TAMGHO
MOST PROBABLY YES FOR HELSINKI

PARIS
(FRA): Triple jump world indoor champion French Teddy Tamgho might still
consider European Championships 2012 in Helsinki. Despite his very thin planned
programme before London Olympic Games suggestions that he might skip the
European event were not correct.

PITTMAN
RETURNS

MELBOURNE
(AUS): Double world champion at 400 m hurdles Jana Pittman returned from injury
and had her first run in Australian domestic season in the Victorian relay
championships at the new track at Albert Park, Melbourne. She ran for the
Glenhuntly club in the heat and final of the 4x100m and heat of the 4x400m. Her
sprint relay team finished 3rd in 49.78 whilst she ran the anchor leg of the
4x400m winning their heat in 3.49.09. She was not under any pressure and
coasted round well clear of the second team. There were no split times
available, however she seems to be in good form. Informs Paul Jenes.

CENTROWITZ
GOES PRO WITH PACE

EUGENE
(USA): World 1500m bronze medalist Matthew Centrowitz announced that he will
turn professional and forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility. The University
of Oregon miler had a breakout season in 2011 winning the NCAA 1500m
title, USATF 1500m title and the 1500m bronze medal in the IAAF T&F
Championships in Daegu, becoming the youngest ever American to medal in the
event. „I am very grateful to the University of Oregon and the coaching staff
for all they have done for me. This important decision has taken me a couple
of months to decide on but a decision I feel that is best for me in
reaching my upcoming goals”, said Matthew from his base in Eugene where he will
stay to complete his sociology major. Centrowitz will be represented by PACE
Sports Management, the UK based athlete management company headed by Ricky
Simms. PACE Sports Management’s roster includes triple Olympic Champion Usain
Bolt, triple World Champion Vivian Cheruiyot, World Champions Mo Farah, Linet
Masai, Phillips Idowu, Christine Ohuruogu & Jana Pittman. “We are honored
and delighted to work with Matthew and help continue his development as a professional
athlete. Matthew was extremely impressive in 2011 and has the ability to be a major
force in the event for years to come”, commented Simms.

JESSE
AND BRITTNEY FOR MILLROSE

NEW YORK
(USA): The Millrose Games received not one, but two major announcements with
the addition of World Champion title holders Jesse Williams and Brittney Reese
to the 105th Millrose Games at The Armory. Media are informing. „The tradition
of excellence in the field events is sure to continue with the two best athletes
in the world competing in the Millrose Games,” Meet Director Ray Flynn said
about Williams and Reese. „I am delighted to announce Jesse and Brittney to our
meet. With the addition of these two London Olympic Games’ favorites, our field
events will really be something special this year.” They join 2008 Olympic Gold
medalist Allyson Felix and World Champion Jennifer Simpson as confirmed
participants in the nation’s premier indoor track & field event. Felix will
compete in the women’s 60m dash and Simpson will participate in the Millrose
Games’ first New York Road Runners’ Wanamaker Metric Mile for Women.

UKHOV
WILL RETURN TO CZECH

BRNO
(CZE): Top high jumpers are again planning for Moravia High Jump Tour Series in
Czech Republic end of January. The 8th edition of the two-meet series is
boasting on participation of number one in the world indoors Russian Ivan Ukhov
who will open his indoor campaign here. He will jump on January 28 in Hustopece
and January 30 in Trinec. Ukhov is meet record holder at both venues, achieving
238 in Hustopece in 2011 (also world lead of the year) and 234 in Trinec in
2010. „I m happy to return again to the Moravia series. Specially Hustopece is
one of my favorite indoor halls. Hopefully the bar wouldn’t be so strict for my
world record attempts like last season. And for Trinec I would hope to
improve my event record,” said Ukhov who was unbeaten indoors 2011. Last season
before the eyes of Javier Sotomayor he seriously attacked the world indoor
record in Hustopece with solid tries at 244 cm. Silver winner from European
indoor championships 2011 in Paris and home star Jaroslav Baba will be one of
his main rivals at both venues along with world bronze medalist Trevor Barry
from Bahamas. Also best junior in the world this year and European junior
champion from Tallinn another Russian Nikita Anishchenkov (230) signed for the
tour.

OTHER NEWS

MONACO
(MON): The President and Founder of Peace and Sport Joël Bouzou was elected as
President of the World Olympians Association (WOA) at their General Assembly in
Lausanne. Focusing his election campaign on two main themes- encouraging social
commitment from Olympians and providing services to Olympians during and after
their career – Joël Bouzou was nominated by a vast majority in the first
round of voting. He succeeds the legendary American high jumper Richard „Dick”
Fosbury at the head of the only international organization which unites all of
the 100,000 athletes to have competed in an Olympic event.

BRUSSELS
(BEL): Ethiopian born runner Almensch Belete has is close to receiving her
Belgian passport and could compete for Belgium at the London Olympic Games.
Belete has been living in Belgium for several years and has already run the
qualifying standard for London writes sporza.be.

BERLIN
(GER): German triple jump record holder Katja Demut will stay in her local
track club LC Jena. Demut had two other financially interesting offers but with
the help of the city and long jump legend Heike Drechsler, who leads the
organisation Pro Jena, Demut will stay in Jena according to leichtathletik.de.

KINGSTON
(JAM): Andrea Bliss, the 2005 Central America and Caribbean Championships 100m
hurdles silver medallist, is back home in Jamaica preparing for the 2012
season. Informs Trackalerts. Bliss, who was training with Dennis Mitchell,
former USA sprinter, in Florida, is now taking instructions from UWI-based Fitz
Coleman, who also coaches Maurice Wignall, the former national 110m hurdles
record holder. Her best of 12.83 dated back to 2005.

