byLarry Eder
Marathon season is on, and 49,000 plus will run the 2011 BMW Berlin marathon, along with Paula Radcliffe and Haile Gebrselassie!
Pistorius was the star, Kanter with top mark
WARSZAWA (POL, Sep 20): At second Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in solid
late summer weather and supported by some 3000 spectators Blade Runner
Oscar Pistorius in his first visit to Poland was the star of the day
winning his event (400 m, and last of the meet) in good 46.65. “Im glad
to win my last race of the season. That gives me full motivation for
Olympic year to compete in both Olympics and Paralympics,” he said. The
best result of the day was produced by olympic winner and Daegu silver
medalist Gerd Kanter in discus with season best 67.99 in round five
(also 67.34 in third round). Second world leader Zoltan Kovago 66.69 and
third Robert Urbanek still beating local hero Piotr Malachowski and
improving personal best to 64.37 (for Malachowski 63.93). In the main
hammer events world champion 2011 Tatyana Lysenko (72.19) beat 2009
world champion Anita Wlodarczyk (71.02). In men´s competition European
U23 champion Pawel Fajdek showed his talent with last round win 77.96
over world medalists Krisztian Pars (76.97) and Primoz Kozmus (72.88).
In very interesting shot put duel (two attempts with each 8, 7, 6 and 5
kg implement) the overall winner was Dylan Armstrong with 88.67 score
over Tomasz Majewski 88.64 and Christian Cantwell 87.24. With 8 kg the
best was Cantwell (20.27), with the usual 7 kg again Cantwell achieved
the best mark 21.42, but with 6 kg Armstrong was the best 23.26 and with
5 kg Majewski tossed to 24.88 m. Both results better than existing
world junior and youth records. Here the marks for the top trio: 1.
Armstrong (20.03-21.23-23.26-24.15), 2. Majewski
(19.75-20.86-23.15-24.88), 3. Cantwell (20.27-21.42-22.71-22.81).
European indoor champion Adam Kszczot made an worthy solo effort in the
800 m with 1:45.48. Eurowinner Marcin Lewandowski was second (1:49.48).
In the women 1000 m Angelika Cichocka posted solid 2:37.33. Cuban Yuniel
Perez won the 100 m in good 10.31 (+1.8) and Briton Montell Douglas
took the women sprint in 11.52 (+0.8) with legendary Merlene Ottey as
fourth clocking her second fastest of the year 11.84. Slovak Jana
Veldakova with last jump effort won the long jump (655, +2.2) over
Margrethe Renstrom of Norway (653, +0.8, third best of the career).
Gala on November 12
MONTE CARLO (MON): The International Athletics Foundation (IAF) pays
tribute to the best athletes of the year and commemorates the season
during the IAF World Athletics Gala. For this year it is planned for the
evening of Saturday 12 November in the Salle des Etoiles in Monaco. The
Honorary President of the Foundation, His Serene Highness Prince Albert
II of Monaco, will, once again, honour the members of our athletics
family by attending this year’s celebration. In addition, the Gala will
be immediately preceded by an IAAF Council Meeting at which among other
business, the host city for the 2017 IAAF World Championships will be
selected on Friday 11 November. The favorites for AOY title are Yohan
Blake, Usain Bolt, David Rudisha, Vivian Cheruiyot and Sally Pearson with Robert
Harting, adds EME NEWS.
Bekele for four miles
GRONINGEN (NED) : Kenenisa Bekele has confirmed his participation at
the four mile race of Groningen on October 25. The 25th edition of
the four mile race will be Bekele’s first ever experience in that
distance. Bekele, who has missed most of the season with recurring
injuries, showed his fitness last weekend in Brussels when running a
world leading time over 10.000m.
