byLarry Eder
Savinova is undecided on the indoor season. I will be curious to see who runs a full indoor season anyway. There is only one goal for track & field athletes in 2012, and it is in the city of London, it is called the Olympics.
Savinova undecided about indoors
ARONA (ESP): World 800 m champion Mariya Savinova was a proud
recipient of the European Athletics Athlete of the Year trophy
presented by Mondo. In exclusive evening dress she confirmed her
main goal for next year is Olympic Games. Savinova is still
undecided about indoor season (“but I like to compete indoors”), the
decision will fall in next days. In two weeks time she will start
her preparation for 2012. About European Championships in Helsinki
she adds, ” in case I will recieve a wild card from our nationals I
think I will be interested to run in Helsinki.” Russian
Championships which will serve as trials for Olympics will be held
from July 3 to 6 in Cheboksary. That is just two days after European
Championships which are ending on July 1.
Storl plans full season
ARONA (ESP): German shot put world champion David Storl who recieved
on Saturday evening the EA Rising Star Award confirmed he is
planning a full year of competition in 2012. First he plans to be
there during the indoor season with climax the World Indoor
Championships in Turkey. In the summer he wants to be ready for both
top events – the European Championships in Helsinki and Olympic
Games in London. “We already considered it with my coach, I can
attack top positions at both events,” said one of the most
surprising Daegu gold medalists. He was also asked about the
European record 23.06 of Ulf Timmermann. “Let me first get the 22
metres, the 23 is for the moment far away, but you never know in
future,” said Storl. The women Rising Star Award was
presented to British sprinter and European junior champion Jodie
Williams. She confirmed that her main goal next year is to compete
at Olympic Games in her home country.
Medal ceremonies outside of the stadium
ARONA (ESP): During a presentation of plans by the organisers of
Helsinki 2012 European Championships it was revealed they are
planning a new concept of victory ceremonies. At least new for
athletics, but already used in other sports. Medalists will get
flowers in the stadium and the medal ceremonies will be held each
day in the evening in the park just close to the stadium. Before the
action in the stadium every evening the last events from the day
before will be awarded and after the programme of the day the majority of events of
that given day. In-between entertainment and concerts.
Farah sent video message
ARONA (ESP): During the European Athletics Awards Night in Magma
Events Centre of Costa Adeje in Tenerife the award for the best male
athlete Mo Farah was presented to Lord Sebastian Coe. The 5000 m
world champion was unable to travel from his base in Portland,
Oregon. Farah sent a video message for the guests of the evening. It
is not yet decided whether he will compete at European CC
Championships in December for Great Britain.
More awards
ARONA (ESP): Other awards of the evening were the Women Leadership
Award on behalf of 30 national winners presented to Anni
Kirvesniemi-Bosco of Finland, the Coaching Awards for the Latvian
experienced coach Valentina Eiduka and Belgian 400 m expert Jacques
Borlee. Three young women from Hungary, Poland and Slovakia will be
recipients of the scholarship at Lausanne University and Italian
former great distance runner and later journalist for Corriere dello
Sport Franco Fava recieved an award for his 40 years contribution to
athletics.
Emerging Chinese name winning
BEIJING (CHN, Oct 16): Kenyans dominated as expected Beijing
Marathon. Francis Kiprop clocked 2:09:00 to beat Samuel Muturi (the 2009
winner here) 2:09:43 and Prague winner Benson Barus 2:10:15. Unknown
Wei Xiaojie was the best woman in fast 2:28:05. Second Ethiopian Yeshi
Esayias clocked 2:29:29 ahead of double world champion Catherine Ndereba
2:30:14 (her first marathon since Yokohama in November 2009). Fourth
place for another home runner Jin Lingling 2:30:27. “My coach told me
before the race that the most important thing is to focus on myself and
don’t pay much attention to winning the medals,” said Wei, who has taken
part in Xiamen Marathon this year but didn’t get good result. “I had
expected to finish the race within 2:27:00, but I am still satisfied
with my result,” concluded the female winner for Xinhua.
Kenyans dominating
GONGJU (KOR, Oct 16): Wilson Loyanai of Kenya who is this years Mombasa
winner was the best at Gongju Marathon in Korea with new personal best
2:09:23. Also other podium places for Kenyans who changed the winning
country in the lists in recent years (Ethiopia). Second Michael Kimani
achieved 2:10:29 and third Felix Keny 2:11:19. In national women race
Lim Kyung-Hee got 2:38:21 to win.
OTHER NEWS
LONDON (GBR): Insidethegames informs that Brazil’s Fabiana Murer, the
newly-crowned world pole vault champion, is to renew her rivalry with
Yelena Isinbayeva – this time off the track after she was unveiled as
the latest ambassador backing London’s campaign to host the 2017 World
Athletics Championships. Murer, 30, succeeded Isinbayeva as world
champion in Daegu in August and the two will now head-to-head again
because the Russian is backing Doha’s bid to host the 2017
Championships. Murer is the latest high-profile foreign athlete to come
out in support of London, joining Ethiopia’s double Olympic 10,000
metres champions Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele, Jamaica’s
former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell and America’s Jesse
Williams, the new world high jump champion, who is another new
ambassador.
