by Larry EderKeep your thoughts and prayers with Lee Evens, two time Olympic champion, who is waiting on some decisions by medical professionals on whether he needs brain surgery or medicine, or a combination thereof to deal with a brain tumor.
Mr. Evans was featured in the first issue of American Athletics that we did in 1989, he was gracious and thoughtful. We will keep you updated on his condition….
Startline, photo by PhotoRun.net
Rudisha in good trainingNAIROBI (KEN): 800 m
world record holder and world champion David Rudisha is in good
training for 2012. He had the usual day off during Christmas and plans
to start his season in Australia as usual end of February.
TOP RESULTS
YOKOHAMA (JPN, Dec 24): Mika Yoshikawa improved at the Nittai University
Women distance meet in the 5000 m to 15:15.33 and achieved olympic
qualifier. The same for Yuko Shimizu at the 10 000 m with 31:43.25
life-time best.
KYOTO (JPN, Dec 25): Toyokawa won with 1:07:29 the 5-stage National High
School Ekiden Championships. In the men´s 7 stage ekiden the win for
Sera in 2:03:50.
ITEN (KEN, Dec 24): African Games 1500 m silver winner Joyce Chepkirui
made an early start to her Christmas celebrations when winning the
Shoe4Africa five kilometres road race. The event organised by
Kenyan-born athletics icon Lornah Kiplagat with over 1000 entrants
embracing big names to children complete the tough course over terrain
which included forest trails before hitting the main Eldoret-Iten road,
saw her win in a time of 16:17.07. Chepkirui’s new course record earned
her victory ahead of the talented Caroline Jepkoech and Hyvin Kiyeng
who recorded marks of 16:41.40 and 16:47.02.
LAAYOUNE (MAR, Dec 25): Kenyan Stephen Tum won the 13th Half Marathon de
Laayoune in Morocco in fast 1:01:11. Second and third home runners
Abdellah Taghraffat 1:01:22 PB and Abderrahim El Asri with another PB of
1:02:16. Hafida Izem was the best woman in 1:12:58 beating Kenyan
Antonina Rono 1:14:53 and Russian Kamila Khanipova 1:15:26.
BRYANSK (RUS, Dec 24): At 5th Sinyayev indoor memorial Mikhail
Yegorychev posted hand timed 6.5 in the 60 m. Fifth placer from European
Junior Championships in Tallinn Semen Podznyakov improved in high jump
to 223 cm. Yekaterina Gonchar sprinter the women 60 m in hand timed 7.1.
OTHER NEWS
ZAGREB (CRO): World high jump silver medalist Blanka Vlasic was voted
Croatian Sportswoman of the Year 2011. That happened in the traditional
poll of Sportske Novosti newspaper. It is not yet clear whether Vlasic
will compete in the indoor season 2012. “Olympic Games is the most important competition of 2012,” she said.
ROMA (ITA): FIDAL website informs that bronze high jump world medalist
Antonietta Di Martino plans from January 5 to 26 her
traditional training camp in Chula Vista, California. The national
record holder will be accompanied by young generation Marco Fassinotti,
Silvano
Chesani and Elena Vallortigara. She plans to compete also during the
indoor season with main target World Indoors in Istanbul. Her schedule
is not yet fixed, but one meet is for sure. The Banska Bystica high jump on
February 8, the magical place for her. In 2007 she achieved in Slovakia
her first two meters and in 2011 the Italian record 204. For summer Di
Martino plans for European Championships in Helsinki and of course
Olympic Games. “I hope for positive things,” she was quoted as saying.
AMSTERDAM (NED): Dutch shot put record holder and world medalist Rutger
Smith plans for all top three events of 2012. As Dutch media are
reporting he wants to compete at World Indoor Championships in Istanbul
in shot put and then double in Helsinki and London with discus. Early in
2012 he will have a training camp in South Africa.
TALLINN (EST): Discus olympic winner Gerd Kanter is also a solid runner.
He competed in a road race in Tallinn at 6.2 km and clocked 35:22.
WARSZAWA (POL): Pole Vault world champion Pawel Wojciechowski was named
Sportsman of the Year 2011 in Poland by the National Olympic Committee.
LISBON (POR): Portugal´s steeple runner Sara Moreira was banned by
Portugal Athletics Federation after her positive test at World
Championships in Daegu for 6 months. That means until March 7, 2012. In
the explanation it says that she didn’t know that the suplement she
took after University Games and before World Championships contained the
prohibited stimulant. Speaking to Portuguese media, she said also that
she wants to go to World Indoor Championships in Istanbul (at 3000 m)
beginning on March 9. In her sample in Daegu methylhexaneamine was
found.
VIENNA (AUT): Austrian Athletics Federation OLV will stage the next
European Athletics CEO Conference on April 20-22 next year. It will be
organised in Neusiedl am See. Last similar conference was held in 2010
in Barcelona.
AMSTERDAM (NED): Dutch media are informing that thieves have stolen the
five Olympic rings hanging above the entrance to city’s Olympic Stadium.
Amsterdam police say it may be the work of the New Year’s Eve
Association Frijsteat Folgeren Friesland, which is well-known for this
sort of stunt. Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium was built in 1927 for the
1928 games. The five rings are the Olympic symbol and represent the five
continents. In 2016 European Championships will be held in the stadium.
SAN JOSE (USA): Mercurynews.com informs that track legend Lee Evans did
not have brain surgery as expected Thursday because physicians are
waiting to determine the type of tumor he has before taking a course of
action, a spokesman for the family said. The two-time Olympic champion
from San Jose might need surgery or medication to remove the tumor. The
63-years old Evans remains in the hospital.
