by Larry Eder
Brian Olinger, 2011 NYRR 5k, photo by PhotoRun.net
Brian Olinger & Sally Kipyego won the prestigious Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day. The Manchester Road Race has been one of the top Thanksgiving Day road races in the US for many years.
Sally Kipyego, 2011 Payton Jordan /Kim McDonald 10,000m, photo by PhotoRun.net
EATON FOR SURE
ATLANTA
(USA): Top three decathletes in USA are all medal contenders for
Olympic Games in London. The only one who for sure wants to compete also
at World Indoor Championships is the undercover heptathlon world record
holder Ashton Eaton. For World Champion Trey Hardee and Olympic winner
Bryan Clay the decision is not yet set. Eaton will accept his automatic
invitation to Istanbul and will compete in individual events at small
meets leading up to US Indoor champs where he will compete in selected
events to prepare for Turkey. At the global championships the Daegu
bronze winner will contest the only heptathlon of the winter and hopes
there to attack his own world indoor record 6568 from 2011. Double world
champion Hardee after reconstructive surgery of his elbow in September
had initially ruled out competing indoors. But now as his rehab has
progressed faster than imagined, indoors remains a distant possibility. A
decision will not be made until January. Hardee competed only once
before at World Indoors, won silver behind Clay in Doha in 2010. The
oldest from the trio Beijing winner Clay is training very well at the
moment but planning to take things as they come. He already competed at
four World Indoor events (two golds and two silvers). Clay plans early
season competitions in Mid January and will decide whether or not to
pursue qualification for Istanbul. In any case only two US athletes will
be allowed to compete in the Istanbul heptathlon. Eaton is invited and
second could qualify as per 2012 result or by IAAF invitation. Informs
agent of the trio Paul Doyle.
MERGA VS. EBUYA
LEFFRINCKOUCKE
(FRA): 22nd edition of the Cross de l´Acier on Sunday will have a
special duel in men´s category. Last two world champions will clash
together at this EA Permit event. Kenyan Joseph Ebuya who is also title
defender here and Ethiopian Imane Merga. French runners will take this
event at 9.95 km in good numbers as it is final qualification for the
European CC Championships. For example national CC winner Morhad Amdouni
added with Noureddine Smail, Abdellatif Meftah and James Theuri. On the
women side for 6.55 km Ethiopia will have 2:25 marathon runner Feyse
Tadese, Almensch Belete and Azemra Gebru who is World junior CC medalist
from Punta Umbria. European countries are represented by Irish
Fionnualla Britton and Turkish Binnaz Uslu. Miler Hind Dehyba leads the
national challenge.
CHAMBERS PLANS FOR ISTANBUL
LONDON
(GBR): Title defender Dwain Chambers is in hard training currently for
the indoor season. His management informs that he has in mind his
personal best 6.42 at 60 m what is also European indoor record. Main aim
is to defend his title from Doha 2010 in Istanbul in March. To be able
to run in Turkey he must qualify at UK Indoor Trials on February 11-12
in Sheffield. Chambers is invited as guest from Chelsea FC to attend the
Champions League Valencia game on the 6th December.
MAKUSHA ANOTHER INDOOR CONTENDER
HARARE (ZIM): The World long jump medalist Ngoni Makusha said for newsday.co.zw that
he is confident of doing well at the 2012 London Olympic Games. As per
home rules he is qualified for Long jump for London and wants to achieve
the same also at 100 m. “My main goal now is just to continue working
hard and getting the right preparation before the games, hopefully
staying fit and avoiding injuries,” said Makusha. He has been on a
week-long visit in the country to promote the Zimbabwe Olympic
Committee’s London 2012 Olympic Games fundraising campaign dubbed “Going
for Gold”. Makusha is on an athletics scholarship at Florida State
University in the US where he will be graduating with a degree in
Applied Economics in three weeks. He plans to compete at World Indoor
Championships in Istanbul too.
CHALLENGES INTEGRATED
MONTE
CARLO (MON): IAAF Council recently decided about integrating Challenges
into World Athletics Series Competitions. In the year prior to the
World Indoor Championships, the winner of the Combined Events Challenge
will be invited to participate in the World Indoor Championships (if
he/she is already entitled to the invitation, this is extended to the
next ranked athlete). But this concerns the 2014 event as the rules for
2012 were already set before this decision. The top three in the
Combined Events Challenge will be considered as having achieved the ‘A’
standard for the following year’s World Championships or Olympic Games.
The top three in the Race Walking Challenge will be considered as having
achieved the ‘A’ standard (in the 20km) for the following year’s World
Championships or Olympic Games. Unfortunately this is not including IAAF
Hammer Throw Challenge.
JOCK NO INDOORS
LOS
ANGELES (USA): Daegu participant and US Champs and NCAA medalist at 800
m Charles Jock is passing the indoor season in order to prepare for the
Olympic summer. The main for the UC Irvine collegian will be to qualify
for London Games. Jock under guidance of coach Jeff Perkins improved in
2011 to 1:44.67 at age of 22.
OTHER NEWS
SOCHI
(RUS): Britain’s David Hemery, the 1968 Olympic 400 metres champion,
was awarded the prestigious European Olympic Committees’ (EOC) 2011
Laurel Award here. Writes insidethegames. Hemery received the
award at the 40th EOC General Assembly from Ireland’s Patrick Hickey,
President of the EOC.The Laurel Award is bestowed by the EOC to
individuals in Europe who have achieved remarkable
sporting merit and have performed outstanding services for sport in
their country. Hemery was one of three distinguished figures to receive
the Laurel Award. The others were France’s Alain Calmat, the
1964 Olympic figure skating silver medallist and his country’s former
Sports Minister, and Portugal’s Luis Santos, who has played a strategic
role in the promotion of handball in his country. Later,
Polish cyclist Tobiasz Lis was the first receipent of an award for most
promising young sportperson in Europe created in honour of Piotr
Nurowski, the former President of the Polish Olympic Committee (POC) who was killed in a plane crash last year.