Hersh leading the commission
MONTE CARLO (MON): The IAAF Evaluation Commission which will carry
out the evaluation of the bids of London (GBR) and Doha (QAT) to host
the 2017 IAAF World Championships has been formed and their programme
decided. Members are:: Bob Hersh, IAAF Senior Vice-President, Chairman
of the Commission, Hamad Kalkaba, IAAF Council member, Cesar Moreno,
Honorary Member of the IAAF Council, Alberto Juantorena, IAAF Council
Member, Chairman and representative of the IAAF Athletes’ Commission,
Pierre Weiss, IAAF General Secretary, Nick Davies, IAAF Communications
Director and Deputy IAAF General Secretary, Paul Hardy, IAAF
Competitions Director, Hiroshi Mochizuki, representing our Marketing
Company, DENTSU, Nigel Swinscoe, representative of AMS (the servicing
company of DENTSU), Isabelle Dupuis, PA to IAAF General Secretary. The
commission will arrive on October 2 to London, on October 4 will travel
from London to Doha. The factors to evaluate are: Stadium and
surrounding facilities, Support of Public Institutions, Athletes
Accommodation, Accommodation of IAAF Family, Broadcasting, Marketing and
Promotions (Full stadium), Transportation, Technical organisation of
the competition, Anti-doping and Medical, IAAF Congress, Security,
Communications and Media Services, Innovation and Added Value.
Pearson plans WR attack
GOLD COAST (AUS): World champion hurdler Sally Pearson said she plans to
break the world record next year as she set her sights on London
Olympic gold. Pearson ran a blistering 12.28 at the IAAF World
Championships, the fourth fastest time ever run in the 100m hurdles.
“Olympic gold and a world record,” she said when asked what 2012 held in
store during a reception celebrating her achievement on the Gold Coast,
her home town. “After winning the final I still felt like I could do
more. That’s a good sign I guess because I felt that 12.28 was real easy
for me — hopefully next year I will be able to go faster.” Pearson was
quoted by AFP.
OTHER NEWS
GLASGOW (GBR): Glasgow has emerged as a potential candidate for the
2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games with the British Olympic Association
confirming that they are currently evaluating whether or not to put
forward a bid for the event. The inaugural Summer Youth Olympics
were successfully staged in Singapore last year with Innsbruck set
to stage the first ever Winter Youth Olympics next January. The
Chinese city of Nanjing will host the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics and
Lillehammer are set to host the second Youth Olympic Games in 2016
as they are the only bidder for the event writes Insidethegames.
LONDON (GBR): Athletes face an increased volume of blood-tests in
the run-up to London 2012 following a new directive by the World
Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Meeting at the headquarters of the IOC in
Lausanne, the WADA Executive Committee accepted a recommendation
that all anti-doping organisations ensure that not less than 10 per
cent of samples collected are blood specimens. Only four percent of
all doping control samples collected in 2010 were for blood, mostly
for passport programmes reports Insidethegames.
BERLIN (GER): World javelin champion Mathias De Zordo talked to
leichtathletik.de following what he calls a dream season. De Zordo
captured the world javelin title and the Diamond League Throphy and
also improved his personal best to 88.36. De Zordo had anticipated
Andreas Thorkildsen to keep him from the Diamond League victory but
is more than happy to end the season with a PB. Next year De Zordo
is aiming at the European championships as well as the Olympic Games
and is eyeing to break the 90 meter barrier.
KINGSTON (JAM): Jamaican publishers Ian Randle Publishers hopes to
make a mark next year when Jamaica celebrates its 50th year of
independence from Britain with two books on athletics: Black
Meteors: The Caribbean in International Track and Field, and Running
for Black Gold . The books are scheduled to be released in March,
five months before the London Olympics.
NEW YORK (USA): The IAAF Congress passed a motion to change the
standard by which women athletes achieve world record performances in
road races. By the new criterion, only times achieved in all-women
competitions would be acknowledged for world record purposes, and
performances achieved in mixed conditions would now be referred to only
as “world best”. The new criterion means that Paula Radcliffe’s 2003
London mark of 2:15:25 is no longer the world record but now a world
best, and that her 2005 London time of 2:17:42 is the world record.
