by Larry Eder
Sergey Bubka, photo by PhotoRun.net
Gebre Gebremariam, 2010 NB Falmouth Road Race,
photo by PhotoRun.net
Geoffrey Mutai, 2011 BAA Boston Marathon, photo by PhotoRun.net
Sergey Bubka spent an emotional few days in Sarajevo with young athletes and coaches, visiting the site of the 1984 Winter Olympics. Oscar Pistorious must run another A standard to make the Australian Olympic team.
Pistorius in a campaign
JOHANNESBURG (RSA): Oscar Pistorius must run another 400-meter “A”
qualifying time in the three months before the London Olympics to make
history as the first amputee athlete to run at an able-bodied games,
South Africa’s Olympic Committee said according to Universal Sports.
Clarifying its 2012 qualifying criteria, the South African Sports
Confederation and Olympic Committee said that the double-amputee athlete
had not yet qualified despite running inside the “A” time in July,
which earned Pistorius an historic place at the world championships in
Daegu, South Korea. In another issue Nike has launched a major new
sportswear campaign titled “Always On” which stars South African
four-time Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius. In order to
celebrate the launch, a special event was held at Sandton City shopping
centre in Johannesburg, not far from where Pistorius was born and
raised, which was attended by 30 young aspiring runners, 300 fans and
the superstar athlete himself. The film sees the 24-year-old double leg
amputee discuss the challenges he has had to overcome to achieve success
on a road that has seen him become the first amputee in history to
compete at the IAAF World Athletics Championships. The advert also sees
Pistorius discuss the tattoo inked across his back which is the Bible
verse 1 Corinthians 9:26-27.
Lilesa is out
NEW YORK (USA): Some interesting news before Sunday´s ING NYC
Marathon. Short-track speedskater star Apolo Ohno wants to run “3.30 or
so”. Another top name from another sport is legendary ice-hockey player
Mark Messier who will run at age of 50. From elite field to note that
Daegu bronze winner Feyisa Lilesa from Ethiopia withdrew citing
a lack of fitness. Among guests also sprinters Wallace Spearmon and
Lolo Jones.
Dubai with Gold Label
DUBAI (UAE): David Martin reports that the Standard Chartered Dubai
Marathon has become the first meeting in the region to be awarded
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Gold Label
status. The world’s richest long distance running event which will
stage the 2012 race on 27 January, has joined the athletics elite
following its inclusion by the world governing body. Organisers
report it is not only the first time a middle east-based running
event of any kind has gained the prestigious award, it also firmly
establishes the event’s credentials as the number one marathon in
Asia. It also places Dubai where the legendary Haile Gebrselassie
has been a regular competitor in recent years, in the sport’s top
division alongside the World Major Marathon cities including Berlin
and London.
Luzern in good condition, just waiting for the status
LUZERN (SUI): Spitzenleichathletik meet of Luzern will be held as
planned on July 17 next year. Only the status remains open and will be
confirmed this week by European Athletics. This is to clarify the
initial item by EME NEWS where Luzern was mentioned without status. The
event which was the best in the EA Classic category in 2011 according to
the All-Athletics.com rankings will have the same prize money
structures as in the last 5 years. That is including also diamond
jackpot for the best results. Luzern is third best meet in Switzerland
behind the Diamond League meetings in Zurich and Lausanne.
Bubka in Sarajevo
SARAJEVO (BIH): Last weekend in Sarajevo, a solemn session of the
Assembly of the Athletics Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was held
marking the Centenary of the modern athletics in this country and 15th
anniversary of the unforgettable IAAF Solidarity Meeting – Sarajevo 96.
It was a large gathering of top former and current athletes, coaches and
athletic workers, which was attended by many prominent guests, headed
by Sergey Bubka, IAAF Vice President. This event, as well as the visit
of Bubka attracted great public and media attention, and immensely
contributed to the promotion of athletic sport in the country. Bubka
paid a visit to the venue of that meeting – Kosevo Olympic Stadium (now
called Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium), the site of the opening ceremony
of the 1984 Winter Olympic Games hosted by Sarajevo. The venue was
bombarded during the Bosnian war of 1992-1995, as well as the whole
city. Its reconstruction was initiated by the athletes’ community of
Sarajevo straight after the end of the war. Of all the meetings Bubka
took part in while in Sarajevo, “Chat with the Champions” was the most
emotional. “I talked to young athletes and students. I saw their eyes
shining. I know they are passionate about sport and they do understand
that Olympic values and fair play rules can help them not only to win
the competitions but to consolidate people of their country”, the pole
vault world record holder was quoted.
Head coach proposes wild cards
MOSCOW (RUS): Russian Head Coach Valentin Maslakov proposed at the
recent Conference of the Russian Athletics Federation that the World
champions from Daegu will recieve wild cards for Olympic Games in
London. That would mean they must not compete early July at the National
Championships (the main olympic selection meet) and would be able to
compete at European Championships in Helsinki. As Breakthrough Athletes
of the Year were voted at Rusathletics.com among women double European
U23 Champion at 800 m and 1500 m Yelena Arzhakova (she also won European
indoor title at 1500 m) and from male ranks high jump world silver
winner Aleksey Dmitrik.
