by Larry Eder
Virtual Office, Daegu 2011, photo by Larry Eder
Media money rules the sports world. That the IAAF has signed a contract for 2014-2017 means that some in Monaco can let a nice sigh of relief loose, noting that, whatever the value, Euros will be flowing into the IAAF during that time period.
Nice to see Craig Mottram running well again. He just won the Australian 5,000 meter title and will be running the Zatopek 10,000 meters in December. The Zatopek is the Australian 10,000m title and is one of the most famous 10,000 meters in the world, named in honor of the great Olympian & Czech patriot, Emil Zatopek.
IAAF
BACK WITH EBU
MONTE
CARLO (MON): IAAF returns to EBU. In an official press release it is said that
IAAF has signed an agreement with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to
become the exclusive IAAF media partner for the territories of Europe and
Africa for the period 2014-2017. The partnership will cover all IAAF World
Athletic Series competitions, including the IAAF World Championships 2015 in
Beijing and the IAAF World Championships 2017 in London. The previous 2011 and
2013 Worlds (Daegu and Moscow) are handled by IEC in Sports. Lamine Diack, IAAF
President, said: “The EBU has been our partner for every edition of the IAAF
World Championships from their creation in 1983 right through until 2009 and we
are delighted to be partners again. This agreement not only secures the
financial future of the athletics’ movement until the end of 2017 but is also
strategic for IAAF in guaranteeing maximum coverage of our premium events in
key territories.” The EBU is the largest association of national broadcasters
in the world and the world’s premier distributor of sports and news content,
for broadcast and media platforms. It has 74 active members in 56 countries in
Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Its members reach an audience of 650
million people through more than 200 television channels, 600 radio stations
and 800 websites.
BOTH
WORLD CHAMPIONS FOR 15 KM
HEERENBERG
(NED): Both marathon world champions are scheduled to run the 16th Montferland
Run at 15 km in Netherlands. Kenyans Abel Kirui and Edna Kiplagat will compete.
Their main rivals are Hailu Mekonnen, Gilbert Yegon and on the women side Hilda
Kibet, the Kenyan who runs for Netherlands. The race will be staged on December
4. Kibet is already qualified for London Games as are both Kenyan world
champions. Kibet also won here back in 2006.
EOC
WANTS CHANGES
SOCHI
(RUS): Deep divisions have emerged in the relationship between Mario Vazquez Rańa,
President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), and Europe,
who want him to step down. Patrick Hickey, President of the European Olymic
Committees (EOC), used his opening address at the organisation’s 40th General
Assembly here to express his dissatisfaction at the Mexican’s leadership of
ANOC, the umbrella organisation of the world’s National Olympic Committees
(NOCs). European OC also spoke again about the idea of multi-sports European
Games. Insidthegames reports. Over 300 participants representing 48 European
NOCs, a large contingent from the IOC, delegations from the Olympic Games
organising committees, the organisers of the future European Youth Olympic
Festivals, the 2020 applicant cities, friends and guests of the European Olympic
Movement, will spend the next day and half taking stock of this year’s work and
looking to future sports events, first and foremost the inaugural Innsbruck
2012 winter YOG that will start in six weeks time and the London 2012 Olympic
Games that will kick off in eight months. Another key event will be the
presentation of the first Piotr Nurowski Best European Young Athlete Prize,
created in memory of the president of the Polish NOC and executive committee
member, Piotr Nurowski. It will be the Assembly that will elect the winner out
of the 6 finalists chosen by the NOCs. After the Assembly, the European Olympic
Family will go to Moscow where it has been invited by the Russian Olympic
Committee to attend the Grand Gala for the celebration of the hundredth anniversary
of its constitution. Writes EOC website.
MURER NO INDOORS
SAO
PAULO (BRA): Pole vault world champion Fabiana Murer will not compete during
the indoor season. She revealed that for Brazilian federation website. „I’m now
starting my basic training and this year the training period will be the
longest since 2005,” she said. She also plans only a few competitions
before London Olympic Games. In winter she plans to train in Lisbon and summer
debut at Brazil Grand Prix in May and then Brazil Trophy early June and two or
three Diamond League meets before the games. Also talking to journalists was
famous Ukrainian coach Vitaliy Petrov who is in Brazil to give clinics and
helps young talents like Thiago Braz, the Youth Olympic Games silver winner who
wants to succeed at World Juniors in Barcelona. Petrov also confirmed that
Murer has the abilities to come close to five meters and even go over it.
MAJEWSKI YES FOR INDOORS
WARSZAWA
(POL): Poland´s olympic shot put winner
Tomasz Majewski is in good preparation for full indoor season. His main event
at home will be Pedros Cup in Bydgoszcz on February 8 and internationally the
World Indoor Championships in Istanbul. It will be his fifth World Indoors,
from previous four appearances the best placing is a third place in 2008
in Valencia. His main aim for summer is London Games and because of good
preparation to defend his title from Beijing he plans not to compete at
European Championships in Helsinki.
