by Larry Eder
Powell vs Bolt also in Oslo
OSLO (NOR): Second clash of the year Usain Bolt vs. Asafa Powell is
announced after Rome for the ExxonMobil Bislett Games – Samsung Diamond
League on 7 June 2012. “These two Jamaicans are the best known
personalities in athletics at the moment and we are very proud and
excited that they are both coming to Oslo in an Olympic year,” says
Meeting Director Steinar Hoen. Yohan Blake runs in New York on June 9
and the schedule of Tyson Gay is not known yet.
Rodgers gets 9 months
NEW YORK (USA): US sprinter Mike Rodgers, who was tested positive for a
stimulant just before last year’s World Championships in Daegu, South
Korea, was handed a 9-month suspension. The 26-year-old sprinter, who
was a contender for a medal in Daegu, tested positive for the stimulant
methylhexaneamine during an in-competition test conducted on July 19 at
the meet in Lignano, Italy. According to universalsports.com, Rodgers,
who requested a hearing in front of an independent American Arbitration
Association panel in an attempt to clear his name, failed to convince
the panel. In an later he apologized for his behaviour: “I apologize to
my family and the track and field community around the world for my
error in judgment related to my first anti-doping violation.
Methylhexaneamine, a mild stimulant, found in many energy drinks and
supplements, was detected in my urine sample at the Lignano, Italy track
and field competition in July, 2011. I regret that my oversight in
reviewing the USADA advisory notices in June 2011, may have contributed
to my use of this energy drink substance one month later in July 2011. I
have since learned that while acceptable in out-of-competition
training, it is banned from in-competition. Needless to say, I will be
more diligent in staying abreast of this information. Needless to day,
this has been both a humbling and enlightening experience. I made a
huge mistake and take full responsibility for my actions.” He will be
able to resume his career starting on April 19. That means he can bid to
compete at Olympic Games at US Trials end of June.
ISTANBUL NEWS
IAAF: With 172 IAAF National Member Federations having entered athletes
to compete at the Atakoy Arena next week, Istanbul 2012 should surpass
Valencia 2008 where 147 countries, also a participating record at the
time, contested the event. A total of 1299 athletes and officials are
also expected to attend what will be the IAAF’s most important event of
the 2012 World Athletics Series. 349 male athletes, 334 female athletes
(together 683) and 616 officials have indeed been entered following the
27 February deadline for Final Entries. The record in number of
participating athletes is 712 in Paris 1997. Last edition in Doha had
583 competing athletes.
ALGERIA: Will be represented by 2 athletes: hurdles national record
holder Othmane Hadj Lazib and experienced triple jumper Baya Rahouli.
She was twice World indoor finalist back in 2003 and 2004.
CHINESE TAIPEI: Two athletes will be shot putter Chang Ming-Huang and female 60 m sprinter Liao Ching-Hsien.
PHILIPPINES: SEA Games winner and national record holder Marestella
Torres is the female long jump entry. The decision for the male entry
was not confirmed between Henry Damil (Long Jumper) and Archand
C.Bagsit (400 m), who both had won the Silver medal at these SEA Games.
KAZAKHSTAN: Headliner of 6 members team is the title defender and
current triple jump world leader Olga Rypakova. Also in the team five
more women triple jumper Irina Ektova, hurdler Natalya Ivoninskaya,
sprinters Olga Bludova with Viktoriya Zyabkina and high jumper Marina
Aitova.
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe’s participation is now in doubt after United
States-based sprinter Gabriel Mvumvure pulled out of the event. The
fastest man in the country also living in US Ngoni Makusha is also not
planning to compete in Turkey.
QUALIFICATIONS: Did you know that both pole vault men and women will be straight finals in Istanbul? No qualifications planned.
OTHER NEWS
LAKE BIWA (JPN): Brett Larner informs that the organizers of Sunday’s
67th Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, the final domestic selection race for
the Japanese men’s London Olympics marathon team, announced that Atsushi
Sato has withdrawn from the race due to inflammation in the rear of his
left thigh. Sato began to experience pain in mid-February and was
unable to recover in time for the race, bringing to an end his bid for a
second-straight Olympic marathon appearance. The half-marathon
national record holder, he finished last at the Beijing Olympics. He
came back with a 6th-place finish at the 2009 Berlin World Championships
but, targeting London, said, “You can only repay an Olympic debt at the
Olympics.”
BLACKSBURG (USA): Robby Andrews, a two-time NCAA champion in the men’s
800 meters, has announced his decision to leave the Virginia track and
field/cross country program. “We want to wish Robby nothing but the best
as he pursues future endeavors,” Virginia director of track and
field/cross country Bryan Fetzer said. A third-year from Englishtown,
N.J., Andrews won the 2010 indoor and 2011 outdoor national
championships in the 800 meters. Has PB of 1:44.71 and is World Junior
bronze winner in 2010 in Moncton, Canada.
BELVILLE (RSA): 2009 world 800 m champion Caster Semenya gets her season
under way in the second and final Yellow Pages Inter-provincial meeting
in Bellville on Saturday. Semenya lines up in a 19-strong field,
headlined by Tjipekapora Herunga of Namibia, in the women’s 400m event.
Istanbul bound Elroy Gelant, meanwhile, will go in search of the Olympic
qualifying time in the men’s 5000 m race.
