Leo Manzano, Matt Centrowitz, Galen Rupp, 2012 US Indoor Champs,
photo by PhotoRun.net

RODRIGUEZ
BACK IN TRAINING

MADRID
(ESP): Daegu 1500 m bronze winner Natalia Rodriguez is back in training for
Olympic Games. She sprained her ankle in December and that forced her to stop
with the training. After blood clot complications she could not compete not
only indoors but also in the cross-country races. „I have four months and there
is still time, but I have to adapt the training,” says Natalia. Due to
preparation she resigned as local parliament member of Tarragona, her city.

PAVEY
WITH OPTIONS

LONDON
(GBR): British distance runner Jo Pavey is keeping her options open on what
event she might contest at the 2012 London Olympic Games this summer. The
three-time track Olympian already holds the qualifying standard for the
marathon where she is a contender to be chosen for the remaining place in
Team GB after Paula Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi were pre-selected after easily
achieving the required time in the Berlin and Yokohama Marathons. Pavey
although the next fastest of the other Britons determined to represent their
country on home soil is thinking about keeping her options open particularly if
not picked when the selectors make their decision after the Virgin London
Marathon on 22 April. The 38-year-old was hoping to prove her fitness with a good
performance in last weekend’s New York City half marathon but was a late
withdrawal suffering from flu which prompted her to keep her options open. That
could see the former Commonwealth 5000m silver medallist chase the 10000m
qualifying standard. Writes David Martin.

FOUR
SELECTED, BUT NOT GILL

AUCKLAND
(NZL): Beijing Olympics medallists Valerie Adams and Nick Willis head a small
first wave of track and field athletes confirmed for the 2012 London Olympic
Games. But the group does not yet include teenage shot putter Jacko Gill, whose
Olympic fate rests in a „pending group”. Other two now confirmed are marathon
runner Kim Smith and javelin thrower Stuart Farquhar. Below them listed a five-strong
pending group of athletes who are either yet to fully qualify, or have met
standards, but are out of form. Shopt putters Tom Walsh, talented Jacko Gill,
walker Quentin Rew, decathlete Brent Nedwick, middle distance runner Nikki
Hamblin and long distance runner Adrian Blincoe. NZ media are informing.

OTHER NEWS

ATHENS
(GRE): Pat Butcher writes that Greece has been getting a pounding from
economists in recent months, but millionaires’ magazine Forbes has named the
Athens Classic Marathon as one of the must-run marathons abroad for its more
energetic and time-rich readers. The Athens race, which begins in the town of
Marathon and finishes inside the Panathenaikon “Marble” Stadium in Athens –
whose history, as Forbes points out, is how the 42.195k event gets its name –
is one of just ten marathons worldwide highlighted by the rich-list magazine. Potential
entrants for the Authentic Marathon, as it is known internationally, would do
well to get online ASAP. The registration period for ACM 2012, on Sunday,
November 11, opened two weeks ago, and numbers are limited.

NIJMEGEN
(NED): Nijmegen Global Athletics it the second Dutch meeting in a short
time that announces the cancellation of the event. Meeting in Nijmegen just
weeks ago announced they would have a high class 10.000m race for athletes
with little opportunity to run this distance. The cancellation is due to a lack
of funding for the competition reports All Track Press. The event was scheduled
for May 25.

AMSTERDAM
(NED): Interesting work between Dutch and French pole vaulters as Dutch pole
vault head coach Rens Blom invited some of France’s best pole vaulters to train
with Dutch pole vaulters in Sittard, The Netherlands. Blom earlier this year
took his vaulters to Clermont-Ferrand to learn from the French way of pole
vaulting according to All Track Press.

BERLIN
(GER): Sports director of the German athletics federation DLV Thomas
Kurschilgen has announced changes in the selection procedure for the combined
events competitions at the European Championships and the Olympic Games. The
IAAF World Challenge meeting in Götzis end of May will be the last chance to
qualify for the European Championships in Helsinki. The selection however will
be made after the IAAF World challenge combined events meeting of Ratingen on
June 14 th and 15 th with the goal that Germany’s best combined events athletes
will have Olympic Games as the priority.

