by Larry Eder
Some amazing track & field action this weekend, with Florida Relays and Stanford Cardinal Invitational. A Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all!
JAMES WILL OPEN IN KOREA
(KOR): He will return to the stadium of his biggest triumph. World
champion Kirani James of Grenada will start his outdoor 400 m season at
the Colorful Meet of Daegu (IAAF World Challenge) on May 16. Confirms
his agent Renaldo Nehemiah. The former hurdles world record holder added
that fresh World Indoor Champion Justin Gatlin will run in Daegu the
100 m. Gatlin also competed at the World Championships last year, but
was out in semifinals. His fastest 100 m since return is 9.95 from 2011.
Gatlin will open the summer at Florida Relays this weekend (competing
in 4×100 m). Another top athlete opening her season in Daegu will be
hammer world record holder Betty Heidler of Germany. Women hammer in
Daegu will be first part of IAAF Hammer Challenge circuit.
ISINBAEVA SUPPORTS UNICEF
(MON): Pole vault queen Yelena Isinbaevasupported UNICEF activities in
the Russian Federation. She was quoted as saying from her current
training base in Monaco where she is in full olympic preparation: “I am
so happy to be back to competition and able to break new records. Like
many of you I have been very saddened by tragic events affecting our
youths recently, and they are very much in my mind when I train and
throughout my day. If I perform so well today it is due to a re-newed
determination and energy, which come from the love and support from my
parents, my friends, my coach and my fans. I realize I was so lucky from
the first years of my life to be surrounded by love and care of my
parents, family and friends, and I feel that. I believe every child in
Russia should deserve the same. This is why, as I get back to the top of
my form, I have also decided to support the great work of UNICEF in the
Russian Federation, to protect and develop the best resource our great
country has- its children and adolescents! Together with UNICEF I’m
asking all of us to place every child on the pedestal. To my teenage
boys and girls fans, let me tell you one thing: you are all beautiful
and you have so much resource in you – don’t let anyone shatter your
dreams… and write to me, I would love to hear from you!” Says a
release.
STEWART FOR DOHA
AUBURN (USA):
Beijing Olympic silver winner at 100 m Jamaican Kerron Stewart was not
competing in the indoor season. But that is usual for her, she was last
time seen in the indoor activities in 2007. Now she is in great
preparation under coach Henry Rolle and hopes to qualify for Olympic
Games in London in both sprints. In Beijing she also won bronze at the
200 m. The 27-years old sprinter will open her international season at
the Doha Samsung Diamond League opener on May 11. But before that she
will run also at the Jamaican Invitational in Kingston on May 5.
OTHER NEWS
AMSTERDAM
(NED) : Following the recent cancellations of the Uden Keienmeeting and
the Nijmegen Global Athletics meeting in The Netherlands it has become
clear that most of the competitions held under the KNAU Baancircuit
meetings are suffering with a lack of budget. In recent years several
sponsors have dropped causing the meetings to reduce their budgets. The
KNAU however is confident they will find more sponsors and that the drop
of sponsorship money is a temporarily effect of the economic climate,
reports Atletiek Week.
LAUSANNE (SUI): European Athletics reports that German discus
thrower Nadine Müller will be aiming to be among those athletes winning
both the European Championships and the Olympic Games in London. Müller
showed she is in great shape after throwing 68.89m at the 2012 European
Cup Winter Throwing, which is the longest throw in the world for almost
eight years. “Overall, my shape is still improving. Maybe this year and
certainly within the next two years, I will throw 70 metres. That’s one
of my dreams anyway and I hope it comes true.” She was quoted.
LONDON (GBR): There are calls for Saudi Arabia to be banned
from London 2012 after the head of the country’s National Olympic
Committee said that they would not bow to pressure and select any women
athletes for their team. The President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic
Committee (SAOC), spoke at a press conference in Jeddah that they would
not pick a woman for London 2012 but would not stop them competing if
the IOC offered them a wildcard, as long as officials ensured they did
not violate Islamic sharia law while participating writes
Insidethegames.