OTHER NEWS
prosecuting the German Olympic Committee (DOSB) for not selecting
him for the 2008 Olympic Games. Friedek, who retired from the sport
in 2009, is demanding 120,000€ from the DOSB which he claimed to
have lost by not being selected in 2008. Friedek had twice jumped
the standard of 17.00 but was not sent out reports Leichathletik.de.
BERLIN (GER): German triple jump record holder Katja Demut is back
in training after disappointingly missing the Daegu world
championships with injury. Demut is planning to compete in just a
few indoor competitions and will then go on to prepare for the
European championships in Helsinki and the Olympic Games in London
she said to leichtathletik.de.
LAUSANNE (SUI): European Athletics announces that the 2012 European
Cup Winter Throwing is to be held in Bar, Montenegro, on 17-18
March. This will be the first time that Montenegro will host the
annual competition for athletes specialising in the events of
discus, javelin and hammer throwing and the shot.
GUADALAJARA (MEX): Victor Lopez of Puerto Rico was elected unopposed
as the inaugural Association of Pan American Athletics (APA)
President, a new regional body that replaces the Pan American
Athletics Commission. Lopez played a crucial role in the creation of
the IAAF’s Coaches Commission as well as the North America, Central
America and Caribbean Track & Field Coaches Association. He
chairs both organizations and has also led the Central American and
Caribbean Athletics Confederation (CACAC) since 1998 reports
Trackalerts.
MELBOURNE (AUS): Athletics Australia has identified seven athletes
who finished top eight at the recent IAAF World Championships,
including medallists Sally Pearson, Mitchell Watt and Jared Tallent,
for early nomination to the Australian Olympic Committee. As per the
Olympic nomination criteria, the following athletes have been
identified for early nomination, and, subject to meeting ongoing
form and fitness, will be nominated to the AOC for selection to the
2012 Australian Olympic Team in June 2012: Luke Adams ( 50km Walk),
Jarrod Bannister (Javelin), Benn Harradine (Discus), Kim Mickle
(Javelin), Sally Pearson (100m Hurdles), Jared Tallent (50km Walk),
Mitchell Watt (Long Jump).
ZURICH (SUI): Sportfive, the international sports marketing agency,
has agreed a media rights deal in Switzerland for the 2014 winter
Olympics and the 2016 Olympic Games with SRG SSR, the country’s
dominant public tv station.
MONACO (MON): IAAF confirmed the ratification of the only world
record at World Championships in Daegu, the 37.04 by Jamaica in the
4×100 m relay.
ATAPUERCA (ESP): Diario de Burgos informs that former 10 000 m world
champion Linet Masai of Kenya will be the star of the 8th
Cross Atapuerca here on November 13, the first event of the IAAF CC
circuit
2011/12. She will face Ethiopian title defender Genzebe Dibaba. In
men´s race the top name
is another world winner, the CC champion from Punta Umbria Imane
Merga of Ethiopia. Eritrean Teklemariam Medhin who won last year
will be his top opponent. Initially also world champion Vivian
Cheruiyot was mentioned but she will be in Monaco at IAAF World
Athletics Gala.
LONDON (GBR): Three of Russia’s top athletes of the current generation
have been unveiled as ambassadors for London’s bid to host the 2017 IAAF
World Championships. The 2011 European Athlete of the Year Mariya
Savinova and her compatriot Tatyana Chernova, who won gold medals over
800m and in the heptathlon at this summer’s World Championships, as well
as high jumper Aleksey Dmitrik, who took a silver medal in Daegu, are
the latest athletes to voice their support for London. Informs European
Athletics.
RESULTS
RANCHI (IND, Nov 2-3): Tamil Nadu sprinter V. Praveen Muthukumaran
and Bihar’s international Sunanda Sarkar lived-up to expectations to win
the marquee event of the day–100m–in youth boys and girls divisions
respectively. Praveen, clocked 10.75 for a new record at the 27th National
junior championships. Sunanda, represented the nation in this year’s
World Youth Championships in Lille, missed the 10-year-old meet mark of
12.10 held by Chitra K. Soman since 2001. The Bihari girl however
posted a personal best 12.14 for victory. Another meet record when
Ashish Rohilla walked 10 km in 43:40.7 for the junior men’s title. Youth
Olympic Games silver medallist Durgesh Kumar Pal had no match in his
favourite 400m hurdles. Moving in to junior men category for the first
time Durgesh running over the barriers in perfect style to register a
new national junior best of 50.86. Writes Murali Krishnan.
SAD NEWS
BERLIN (GER): Leichtathletik.de informs that on October 27 at age of 89
died former IAAF and EAA Council member Georg Wieczisk. He was also
former President of DVfL what was the national federation for East
Germany.
