Meseret Defar, 2012 Compeed Golden Gala Roma, photo by PhotoRun.net

Tirunesh Dibaba, 2012 Nike Pre Classic, photo by PhotoRun.net

Meseret Defar Vs Vivian Cheruiyot, 2012 Doha, photo by PhotoRun.net

Dayron Robles, 2011 FBK Games/Hengelo, photo by PhotoRun.net

I have to admit, that I am still recovering from the best Nike Pre Classic that I have ever seen. And now, less than one week later, is the adidas Grand Prix NYC. It is shaping up to offer the best clashes that I have ever seen in the Big Apple!

Meseret Defar, who has been battling Vivian Cheruiyot over the past month, will be taking on Tirunesh Dibaba, over 5,000 meters at Randalls Island this coming Saturday. The two most be medaled Ethiopian women in track & field, Defar and Dibaba, could make this the 5,000 meter race of the season!

The 100 meters will have Allyson Felix, Kelly Ann Baptiste, and Carmelita Jeter! This race should be a barn burner!

The men’s 110 meter hurdles will be run without Dayron Robles. Robles, who did not get to run in Pre due to visa troubles, has a slight injury and is staying in Cuba, mending and training.

The men’s 110m hurdles will feature Liu Xiang, off his 12.87 wind aided, Aries Merritt, off his 12.96, and David Oliver, Jason Henderson and Jeff Porter, all wanting another shot at the top two!

The Nike Pre and the adidas GP are the two elite outdoor track meets in the US (the Oxy performance is coming along, and has made huge leaps in the past year). I believe that we need four such elite meetings, with one in the midwest and one either in California (on same night as SoCal High school state champs) or in Texas (around Texas High School champs).

For more info on the adidas Grand Prix, please click on www.adidasgrandprix.com

EME NEWS (JUN 5, 2012) UPDATE

DEFAR YES, ROBLES NO

NEW YORK (USA): Ethiopian Meseret Defar, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist and 2007 IAAF World Champion, will race at 5000 meters at Icahn Stadium for the first time since breaking the World Record on this track in 2006. She will face on Saturday at adidas Grand Prix Samsung Diamond League meet in direct clash her main rival and olympic winner 2008 Tirunesh Dibaba. On the other hand hurdles world record holder Dayron Robles will finally not come to US now and is a late withdrawal due to slight injury.

FAJDEK 81.39 IMPROVEMENT

MONTREUIL (FRA, Jun 5): Pro Athle Tour meet results were hampered by cold and rainy weather. From that point of view superb personal best in hammer for Polish European U23 Champion Pawel Fajdek 81.39, the third best mark of 2012. Hungarian Krisztian Pars for first time this year lost with 80.22. In other men events Jamaican Ainsley Waught beat Dwain Chambers in 10.47 over 10.48 (-1.6, when Jamaican Harvey false started). US Jeff Porter scored another European hurdles win with 13.35 (-1.9) over Briton Lawrence Clarke 13.35. British win came in the 400 m hurdles by Jack Green in 49.22 ahead of US Michael Tinsley 49.26 and SenegalÂ´s Mamadou Hanne 49.35. South African Andre Olivier won the 800 m in 1:46.13. Sensation in high jump when Sudanese Mohamed Younnis won with 225 over Osku Torro of Finland also 225. Favorites failed (Spank 5th 219, Dmitrik 6th 219). Top women result was the personal best of Algerian Zahra Bouras 1:58.78 in the 800 m (she missed the national record only by 0.06) ahead of Maryna Arzamasava of Belarus 1:59.63 and Moroccan Malika Akkaoui 1:59.97. Solid 5000 m times for Ethiopians Buze Diriba 15:11.53 and Afera Goday 15:18.50. Third Romanian Roxana Birca 15:22.64 PB. Rome Golden Gala winner Murielle Ahoure won the 100 m in 11.32 (-2.0) and Russian Kseniya Zadorina the 400 m in 51.39 beating Jamaican Patricia Hall 51.84. Briton Eilish Child won the 400 m hurdles 55.25 over Ukrainian Hanna Titimets 55.46 and US Nicole Leach 55.57. In technical events German Kristina Gadschiew cleared 450 in the pole vault to win. Zinaida Sendriute of Lithuania was the best in discus 62.61 and Ukrainian Hanna Knyazeva 14.23 (+1.4) in the triple jump.