CHIHUAHUA (MEX): IAAF informs that several of the world’s top race
walkers will start their route to the
IAAF World Race Walking Cup and the London Olympics this Saturday on
the streets of Chihuahua for the second leg of the 2012 IAAF
World Race Walking Challenge. Local favourite Eder Sanchez will
defend his 20km title from last
year, but he is expected to find strong opposition not only from
Australian Jared Tallent, but also from Colombia’s 2011 Pan American
Games runner-up
James Rendon and Ecuador’s Rolando Saguipay. Several 50km
specialists, including Russia’s Semen Lovkin, Ecuador’s Andrés
Chocho and Chihuahua hero and 2010 World Cup silver medallist
Horacio Nava will also race the shorter distance. The 50 km should
be another battle between Norwegian Trond Nymark and
local walkers, including 2011 winner and Pan American Games
runner-up José Leyver, Omar Zepeda, Jesús Sánchez and Christian
Berdeja. Andrei Stepanchuk of Belarus hopes to be in the mix as
well. The women’s race could become another Portuguese affair as
last
year. A permanent contender in Chihuahua, Inês Henriques is back to
defend her 2011 win, when she led an all-Portuguese podium.
OTTAWA (CAN): A strong showing and a personal best at the USATF Classic
in Fayetteville, Arkansas has earned shot putter Justin Rodhe the
BioSteel Top Performer of the month for February 2012. Justin threw a
personal best of 20.95-metres to finish second overall, edging out
teammate and training partner Dylan Armstrong. As the BioSteel Top
Performer of the month Justin will receive a complimentary sports
supplements package consisting of BioSteel NSF and Informed-Choice
certified products. He is also scheduled to compete at World Indoor
Championships next weekend.
BRUSSELS (BEL): European 60m hurdles bronze medallist Adrien Deghelt
will be out of training longer than expected with a newly sustained
rupture in his hamstring. Deghelt already missed last year’s summer
season and this year’s indoor season with a stress fracture in his
hip writes The Standaard.
LAUSANNE (SUI): February is the busiest month of the year for indoor
athletics and now European Athletics has opened its monthly poll to
find the European athlete of the month February they report on their
website.
SINGAPORE (SIN): Days after unveiling plans to plough 5 million dollar
into the development of athletics, local sports events company Trax
Global is now eyeing the region with a commitment to sponsor the 2012
Asian Grand Prix series to the tune of an estimated 1.2 million dollar.
Organised by the Asian Athletics Association (AAA), the three-leg series
will be hosted in Bangkok (May 6), Kanchanaburi (May 9) and
Nakhonratsima (May 13) this year.
KINGSTON (JAM): The decision by PUMA to sponsor the Jamaican Amateur
Athletic Association (JAAA) since 2002 has paid off well for the
athletics brand since Jamaican track and field star Usain Bolt burst on
the international scene. In its 2011 group management report released
last month, the company said “impressive successes”, such as that of the
Jamaican team and superstar Usain Bolt in the IAAF World Athletics
Championships in South Korea, allowed it to grow while significantly
increasing “brand desirability” over the period writes Caribbean360.
LONDON (GBR): Russia has dropped plans to bid for the 2018 Summer Youth
Olympic Games because the country wants to concentrate on its
preparations for the FIFA World Cup. Nigeria has also scrapped a
proposed bid from its capital Abuja reports insidethegames.
PORT OF SPAIN (TRI): T&T’s local track and field body (NAAA)
will hold a press conference on Monday at its Couva office to update the
public on the finding of the positive test at last August’s National
Championships. Informs Trackalerts and reports that the athlete received
a six month ban, which was communicated on Wednesday. The six month ban
ends the middle of March.
RESULTS
DESSAI (GER, Mar 2): German champion Bjorn Otto won the 11th Jumping
meet of Dessau with 584, new meet record clearance. He tried then before
2000 spectators at 601 would-be German record height. Second Daegu
finalist Steven Lewis of Great Britain improved his overall best to
excellent 577. Former meet record holder Malte Mohr and Hendrik Gruber
tied for third with 560, the same height for fifth Raphael Holzdeppe.
Russian Svetlana Shkolina was the clear women high jump winner with 194
cm. Second in a tie German Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch and Russian
Tatyana Mnatsakanova with 184.
BAD OEYNHAUSEN (GER, Mar 2): The 11th pole vault meet in Werre-Park
shopping center started with women competition before 2200 spectators.
Istanbul-bound Kristina Gadschiew went over 443 to win. She then tried
at 453 cm. Second Denmark national record holder Caroline Bonde Holm
433. Men will jump on Saturday.
MELBOURNE (AUS, Mar 2): Henry Frayne and Brendan Cole achieved the best
marks during first day of the Qantas Melbourne Track Classic &
Olympic Trials. The IAAF World Challenge Meet is on Saturday. Battling
blustery conditions that saw his wind reading vary from +0.6 m/s to +2.6
m/s, Frayne opened his series with 16.17m, before 16.79m, 17.09m, a
wind assisted 17.34m (+2.6) in the penultimate round and his best mark
and qualifying performance of 17.23 (+0.6) life-time best to close.
Cole, meanwhile, etched his name on the automatic Olympic Games nominee list with a
49.39 run to take out the 400m hurdles in blistering fashion from his
fellow Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder Tristan Thomas
(50.23). Very solid field was assembled in men´s 1500 m
where Australian record holder Ryan Gregson crossed in 3:38.51 to win.
American David Torrence was second (3:39.32) ahead of Olympic medalist
Nick Willis of New Zealand 3:39.77, Jeff Riseley 3:40.50 and olympic and
world winner Asbel Kiprop 3:42.52. IAAF World Athlete of the Year Sally
Pearson took home first place in the women’s 100m, crossing in 11.67
(-2.3). Informs Athletics Australia.
