by Larry Eder
MELKAMU AT UK TRIALS
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): The UK Aviva Trials will not only have international runners in men 10 000 m on Friday but also in women race on Saturday. Chasing fast times will be Ethiopians Worknesh Kidane and Meselech Melkamu. Also in the field Mary Cullen of Ireland and Iwona Lewandowska from Poland. In the current Ethiopian ranking of 2012 Tirunesh Dibaba leads with 30:24.39 ahead of Belaynesh Oljira 30:26.70 and Kidane who will be running is third 30:50.16. Specially the third time will be under threat from Melkamu. Meseret Defar announced already earlier she is concentrating on the 5000 m this year.
FELIX FOR 100/200
EUGENE (USA): As it was expected from her earlier racing programme Allyson Felix will go for the 100 m and 200 m double at US Olympic Trials. She will pass the 400 m this time. „This will have advantages for her and for the relay teams,” said her coach Bobby Kersee. As it is known the other most anticipated double by Sanya Richards-Ross will be decided after her 400 m. NCAA star Kimberlyn Duncan will compete only in the 200 m and is passing the 100 m. Other important 100/200 doubles are confirmed for Carmelita Jeter, Tianna Madison, Bianca Knight and Shalonda Solomon.
TAHRI OUT OF THE GAMES
PARIS (FRA): European record holder in steeple Bob Tahri gave up his hopes for Olympic participation. It is still too soon after his tibia surgery last September. „I started training again in April but the time is insufficient, with a deadline set for July 6. I will continue to train and possibly come back for some races at the end of the season,” Tahri was quoted as saying.
PISTORIUS IN BELGIUM
NIVELLES (BEL): Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius is still in position to confirm his olympic selection. While currenty training at his European base in Cremona, Italy he will compete on Saturday in Nivelles Belgium at the 400 m. Afterwards Pistorius plans to travel to African Championships in Benin.
GEMILI CONFIRMS
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): UK Athletics informs that Britain’s fastest man this year, Adam Gemili has confirmed that he will compete over 100m at the Aviva 2012 Trials on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 June at the Birmingham Alexander Stadium. The Blackheath & Bromley Harrier rose to prominence two weeks ago when he twice ran the 100m Olympic A qualification standard in Regensburg, Germany, with the personal best time of 10.08 that he ran that day also a European record for his age. Having decided to compete at Trials following a season that has surprised even himself, Gemili will run in what is likely to be a tightly contested men’s 100m event. He is eager to impress in front of the eyes of the British public. “I am very excited to get the opportunity to compete in the Olympic trials, especially when it is for a home Games. I just want to go out there and run to show everyone what I can do.” He will face a formidable group of sprinters with Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Dwain Chambers, Tyrone Edgar, James Ellington, James Dasaolu, Andy Robertson, Danny Talbot and Mark Lewis-Francis among others. The men’s 100m heats are scheduled for Friday and semi-finals and final for Saturday.
RHINES OUT
EUGENE (USA): Three-time Olympian Jen Rhines has scratched from the women’s 10 000 m at the Trials, a move that has significant ramifications for who’ll make the Olympic team in the event. Informs Runnersworld.com. That’s because Rhines was one of eight women with the Olympic „A” standard (31:45) in the event. Three of the eight–Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Davila and Kara Goucher–have already made the marathon team. Flanagan will run the 10,000 at the Trials, but will give up her spot in the event if she places in the top three. By all accounts, Goucher, who won the national half marathon title on Saturday, isn’t running, and Davila has said she isn’t. That leaves five women with the „A” standard to fight for the three spots, or at least it did until Rhines scratched. Four are now remaining. One of the remaining four with the „A” standard is Molly Huddle, who is the American record-holder at 5000 meters and doesn’t appear on the official list of declared athletes in the 10 000 m. So remaining are Amy Hastings, Janet Cherobon-Bawcom and Lisa Uhl.
HAMMER IS THE STARTER
EUGENE (USA): US Olympic Trials at Hayward Field are starting on Friday. But the action will begin a day earlier and 111 miles north when the hammer throw final takes place on Thursday at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton. A new hammer cage was recently installed at Ronaldo Field and bleachers will be coming soon. The event will be broadcast live on regional television and a large turnout is also expected since the event is free and open to the public. The biggest question on everyone’s mind is who will make the Olympic team. In the 100 meters, this question is easy to answer: the first three that cross the line will become Olympians. But in the hammer throw it is a bit more difficult since not all of the athletes have met the Olympic “A” qualifying standard. Currently only two men (Kibwe Johnson, AG Kruger) and three women (Jessica Cosby, Amber Campbell, Gwen Berry) hold the Olympic “A” standard in the hammer throw. Both the preliminary and final rounds will take place on Thursday, June 21. Two flights of 12 throwers will get three throws each. The athletes with the top marks will then proceed to a final where they will receive three more throws. The best results from all six rounds will be used to determine the final order of finish. Writes Martin Bingisser. Track and Field News in its predictions has Kruger, Johnson and Mai in top 3 and on the women side Cosby, Campbell, Berry.