World Marathon Majors and the Association of International Marathons
AIMS issued following statement on that: “The boards of both World
Marathon Majors (WMM) and Association of International Marathons (AIMS)
have reviewed the recent Congress decision and believe that it does not
represent what is required by the sport of road running. They further
believe that there should be two world records for women’s road running
performances, separately recognising those achieved in mixed competition
and women’s only conditions. AIMS and WMM will continue to acknowledge
both types of performances as world records and will discuss this matter
further with the IAAF, recognising that: the vast majority of women’s
road races throughout the World are held in mixed conditions, the
current situation where the fastest time is not now recognised as a
record is confusing and unfair and does not respect the history of our
sport, WMM and AIMS congratulate the IAAF for introducing world road
records and for continuing to support road running through its labelling
scheme.
MONTE CARLO (MON): IAAF approved the 10 000 m walking world junior
record by Russian Elena Lashmanova 42:59.48 at the European Junior
Championships in Tallinn on July 21, 2011.
LONDON (GBR) : British distance hope Stephanie Twell is ready to come
back after a horrible accident cut her career short. Twell slipped and
fell during a cross country race in Belgium earlier this year and broke
her ankle. Twell has been rehabilitating for the last seven months and
aims at making a return in a small road race in Aldershot. The British
youngster stays confident she can make it to the 2012 Olympic Games
reports The Times.
BRUSSELS (BEL): According to research from the Leuven University in
Belgium, Usain Bolt was just narrowly slower than his world record 100m
race in three areas. Researchers from the University analyzed the
performance of Bolt with lasers and concluded he had lost the most
ground in the first steps of the race.
BERLIN (GER): 49.963 runners are expected for this weekend’s Berlin
Marathon. The 38th edition of the marathon will also welcome 6572
skaters, 10.000 students for a mini marathon, 11.000 participants in the
breakfastrun and 1000 children for the kids run. In total about 70.000
participants from over 150 countries are expected to compete over the
weekend while over 1 million spectators are anticipated to watch the
event. Both world record holders Paula Radcliffe and Haile
Gebreselassie lead the elite fields confirms leichtathletik.de.
GOLD COAST (AUS): The Gold Coast has taken the opportunity to showcase
its sporting pedigree and promote its bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth
Games by awarding the keys of the city to Sally Pearson, the
newly-crowned world 100 metres hurdles gold medallist, and Sam Stosur,
who won the US Open, the first Australian female tennis player to win a
Grand Slam title for 31 years. At the special event the two women, who
had never met before despite both been raised on the Gold Coast and
attending the same high school, were presented with the honour by the
city’s Mayor Ron Clarke, himself a sporting legend having formerly been
one of the world’s top distance runners writes Insidethegames.
LAGOS (NIG): Nigerian Sports Minister Yussuf Suleiman has given his
consent to hire ex-international Innocent Egbunike on a long term
contract that would see him revive and rekindle Nigeria’s athletic
prowess of old. Egbunike needs to revive the glory days of Nigerian
track and field starting with the 2012 Olympic Games according to
Vanguard.
LONDON (GBR): Latest Pat Butcher´s blog at www.globerunner.org – Great Marathon Stats.
RESULTS
ARTASHAT (ARM, Sep 17): 10th international long jump competition saw
home winner in men´s competition when Vardan Pahlevanyan leaped to
exactly 8 meters. Second Povilas Mikolaitis of Lithuania 798. In women
competition Russian Oksana Zhukovskaya achieved 658 cm.
TUBINGEN (GER, Sep 18): Bernard Lagat competed after Newcastle and was
second in the 7.5 km run in 21:08. Kenyan winner Elisha Rotich clocked
21:01. German Arne Gabius was third 21:13 ahead of Isaac Songok 21:15.
Eunice Chebibi was the best woman in 24:35 ahead of the Russian Yelena
Zadorozhnaya 24:36.
BLOEMFONTEIN (RSA, Sep 17): Race Results Weekly informs about the South
African Cross-country Championships at altitude. Defending 12 km
champion Stephen Mokoka (who has won the last three South African titles
in the track 10,000m), was beaten this time by Tshamano Setone (who has
won the last two track 5000m titles) – but only by a whisker. Both were
given the same time, 36:09. Xolisa Tyali had to be content with the
same position as in 2010, 26 seconds behind the first two. In the
women’s race over 8 km Lebo Phalula retained her title, with twin
Lebogang third.