LONDON (GBR): Paula Radcliffe told Sky Sports she is desperate
just to get to the start line of the Olympic marathon in one piece. The
lack of an Olympic medal is a mystery for an athlete such as Radcliffe
who has been so dominant over the marathon and Radcliffe really hopes to
turn her luck around in London. “It’ll be my fifth Olympics, I think in
the first two I did run as well as I could have done but in the last
two in the marathon I just haven’t been able to do my best,” Radcliffe
told Sky Sports News.
JOHANNESBURG (RSA): 2009 World champion at 800 m Mbulaeni
Mulaudzi told Sport24 he is in excellent shape ahead of the London
Olympic Games and reported that he has been injury free after missing
the 2011 season. Mulaudzi has been training injury free since October
and confirmed he will be running Europe in May, June, July before going
to London.
PALO ALTO (USA): Olympic decathlon winner Bryan Clay will miss
this weekend´s Stanford Invitational. His flights were cancelled and he
could not make it. He said on his twitter. Clay was scheduled to run
the 110 m hurdles and compete in the long jump and shot put.
EAGLE ROCK (USA): Last year US 100 m hurdles champion Kellie
Wells is a strong woman. After years of silence, in 2010 Wells began
talking publicly about consistent sexual abuse she said she’d suffered
as a teenager, abuse she said eventually led to rape. She initially
wrote about it on her blog. Now she is on her way, with her focus fixed
on London. Torn hamstring blocked her from trying to qualify for Beijing
Olympics. This winter she broke an arm in early February, went through
surgery and quickly got back to training. After missing much of the
indoor racing season, she’s more determined than ever. She’ll return to
racing at the end of this month. Informs espn website.
MONTE CARLO (MON): IAAF confirmed the meetings which will
stage hammer throw as part of 3rd IAAF Hammer Challenge in 2012. Both
men and women will have the chance to score in 6 meets and 3 best
results will count. Men hammer is scheduled for Kawasaki, Rio de
Janeiro, Ostrava, Madrid, Zagreb and Rieti. Women hammer will be held in
Daegu, Rio de Janeiro, Ostrava, Dakar, Berlin and Rieti. Total prize
money offered by IAAF is as in past two years 202 000 USD.
PADERBORN (GER): Former London Marathon winner Irina Mikitenko
will again test her shape on Saturday at the 66th Easter Race in
Paderborn at the 10 km. Mikitenko plans for London Marathon and then to
return again to London for the Olympic marathon. The April race should
be the qualifier. She just recently finished her altitude training camp
in Albuquerque. Her main rivals on Saturday will be Kenyans, mainly
Esther Chemtai.
BOSTON (USA): The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.)
announced that some of the fastest distance runners in the world will be
taking part in the fourth annual B.A.A. 5K and B.A.A. Invitational Mile
races on Sunday, April 15, one day prior to the 116th Boston Marathon.
The 5 km women’s field features 2011 Boston Marathon runner-up Desiree
Davila, best New Zealand runner Kim Smith and Werknesh Kidane of
Ethiopia, two-time Olympian along with Aheza Kiros. The men’s 5K field
is highlighted by the return of last year’s top three finishers.
Returning champion, Ben True, Bobby Curtis and Australian Ben St.
Lawrence. Also to mention fast Ethiopian Ali Abdosh. The women mile has
Morgan Uceny as the top entry with Serbian Marina Muncan. Australian
Collis Birmingham is the top entrant in the men’s section of the B.A.A.
Mile.
TUSCALOOSA (USA): 2009 World silver medalist at the 200 m
Alonso Edward of Panama was quoted as saying: “Preparation is going well
and I am working and training hard to get ready for the season.” He is
fully recovered from a 2011 season-ending injury he sustained in the
200m final at the Daegu World Championship, has his sights set on being
on the podium in London. Edward trains in Tuscaloosa, Alabama under the
guidance of Matt Kane, his college coach at the Barton Community
College. He also revealed: “My mother was born in Kingston, Jamaica and
so my relatives on my mother side are all Jamaican.” His first
international outing of the season is planned for Rabat IAAF World
Challenge meet on May 27 in Morocco. Local media are informing.
RESULTS
SAN
ANGELO (USA, Apr 5): Fast 200 m by Troy Faulkner 20.49 (+0.4) at the
David Noble Relays. It was his first sub 21 time. Nick Jones with 61.05
PB beat surprisingly Jason Young 60.49 in the discus. Aisha Adams scored
personal best in women heptathlon 5861 points.
