finish, but national champ Shane
and title defender Choge also to watch.

400mH (non-DL): Taylor
and… (Culson, Gordon).

HJ: Russians Ukhov, Shustov, Silnov with world leader Jesse Williams and
super talent Mutaz.

TJ (non-DL): Idowu wants to jump as first and should end as first.

DT: Oly winner Kanter, World leader Kovago, old-timer Alekna, Hadadi
comes in and Paralympian Greaves. Meet record 67.82 should go.

4×100 m (non-DL): Jamaica,
Great Britain, St. Kitts, Germany,
Netherlands, but no USA, should be
anyway fast.

Women

100 m. Jeter vs. Fraser-Pryce vs. Baptiste and vs.
Lalova, but first heats.

400 m (non-DL): Will Ohuruogu improve again as she
is closer to champs? Shericka, Novlene and Sanya the favorites.

1500 m (non-DL): Dobriskey and England, home
win is expected.

5000 m: Clitheroe in a good position.

100mH (non-DL): Pearson is running against Ofili-Porter.

Steeple: Chemos wants remain unbeaten, meet record is hers 9:22.49 but
she should improve it.

SP: Another outing Adams vs. Ostapchuk.
So far all was in favor of the New Zealander.

KEMBOI GETS WARNING

NAIROBI (KEN): Steeple world title defender Ezekiel
Kemboi has been given a three-day ultimatum to report to camp at the Moi
International Sports Centre, Kasarani or be dropped. Head coach Peter Mathu has
no knowledge when Kemboi will be arriving in camp, over a week since he
communicated to the athlete. The Kenya
team is preparing for the World Athletics Championship, which will be held in Daegu, South
Korea from August 27 to September 4. East
Standard informs. Abraham Chirchir, Olympic champion Brimin Kipruto and Richard
Mateelong, the world silver medallist are all in camp and have been doing joint
training. The coach also dismissed doubts Mateelong was not in his best form
for the championship in Daegu, saying he has been impressed by the Commonwealth
Games champion’s commitment in training. As it is known Paul Kipsiele Koech
also aimed to be included into the team based on his results on European
circuit.

FARAH STILL OPEN FOR A DOUBLE

LONDON (GBR): World leader Mo Farah insisted that,
despite reports saying he would only run the 10,000 meters at the
IAAF World Championships starting in South Korea
tis month, he would be keeping his options open to double up over the 5,000m,
as he did in winning the two titles for Britain at last year’s European
Championships. Farah, who will run over 3,000m
at Crystal Palace tomorrow at end of the first day
of a two-day Samsung Diamond League meeting, insisted: “I want to give the 10,000 meters 110 per
cent and then see how my legs feel afterwards. But if I feel good I can still
do the 5000 meters.”

TIRUNESH AND SILESHI OUT

ADDIS ABABA (ETH): The final composition of Ethiopian team
for Daegu will be known next week. But as well informed sources are saying, the
pair Tirunesh Dibaba and Sileshi Sihine are definitely out from any
considerations to compete in Korea.
Still open is the situation with Kenenisa Bekele and the possibility that he
might run the 10 000 m
in Daegu.

TURKEY WITH 23 ATHLETES

ISTANBUL (TUR): Turkey announced its team for World
Championships in Daegu. It is composed by 6 men and 17 women. There is no clear
medal hope, but some finals are possible. For example for European champion
Alemitu Bekele at 5000 m,
improved throwers Ercument Olgundeniz in discus and Fatih Avan in javelin. Also
selected is another Barcelona
winner Nevin Yanit at 100 m
hurdles, but she has not the shape from last year. Turkish team – men –
marathon: Karayel, DT: Olgundeniz, HT: Apak, Eryildirim, JT: Avan, 20 km walk: Celik, women –
400 m: Saka, Engin, 800 m: Aydin, Kurt, 1500 m: Cakir, Karakaya, 5000 m: A.
Bekele, marathon. Dogan, steeple: Uslu, Mingir, 100mH: Yanit, 400 mH: Karedere,
Engin, HJ: Ayhan, LJ: Mey, HT: Sahutoglu, 20 km w: Mutlu, 4×400 m: Engin, Saka, Redif,
Aydin, Karedere.

CROATIA WITH VLASIC AND OTHER FIVE

ZAGREB (CRO): Croatia is sending six athletes to
World Championships in Daegu. As title defender and team headliner will travel
high jumper Blanka Vlasic. Also in the team marathon runner Lisa Christina
Stublic and 400 m
hurdlers runner Nikolina Horvat. Three men are throwers, Roland Varga and Martin
Maric for discus and Andras Haklits for hammer.

OTHER NEWS

OTTAWA (CAN):
Discus thrower Jason Tunks (36) officially announced his retirement, the
three time Olympian and Olympic finalist has decided to formerly step away from
competition. Tunks retires as Canada’s
best ever discus thrower with his name across the record books still proof of
his dominating career. He retires as the Canadian record holder and with an
astounding 14 Canadian champion titles. “In 2008 my wife Lieja and I opened
Olympic Fitness (www.olympicfitness.org)
which has become very successful”, explains Tunks. “That venture along with our
two girls (Julia 5, Jenna 19 months) means that I don’t have time to put in the
required hours in training, I am looking forward to spending my free time with
my wife and kids, and to see the continued growth of Olympic Fitness,” he said
as per Athletics Canada release.

