VLASIC
DOING WELL

ZAGREB
(COR): The rehabilitation of high jump star Blanka Vlasic after surgery goes
well. Last week she was in Zagreb because team doctor of Swedish National
Football Team is the doctor who did the arthroscopy Linus Sward. He said the
rehabilitation is going as expected. Her agent Daniel Wessfeldt used the
occasion to introduce Blanka with football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic. She was
also at the game.

FAST
SPRINTS EXPECTED

NAMPA
(USA): Top marks are expected from the two days NCSA first division championships
to be held in Nampa, Idaho at the 200 m track in favorable 757 m altitude. On
Friday and Saturday in men events as usual fast 60 m expected from Jeff Demps,
but also Maurice Mitchell (including 200 m) is not to be underestimated. There
is no sub 46 this year by a US Collegian at legal track, in the top
position Torrin Lawrence with 46.01. Harun Abda is the 800 m favorite, Kenyan
Lawi Lalang in the 3000 m and 5000 m, Miles Batty leads the mile list. Jarret
Eaton with this year improvement 7.49 is the clear hurdles number one. Erik
Kynard as the only one has 230+ in the high jump (231), from three over 8
meters in long jump the best on the paper is Jamaican Damar Forbes (812).
Canadian Tim Nedow, Bosnian Kemal Mesic will fight with HS record breaker Ryan Crouser
in the shot put. Slovak Marcel Lomnicky is the weight throw favorite and world
junior indoor record holder Gunnar Nixon can improve on his mark in heptathlon.
On the women side world leader Kamaria Brown (22.86) is the top name in the 200
m, mile favorites are foreigners, New Zealand´s Lucy Van Dalen and German Anne
Kesselring. Christine Manning leads three women with sub 8 in the 60 m hurdles.
Britigitta Barrett with this years 197 is the clear high jump number one.
Slovenian record holder Tina Sutej should rule in the pole vault and Canadian
Brianne Theisen in the pentathlon.

ISTANBUL NEWS

GREAT
BRITAIN: Pentathlon title defender Jessica Ennis is entered also in the 60 m
hurdles, but it is not expected she will compete there.

SOUTH
AFRICA: 2008 world indoor winner long jumper Khotso Mokoena will not
participate. His argument is according to SA media that he wants to channel his
energy into building a solid foundation to win gold at the 2012 London
Olympics.

PORTUGAL:
Runner Sara Moreira who was entered for the 3000 m withdrew because of a physical
problem. „Since Saturday I can not run. This is a difficult decision,
but it is the right one. The World Indoors was very important to me, but I do
not want to compromise the rest of the season, mainly because it is Olympic
year, „she said according to the national federation website. That leaves
Portugal team with two entries (Fortes in shot put and Tavares in women 60 m).

BELGIUM:
Olympic high jump champion Tia Hellebaut told Belgian media she is travelling
to Istanbul with ambitions of improving her SB of 197. Hellebaut feels good
about her current shape but added that Anna Chicherova and Chaunte Howard are
the main favourites for the win. The mother of two believes she still has a lot
of improvement before the London Olympic Games and needs to lose another 3kg
before jumping in top shape. Interestingly mothers are ruling the high jump
now, in total Chicherova, Hellebaut and Lowe together 5 daughters.

GERMANY:
German pole vaulter Björn Otto believes he can medal at the IAAF World indoor
championships in Istanbul. Otto is among the favourites to medal after jumping
an impressive 584 last week. Due to injury and strong national competition Otto
has not been able to represent Germany in the past at the World indoor
championships. The 34-year old told leichtathletik.de that he is going on a six-week
training camp to San Diego to prepare for the outdoor season.

IAAF:
The official IAAF/LOC Press Conference on Thursday will have as athletes guest
gold medal favorites Tatyana Chernova, Meseret Defar, Ashton Eaton, Sally
Pearson, Liu Xiang and home star Karin Melis Mey.

OTHER NEWS

COTTBUS
(GER): Because of financial reasons the 23rd edition of Cottbus meeting will
not be staged as initially planned for June 5 this year. Meet director Uli
Hobeck said he will now concentrate on the indoor Cottbus jumping meet which
will continue.

TOKYO
(JPN): Brett Larner writes on his web that with the completion of the Lake Biwa
Mainichi Marathon the four-race series of Japanese men’s selection races for
the London Olympics is now finished. The federation has not declared any
specific criteria for nomination to the team but it is generally agreed that
two men have secured spots, Tokyo Marathon runner-up Arata Fujiwara (2:07:48)
and Lake Biwa 4th-placer Ryo Yamamoto (2:08:44). Up to four men stand a chance
of picking up the last remaining team spot, with one more being named alternate
like Fujiwara in Beijing. The team announcement is scheduled for Mar. 12
following Sunday’s Nagoya Women’s Marathon.

MELBOURNE
(AUS): Following the Qantas Melbourne Track Classic & Olympic Trials,
Athletics Australia has identified a further 17 athletes for nomination to
the Australian Olympic Committee for the London Olympic Games. Youcef Abdi
(3000m steeplechase), Brendan Cole (400m hurdles), Henry Frayne (triple jump),
Craig Mottram (5000m) and Jeff Riseley (V800m) are all eligible for automatic
nomination. Claire Tallent and Jared Tallent have also been identified for
nomination after winning the Australian 20km Race Walking Championships. In
addition, Collis Birmingham ( 5000m), Lauren Boden (400m hurdles), Alana Boyd
(pole vault), Zoe Buckman (1500m), Henry Frayne (long jump), Regan Lamble (20km
walk), Beki Lee (20km walk), Kaila McKnight (1500m), Liz Parnov (pole vault),
Dani Samuels (discus), Ben St Lawrence (10,000m), Julian Wruck (discus) are
nominated reports Athletics Australia.

LONDON
(GBR): British pole vault star Holly Bleasdale has been dismissed for a gold
medal at this year’s Olympic Games by the sport’s biggest star Yelena
Isinbayeva. The Russian claimed that the East Lancastrian is ‘not my rival
right now’ reports The Lancashire Telegraph. Bleasdale has took pole vaulting
by storm in 2012, smashing the UK indoor record with a jump of 487 cm.

RESULTS

KAJAANI
(FIN, Mar 4): African Games winner and Kenyan javelin record holder Julius Yego
is currently in Finland. He won here with 72.39 m. His national mark from last
September is 78.34.

SAD NEWS

WARSZAWA
(POL): PZLA website informs that on Saturday died former great long jumper
Henryk Grabowski (born in 1929). He was bronze winner at European Championships
1958 in Stockholm and Olympic finalist 1956 in Melbourne (10th) after winning
the qualification. In 1952 until 1958 he improved 8 times the national record
from 751 to 781.