byLarry EderDaegu is six days away now, and the news continues. Usain Bolt is 25 today. Bryan Clay, due to knee injury, is out of the Daegu decathlon. Chris Solinsky, AR at 10,000m, has withdrawn from the 5,000m, due to a hamstring injury that flared up.
Chris Solinsky, 2011 USA Outdoor 5,000m, photo by PhotoRun.net 
DAEGU TEAM NEWS
JAMAICA:
Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man, celebrated on Sunday his 25th
birthday in good mood. He predicted he would retain his world 100 meters
title in Daegu provided he gets a decent start. “When I get into my
running stride I don’t think anybody can match it, no matter my shape,”
he was quoted by agencies. He also spent his day at the store of one his
sponsors, Swiss watch maker Hublot. Bolt, speaking after showing off
his new gold, black and green Jamaican-colored running spikes to a group
of women dressed in traditional Korean costume, said his training was
going well and we was ready to run. Bolt will start his 100 m campaign
on Saturday in heats at 9.45 pm local time, the best runners will not
compete in the preliminary round which is scheduled for the same day at
12.55 hrs. That means he would need to run three times the 100 m, three
times the 200 m (no preliminary round planned here) and possibly once
4×100 m.
USA: Changes
in US Team. Trell Kimmons has been added into the 100 m and replaces
Mike Rodgers, who on Friday voluntarily withdrew from the World
Championships and accepted a provisional suspension from the U.S.
Anti-Doping Agency, after he tested positive for a stimulant earlier
this summer. Kimmons was already part of the 4×100 m relay pool.
Rodgers’ lawyer, David Greifinger, has indicated to USADA that he will
continue to investigate the cause and will decide with his client how to
proceed. The American record holder for 10,000m, Chris Solinsky, said
he will not be able to compete in Daegu due to a hamstring injury.
“Yesterday I had to make the hardest decision of my career,” Solinsky
said through his Twitter feed. “I strained my hamstring again during a
speed session. I tried everything to get it ready to be able to compete
at Worlds, but it was not responding fast enough,” Solinsky also
tweeted. He will be replaced by Andrew Bumbalough. With help from RRW.
USA: Jeremy
Dodson’s agent/attorney, Vince Ewing, has provided Trackandfieldnews.com
with the following additional information on Dodson’s case. “We’ll have
more clarity on Friday, August 26, 2011 on whether he can travel to
Daegu. Quick resolution doesn’t appear likely. However, his ultimate
exoneration does.” Dodson is Daegu-bound US team member for the 200 m.
USA: Olympic
gold medalist Bryan Clay has withdrawn from the World Championships
citing a minor knee injury. “I have come to a decision to withdraw from
Daegu because I feel that I would be at less than my best. I am not
interested in just competing anymore, I want to win medals every time I
compete and based on the way my knee has been over the past 6 weeks I
feel that I would not be in my top form.” Said Clay from his Glendora,
California home. Clay, who fell in the 110m Hurdles at the US Champs and
did not finish the decathlon, had developed tendonitis in his knee. The
tendonitis had been manageable until his training reached new intensity
levels as he prepared for Daegu. Clay’s long time Coach Kevin Reid
said, “Bryan is as fit and as strong as he’s ever been, but the knee is
limiting how much return he gets out of the track. We went into the
Thorpe Cup 100m with a mindset of gauging where he was at and to decide
if it made sense to make an attempt at the World Championships.” Clay
ran 10.82 in San Diego at the Thorpe Cup far from his 10.35 personal
best from last year. “To be honest, the decision was easy” said Clay’s
manager, Paul Doyle. “Bryan has really not put a lot of emphasis on this
season as he has a much bigger goal in the works for next year. Bryan
already has 7 global medals, 4 of which are gold, but Bryan’s last real
goal for his career is to earn a 3rd Olympic medal and become the only
man in history to have done so.” Informs his agent Paul Doyle.
