HAILE
FOR PRESIDENT, BUT LATER

ADDIS
ABABA (ETH): Ethiopian running legend Haile Gebrselassie is not against trying
for the president of the country. German agency SID quoted his as saying: „In
case this possibility will open, why not? But now after not running at Olympic
Games it is time for some bussinness,” said Gebrselassie. His next known race
is Vienna Half marathon in April.

LIU
XIANG PLANS

ISTANBUL
(TUR): Former world record holder at 110 m hurdles Liu Xiang plans carefully
his races for summer. At the medalists press conference during World Indoor
Championships he said that: „For me, my next meeting will be in Japan for the
IAAF meeting there (in Kawasaki on May 6) then the Shanghai Diamond League
meeting and the Eugene Diamond League meeting (on May 19 and June 2
respectively). After that, I will probably be in Europe during July and
may take some competitions there.” In contrast to his main opponents he must
not undergo tough qualifying process.

THREE
CANDIDATES

LAUSANNE
(SUI): European Athletics has completed its round of evaluation site visits of
cities bidding for the 2015 European Athletics Indoor Championships, with
meetings held in Prague, Belgrade and Istanbul with the respective bid
committees. The Evaluation Commission, led by European Athletics 1st Vice
President José Luis de Carlos, visited the Turkish metropolis Istanbul this
week and the Serbian capital Belgrade in February following a visit to the
Czech capital Prague in November 2011. „We have been extremely impressed with
the desire and commitment of each of the three bid cities in wanting to deliver
a European Athletics Indoor Championships in 2015 of the highest quality,”
said Vice President De Carlos. „The cities now have a chance to improve
their bids following our discussions before submitting their final documents
ahead of the European Athletics Council meeting in May in Sofia.” The 2013
European Athletics Indoor Championships will be held in the Swedish city of
Goteborg. Informs European Athletics. Istanbul bids with Atakoy Arena, site of
recent World Indoor Championships. Prague with top Czech facility O2 Arena
(capacity 18 000) where an international meet was held in 2009 (world best at 2
miles by Meseret Defar and world record attempts by Yelena Isinbaeva) and
Belgrade with another modern and big hall (Beogradska Arena, also capacity at
18 000, without athletics competitions in the past).

GOTEBORG
CONSIDERS WORLDS 2021

GOTEBORG
(SWE): Swedish city of Goteborg considers to bid to stage World Championships
in 2021. Goteborg already hosted the event in 1995. Next winter European Indoor
Championships will be held in Goteborg. The 2021 will be a special year
with celebrating the 400th anniversary of the city. Friidrott.se informs.

OTHER NEWS

JOHANNESBURG
(RSA): South African Athletics federation informs that Blade Runner Oscar
Pistorius who clocked olympic qualifier 45.20 last weekend still must fulfill
some criterias to be sure with London Olympic Games participation. He is now
the first South African athlete to have reached the qualifying time this year. He
still has to run the qualifying standard at an international meeting after 31
March as agreed with SASCOC (The South African Sports and Olympic Committee)
and also compete at the SA Senior Championships in Port Elizabeth on 13-14
April.

COTTBUS
(GER): German Track agents build DLMV, the Association of German Athletics
Managers. They informed about it the German Athletics Federation DLV. DLMV also
agreed a Ethics codex. Managers also informed DLV that they do not agree
with the license fee of 1000 E for the agents to be accepted by the German
Federation. DLMV also asked DLV for a meeting to discuss the relevant
issues.

LJUBLJANA
(SLO): US runner Brent LaRue (24) is now eligible to compete for Slovenia at
European Championships in Helsinki and Olympic Games in London. IAAF informed
about it the Slovenian Athletics Federation after its council meeting in
Istanbul. LaRue has 45.75 at 400 m and 49.77 at 400 m hurdles what is very
solid international standard. He lives in Slovenia since 2010 and married
tennis player Ana Jerman. He got Slovenian citizenship in July last year.

AMSTERDAM
(NED) : Dutch junior Eva Reinders impressed at the European winter throwing cup
with a new Dutch national junior record in the hammer throw. Reinders
passed the 60 meter mark twice with 60.01 and 60.46 and is now hoping her form
will be strong enough to reach the hammer final of the IAAF World junior
Championships in Barcelona she said for losseveter.nl.

BRUSSELS
(BEL): Hurdler Damien Broothaerts has been released to run after his 1 year
doping ban has been reduced to 6 months, of which 4 months effectively.
Broothaerts previously won his whereabouts case and now also books a win
in his case of a positive dopingtest, which he explained was due to a contaminated
supplement reports sporza.be.

LAUSANNE
(SUI): The Helsinki 2012 European Athletics Championships topped the agenda of
European Athletics Athletes’ Commission meeting in Zurich writes European Athletics.
European Athletics President Hansjorg Wirz and Director General Christian Milz
met the members of the commission headed by Finnish former javelin star Mikaela
Ingberg. The commission also discussed issues related to advertising and
marketing regulations regarding manufacturers’ logos on athletes’ clothing
during the championships, and they were strongly in favour of modernising the
advertising rules in athletics. Proposals for a change in the
qualification procedures for the combined events at the European Athletics
Indoor Championships, review of the European Athletics Team Championships, the
European Athletics Anti-doping Education Programme as well as the concept of
the European Athletics Permit meetings were widely discussed. The Athletes’
Commission feels a strong need for developing the concept of a more
consistent and attractive meetings circuit.

LONDON
(GBR): The heads of four leading airlines have warned the British government
there could be chaos at London’s airports during this summer’s Olympic Games,
which would cause major embarrassment to the country unless a deal can be
reached over their concerns. In a blunt letter to transport chiefs,
British Airways , bmi, Virgin Atlantic and Easyjet said time was running out to
tackle the expected surge in air traffic and its impact reports Reuters.