LAUSANNE
(SUI): Ukraine’s leading decathlete Oleksiy Kasyanov confirmed to European
Athletics he will try to compete in both the European championships and the
London Olympic Games. „Doing a decathlon at both the European Athletics
Championships and the Olympic Games, which comes a month afterwards this
summer, is certainly feasible and it’s in my plans to do both events,” the
athlete was quoted while adding that he is aiming to be on the podium in
Helsinki after leading after the first day in Barcelona but later had to drop
out because of injury.

LONDON
(GBR): Defending Olympic Champion Christine Ohuruogu is slowly getting back in
top shape ahead of the London Games but admitted to The Telegraph she is no
long one of the poster girls for the event. “As a kid growing up I never
followed the Olympics at all, I sometimes think I shouldn’t say that
but it is the truth so there you have it. The Olympics was something that never
crossed my mind and I never watched it. I have no Olympic memories at
all until I found myself competing in the 2004 Games at Athens” Ohuruogu
was quoted.

NAIROBI
(KEN): Laureus Sportswoman of the year Vivian Cheruiyot has added another gem
to her crown, but this time it will glare on her charity work after she was
named as one of the Koech Foundation Trust Ambassadors. The double World
champion in 5,000 and 10,000m races, was appointed together with beauty queen
Fiona Konchella and Kenya’s Sevens Rugby team as ambassadors for the tree is
life campaign. East Standard informs.

FRANKFURT
(GER): The organization and content of European Athletics Convention was among
the main topics for discussion at European Athletics Reflection Commissions’
meeting in Frankfurt at the weekend. In the presence of European Athletics
President Hansjörg Wirz, the Reflection Commission, led by European Athletics
Vice-President Karel Pilný, discussed the daily style of functioning of
different European Athletics member federations and the 2011 IAAF Congress and
Elections among other topics. Informs EA.

AMSTERDAM
(NED): Stressing the need for action, European Athletics President Hansjörg
Wirz has told the Development Committee that its activities are important for
promoting athletics and building the visibility and credibility the sport
requires in order to attract more support from governments, institutions and
sponsors. The president was present Friday at the beginning of the committee’s
weekend meeting in Amsterdam where the European Athletics Education Programme
topped the agenda, the main point being the upcoming CEO Conference (Neusiedl
am See, Austria, 21-22 April) – which will emphasise opportunities to expand
the revenue streams of Member Federations.

RESULTS

LAKE
BUENA VISTA (USA, Mar 24): Despite head-wind fastest 110 m hurdles of the year
by David Oliver with 13.30 (-3.2) in heats and 13.37 (-1.3) in the finals.

TARSUS
(TUR, Mar 25): At 8th Tarsus Half Marathon Ethiopians ruled. Winner Adihana
Gebretsadik clocked 1:02:19 ahead of Asefa Tigabu 1:02:30 and Bekele Tesfaye
1:02:35. Fourth best home runner Bekir Karayel in 1:02:55 lifetime best. In
women race fast 1:09:37 for winner Atsede Baysa beating Zinash Tola 1:12:03 and
best home runner Ummu Kiraz 1:12:18 PB.

ALA DEI
SARDI (ITA, Mar 25): Kenyans John Kipkoech and Prisca Jepleting won the 36th
edition of the International Cross Country race Trofeo Alsport in Alŕ dei
Sardi, a small village in Sardinia. John Kipkoech, 2010 World Junior
silver medallist in the 5000 meters in Moncton held off in 32:11 the 2011 World
Cross Country silver medallist Paul Tanui by three seconds 32:14. Cinque Mulini
winner Thomas Longosiwa took third place in 32:52. World and Olympic 1500 meters
gold medallist and Edinburgh 3 km winner Asbel Kiprop finished a distant
fifth after running in the leading group until halfway (33:30). Best Italian
Stefano La Rosa (34:04). Prisca Jepleting, world silver medallist in the 5000
meters in Osaka 2007 and fourth in the 10000 meters in Daegu, held off former
5000 meters World Junior champion Sule Utura from Ethiopia by one second in
women 5.5 km (17:56.6 to 17:57.0). Kenyan Pauline Koriwwiang, 2006 World Junior
Cross Country champion, took third place in 18:12, two seconds ahead of twice
1500 meters world champion Maryam Yusuf Jamal from Bahrein.

CARDIFF
(GBR, Mar 25): Katarina Johnson-Thompson competing in the U23 match (GBR vs
France vs Spain) scored 4526 in pentathlon, just nine points short of the world
junior record of 4535 held by Carolina Kluft since 2002. Her marks where 8.48,
1.88, 11.68, 6.24 and 2:17.24. Daniel Gardiner won the heptathlon with a welsh
record 5650 points.

