byLarry Eder
Bolt confirms first 100 m for Kingston
KINGSTON (JAM): World record holder Usain Bolt confirmed for Jamaican
reporters that he will run the 100 m at Jamaican Invitational on May 5
in Kingston (IAAF World Challenge). It will be his first 100 m of the
year and more will follow then in Europe in Ostrava, Rome and Oslo. This
also confirms that his first 200 m of the year will be at Jamaican
Trials end of June. At the Kingston at the invitational meet he only once before ran the 100 m
when he started his first stellar year in 2008 with 9.76.
Oliver to clash with Richardson and Liu
GAINESVILLE (USA): Fresh hurdles world leader David Oliver (13.17) will
have his first top clashes of the year in Asia. In Daegu at IAAF World
Challenge meet on May 16 he will run against world champion Jason
Richardson who opened last weekend with windy but still fast 13.20. And
then some days afterwards Oliver will face not only again Richardson but
also home star Liu Xiang at Shanghai Diamond League meet (May 19).
For Reese next is Kingston
WALNUT (USA): Brittney Reese achieved with 712 her third best ever mark
and world lead at MtSAC Relays. Her mission in this part of the season
is accomplished (before Walnut also 704 in Oxford). Her next meets are
Jamaica Invitational on May 5 and then Pre Classic in Eugene on June 2.
Kaki confirms 1500 m for Doha
DOHA (QAT): Former world indoor champion and Sudanese 800 m record
holder Abubaker Kaki after competing in the 1500 m at the Samsung
Diamond League opener in Doha on May 11 will travel to USA. He will have
there a training camp with competing at the Pre Classic in Eugene in
his first 800 m of the year on June 2.
Strong Bahamas, Grenada with James
PHILADELPHIA (USA): This weekends Penn Relays will have the traditional
relay duels USA vs. The World. Bahamas is going to send teams in all
relays. Specially strong will be men´s 4×400 m with two world indoor
medalists Chris Brown and Demetrius Pinder added by in-shape Michael
Mathieu and Ramon Miller. The men’s 4×100 m team will see the return of
2007 World Championships 100 m silver medallist Derrick Atkins, while
veteran Chandra Sturrup still finds her place on the women’s team. She
will be supported by young talent Antonique Strachan and recently
improved Sheniqua Ferguson. World 400m champion Kirani James is set to
open his season at the Penn Relays. James will be part of Grenada’s
4x400m relay team that will take on America’s traditionally strong
squad. James told fastlifeshow.com he is in really good shape and has
been training well. His first individual 400 m of the summer is set for
Daegu IAAF World Challenge Meet on May 16.
Felix anchored the relay
WALNUT (USA): World champion Allyson Felix anchored the winning Kersee
All-Stars team in the women 4×100 m. Her individual opener is planned
for Kawasaki Meet (IAAF World Challenge) on May 6. In the team which
clocked 42.87 it started with Ginnie Powell, Jeneba Tarmoh and hurdler
Dawn Harper. Men´s 4×100 m winners HSI posted 38.39 with Walter Dix,
Richard Thompson, Jaisuma Saidy Ndure of Norway and Ryan Bailey.
Mathathi plans marathon debut for Fukuoka
KOBE (JPN):
In the post race interview Kenyan Martin Mathathi who won the 10 000 m
on the first day of Hyogo Relays in world leading 27:35.16 said that he
will not attempt to qualify for the Kenyan Olympic team at the 10 000
m. Instead, he will make a marathon debut at December’s Fukuoka
marathon. Many Japan based Kenyan made their marathon debut in Fukuoka.
Most notable was Samuel Wanjiru, but last year Josphat Ndambiri won the
Fukuoka
marathon in his debut also like Wanjiru.
OTHER NEWS
MONACO (MON): IAAF confirmed that the overall event winners of the 32
Diamond Races which compose the Samsung Diamond League from 2012 will
now benefit from a wild card much in the same way as already happens
with the defending champion. They will recieve wild cards for the 2013
Moscow World Championships. But the maximum of competing athletes per
country in one event including wild card is four. That means World
Champion or DL winner would be able to use the wild card from the same
country. And the decision to finally enter the athlete still rests
entirely with the National Federation.
BUDAPEST (HUN): London leads the marathon rankings 2012 by
All-Athletics.com. Next places for Dubai, Rotterdam, Paris, Seoul and
Vienna. See more details at www.all-athletics.com.
GABORONE (GAB): As was expected, Botswana’s world champion at the 400 m
Amantle Montsho, dominated the annual Botswana National Sports Council
(BNSC) awards. She also recieved the Sports Woman of the Year award.
Montsho, who is currently based at the high performance centre in
Senegal, won both awards for the third time in a row. Montsho is to
debut internationally this year at Kawasaki IAAF World Challenge meet on
May 6.
BERLIN (GER): ISTAF Meet director Gerhard Janetzky was elected for three
more years as President of Berlin Athletics federation.
MAINZ (GER): Pole vaulter Anna Battke (27) will not try to qualify
for Olympic Games. She is now in third month of pregnancy. Her best is
468 and she still achieved 452 in January this year.
AMSTERDAM (NED) : The Dutch athletics federation KNAU has decided they
will support the candidacy of Miranda Boonstra to compete in the London
Olympic Marathon. Boonstra finished the Rotterdam marathon in 2:27.32,
just 8 seconds shy of the Olympic marathon standard. Although the KNAU
immediately after the race said they would not defend Boontra’s case
with the Dutch Olympic committee they have now decided they will give
their full support for Boonstra’s selection.
