by Larry Eder
Yohan Blake, by PhotoRun.net
Usain Bolt, by PhotoRun.net
Track & Field News is the bible of the sport. That, dear friends, is the fact. Their Rankings will have track fans, laughing, crying and throwing things for months! But, that is what they are supposed to do! Here, Alfons Juck updates us on the rankings!
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 TO ALL SUBSCRIBERS OF EME NEWS !
BLAKE
OVER BOLT, SUHR OVER MURER BY TFN
MOUNTAIN
VIEW (USA): In the traditional Track and Field News Rankings (men started in
1947 and women in 1956) in 5 women events and 6 men events World Champions from
Daegu are not ranked number one. In all other events the gold medalists from
Korea are leading the top ten. In comparison with Athletics International it is
the same number. The differences between both rankings in terms of leaders are
men´s 100 m where AI ranks Bolt first but TFN goes for Blake. In marathon TFN
has Geoffrey Mutai, but AI Patrick Makau. In women pole vault TFN goes for
Jenny Suhr, AI has Fabiana Murer and in women javelin Christina Obergfoll is
number one of TFN and AI has Mariya Abakumova. Other non Daegu number ones are
the same as AI (men 110 m hurdles with Robles, PV Lavillenie, LJ Watt, SP
Armstrong, HT Pars and women 1500 m Uceny, mar Shobukhova, HT Heidler). The
Track & Field News World Rankings, the definitive work on the subject for
more than 60 years, are coordinated by T&FN Editor, E. Garry Hill. Current
members of the international Rankings team are Nejat Kök, Dave Johnson, Richard
Hymans & Jonathan Berenbom.
KENYAN
DOUBLE
MOUNTAIN
VIEW (USA): Kenya scored a winning double in the traditional Track and
Field News Athlete of the Year vote. The poll started in 1959 for men and 1974
for women and for first time a Kenyan woman is the number one and only for
second time a Kenyan man (after Rudisha for 2010). David Rudisha got 272
points in the vote of an international panel of experts. Second Usain Bolt 259
just ahead of German discus thrower Robert Harting 255. Fourth place for Yohan
Blake 244. With more distance fifth Geoffrey Mutai (190) ahead of Mo Farah
(174), Kirani James (137), Trey Hardee (67), Dayron Robles (60) and Christian
Taylor completing the top ten (39). In total 18 men got votes. Vivian Cheruiyot
was a more clear winner with 317 points (96,1 percent) ahead of Sally
Pearson (292) and Valerie Adams (252). Fourth position for Carmelita Jeter
(217) ahead of Anna Chicherova (144). Sixth is Betty Heidler as best non-world
champion with 110 points ahead of Lashinda Demus (108), Tatyana Chernova (66),
Mariya Savinova (65) and Veronica Campbell-Brown (56). 17 women achieved points
in the vote. The only other non-world champion was Russian Lilya Shobukhova as
12th (37).
OLYMPIC
TITLE DEFENDERS AND LONDON
BRATISLAVA
(SVK): Looking at the Beijing olympic winners 2008 and their ambitions to
defend the titles in 2012 in London one name for sure will be missing. That is
Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru, the marathon gold medalist, who is no longer with us.
Questionmark remains about 800 m winner Wilfred Bungei who was not competing
last year and the female Beijing 800 m winner Pamela Jelimo is also not able to
retain similar shape as four years ago. Both did not officially end their careers
and both said they want to train for 2012. Similar difficulties are connected
to Francoise Mbango in the triple jump. The Cameroon athlete represents now
France and since 2008 only once achieved a 14+ mark. Belarus title
defender Oksana Miankova registered her last 70+ result back in 2009 and did
not prove her olympic gold medalist status since then. But also in this cases,
both are reported to train for the olympic year. With her San Silvestre
Vallecana win Tirunesh Dibaba the defender at 5000 m and 10 000 m showed she is
back and healthy in right time for the Olympic year. The same is expected from
another double Beijing winner Kenenisa Bekele who is scheduled to compete in
the Edinburgh CC race early in the new year. Belgian high jumper Tia Hellebaut after
giving birth to her second child announced her second come-back for end of the
January. Already last year back after short retirement period was hammer
thrower Primoz Kozmus of Slovenia. After baby break returned last year was the
steeple Beijing winner Gulnara Samitova-Galkina of Russia. Difficulties of
another nature had 400 m winner LaShawn Merritt who was back in 2011 after a doping
ban. Marathon title defender Constantina Dita might have her last year in 2012.
Injuries affected the results of other group of Beijing defenders, mainly
Andrey Silnov, Steven Hooker, Nelson Evora, Irving Saladino and Bryan Clay on
the men side with Christine Ohuruogu and Dawn Harper on the women one. Pole
vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva stopped her career from spring 2010 until winter
2011. Italian walker Alex Schwazer is also back in top training after some
negative thoughts. Special case is discus winner Stephanie Brown-Trafton who
got two world finals in 2009 and 2011 but was not close to medals. Gold medals
at Berlin Worlds 2009 for a trio of Beijing winners who were not able to
follow that in Daegu (Shelly-Ann Fraser, Melaine Walker and Andreas
Thorkildsen). Another group is fighting on top with solid chances to defend
their titles too having different medals at world and continental stage (Brimin
Kipruto, Dayron Robles, Angelo Taylor, Gerd Kanter, Nancy Langat, Maurren
Maggi, Barbora Spotakova, Natalya Dobrynska). And last but most prominent group
of Beijing winners is the one which also won gold medals in Daegu at 2011
Worlds. Usain Bolt, Asbel Kiprop, Valeriy Borchin, Veronica Campbell-Brown,
Valerie Adams and Olga Kaniskina.
MY PERSONAL TOP TEN WISHES OF 2012 RELATED TO ATHLETICS
1)Clash
of top sprinters in Ostrava
2)One
world indoor record at one of the three indoor high jumps
3)One of
our athletes gets medal in London
4)Some
European titles from Helsinki for our athletes
5)Oldest
meet record of Ostrava will go (44.70 Juantorena, 400 m)
6)Athletics Bridge Dubnica meet will see
first sub 10 in Slovakia at the 100 m
7)We
will have the necessary budgets for all our events
8)Back
to TV commentary position at London Games
9)Diamond
League will open the door for new members from 2013
10)Slovak
Athletics gets major changes after federation elections in fall
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