GAY
THINKS ONLY 100 M

CLERMONT
(USA): US sprint record holder Tyson Gay will most probably contest only the
100 m race at US Olympic Trials. „I’ve been taking it slower, and I don’t
have the same quality (of training) I wanted to do the double.” He spoke
recently to media. „I don’t think of it as being about my age,” Gay said after
his workout Friday. „I hear that all the time. At the end of the day, I have
no fear about my age.” He is in the fifth week of preparations for the 2012
season and recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right hip in July. There
also a possibility that he will not compete until the US Trials. „Maybe I want
to pick a race before trials, or maybe just run at trials and see how it
goes. I’m just not going to have the opportunity to have a lot of races
like I normally do,” says Gay.

POWELL
ONE MORE 400 M

KINGSTON
(JAM): Jamaican star sprinter Asafa Powell said his preparations were going
well, and while he will open his 100 m schedule at the Jamaica International
Invitational in early May, he says he has one more 400m preparation race to go
before then. Powell was the guest at Schools Championships informs Jamaica
Observer.

SENSATIONAL
TSEGAY: 58:47 IN WIND AND COLD

PRAGUE
(CZE, Mar 31): Despite strong winds and cold the Hervis Prague Half Marathon saw
world leading marks 2012. Some are saying without the wind, the world record
would be broken. Ethiopian Atsedu Tsegay (20) who was recently bronze winner at
African CC Championships clocked sensational course record 58:47. It is also
national record for Ethiopia (58:55 Haile Gebrselassie in 2006) and fifth
fastest ever performer. He ran away from title defender Philemon Limo and his
colleague Henry Kiplagat after 15k in the Czech capital and earned 34 000 E in
all prize money and bonuses. Tsegay said: “It was very difficult today, very
windy. In my next race, I would like to try and break and the world
record”. That belongs to Zersenay Tadesse of neighbouring Eritrea, with 58.23,
which he ran in Lisbon just over two years ago. Tsegay plans to make the Ethiopian
Olympic Team in the 10 000 m. Second Henry Kiplagat debuted with 1:00:01, third
Philemon Limo 1:00:03 ahead of Josphat Bett 1:01:01. Best European was Czech
Jan Kreisinger as 15th (1:05:42). The women’s race too was decided at 15k, when
Joyce Chepkirui of Kenya (recent winner of African CC event and Kenyan CC
champion) eased away from her more favoured colleague, and defending champion,
Lydia Cheromei, and another Kenyan, Gladys Cherono. The trio finished in that
order, with all of them running personal bests, headed by Chepkirui’s course
record and world lead of 1:07:03, which was a personal best by over two
minutes, and beat Cheromei’s former best by exactly 30 seconds. “I didn’t
expect to beat Lydia,” said Cheromei, “but I got away from her at 15k, and
I’m very happy with my new personal best”. Incidentally her coach and husband,
Erick Kibet finished tenth in the men’s race in 1:02:32. Cheromei bettered her
time from last year by seven seconds, with 1:07:26, and signalled her intent to
return for the Prague Marathon on May 13, to defend her title and course record
then. Cherono also had a significant improvement, with 1:08:18, like
Chepkirui, a new best by over two minutes. Best European was Ukrainian
Tetyana Gamera in 1:12:15 as 5th. Football star Pavel Nedved clocked 1:44:25,
the Czech best-selling author Michal Viewegh, celebrated his 50th birthday on
the course and decathlon world record holder Roman Sebrle ran the first 5 km of
the relay. This Hervis Prague Half-Marathon was the biggest ever field for a mass
race in the Czech Republic (close to 11,000 entries). With the help from Pat
Butcher, RRW and the organizers.

OTHER NEWS

MINSK
(BLR): Surprise bronze winner in Istanbul Alina Talay of Belarus at 60 m
hurdles says that she can well see herself to attack the national record of
12.66 in the summer (Lidiya Yurkova in 1990). First she must qualify for London
Games and the national standard for that is 12.80. „Yes I want to be in
the finals at the Games, that is my goal,” she said for Belarus media.

DUBLIN
(IRL): Irish sprint national record holder Paul Hession has already made some
big moves to help ensure he arrives in London in July at his peak. He left his
Scottish coach Stuart Hogg and base himself in Dublin under the tutelage of
John Coghlan. Irish media are informing.

