by Larry Eder
Diack supports four years
DOHA (QAT): Lamine Diack, President of the International Association
of Athletics
Federations (IAAF), insisted that he did not support life
bans for athletes convicted of serious doping offences. Speaking at
the launch of this year’s Samsung Diamond League, which
gets underway here tomorrow in the Qatar Sports Club Stadium, Diack
announced: “I am convinced that we should not
condemn for life,” but added: “We have to make [punishment] severe.”
Asked if he would prefer to see a standard four-year ban rather than
the current two-year ruling, he responded: “Yes.” Writes
insidethegames.
100 youngsters sprinting
BEIJING (CHN): IAAF informs that the city of Beijing, China, which will host the 15th edition
of the IAAF World Championships in 2015, will stage a special youth
celebration on Sunday (13 May) to mark the year of the IAAF
Centenary. 100 youngsters, split into 50 mixed teams (12-year-old boys and
girls) of two runners will take part in a 100 metres Relay (2x 50m)
race on a 50 metres track specially laid for the occasion in the
Central Piazza of Beijing Olympic Park in the shadow of The Birds’
Nest. “100 children, 100 metres, 100 years, is an appropriately symbolic
way to celebrate the IAAF Centenary,” said IAAF President Lamine
Diack. “The IAAF was born in 1912 and the strength of our sport
today, as it was 100 years ago, is its appeal to the youth of the
world.” Ahead of the start, video messages from President Diack and China’s
favourite sports’ star Liu Xiang, the 2004 Olympic and 2007 World
110m Hurdles champion and former World record holder, will be shown,
and directly following the relay a Kids’ Athletics event for all the
participants will be held.
Hooker 572 at his place
PERTH (AUS, May 11): Olympic winner Steve Hooker’s dream of defending
his pole vault Olympic title is
back on track after the 29-year-old secured his ticket for London in
a glitzy meet in Perth. Hooker, making his first competitive outing
in three months, cleared
the A-qualifying height of 572 on his second attempt on Friday
night to secure his berth at a third straight Olympics. It was
specially-sanctioned meet held in his
own purpose-built indoor training facility in Midland. Hooker needed
two attempts to clear 5.52m, but soared over 5.62m on
his first go. He cleared 572 in first and twice tried at 583. His
meets now to follow are Shanghai, Rome, Munich, Oslo and Lille. Women’s
pole vaulters Alana Boyd and Liz Parnov were the warm-up
acts, with Boyd clearing 4.12m off a six-step run-up and Parnov
posting 4.22m off eight steps. Australian media are informing.
OTHER NEWS
SARANSK (RUS): IAAF Vice President praised at Friday´s official
press conference the preparation of Saransk to stage the IAAF Race
Walking World Cup this weekend. “We prepared very well and it is very
important race for us. We have excellent system of training and finding
young talents. And we have the best coach in the world,” said world and
olympic winner Olga Kaniskina.
ZURICH (SUI): Marathon European champion Viktor Rothlin was
officialy named into Swiss Olympic Team as first track athlete. It will
be his fourth games. He competes on Saturday at 31st Grand Prix Bern
road race where new participation record was announced with 29 107
runners at the 10 miles.
MAASTRICHT (NED) : Dutch city Maastricht is planning for a first
marathon in the city called Maastricht Marathon. The city aims at
hosting a big running event with over 7500 participants in the first
year reports The Limburger.
KAMPALA (UGA): Following the 800m race at the East-African
championships in Kampala last week a heated discussion broke lose
about the gender of Kenyan female athlete Sheila Chepngetich. The
Kenyan athlete ran 2:07.14 over 800m but according to spectators the
female athlete has significant male features. The Team leader for
the Kenyan team dismissed the allegations.
BERLIN (GER): Following knee surgery at the end of last season and a
burn out that left him unmotivated Robert Harting is now ready for
the start of his Olympic season and is hoping to throw a solid
performance in Wiesbaden on May 12 th . Harting decided to start the
season in a low-key meeting, although he told leichtathletik.de that
he is feeling very good and had a very successful training camp in
Portugal.
LAUSANNE (SUI): French pole vaulter Vanessa Boslak has targeted the
2012 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki as a vital part of
her comeback programme in a career resurrected by a vital knee
surgery 18 months’ ago writes European Athletics. Boslak made a
successful return to action after three years’ absence when she won
silver behind Yelena Isinbayeva at the 2012 World Indoor
Championships and now aims to make up for lost time by participating
in as many international events as possible. “The European
Championships, the Olympic Games and other high-profile meetings are
on my agenda,” she said. “I want to take part in them all and
compete at the highest possible level.” Boslak start the season at
the Samsung Diamond League meeting of Doha.
MONTEGO BAY (JAM): Despite a slower than anticipated start to his
season, veteran 400m hurdler Danny McFarlane is confident he will
make the Jamaican team to his fourth straight Olympic Games.
McFarlane, who was fourth in Beijing after taking silver four years
earlier in Athens, said he is confident he can get one of the three
spots to London reports The Jamaican Gleaner.
MANCHESTER (GBR): Ayele Abshero, currently the 2012 season marathon
world leader thanks to his 2:04:23 run in Dubai, will face Haile
Gebrselassie and Patrick Makau at the Bupa Great Manchester Run on
Sunday 20 May. The young rookie became the world’s
fourth fastest ever marathoner on his debut at the distance, when
clocking a superb time of 2:04:23 to win the Standard Chartered
Dubai Marathon at the end of January.
LONDON (GBR): A lot of pressure rests on the shoulders of young pole
vaulter Holly Bleasdale who is among the favourites to win a medal
in the women’s pole vault competition at the London Olympic Games.
Bleasdale told the Evening Post: “There is quite a lot of pressure
on me. People expect me to win a medal, but I’ve just got to think
that I am quite young. I’ve got another 10 years in the sport and
maybe another two or three Olympics left in me.”
RESULTS
DICKINSON (USA, May 10): At Blue Hawk Open Nigerian Fred Agbaje
clocked 10.32 and Bahamian Sean Pickstock 20.70 in the 200 m.
COLORADO SPRINGS (USA, May 10): Grenada´s Kurt Felix won the Mountain West Conference
Championships in decathlon with 7757 score