ALEKNA 68.79 IN DISCUS

BELLINZONA (SUI, Jun 5): At the International Meet in Bellinzona Swiss record holder Lisa Urech returned after injuries with good 13.08 (-0.7) at 100 m hurdles. She even beat Italian record holder Micol Cattaneo 13.10, but the winner was Lolo Jones with 12.87. Discus hero Virgilijus Alekna won the discus with superb 68.79, his best result since 2009 and third best in the world 2012. Second Estonian Mart Israel 63.19. Fast hurdles by Italian record holder Emanuele Abate 13.35 (-0.4) ahead of Briton Andy Pozzi 13.38. Sanneh Souwabou of Gambia won the 100 m in 10.27 (-0.2, was faster in heats 10.26). In the same heat also Abdourahim Haroun improved the national record of Chad to 10.28 (+0.9) as second. US Marcus Boyd won the 400 m in 46.14 over Cuban hurdler Omar Cisneros 46.18. US Miki Barber was the fastest in the women 100 m (11.43, but 11.42 in heats) and Ukrainian Olena Zyusman the 800 m in 2:02.87. Lithuanian Airine Palsyte beat on count-back in the high jump Italian junior Alessia Trost (188 for both).

TURKISH SP RECORD

ANKARA (TUR, Jun 5): First day of Turkish Clubs Superleague saw Bulgarian Vanya Stambolova winning the 400 m in 50.98. Greek Paraskevi Papahristou achieved windy 14.77 (+2.3) in the triple jump. Her second best was 14.72, here the wind-speed is not known. The best Turkish performance was achieved by Huseyn Atici in the shot put with 20.42 national record. In women hammer Tugce Sahutoglu 72.89, in men javelin Fatih Avan 80.50 and hammer Esref Apak 75.14. Cihat Ulus won the 1500 m in 3:44.82 over fresh European Cup 10 000 m winner Polat Kemboi 3:47.05 PB. Sprints were marred by head-winds. In men events Ramil Guliyev 10.53 (-2.8) and US Ty Akins 13.76 over hurdles (-1.7). In women European Champion Nevin Yanit 13.05 over hurdles and Ivet Lalova 11.62 at the 100 m. Also First League was held at the same place, here the best result by Yavuz Can 46.30 in the menÂ´s 400 m.

MOHR 572

MUNCHEN (GER, Jun 5): Malte Mohr cleared 572 to win the special meet Munich Jump and Fly at Odeon Square. Second Russian Igor Pavlov 560 over Briton Steven Lewis 550. Steve Hooker cleared 520. World indoor champion Mauro Vinicius da Silva of Brazil was the best in the long jump (811).

OTHER RESULTS

RIGA (LAT, Jun 5): Riga 2012 international meet home winner Madara Palameika achieved in the javelin (61.45) and Maris Urtans in the shot put (19.84). Russian Anna Nazarova leaped to 670 (-0.2) long jump and Belarus Yekaterina Poplavskaya clocked 12.91 (+0.2) at 100 m hurdles. Lithuanian record holder Rytis Sakalauskas won the 100 m but against -1.4 wind achieved only 10.54. In javelin Kim Amb of Sweden with 81.70 beat Latvian Ainars Kovals 81.15.

OSTERODE (GER, Jun 5): The 4th International meet here saw Nadine Kleinert winning the shot put with 19.61. In absence of Ralf Bartels the menÂ´s winner Candy Bauer got 19.37. Chinese Chen Qi won the javelin 75.32 and the result of the day was achieved by 22 years old German Daniel Jasinski who improved in discus to 64.37 m.

ZAGREB (CRO, Jun 5): Croatian Marin Premeru for first time in his career achieved 20+ in the shot put at Dinamo Meet with 20.02. Hungarian Robert Fazekas won the discus 64.75 beating Roland Varga 62.44 (his former country-mate). In women events Serbian Dragana Tomasevic got 60.67 in discus and Vanja Perisic 2:03.85 in the 800 m in a solo race.

PRAHA (CZE, Jun 5): Praga Academica International meet at Strahov Stadium saw Jirina Ptacnikova competing in cold weather in top shape. She cleared 430 and 450 in first attempt, then 460 in third and missed only 470. Lukas Bechyne beat on count-back Jan Kudlicka in menÂ´s pole vault with 540. Antonin Zalsky with 19.80 in the shot put was over his home rival Ladislav Prasil 19.40. In discus best Czech Jan Marcell injured himself in the third attempt.

YEKATERINBURG (RUS, Jun 2-3): At regional championships Kseniya Ustalova clocked 51.90 in the 400 m and Ivan Nesterov 1:47.25 in the 800 m

For Shoe Geeks, the Brooks Hyperion Max, great fast ride, great road shoe for the new age…

For Shoe Geeks, the New Balance 1080 Fresh Foam, great ride, great cushioning

Coffee With Larry, Goteborg 1995, My first World Champs, good media relationship, Peachtree Road Race, 60 % of Pre Classic tickets sold in one day!

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 50-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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