ZURICH
(SUI): Weltklasse Zurich wrote in 2011 a total turnover of 9.6 million
Swiss Franks and a profit of 673 000. These figures were announced at the
AGM of the VfG LC Zurich. The statement closed with a gain of 358 000 CHF,
because like every year the allowances flowed to the original club LC Zurich.
The total assets of the association presided over by Gerhard Weber are
amounting for the first time since 2006 to over 5 million CHF. The event will
continue to be a full week of Weltklasse Zurich with different actions.
Not only the meet itself on Thursday, August 30 but also Youth trains with
World Class in 11 places, shot put at the main Train Station but also the final
of UBS Kids Cup. Swiss media are informing.

NASSAU
(BAH): Quartermilers Demetrius Pinder and Chris Brown made history when they
came across the finish line with the silver and bronze medals respectively in
the 400 finals at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul. Now the
Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) is preparing to honour the
two quarter-milers during a reception all set for Saturday night at the
new Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium. With the World Indoors
behind them now, Pinder said the focus now switches to outdoors and the 2012
London Olympics in August. „This sets up because we can be considered medal
contenders for the Olympics,” Pinder said. „I know there were a lot of
guys who were not there and are capable of medalling at the Olympics. But it’s
still good to have that mental edge over everybody.” Pinder is scheduled to
begin his trek towards London in about two weeks when he opens up in the 200 at
US meet. Brown is preparing to host his first Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational
in the Grand Bahama Sports Complex on April 14.

WALNUT
(USA): On Friday April 20, the PUMA Mile, a popular crowd favorite
returns, but with a very special twist. The ‘twist’ being the goal of
treating the always appreciative Mt. SAC Relays Crowd to a sub 4 minute
men’s mile and to an equally impressive sub 4:30 mile on the women’s side. PUMA
will be offering a total of USD 10,000.00 in prize money to the first
three finishers.

LONDON
(GBR): Transport for London (TfL) has unveiled a special Olympic Legends
Underground Map to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic Games featuring icons such
as Berlin 1936 four-time gold medallist Jesse Owens as station stops on the
map. To celebrate the Games, the names of 361 tube station stops have been
changed to the names of Olympic athletes. American swimming star Michael
Phelps, the most successful Olympian of all-time with 14 gold medals, has
received the ultimate honour of being the main London 2012 Olympic stop of
Stratford. Nearby Stratford International Station, on the Docklands Light
Railway, has been named Cassius Clay after the American boxer who won gold at
the Rome 1960 Olympics before changing his name to Muhammad Ali and becoming
the greatest heavyweight of all time.

NAGANO
(JPN): Ken Nakamura informs about the invited runners for Nagano Olympic
Memorial Marathon on April 15. Men list is headed by Kenyan Francis Kibiwott
who clocked this year 2:07:32 at Tiberias Marathon in Israel. Top European
runner is Russian Aleksey Sokolov (2:11:53) and best home runner Norihiro
Nomiya (2:14:36). For women race Ethiopian Belainesh Gebre with 2:26:17 from
last Chicago will have it tough against 3 Kenyans (Anastasia Ndereba, Rose
Kerubo and Pauline Wangui). Here the win could be well Japanese as Yumiko Hara
has 2:23:48 and three other runners also sub 2:30 times.

RESULTS

KOCAELI
(TUR, Mar 31): Turkish runners dominated the 57th Balkan CC Championships. They
won 3 individual titles out of 6 and 4 team titles out of 6. Bekir Karayel
clearly won the men´s 10 km in 28:59 ahead of team-mate Ali Haydar 29:50. Esma
Aydemir was the best in women U23 (6 km in 20:09) and Sebahattin Yildirimci in
junior boys 6 km (18:29). Romania won two golds with Ancuta Bobocel being the
best senior woman (8 km in 26:47) ahead of home runner Turian Ortata (26:57)
and Adrian Trifan topped the men´s U23 8 km in 24:17. Remaining individual win
for Serbia when Amela Terzic was the best in junior girls 4 km in 13:28. Turkey
was the best team in all three male categories (men, U23, juniors) and in U23
women. Remaining two team titles for Romania (junior girls and women).