MELBOURNE
(AUS): World championship 5000 m bronze medallist Craig Mottram and national 10
000 m record holder Ben St Lawrence are set to go head to head in this year’s
Zatopek:10. Mottram, who cruised to a comfortable win in the Victorian
5,000m Championships last Thursday, has confirmed with Athletics Victoria he
will contest the 51st running of the prestigious event, the first to be held at
the new Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park. While Mottram’s preferred event for
London 2012 remains the 5000 m, he is a two-time winner of the Zatopek:10
(his last appearance a win in 2003) and said after winning the Victorian
5,000m title last week that he wants to earn a place in the Olympic team
as soon as possible. Informs Athletics Australia.

LONDON
(GBR): British Prime Minister David Cameron expressed his delight as London was
announced as the host of the 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards. The awards are
the premier honours event in the international sporting calendar and the
glittering event will be held at Central Hall in Westminster English on
February 6 2012 reports Insidethegames.

LONDON
(GBR): Adidas have extended their sponsorship deal of the British Olympic
Association (BOA) beyond London 2012 until Rio 2016, to continue the
partnership that started in 1983. The new deal includes a sponsorship and
a licensing deal under which adidas will receive marketing rights to Team
GB. In return the German sportswear manufacturer will provide the BOA with all
of its sportswear requirements, including all competition and leisure wear for
every athlete and team official participating at the 2014 Winter Olympics in
Sochi as well as Rio according to Insidethegames.

KINGSTON
(JAM): After a disappointing showing at this summer’s world championships
MVP track club, led by coach Stephen Francis, has changed its strategy and went
back to older programs revealed Asafa Powell. Powell added that the new
programs are just slightly different and are more in favour of the athletes.
“Coach made a few slight adjustments and it’s working. Everyone is
training well, everyone is healthy and that’s a good sign,” he said for
trackalerts.com.

LONDON
(GBR): Athletics Weekly reports that World 5000m champion Mo Farah and world
400m hurdles champion Dai Greene are two of the 10 names that were announced as
being on the shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. The
other sportsmen up for the award are: Mark Cavendish (cycling), Darren Clarke
(golf), Alastair Cook (cricket), Luke Donald (golf), Amir Khan (boxing), Rory
McIlroy (golf), Andy Murray (tennis) and Andrew Strauss (cricket). No
sportswomen have this year made the shortlist.

ADDIS
ABABA (ETH): Legendary distance runner Haile Gebrselassie with his typical
hands on approach and trademark beaming smile was physically helping at one of
the biggest projects of his life the CBE Great Ethiopian Run in Addis Ababa on
Sunday. Gebrselassie now a highly successful businessman in Ethiopia’s
construction industrey and the World’s greatest ever distance runner with two
Olympic 10,000 metres gold medals plus 26 World records on the track and in
road races justifying that accolade, was quite simply in his element as he
helped supervise the country’s biggest sporting event. This year’s event was as
colourful and lively as ever with newcomers and likely international stars of
the future Mesenet Geremew and Abebech Afework greeted on the finish line by
Gebrselassie, after clinching the respective men and women’s titles. „It helps
showcase my country of which I am very proud and also encourage others to
make the transition into becoming better runners and who knows even world class
ones in the future,” said the 38-year-old currently himself preparing for the
Tokyo Marathon in February. Informs David Martin.

VELENJE TEAMS

GREAT
BRITAIN: Former three-time junior gold medallist Stephanie Twell will chase the
Under 23 title at the European Cross Country Championsips in Velenje on 11
December. Andy Vernon and and Hatti Dean the men and women’s winners of the
trial races held in conjunction with the Liverpool meeting will also be aiming
to produce quality performances against Europe’s best performers. The men’s
side which also includes track specialist Andy Baddeley is arguably the
strongest it’s been in a decade and could be back in medal contention
after missing out in 2010, while the women will be targeting a team medal
to match or better last year’s silver. Britain is sending teams for all six
races.

BELGIUM:
Belgium has announced its team for the European Cross country championships in
Velenje. The men’s team is led by in form Atelaw Bekele who is joined by Lander
Tijtgat and Pieter Desmet. Barbara Maveau and Sandra Schenkel make the women’s
team. The junior women’s team is led by strong contestants Zenobie Vangansbeke
and Imana Truyers.

HUNGARY:
Two teams will be competing from Hungary. Men´s U23 and junior boys.

PORTUGAL:
From last year succesful team of Portugal in Algarve at home soil (women won
teams and men were second) only one male runner is selected (Jose Rocha) and
three women (Dulce Felix, Ana Dias and Analia Rosa). Out are Youssef el Kailai
and Jessica Augusto, and also Eduardo Mbengani (doping), Rui Pedro Silva, Rui
Silva, Sara Moreira (doping process), Marisa Barros. But included is Rui Pinto
who is defending his junior third place from 2010. Still Portugal selected
teams for all 6 races. Including Rui Teixeira, Pedro Ribeiro and Ricardo Ribas.

BULGARIA:
Two male runners competing for Bulgaria will be senior Yolo Nikolov and junior
Mitko Tsenov.

SWEDEN:
The only senior representative for Tre Kronor will be Adil Bouafif. Then the
full men U23 squad was selected with Mikael Ekvall, Andreas Ahwall, Eris
Senorski, Jerker Lysell, Jonas Leandersson and one not yet named runner.

NETHERLANDS:
In total 15 runners were selected to represent Netherlands. Strong seniors are
Khalid Choukoud and Adrienne Herzog, former medalist already. In the U23 men´s
race Jesper van der Wielen with Abdi Nageye and Niels Verwer. Then both junior
teams will compete.