HELSINKI (FIN): Ticket sales for the Helsinki 2012
European Athletics Championships begin on Sunday 7 August, with ticket packages
starting from 65 euros. The compact five-day schedule of the 2012 European
Athletics Championships through 27 June to 1 July encompasses morning sessions
with heats and qualifications and exciting evening sessions packed with finals.
With javelin very close to the hearts of Finnish athletics fans, a “javelin
package” covering the qualification rounds for men and women on Wednesday 27
June and the men’s final on Thursday 28 June is available. Friday 29 June will
be a package of its own with 12 finals including the women’s javelin final and
the first day of the heptathlon. The Saturday and Sunday package offers a
staggering amount of action – altogether 20 finals – at the Helsinki Olympic
Stadium. Helsinki 2012 ticket sales will start Sunday with a ceremony honouring
Finland’s
men’s ice hockey team, with the first tickets presented to the “Leijonat”
(lions) who won gold at this year’s World Championships. Informs European
Athletics. Helsinki 2012 event mascot “Appy” is a virtual character
representing the theme of the 2012 European Athletics Championships: technology
and design.

LONDON (GBR): According to the Daily Mail, former
world 10 000 m
champion Liz McColgan appeared in court to face charges of “punching husband
and throwing his clothes out the window. She denies the accusations. Liz
McColgan denies attacking her husband Peter. UK media are informing.

HOKKAIDO (JPN): Brett Larner informs on his blog that
this year’s Hokkaido Marathon is set for Sunday, Aug. 28, directly opposite the
Daegu World Championships. With a 12:10
start time Hokkaido
is always hot and has some of the most strategic racing on the Japanese
calendar. The men’s race features both
Kenyans defending champion Cyrus Njui and 2009 winner Daniel Njenga along with
sub-2:12 domestic men Seiji Kobayashi, Masaya Shimizu and Masashi Hayashi. The women’s race
likewise features the 2010 and 2009 winners, defending champ Yumiko Hara and
course record holder Kiyoko Shimahara, along with 2006 winner Kaori Yoshida who
returns to Hokkaido
off a sub-2:30 PB at last fall’s Chicago Marathon. Also in the race are former national record
holder Yoko Shibui and two-time World Championships marathon medalist Reiko
Tosa, Tosa seeking to make a comeback after giving birth to her first baby last
year. The strongest challenge may come
from 2011 Asian Marathon champion Noriko Higuchi who finished 2nd at February’s
Tokyo Marathon.

AUSTIN (USA):
Reports from USA are saying
that US long jump champion
Marquise Goodwin, a junior football WR at Texas, is redshirting 2011 to focus on track
and field. He is debuting in European circuit on Friday in long jump at Aviva
London Grand Prix. But it is not his overall European debut, he won the world
junior title 2008 in
Bydgoszcz, Poland.

KINGSTON (JAM): Track Alerts informs that a 19 member
team will represent Jamaica
at the 26th World University Games to be held in Shenzhen. The team comprises
of both local and overseas based University student athletes will be Jamaica’s largest delegation attending the games
and will be aiming to attain Jamaica’s
highest medal tally at the prestigious event. Top names are male sprinters
Jacques Harvey (10.09) and Rasheed Dwyer and on the women side Anneisha
McLaughlin the world 2009 finalist. The team – women: Indira Spence (100mH,
4x100m), Anneisha Mclaughlin (200m, 4x100m), Carrie Russell (100m, 4x100m),
Anastasia Leroy (400m, 4x100m), Shermaine Williams (100mH, 4x100m). Men: Peter
Matthews (400 m),
Odayne Richards (SP, DT), Jason Young (100m, 200m, 4x100m), Jowayne Hibbert (800 m), Jacques Harvey (100 m, 4x100m), Hansle
Parchment (110 m
H, 4x100m), Rasheed Dwyer (200
m, 4x100m),

TURKU (FIN): Former javelin world champion Tero
PitkamÃ¤ki will miss this weekends National Championships due to his health
issues. He is out competing for at least one week due to results of his blood
tests. Traces in his blood may be result of an infectious disease or an
allergic reaction. He still could be ready for the Lappeenranta meet on August 13.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: For many European (and also other) countries the
selection process for Daegu will end this weekend. Although the official IAAF
deadline is August 15. Finland,
Switzerland, Hungary, Denmark,
Spain, Austria, Slovenia,
Serbia and Ireland will stage
its championships. Ukrainian championships will end on Friday.

RESULTS

TURKU (FIN, Aug 4): Finnish Championships started
with 20 km
walk races. Wins for Jarkko Kinnunen 1:23:40 and Karolina Kaasalainen 47:01.

TEL AVIV (ISR, Aug 4): Junior Khai Cohen clocked 34.64 at the 300 m, it is national junior
best mark. Jamaican Lanceford Spence won the 400 m in 46.76 over new
Israeli (and former US) runner Donald Sanford 46.81. Another national junior
mark at 1000 m
for Yimer Getahun in 2:24.61.

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 50-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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