AUSTRALIA:
World leader Mitchell Watt will be joined by Commonwealth champion
Fabrice Lapierre and world junior champion Robbie Crowther on the runway
for the men’s long jump at the IAAF world championships as the trio
combine to be arguably Australia’s strongest event in Daegu. “Our long
jumps ranks today are the product of the success of the event across
more than a decade,” Gary Bourne, Watt’s coach, said. “We had people
like Jai Taurima come out of Sydney and their performance established a
national jumps program with fantastic resources and great coaches that
have developed the athletes we see here at worlds today. Mitch is
quietly confident and rightly so. His heel isn’t causing him any issues,
he jumped on it in Stockholm and London without any troubles, and here
he has been training at full capacity. A jump of 8.60m will be needed to
win here I think and I know he can do that.” Informs Athletics
Australia.
AUSTRALIA:
Australian 1500m champion Jeff Riseley faces a tough decision upon
arriving in the IAAF world championships athlete village on Sunday with
the 24-year-old set to make a call on whether to compete in the 800m,
the 1500m or both. Riseley is one of only three athletes, the others
being Sally Pearson (100m, 100m hurdles) and Ben St Lawrence (5000m,
10,000m), selected to compete in multiple individual events, with a
close assessment of the timetable with coach Nic Bideau set to decide
which event or events Riseley will compete. “I haven’t really made up my
mind about whether I will do both, the timetable is tough but I will
chat with my coach in the village in the next couple of days and make a
call from there,” Riseley said. Informs Athletics Australia.
OCTAGON: The
management group Octagon will have in Daegu 13 athletes from 8
countries. Top athletes here managed by Renaldo Nehemiah and Robert
Wagner are 400 m world leader Kirani James of Grenada and hurdler Kellie
Wells of USA.
FINLAND: Pole
vaulter and national record holder Minna Nikkanen pulled out of the
Daegu team because she has injured her left thumb.
RUSSIA:
Russian head-coach Valentin Maslakov informed from Vladivostok that:
“There is also a bit of bad news, the triple jumper Alsu Murtazina got
injured. She pulled a muscle in training and will not go to Daegu now.
Now, we only have Anna Kuropatkina in this event. I have talked with
Alsu, tried to console her. It is terribly disappointing that a week
before such important competition, she had to drop out.”
SOUTH AFRICA:
Defending women’s 800 m world champion Caster Semenya refused to speak
to the media on Saturday as the South African athletics team jetted off
to Daegu. The two-lap athlete this week communicated to the media via
her spokespeople and newly appointed South African manager. Informs SA
media.
CZECH
REPUBLIC: Second part of Czech team travelled on Saturday from Praha. In
this part all five javelin throwers headed by legendary thrower and now
succesful coach Jan Zelezny. World record holder Barbora Spotakova
admitted her aim is to win in Daegu the women javelin. “It was easier as
competitor, now I must pay attention to five different personalities.
They have one thing common. All want to achieve the best possible
result,” said Zelezny.
SLOVAKIA:
Slovak team departed on Saturday from Vienna airport with walking hope
Matej Toth who will double at 20 km and 50 km, hammer European champion
Libor Charfreitag and two finals candidates Dana Veldakova in triple
jump and Lucia Klocova in the 800 m.
IAAF: IAAF posted on its website entry lists for the World Championships.
MOROCCO:
19 athletes will represent this running country. The only technical
events representative is long jump record holder Yahya Berrabah. The
team – men – 100/200 m: Ouhadi, 800 m: El Amin, 1500 m: Laalou, Iguider,
Mostaoui, SC: Hachlaf, H. Ezzine, LJ: Berrabah, Mar: Goumri, Nani,
Kisri, Beday, Bouramdane. Women – 800 m: Hachlaf, El Akkaoui, 1500 m:
Hilali, Lakhouad, El Akkaoui, SC: Ouhaddou, Alami.
SWITZERLAND:
Female sprinter Mujing Kambundji selected for 4×100 m relay will not
compete. Her hamstring injury was not healed enough to travel to Korea.