MELBOURNE
(AUS): Australian Flame captain Steve Hooker will launch next Wednesday
the Australian Athletics Tour and discuss his preparations as the road
to London begins. The Tour starts on December 10 with Zatopek
10, continues in Brisbane on January 14, Newcastle on January 21,
Adelaide on January 28, Hobart on February 4, Perth on February 11,
Sydney Track Classic on February 18 and IAAF World Challenge Meet in Melbourne on March 2-3.
OTTAWA
(CAN): The 2011 Canadian Cross Country Championships take place this
Saturday in Vancouver, B.C. at Jericho Beach Park with Canadian titles
on the line in the masters, seniors and junior age
categories. The championships serve as the selection meet for the
national team which will compete at the 2012 NACAC (North America
Central America and Caribbean) Cross Country Championships in March. Defending
men’s senior champion Cameron Levins is fresh off a fourth place finish
at the NCAA Championships and will be looking for nothing less than
gold when he lines up in the men’s senior race. In the women’s senior race 2011 Canadian 10km road race champion Dayna Pidhoresky will be looking to capture another title this season.
LAUSANNE
(SUI): European Athletics President Hansjörg Wirz has welcomed the move
by IAAF to return to the European Broadcasting Union as its media
rights partner in Europe for the World Athletics Series from 2014 to
2017. “EBU provides the biggest platform to promote athletics on public
free-to-air TV channels throughout Europe so this agreement by IAAF and
EBU is very good news as it will play a vital role in our ongoing aim to
further increase the popularity of athletics on the continent,” said
President Wirz. Last year, European Athletics announced the renewal of
its long-running contract with the EBU – a partnership that has been in
place since 1981 – for the period 2012-2015. The renewed commitment
covers all of European Athletics’ major events including the Helsinki
2012 and Zurich 2014 European Athletics Championships, the Göteborg 2013
European Athletics Indoor Championships and the yet to be awarded 2015
indoor championships. The agreement also covers the European Athletics
Team Championships and SPAR European Cross Country Championships taking
place during the four-year contract period.
NIJMEGEN
(NED): Global Sports Communication (headed by Jos Hermens) will
organize a 10 000 m for both men and women at annual Nijmegen Global
Athletics (NGA) meeting to be held on Friday 25th May 2012. The event
will be called Nijmegen Global Athletics Olympic Edition. The aim is to
create the best possible circumstances for athletes in order to qualify
for the London Olympics. Another top event will just follow on May 27
the FBK Games of Hengelo, IAAF World Challenge Meeting.
NEW
DELHI (IND): The Sunday´s Airtel Delhi Half Marathon has as top
favorites Kenyan Sammy Kitwara as previously announced Deriba Merga
withdrew. But Ethiopia will still have a top name in the field with
Lelisa Desisa. Also to note sub one hour runners Kenyan Philemon Limo
and Ethiopian Dino Sefer. In the women competition Aselefech Mergia will
compete for fifth time here as top favorite. Kenyan Lucy Kabuu Wangui
will be her main rival along with Lydia Cheromei and Aberu Kebede.
ADDIS
ABABA (ETH): On Sunday also the biggest Ethiopian race will be staged.
The 2011 Commercial Bank of Ethiopia Great Ethiopian Run at 10 km on
Sunday and 2011 Plan Ethiopia Children Races on Saturday. In the 10th
edition of the International 10km race last year 32,000 medals were
distributed at the finish and many more unofficial participants joining
in, an estimated total of around 35,000 took part in the race, many
walking round the 10km course which in 2010 used a new route to cater
for the larger numbers. A total of 260 international participants took
part in the race. The official fundraising campaign in 2010, “I AM
RUNNING FOR A CHILD” raised over 800,000 birr for the two beneficiary
charities Abebech Gobena and Mary Joy. Informs event website.
LONDON (GBR): Pat Butcher names his latest blog at www.globerunner.org: Time for Marathons to Split from IAAF.
RESULTS
MANCHESTER
(USA, Nov 24): American Brian Olinger and Kenyan Sally Kipyego won
historic 75th Manchester Road Race in Manchester, Conn. Informs Race
Results Weekly. Olinger who is best known as a steeplechaser (8:19.29
PB), clocked 21:33 for the hilly 4.748 mile course, winning America’s
most prestigious Thanksgiving Day race for the first time (he had
finished third twice in 2007 and 2008). That gave the Reebok-sponsored
athlete a six-second victory over compatriot Landon Peacock (21:39) of
the ZAP Fitness program. Andrew Carlson of Team USA Minnesota finished
third (21:41), giving the USA men a sweep of the podium. For the 25
year-old Kipyego, who runs for the Nike-sponsored Oregon Track Club the
win was her second at Manchester. She clocked 24:22, 14 seconds slower
than her winning time last year. The reigning IAAF World Championships
silver medalist at 10,000m finished comfortably ahead of American Meghan
Armstrong-Peyton of Team USA Minnesota/Asics (25:03) and Ethiopians
Alemtsehay Misganaw and Bedada Bekelech (both were timed in 25:15). Both
winners won 4000 USD prize money.
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