OTHER
NEWS
KINGSTON
(JAM): Racers Track Club had over the weekend first seminar for the new
training year. The first session was facilitated by Nutritionist Patricia
Thompson. It was interesting to watch the faces of the athletes as they seem to
be absorbing everything that was said, especially when they saw that eating the
proper foods could reduce the need for supplements. They were given information
on Nutrition with special emphasis on the athlete. The second session started
with Dr. Herb Elliott enlightening the athletes on the new and updated list of
banned substances. They were also warned about taking supplements that they
could not verify what was stated on the labels. Dr. Warren Blake continued the
anti-doping section explaining to the athletes exactly what the drugs are in
layman terms. Informs Racers website. That could be an example also for other
clubs.
PALENCIA
(ESP): Steeple world champion 2009 Marta Dominguez has been acquitted of tax
fraud, the last charge that was pending in connection with Operation Greyhound.
She already had been acquitted last July on charges of doping and is now
finally free of all pending cases for which he had been charged in that
operation. She dreams about Olympic medal in the steeple in London.
LAUSANNE
(SUI): UNESCO and European Athletics have renewed their partnership to promote
athletics as a driver for personal development and social cohesion,
especially among young women and men. The new agreement, which runs until 2015,
was signed by European Athletics President Hansjörg Wirz and UNESCO
Director-General Irina Bokova. The agreement foresees the continuation of work
undertaken by the two organisations since 2006, including the Young Leaders
Community project that promotes volunteering and community development
initiatives in athletics. According to the agreement, a European
Athletics-UNESCO Young Leaders Forum will be held in conjunction with the
European Athletics Championships in Helsinki (Finland) in 2012 and then in
Zurich (Switzerland) in 2014.
FIRENZE
(ITA): On Sunday new course will be ready for runners at Firenze Marathon. IAAF
writes that no less than 9000 runners will toe the starting-line in the
Lungarno Pecori Giraldi and will cross the finish-line in Piazza Santa Croce in
the heart of the worldwide famous Tuscan city. The entry figure makes Florence
the second largest Italian Marathon in terms of participation to the event. The
entirely flat course without hills or slopes may help to produce new Florence
Marathon records – the current men’s record is 2:08:41 set by James Kutto in
2006 while the women’s record of 2:28:15 has been held by Helena Javornik since
2002). Favorites are Ethiopians Teshome Gelana with 2:07:37 best and Asha Gigi
with 2:26:05.
BRUSSELS
(BEL): Former World cross country champion Mohamed Mourhit is confident he will
be able to return to competition in this weekend’s cross cup in Roeselare.
Mourhit is not yet attached to a club but told media that will be taken
care of. Mourhit wants to run cross country in order to prepare for the London
Olympic Games where he wants to run the 10.000m reports Sporza.
BERLIN
(GER): In the case of German triple jumper Charles Friedek against the German
Olympic Committee the verdict will be postponed to December 15th. Friedek has
taken the committee to court after not selecting him for the 2008 Olympic Games
despite reaching the qualifying standard reports leichtathletik.de.
INDIANAPOLIS
(USA): Ajee Wilson has been named the 2011 Youth Athlete of the Year by USA
Track & Field’s Youth Committee. The highlight of Wilson’s year came in
winning the girl’s 800 meters at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Lille,
France. Wilson unleashed her kick with 200m remaining and separated herself
from the field to win in 2:02.64. Wilson’s victory marked the first time Team
USA medaled in the event at the Youth Championships. Her best is 2:02.64.
LONDON
(GBR): London mayor Boris Johnson says large screens showing live coverage of
some of the 2012 London Olympics are planned in venues across the capital. The
city will have outdoor screens in Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Trafalgar
Square. Spectators will also have the chance to try out different sports
reports the Washington Post.
BRUSSELS
(BEL): European junior cross country champion and last year’s U23 bronze
medalist Jeroen D’hoedt is not going to compete at this year’s European cross
country championships. D’hoedt is among the favourites in the U23 race but is
suffering from a knee injury and is not able to train for the event. He
will also skip the Lotto Crosscup race in Roeselare this weekend according to
Sporza.
CC
WEEKEND: European countries are closing its selection for European CC
Championships on December 11 in Velenje this weekend. In the European Athletics
CC permit circuit five events will be staged on the same weekend. On Saturday
in Szentendre near Budapest the International Hungarian Championships (also the
site of next years European CC event), on Sunday Lotto CrossCup in Belgium
continues with Roeselaare, French top event will be in Leffrinckoucke with
Cross de l´Acier, Dutch runners will
compete in Tilburg, Spanish in Llodio. Not in EA Permic circuit also the
Amora-Seixal race in Portugal, Valsugana in Italy and UK Trials in Liverpool on
Saturday.
MONTREAL
(CAN): Agent Kris Mychasiw announced on his twitter that talented 400 m runner
from Dominican Republic Luguelin Santos (at age of 18 clocked 44.71 at Pan Am
Games) signed a multi year deal with Puma.
RESULTS
MELBOURNE
(AUS, Nov 24): Former world medalist and numerous national record holder Craig
Mottram achieved a 13:46.60 win at the Victorian 5000 m championships,
establishing himself as the favourite for the Australian 10 000 m title at next
month’s Zatopek:10. The event was the first open championship to be contested
on the new Albert Park venue.
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