BRUSSELS (BEL): Jacques Borlée, Belgium’s national 4x400m relay coach,
is hoping to gather all former Belgian national champions at this year’s
national championships in Brussels. The project called ‘from London
1948 tot London 2012’ needs to give an extra buzz to this year’s
important national championships ahead of the London Olympic Games
according to Sportwereld.
World 400m champion Kirani James is set to open his season at the Penn
relays. James will be part of Grenada’s 4x400m relay team that will take
on America’s traditionally strong squad. James told fastlifeshow.com he
is in really good shape and has been training well.
LONDON (GBR): Heineken have unveiled the first virtual glimpse of the
London 2012 Holland Heineken House at Alexandra Palace, which will be
the official national house of the Netherlands Olympic Committee during
the Olympic Games reports Insidethegames. Holland Heineken House is due
to open on July 26, the day before the Olympic Opening Ceremony in
Stratford. Until it opens, new pictures and an innovative virtual tour
allow fans to see Alexandra Palace as it transforms into Holland
Heineken House.
RESULTS
CRETE (USA, Apr 21): St. Kitts relay world medalist Brijesh Lawrence
clocked personal best at Doane Relays with 10.12 (+1.2) in the 100 m
and also won the 200 m in 20.62 (+0.8).
PORT OF SPAIN (TRI, Apr 22): Murielle Ahoure the world indoor medalist
from Ivory Coast won the 100 m at Ramjohn Memorial Games in 11.15 (+0.4)
clearly over Laverne Jones-Ferrette (11.35). Trinidad´s Keston Bledman
was the fastest in the men´s 100 m in 10.13 (-0.3) beating Jamaican
Sheldon Mitchell 10.17. Also to note fast 400 m times for Jamaican
Patricia Hall 51.59 and Bahamian Michael Mathieu 45.46. Tameka Williams
of St. Kitts won the 200 m in 23.15 (+0.5) and Mitchell won the men´s
200 m in 20.62 (+2.5) ahead of Antoine Adams of St. Kitts 20.68. US Fred
Townsend got 13.55 (+3.4) in the 110 m hurdles.
PATIALA (IND, Apr 22): Kerala high jumper Jithin Thomas surprised everyone with a personal
best 220 cm at the Indian Cup meet.
KOBE (JPN, Apr 22): At second day of Hyogo Relays Hitomi Niiya clocked
world leading personal best 31:28.26 in the 10 000 m. Second Mika
Yoshikawa 31:58.73 and third Kenyan Selly Chepyego 32:05.04.
GABORONE (BOT, Apr 21): The Botswana National Championships
held at the University of Botswana stadium saw Yatea Kambepera
setting two new national sprint records. At the 100 m 10.36 and at the
200 m 20.63. Local media are informing, wind speed is not known.
GABROVO (BUL, Apr 21): Georgi Ivanov registered shot put olympic
qualifier 20.20 at the 5th International meeting “Nikola Valchanov”. It
is for him new personal best.
SANTA FE (ARG, Apr 22): South American hammer record holder Jennifer
Dahlgren highlighted the second day of Argentinian Championships with
72.79, new meet record. Juan Ignacio Cerra was the best in men´s hammer
and won his 14th title with 70.71.
SAN CARLO (CHI, Apr 21): Pan Am Games winner Daniel Pineda again
improved his national long jump mark, after 807 last weekend he added
one cm to 808 (+1.9) at the National Championships. He achieved the mark in round 5 and added 804 (+0.6) in last attempt.
ADLER (RUS, Apr 21-22): Good marks at throwing Nizamutdinov Prizes meet.
World champion Mariya Abakumova tested her shape before Doha Samsung
Diamond League opener with 64.44. Former hammer world record holder
Gulfiya Khanafeyeva achieved her best 72.78 since returning after a ban.
Good quality 64.56 discus for Dariya Pishchalnikova over Yekaterina
Strokova 61.56 and former olympic winner Natalya Sadova (40) 58.88. In
shot put Irina Tarasova got 18.49 as the winner. In men competition Igor
Vinichenko registered 78.22 in the hammer, Bogdan Pishchalnikov 64.64
in discus and Dmitriy Tarabin 82.27 (as guest among seniors) and 80.34
(as U23 winner) in the javelin. Solid shot put with three over 20
meters. Anton Lyubovslavskiy 20.49 beating Maksim Sidorov 20.24 and new
name Aleksandr Lesnoy (23) with first time 20+ (20.05). Lyuboslavskiy
was then even better as guest in the U23 competition with 20.52.
LAKEWOOD (USA, Apr 21): Raymond Bozmans clocked US high school 2012 leading time 10.27 (+1.9) at the 100 m here.
HILVERSUM (NED, Apr 22): Kenyan wins at 10 km Spieren City Run. Alfred Cherop 28:38 and Agnes Jepkosgei 32:24.
BARCELONA (ESP, Apr 22): Ayad Lamdassem won the 14th Cursa de Bombers in
28:54 at the 10 km. Women winner Judit Pla Roig achieved 32:43.
CORRECTION
LONDON (GBR): The winning time of Mary Keitany was of course 2:18:37. Sorry for this one.