KINGSTON
(JAM, Mar 30): Jamaican Schools Champs saw in expected 100 m finals good
winners. In boys races Delano Williams (actually a Turks and Caicos
athlete) won the oldest class in 10.37 (-0.5) ahead of Jazeel Murphy 10.39 when
Youth Olympic winner Odean Skeen false started. In class 2 Raheem Robinson (16)
achieved 10.60 (+0.1) and in class 3 Raheem Chambers (14) 10.86 (+1.9).
Interesting to see the fastest girls 100 m time coming from class 3 winner,
15-years old Shauna Helps 11.50 (+1.6), then class 2 best Christiania Williams
(17) 11.54 (+0.1) followed by class 1 Seidatha Palmer 11.74 (+0.3) and Shellece
Clarke (13) in class 4 impressive 11.96 (+1.4). Chanice Porter cleared 186 in
the girls high jump and 400 m hurdles winners were Adriana Brown (58.97) and
Javarn Gallimore (51.04).

RALEIGH
(USA, Mar 30): Ronnie Ash achieved fast 13.42 (+1.5) at 110 m hurdles in the
heats of Raleigh Relays. Josh Scott in 46.24 beat in the 400 m former 400mH
world champion Bershawn Jackson 46.33.

AUSTIN
(USA, Mar 30): Solid 100 m heat times at Texas Relays. Chelsea Hayes improved
to 11.20 (+1.2) and Trinidad´s Semoy Hackett returning from her short ban won
another heat in 11.24 (+2.1). In men´s heats fastest windy 10.18 (+2.5) by
Prezel Hardy. Jeff Demps achieved in his race 10.29 (+1.8) and Woodrow Randall
also 10.29 (+1.5). Auburn got in men´s 4×100 m heats 38.95 and Croatian Stipe
Zunic won the javelin in personal best 77.89. Shelbi Vaughan (17) achieved
national HS mark in girls discus 58.36 m.

TUCSON
(USA, Mar 30): Top first day scores materialized at Jim Click Multis to first
years 6000+ for Bettie Wade with personal best 6143 points in the heptathlon.
Nigerian Uhunoma Osazuwa lost too many points in javelin (34.51) and ended with
PB but below 6000 with 5992 points. Canadian Damian Warner won the decathlon
with 7977 score. He clocked very impressive 13.61 (+0.5) at 110 m hurdles, this
is fourth fastest ever in a decathlon (over at least 7000 points). The
fastest is 13.47 by Frank Busemann of Germany at Atlanta Games 1996.

JACKSONVILLE
(USA, Mar 30): Bahamian quarter miler and olympic medalist Michael Mathieu is
still checking his speed, at UNF Invitational fast 10.30 (+1.6) in the 100 m
heats.

OREM
(USA, Mar 30): Zack Lloyd got his second best career mark in the shot put 20.95
at the Utah Valley Collegiate meet.

FULLERTON
(USA, Mar 30): Mickey Grimes clocked 10.32 (+0.8) at Titan Twilight Meet 100 m
race at age of 35.

GERMISTON
(RSA, Mar 29-31): At South African U23, Junior, Youth and Schools championships
the 100 m junior winner Sihpello Ngqabaza clocked windy 10.28 (+4.6) and won
the 200 m title in 20.90 (-0.9). In the U17 final Nhlapo Ranthabane got 10.50
(+1.9). Junior javelin winner Peter Kriel achieved 76.87 (700 g). Justine
Palframan won the junior 400 m (53.51) and 200 m (23.63, -1.2). In the U23
finals Gideon Trotter got the 100 m in 10.43 (+0.1, after windy 10.22 in
prelims) and Shaun De Jager the 400 m in 46.05. 18-years old Julia du Plessis
won the girls high jump with 188 PB.

CASTELLON
(ESP, Mar 31): Manuel Angel Penas won another national title. After last
weekend at 10 000 m on the track, now at 10 km on the road in 29:30. In the
Costa del Ahazar race the female title for Maria Jose Pueyo in 33:40.

AZPEITIA
(ESP, Mar 31): New women course record at Half Marathon Azkoitia Azpeitia.
Eunice Jepkirui clocked 1:08:39 and improved the former mark of Pamela
Chepchumba 1:08:57 from 2007. On the podium also other Kenyans Doris Changeiywo
1:11:10 and Edith Chelimo 1:11:21. In men´s race the course record 1:00:23
remained untouched. Ethiopian Wayeko Habtamu won in 1:01:09 ahead of Mark Korir
1:01:19.

LYSS
(SUI, Mar 31): Swiss road 10 km titles for triathlete Sven Riederer (30:20) and
Patricia Morceli (33:42). She was also the overall winner but Riederer was
overall fourth. The win went to Australian Clint Perrett (29:35).

TAICANG
(CHN, Mar 31): National Grand Prix meet in walking continued with 50 km race
won by Li Lei in 4:01:32.