by Larry Eder
Usain Bolt, 2011 IAAF Athlete of Year, photo by PhotoRun.net
Coach
Glen MIlls knows a bit about Usain Bolt. And what would one expect?
Someone who observes you day after day, year after year, workout after
workout. There is talent around the world, much that never pans out.
What made Bolt go from star junior to star elite open athlete? Coaching
is a huge part of it. Here is what Coach Mills has to say about Usain
Bolt, as Bolt prepares for 2012….
EME NEWS (DEC 17, 2011)
Mills about Bolt
KINGSTON (JAM): Racers TC head and respected coach Glen Mills said in an
interesting interview with London Evening Standard that Usain Bolt
could be better in London than in Beijing or Berlin but the questionmark
remains over weather. “He can do better than Beijing and Berlin but I’m
not certain of the
weather in London,” says Mills. “It’s very tricky but if the weather
is right and the climate is warm, he can do it.” Of the 4x400m
ambition of Bolt he said: “It’s a desire but there’s a lot
more to it than what he says. First, there’s a trial where the
quarter-milers are selected. It depends on what the national body of
athletics decides here in Jamaica. It’s not for us to say. We can
express a desire but Usain is not going to run the 400m at the
trials so it would have to be a decision by the association on it.”
Coach Mills believes that Bolt’s future lies away from the
100m and towards the 200m and 400m. He adds for London Evening
Standard: “He has all the attributes to be a quarter-miler but he
hasn’t taken a liking to the event. He works hard at the sprints but
I guess the 400 m isn’t for him. When he’s not as fast maybe the
quarter-mile will be the option for him. Everybody wants to be a
winner and he’s just that in his events. He may have a change of
heart in the future.”
Coe replaces Merlo
MONACO (MON): New Chairman of IAAF Press Commission is
Vice-President Sebastian Coe. He replaced Italian Gianni Merlo, the AIPS
President. New persons heading IAAF commissions (named, not elected)
are legendary pole vaulter and Vice-President Sergy Bubka (Development,
replacing Lamine Diack), former 200 m world champion Frank Fredericks
(Athletes, replacing Alberto Juantorena), Canadian Jack Agrios
(Juridical Commission, replacing Lauri Tarasti of Finland) and Briton
David Bedford (Road Running, replacing Brazilian Robert Gesta De Melo).
Other seven chairmen remained from previous four years period. Victor
Lopez leading the Coaches Commission, Senior Vice-President Bob Hersh
the Competition Commission, IAAF President Lamine Diack as head of
Finance and Budget Commission, Juan Manuel Alonso in Medical and
Anti-Doping Commission, Jamel Simohamed as School and Youth Commission
chairman, Dahlan Al Hamad leading the Sustainable Development Commission
and Alex Gilady the Television Commission. The only commission which
will have a chairman only later after next IAAF Council meeting in
Spring is the Marketing and Promotion Commission (head until now was
German Helmut Digel).
Tamgho in danger
PARIS (FRA): Triple jump world indoor record holder Teddy Tamgho is
currently in Florida at training camp for olympic preparation. But in
the mean-time he must appear next week before the Disciplinary Committee
of French Athletics Federation. Tamgho must explain his violent
altercation with another unnamed athlete in October in Boulouris during a
rehabilitation stay after his surgery. Informs L´Équipe. He had similar
problems already in 2008. If banned his olympic participation could be
in danger.
Noguchi to compete next weekend
TOKYO (JPN): News from Japan running scene. Marathon olympic winner 2004
Mizuki Noguchi will run Sanyo Women’s Road Race (half marathon) in
Okayama on Dec 23. It will be her first half marathon since May of
2008 when she won
the Sendai Half marathon. Other major contenders in Sanyo Road race
are Yukiko Akaba, Megumi
Kinukawa and Mai Ito. Another top Japanese female runner Masako
Chiba, only runner other than Paula Radcliffe to win a medal
at both 10 000m and Marathon at the World Championships, married to a
track cyclist. Osaka Ladies Marathon will be Kiyoko Shimahara’s last
marathon
(unless she is selected to the Olympic team) as she plans a baby
break.
OTHER NEWS
SARANSK (RUS): Russian TV Channel Russia 2 will broadcast the IAAF Race
Walking World Cup next May in Saransk. It will also secure the signal
which is expected to be seen in nearly 60 countries. The main city of
Mordovia Republic is in full preparation for its first global event on
May 12-13. The World Cup will be part of the celebration of 1000 years
since Mordovian people united with Russians. Competitions will be held
in the center of the city, the race course is under construction
currently and should be ready in April for the necessary measurements
and certifications. Test event will be held too, Mordovian
Championships. Charter flights from Moscow should transport the athletes
to Saransk. It should be noted that nearly all top current Russian
walkers are part of the Saransk training center under guidance of coach
Viktor Chegin.
SAN JUAN (PRI): Cuba’s World and Olympic medallists Ioamnet Quintero
(high jump world champion 1993),
Yoel GarcÃa (triple jump olympic silver winner 2000) and Aliecer
Urrutia (former world indoor record holder in triple jump) will be
inducted into the Central
American and Caribbean Athletics Confederation (CACAC) Hall of Fame
ceremony to be held in Havana on December 18. CACAC chairman VÃctor
López will travel to Havana for the occasion. Since the first ceremonies
were held in 2003, other 50 former
athletes, administrators and other athletics representing 11
countries have been awarded. The Hall of Fame inductees are reserved
to World and/or Olympic medallists. Other ceremonies will be held in
Trinidad and Tobago and Bahamas in
January and February, respectively. Informs CAC website.