MEXICO: Ten
athletes from Mexico will compete in Daegu, seven of them are walkers.
The team – men – 10 000 m: Romero, HJ: Rivera, PV: Lanaro, 20 kmw: E.
Sanchez, Nava, Flores, 50 kmw: Zepeda, Leyvar, Hernandez. The only woman
in the team is walker Guadalupe Sanchez.
BELARUS:
Belarus will be sending 23 athletes but the women out number the men.
Just five men having been selected, all throwers, compared to 18 women.
Shot put European champions Andrey Mikhnevich and Nadezhda Ostapchuk are
the headliners, not named is because of injury Andrey Kravchenko, the
2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships heptathlon gold medallist.
The Belarus team is: men – shot put: Lyzhin, Mikhnevich; hammer:
Krivitsky, Shayunov and Svyatokho; women – 800m: S Usovich, Arzamasava;
1500m Kareyvo; pole vault: Shvedova; long jump: Mironchik-Ivanova,
Shutkova; shot put: Mikhnevich, Ostapchuk; hammer: Matoshko 4x100m
relay: Bahdanovich, Balykina, Danilyuk-Neumiarzhyskaya, Liapeshka;
4x400m relay: Khliustava; Tashpulatava, I Usovich, S Usovich, Yushanka;
20km walk: Yatsevich.
OTHER NEWS
LONDON (GBR): Latest Pat Butchers blog www.globerunner.org – One Year to London 2012.
KINGSTON
(JAM): Jamaica Observer informs that sprinter Steve Mullings will
contest the results of his B sample that showed the presence of a banned
substance in his system when he took part in the JAAA/Supreme Ventures
National Senior Trials in late June.
After a prolonged
wait this week, the Florida based sprinter was notified late Thursday
that the results of the B sample which was tested at the INRS-Institut
Armand-Frappier Research Center in Quebec — an IAAF/WADA accredited
facility — had confirmed the presence of the diuretic Furosemide.
Meanwhile, the Observer learnt that the hearing will be held on Monday,
August 22.
RESULTS (Parchment 13.24, Pusterla 684, Mageean 4:07.45, Hoffa 21.63)
SHENZHEN
(CHN, Aug 20): Three gold medals for Russia in athletics on Saturday at
World University Games. Olga Kurban won the heptathlon (6151), Irina
Tarasova shot put (18.02) and Ekaterina Koneva the triple jump (14.25
+0.4 ahead of Patricia Mamona of Portugal 14.23 and best in
qualification Cristina Bujin of Romania 14.21). Sensational 110 m
hurdles win for Jamaican Hanse Parchment who improved hugely to 13.24
(-0.3) ahead of Chinese Fan Jiang 13.55 and US Ron Brookins 13.56 with
French Dimitri Bascou beeing the best European as fourth 13.60.
Parchment had no mark known in 2009, 13.71 in 2010 and 13.50 before
coming to China. High quality pole vault ended as Polish success. Lukasz
Michalski cleared 575 to win and a tie for second for Mateusz Didenkow
575 (PB) and Russian Aleksandr Gripich 575 (equalled PB). Turkish Binnaz
Uslu won after the steeple also the 5000 m in 15:41.15 life-time best
and Alberto Paulo of Portugal was the best in men steeple after 8:32.26.
Russian men clocked the fastest 4×100 m heats time 39.37 when favorites
Jamaica and Japan were disqualified and Great Britain and Nigeria did
not qualify for the final. In the 4×400 m heats US men were
disqualified. Marquise Goodwin leaped to exactly 8 meters in the long
jump qualification and fastest in women 4×100 m heats were the
Ukrainians 43.55.
BIRMINGHAM
(GBR, Aug 20): At UK Challenge Final meet fast 1500 m won by world
junior medalist Ciara Mageean of Ireland who improved her own national
junior record to 4:07.45. Second Jemma Simpson also pretty fast 4:07.53.