BRUSSELS (BEL): Belgian European silver triple jump medalist
Svetlana Bolshakova has released a book in Belgium about her life.
Bolshakova was born and raised in Russia before she met her Belgian
husband and now competes for Belgium. The athlete has had to face a
large number of injuries during her career and earlier this year
ruptured her Achilles tendon. The 27-year old hopes to be back in
time for the London Olympic Games next year.
BERLIN (GER): German shot putter Marco Schmidt is already making
plans for when he ends his athletics career. Schmidt thinks about
taking up handball again or look into competing for a local American
football team he told German newspaper Stuttgarter Zeitung. He
improved his outdoor best this year to 20.51 and was Daegu first
non-qualifier with 20.06 m.
SCARBOROUGH (TRI): World championships women’s 100m bronze
medallist Kelly Ann Baptiste will receive $100,000 (approximately
US$ 15,600) for performance at this year’s world Championships in
Daegu, South Korea. Tobago House of Assembly Orville London made the
announcement at a
cocktail reception held in honour of Baptiste on Friday night.
Informs Trackalerts. “Sometimes we as Tobagonians don’t understand what
we have achieved
as an island and as a people. We must recognize that an island of
55,000 has produced three medalists at the World Championships, an
average of one medal for 18,000. I don’t know of any country that
has that ratio,” he added. The day was significant for her as she
celebrated her 25th birthday.
GUADALAJARA (MEX): Agencies are informing that three doping cases
have emerged before competition at Pan Am Games. One of the cases is
connected to athletics. Brazilian female distance runner Simone Alves
tested positive for EPO on August 3 at the national championships where
she won with area record 31:16.56 at the 10 000 m. She was already
banned in her career, for 3 months last year from December to February
2011 for oxilofrine. B sample from August test confirmed the result of
the A test. Brazilian federation is now waiting whether Alves will use
the possibility for an appeal.
RESULTS
BALTIMORE (USA, Oct 15): Kenyan Stephen Muange debuted at the
distance and won the Baltimore Marathon in 2:15:16. Ethiopian Ambese
Tolosa was second 2:15:20 and his team-mate Alemayehu Tesfaye third
2:15:22 in a close finish. Ukrainian Olena Shurhno was the best
woman in new course record 2:29:11. It is her second sub 2:30 result
after achieving 2:28:34 early June in San Diego. The 2011 Baltimore
Running Festival kicked off with 25,000 runners taking to the
streets under blue skies and cool fall weather. Local media are
informing.
HARTFORD (USA, Oct 15): Kim Smith of New Zealand won the ING
Hartford Half-marathon in 1:11:18 what is new course record. The
previous from last year was also hers with 1:11:32. Kenyan Solomon
Too won the marathon in 2:21:03 and US Erice Jesseman was the best
woman after 2:45:00 and qualifed for Olympic Trials race.
HIRATSUKA (JPN, Oct 15): Yusuke Kotani clocked good 10.29 (+1.5) at
100 m to win during Corporate team versus Collegiate team match.
Yoichi Iwafune was the best at 110m hurdles in 13.70 (+0.6). In
women hurdles solid duel won by Yuka Nomura 13.21 (+1.5) ahead of
Ayako Kimura 13.28. National record holder Satomi Kubokura achieved
57.01 at 400m hurdles.
FUKUROI (JPN, Oct 15): High quality 10 000 m race at the 4th
Shizuoka Prefecture Distance time trial. Kenyan Edward Waweru got
27:23.82 ahead of John Thuo 27:24.41 and Patrick Muendo 27:33.14
personal best. Best Japanese Chihiro Miyawaki achieved life-time
best 28:01.00 as fourth. In women 5000 m Yuko Shimizu was timed with
15:46.05 and high schooler Beatrice Murugi of Kenya clocked 9:02.35
in the 3000 m.
NANDI NORTH (KEN, Oct 15): Kenyan CC season started with World
Championships marathon bronze medallist Prisca Jeptoo and
upstart Hillary Kemboi winning senior races at the third
edition of Ndalat Gaa cross-country meeting in Nandi North. Informs
The Nation. She clocked 27:45.1 at 8 km ahead new talents Faridah
Chelangat (27:53.7) and Vanesh Chemutai
(27:55.5). Upcoming runner Nancy Jepkemoi blazed the trails in the
women’s
6 kmrace, winning in 20:56.5 ahead of former world
cross-country medallist Jackline Chepng’eno (20:59.2) and last
year’s world cross-country runner Alice Aprot (21:12.8). Hillary
Kemboi stunned a quality-line up to win the men’s
12-kilometre race in 36:29.3 ahead of Geoffrey Kirui (36:32.1) and
Dennis Kipruto (36:45.1).
PORTLAND (USA, Oct 15): Indian Commonwealth gold medalist Krishna Poonia
achieved at throwing meet here olympic qualifier 61.12 in discus. She
will return to India in the first week of November. She is at the Throws
Centre at Concordia
University at Oregon, Portland since July under the guidance of
former Olympic champion Mac Wilkins.