LONDON
(GBR): Professor David Cowan, the man in control of the anti-doping laboratory
for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, has told insidethegames that
these athletes have a 50-50 chance of being drugs tested this summer. The
World Anti-Doping Agency accredited laboratory at Harlow will analyse around
6000 samples during the Games, averaging at 400 a day, this will be more
than at any previous Olympics.

CAPE
TOWN (RSA): Uganda’s capital Kampala will be the next host of the Africa cross
country Championships next year. The Ugandan delegation received the flag from
South Africa on Sunday as a symbolic gesture to start the preparations to
host the top African countries. Kenya declined to stage the event, and
Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) headhunted Kampala as their next stop
as they seek to develop a competition that can rival the World Cross
Country Championships. East Standard informs.

BUENOS
AIRES (ARG): Gerardo Werthein, President of the Argentine Olympic Committee
(COA), said that Buenos Aires is honoured to bid for the 2018 Youth Olympic
Games and that the city can become a valuable partner of the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) should their bid prove successful according to
Insidethegames.

WACO
(USA): 2004 Olympic winner and 20052/2007 World Champion Jeremy Wariner clocked
faster outdoor debut than last year with 20.66 (+2.6) during TCU Invitational
last Friday. „People can see that I’m slowly getting back,” Wariner said. „My
times are pretty quick right now, early on.” This could be the best year of
Wariner’s life. He and his wife, Sarah, who were married Nov. 5, are expecting
a child Oct. 15. They jokingly have nicknamed the child Turbo. Before
that, Wariner hopes to not only compete in his third Olympics, but win his
second individual Olympic gold medal. His last sub 44 happened back in 2008,
for the following years injuries are responsible for slower times. Wariner had
surgery on his right knee in December 2009 after tearing cartilage. That
eventually led to a sore hamstring that cut short his 2010 season. Last
year, he tore a ligament in his left foot and needed surgery on his left
knee. Wariner had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Aug. 14. He is
scheduled to run another 200 m and the relay March 24 at UT Arlington. Informs
Star-Telegram.com.

MONACO
(MON): IAAF released its first ranking list for teams wishing to qualify for
the relay events at the Olympic Games in London. Only top 16 teams will compete
in both relays for men and women, the qualification period is from January 1,
2011 until July 2, 2012. Currently the last 16th aggregate qualifiers are China
with 78.02 (38.87+39.15) and 6:07.36 for Japan (3:02.64 and 3:04.72) in men
relays and China 87.91 (43.90+44.01) with Canada 7:01.28 (3:27.92 and 3:33.36)
in women relays. Currently qualified from Europe are five 4×100 m men teams
(France, Great Britain, Poland, Italy and Germany) and six 4×400 m teams
(Russia, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Poland and France). In women relays 7
teams in 4×100 m (Ukraine, France, Russia, Germany, Netherlands, Great Britain,
Poland) and 10 teams for 4×400 m (Russia, Great Britain, Ukraine, Belarus,
Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Ireland, France, Turkey).

ATHENS
(GRE): Agencies are informing that the Athens Olympic Stadium suffered heavy
damage during violent clashes between soccer fans and police. The clashes began
two hours before a Sunday night match between Greece’s two main football
clubs, Panathinaikos and Olympiakos, was due to begin. „Before the match,
individuals who had already gained entry made a sortie from their stands,
breaking stadium doors, attacking police and allowing others to enter without
security checks,” a police statement said. Fans ripped up seats and partly
burned one of the stadium’s two giant display boards. The stadium hosted not
only Olympic athletics competition in 2004, but also several other top events
including 2006 World Cup and yearly Tsiklitiria one day meet.

RESULTS

EUGENE
(USA, Mar 18): World medalist at 10 000 m Sally Kipyego of Kenya achieved at
Oregon Preview meet outdoor world leading 8:53.83 in the 3000 m. In women
hammer Britney Henry got 70.73, her second best ever mark.

CORAL
GABLES (USA, Mar 17): Keith Ricks achieved 10.33 (+0.5) at Hurricane
Invitational. Antwon Hicks posted windy 13.79 (+3.1) at 110 m hurdles and
Bahamian junior Ryan Ingraham cleared 221 in the high jump. Former US thrower
now representing Jamaica Allison Randall achieved new national women discus
record 61.21 m. That is also B olympic qualifier. She qualified to represent
Jamaica through her Jamaican mother and first competed in the national colours
last year. Informs Jamaica Observer.

HOUSTON
(USA, Mar 17): Hurdles indoor world leader Dexter Faulk started the outdoor
season with 13.79 (-1.8) at TSUR Relays.

POTCHEFSTROOM
(RSA, Mar 17): The 2011 World Championships bronze medallist Sunette Viljoen
competed in windy conditions at the Central North West Provincial Championships
where she sent the javelin to 61.42 in the third round. The A-standard for
Olympic Games is 61 meters.

NIS
(SRB, Mar 17): Mirko Petrovic won Serbian CC Championships at 8 km in 25:04.
Amela Terzic was the best senior woman at 4 km. In other development around the
European junior champion Terzic her city Novi Pazar offered a land where
she would be able to built a house. It also a reaction to recent
offers from Turkish Athletics Federation towards Terzic, Serbian media are
informing.

SAD NEWS

LISBON
(POR): Portugal media are informing about the death of Olympic bronze winner in
the 5000 m in 1984 Antonio Leitao at age of 51 in Porto. He was suffering from
hemochromatosis, a disease that affects iron metabolism.

CORRECTION

NEW YORK
(USA): Peter Matthews notes that NYC HM was not the debut for Briton Chris
Thompson, he was third on debut in 62:11 in Greenwich, London last year (25
September).