CHICAGO
(USA, Mar 25): The 33rd Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K lived up to its
billing as the world’s largest timed 8K rad race as a record 34,372
runners crossed the finish line in Grant Park, beating the previous record set
last year by nearly 2,000 finishers. In comfortable weather conditions leading
the way for the record field was men’s champion Abdelaaziz Atmani in 23:18, and
women’s champion Julia Lucas in 25:37, the fastest women’s winning time since
Deena Kastor’s American record in 2005 and the seventh fastest women’s time in
event history. It was a tight race as second place went to David Adams
just three seconds behind Atmani (23:21), followed by Abdi Abdirahman in third
(23:30). Lucas battled with Chicago area native Delilah DiCrescenzo to win a hotly
contested women’s race featuring numerous lead changes among the top three. The
former North Carolina State All-American ultimately prevailed by 12 seconds
over runner-up DiCrescenzo (25:49). Early race leader Diane Nukuri-Johnson, a Burundian
Olympian based in Iowa City, IA, finished third (26:11).

VENLO
(NED, Mar 25): Ethiopian refugee now running for Norway Urige Buta won the
Venlo Half Marathon in 1:02:35. Second Mustafa Mohamed new Swedish record
1:02:40 ahead of Sondre Nordstad Moen of Norway 1:02:48. Fourth and Dutch
champion Patrick Stitzinger 1:03:28. Fifth Jussi Utriainen of Finland 1:03:57
completing solid European runners display here. Sharon Tavengwa of Zimbabwe was
the best woman in 1:11:25 ahead of Mary Naali 1:13:20 and best Dutch Andrea
Deelstra 1:13:47.

MOBILE
(USA, Mar 24): Kenyan Richard Kandie won Saturday’s 34th annual Azalea Trail
Run with the slowest time 29:15 since Mexico’s Maurice Gonzalez clocked 29:03
in 1991. Janet Cherobon-Bawcom a Kenyan who became a naturalized U.S.
citizen, held off Kenya’s Risper Gesabwa and Ethiopia’s Alemtsehay Misganaw to
win the women’s elite division in 33:22. Gesabwa and Misganaw finished in 33:24
and 33:26. The race was run in fog and high humidity. Informs www.al.com.

NOVI SAD
(SRB, Mar 25): Winners of 19th Novi Sad Half Marathon were Darko Zivanovic in
1:05:38 and Ana Subotic 1:16:45.

AUSTIN
(USA, Mar 24): Leo Manzano clocked a state record here at his 2nd Manzano
Mile with 3:55.6.

MARSEILLE
(FRA, Mar 25): New course record at 4th Marseille Marathon by Ethiopian Beriso
Morkama 2:15:10.

FERRARA
(ITA, Mar 25): Fast personal bests at Ferrara Half Marathon for Kenyans.
Solomon Kirwa Yego clocked 1:01:49 and Philemon Kipsang 1:02:15.

BILBAO
(ESP, Mar 25): Fresh world indoor silver winner Meryem Selsouli of Morocco won
the 7th Bilbao Road Mile in 5:04 ahead of home star Marta Dominguez 5:05. In
men´s race Victor Garcia 4:33 beating Alvaro Rodriguez 4:33 and Luis Alberto
Marco 4:34.

LIER
(BEL, Mar 25): Belgian champions at Lier Marathon Bart Vesrchoren (2:30:11) and
Els Rens (2:45:32, she was 11th overall).

FIRENZE
(ITA, Mar 25): Italian Clubs event in track walking saw Vito Di Bari winning
the 20 000 m in 1:26:16.8 and Eleonora Giorgi the 10 000 m in 45:08.24.

HAPPY NEWS

MOSCOW
(RUS): Three time world indoor relay champion and European cup winner Tatayna
Levina (35) of Russia gave birth to a daughter (54 cm and 4.2 kg). Her
bests are 50.78 outdoor and 51.17 indoor at the 400 m. She is also relay world
record holder at 4×400 m from Budapest 2004.

SAD NEWS

KYIV
(UKR): On Sunday died at age of 48 after cancer battle respected coach Dmytro
Polyakov who guided the preparation of olympic winner and fresh world indoor
champion and record holder Natalya Dobrynska. He was involved in boxing and
came to athletics only in 2007.