Tara Bird won the 800 m in personal best 2:02.77 and 39 years old Tony
Whiteman still good to clock 3:42.40 at the 1500 m.
ANDORF (AUT, Aug 20): Czech wins at Austrian meet. Jiri Vojtik 21.00 (+1.7) at the 200 m and Pavel Jiran 46.67 at the 400 m.
ATHENS (USA,
Aug 19): Top shape for shot putters at local meet. Reese Hoffa got 21.63
ahead of Adam Nelson 21.45 and third Chang Ming-Huang again improved
the national record for Chinese Taipei to 20.58 m.
CHIASSO (SUI,
Aug 20): Irene Pusterla improved here hew Swiss long jump record to
impressive 684 (+1.0) in fifth round. She bettered her previous national
mark from this year by 3 cm.
OSLO (NOR, Aug 20): At Norway Games Oyunn Grindem cleared 190 in the high jump, personal best by one cm.
KLADNO (CZE, Aug 18): Jan Marcell tested his shape with 62.83 discus.
ILAWA (POL,
Aug 19): New Polish high jump champion Piotr Sleboda improved here at a
local high jump meet to 227 cm. He was also close to 230 cm.
DOMAZLICE
(CZE, Aug 20): Special guest here Jamaican Commonwealth winner Lerone
Clarke with two fast 100 m races, 10.26 (-0.8) in heats and 10.20 (-1.0)
in the finals.
FORST (GER,
Aug 20): At German regional championships Felix Gottl sprinted to 10.43
(100 m) and Candy Bauer achieved 19.85 in the shot put.
HELSINKI (FIN,
Aug 20): Leena Puotiniemi won the Helsinki City Marathon and Finnish
title with 2:38:05. Male winner Kenyan Pius Ondoro 2:23:24.
MAZZARINO (ITA, Aug 20): Kenyan Paul Koech won the 24th Stramazzarino road race at 6 km in 18:34 in Sicily.
FELTRE (ITA, Aug 20): Multiple European CC winner Serhiy Lebid of Ukraine won the 23rd Giro Delle Mura here in 27:10 at 9.45 km.
CONFIGNO (ITA,
Aug 20): Kenyans dominated at the 34th Amatrice-Configno road race at
8.5 km. Stephen Kibet achieved 24:10 ahead of Matthew Kisorio 24:15 and
William Kibor 24:43. Best non-African Denis Curzi was 12th 25:43.
Ethiopian Asmare Work Bekele was the best woman in 29:28 ahead of
Marcella Mancini 29:45 and Marzena Michalska of Poland 29:52.
STROMLO (AUS,
Aug 20): Brisk and windy conditions have greeted runners at Stromlo
Forest for the Australian Cross Country Championships as Liam Adams and
Emily Brichacek were crowned men’s and women’s open champions
respectively. Adams clocked 36:05 at 12 km over Martin Dent 36:22 and
Scott Westcott 36:23. Brichacek achieved at 8 km 27:18 with Lisa
Corrigan second 27:36 and Anna Thompson third 27:46.
HIROSHIMA
(JPN, Aug 20): Half marathon national record holder Atsushi Sato made
another step toward a comeback when he won the men’s 8 km division at
the 12th annual Hiroshima Cross-Country Meet on a hot and humid day.
Sato outran 2010 winner Peter Kariuki and 2007 winner Joseph Gitau over
the final two km to take the win in 24:03 by a margin of 15 seconds.
Gitau finished 2nd in 24:18, Kariuki taking 3rd in 24:21. Informs Brett
Larner on his blog.
WELLINGTON
(NZL, Aug 20): Stephen Lett withstood a strong challenge from fellow
Auckland runners Jono Jackson and Alex Parlane to win the national 10km
road title in Wellington in 30:58. Lisa Robertson captured her first
national title winning the senior women 10km in 34:32.
CORRECTION
SHENZHEN: Correction to the 200 m men final. Jamaican Young and South African Mpuang tied for silver in 20.59.