OTTAWA (CAN): Athletics Canada named today the finalists to its 2011
annual awards by identifying the three finalists for each of its
twelve awards categories. The winners will be unveiled next
Wednesday December 21, and will be honoured at a banquet following
the 2012 Canadian Championships in Calgary, Alta. The finalists and
winners are chosen by Athletics Canada’s Awards Committee from the
nominee pool as put forward by the membership. For the Overall
Athlete of the Year Jack Davis Trophy the nominees are shot putter Dylan
Armstrong, youth sprinter Christian Brennan and marathon runner Reid
Coolsaet.
HALLE (GER): Discus thrower Nadine Muller was voted Sportswoman of the
Year in the Saxony region in Germany. She was Daegu silver medalist.
GOLD COAST (AUS): Mark Stockwell has been formally unveiled as
the chairman of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Organising
Committee by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, as first revealed on
insidethegames. The appointment was officially made by the Governor in Council on
the recommendation of Bligh and the President of the Australian
Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) Sam Coffa. Stockwell, a former swimmer who won two silver medals and a bronze
at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics, said he would bring to the role
extensive experience as an athlete combined with a solid business
management background, as well as knowledge and passion for the
region’s capabilities.
EAUBONNE (FRA): Something special will happen on February 16 in
Eaubonne. The traditional indoor meet will be called Femina
du Val d’Oise. That means an only-women international meeting. In
total 9 events are planned. European 200 m champion Myriam Soumare is
the ambassador of the meeting. France will have three international meets
in a row next winter. Lievin on February 14, then Eaubonne February 16
and Val du Reuil on February 18.
ST. PETERBURG (RUS): Triple olympic gold medalist famous middle
distance runner and former world record holder Tatyana Kazankina
celebrates her 60th birthday. Her 3:52.47 at 1500 m is still European
record. She has Ph.D. in sports, is author of many scientific articles
and books about running.
SPLIT (CRO): European discus champion Sandra Perkovic ended her ban
early December, is in full training and has plans for 2012. In the
indoor season she wants to compete in shot put, but only at national
level. The Croatian record holder in discus is also having the best mark
in the country in shot put. 16.99 indoors is the national mark.
RESULTS
DOHA (QAT, Dec 16-17): World junior high jump champion from last year
Mutaz Barshim cleared at Arab Games good 230 and achieved new games
record. Sudanese record holder Mohamed Idris was second with 224. More
meet records in men´s 10 000 m by Bahraini Hassan Mahboob (28:39.88
ahead of Mumin Gala of Sudan 28:43.32), discus 62.29 of Rashid Al Dosari
of Qatar and javelin by African champion Ihab El Rahman of Egypt 78.66
m. Sub 2:30 female marathon runner Lishan Dula of Bahrain clocked games
record in half-marathon 1:14:18. Male winner Rachid Kisri of Morocco
posted 1:04:03. Abdulrahman Bala of Qatar won the 800 m in life-time
best 1:45.92 ahead of olympic medalist Ahmed Ismail of Sudan 1:46.60 and
Iraqi record holder Adnan Akkar 1:47.18. Saudi Arabian favorite Husein
Taher Al-Sabee was only third in long jump (759, +0.3). Winner Saleh
Al-Haddad of Kuweit leaped to 783 (+0.2) ahead of Mohamed Gainy of Egypt
781 (-0.1). Good quality also in men´s 400 m won by Asian Champion
Yousef Al-Masrahi of Saudi Arabia in new personal best 45.44 ahead of
Oman´s Ahmed Al-Merjabi also PB 45.84 and Sudanese Yusif Rabah 45.87.
Moroccan sub two minutes 800 m runner Malika Akkaoui won the women 400 m
in 53.94 (PB) and another gold for the same country in women´s 400 m
hurdles by African Champion Hayat Lambarki (56.72). Men´s 400 m hurdles
went to Saudi Arabian Bandar Yahya 50.63. Athletics will continue at the
Games on Monday and Tuesday.
PAROW (RSA, Dec 17): Final leg of Yellow Pages Summer Series saw Roscoe
Engel clocking a fast double with 15.59 (+2.8) at 150 m and 33.53 in the
300 m. Brent Stevens was the 60 m winner in 6.71 (+1.7). Olympic silver
medalist Khotso Mokoena won the long jump with 792 (+3.9, legal 789).
Johan Cronje won another mile in the series (4:07.7) and world youth
silver medalist Morne Moolman got 81.77 with 700 g javelin (his second
best mark ever).
ALLENDALE (USA, Dec 16): Solid 60 m at GVSU Open indoor meet. Rumeal McKinney improved to 6.68 ahead of Shane Crawford 6.71.
DUSSELDORF (GER, Dec 17): German walking champion Sabine Krantz ended
her year with a 21:38 at 5000 m walk during a local indoor meet.
ORLEANS (FRA, Dec 17): French junior shot putter Frederic Dagee improved
indoors with 6 kg implement to 20.21 m. It is also new French indoor
junior record for the 6th placer from European Junior Championships in
Tallinn.