OTHER NEWS
ATHENS (GRE): The two best Greek hammer throwers are out of action for the remaining of 2012. National record holder and Beijing finisher Stilianà Papadopoúlou, who suffered from severe injuries during the last two years, is now expecting her first child and makes plans to return. Former record holder Alexándra PapayeoryÃou will not compete in 2012, because of a persistent neck pain which forces her to undergo surgery. She misses thus the opportunity to compete in her 3rd Olympics and 4th European Championships, having qualified to both events with her 2011 best 70.54. She hopes to be back next year.
LONDON (GBR): Reigning IAAF World Championships silver medalist at 1500m Hannah England has decided to skip this weekend’s Aviva U.K. Trials to allow more healing time for a spike wound to her Achilles that she suffered in Hengelo last month. The wound, which caused her to be hospitalized, is healing well but England doesn’t want to take any unnecessary chances in an Olympic year. „Of course I’m disappointed to miss the Olympic Trials,” the Nike-sponsored athlete said through a statement released by U.K. Athletics. „Last year I won there and it was the start of an incredible season.” She continued: „But I have to be sensible, if I run too early I could ruin my season. So I have to take a risk that my early season form and multiple ‚A’ standards will be enough to gain selection.” U.K. Athletics also announced that 2010 European Championships 10,000m silver medalist Chris Thompson would also bypass the Trials with a back injury. Like England, Thompson is very likely to gain selection in either the 5000m or 10,000m (or both); he possesses the Olympic „A” standard for both events. Informs Race Results Weekly.
LAUSANNE (SUI): European Athletics announced that Germany’s discus superstar Robert Harting and British multi-events specialist Jessica Ennis have been voted as the European Athletes of the Month for May. Belgium’s Hans Van Alphen who produced a national record and world-leading total of 8519 points when winning at the Hypo meeti
ng, was second in the men’s poll. The Netherland’s Churandy Martina, who set a European-leading time of 20.26 for the 200m at the Samsung Diamond League meeting in Doha on 11 May, finished third. In the women’s poll, Barbora Å potáková, the Czech Republic’s javelin world record holder, who achieved a world-leading 68.65m at the Samsung Diamond League meeting in Rome on 31 May was voted second. Germany’s hammer world record holder Betty Heidler, who remains unbeaten this season, threw a mammoth 78.07m at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on 24 May and was voted third.
KINGSTON (JAM): Jamaica’s world sprint double record holder Usain Bolt, according to Forbes Magazine, is amongst the top 100 richest sportsmen. Bolt, who is expected to be the biggest star of the upcoming Summer Olympics in London, holds the number 63 spot with 20.3 million dollar. According to Forbes Magazine, the triple world record holder made over 20 million dollar last in 2011 through endorsement deals.
ATLANTA (USA): NCAA heptathlon champion Brianne Theisen has signed with agent Paul Doyle to guide her professional career. Theisen follows her fiancée Ashton Eaton who is also represented by Doyle Management Group.
BERLIN (GER): Following his victory at the German national championships Robert Harting told leichtathletik.de he is surprised about his current form as he is still tired from a block of hard training. Harting also confirmed his knee problems are now under control and he fully aims at winning the European championships.
LONDON (GBR): Anyone found guilty of involvement in the allegations over black market sales of tickets for London 2012 does not deserve to remain in the Olympic Movement, Sebastian Coe was quoted by Insidethegames. „I think it would be very difficult to sustain an argument that they would be a place in the Olympic Movement for them,” he said while adding he is depressed by the allegations.
LONDON (GBR): London 2012 have unveiled the medical facilities at the Olympic and Paralympic Village which will be provided to the world’s top athletes during the Games this summer. The main Polyclinic, which cost 28 million euro to build, is located in the Athletes’ Village in a state-of-the-art venue that will give up to 16,000 Olympic athletes and 6,200 Paralympic athletes, as well as team officials, access to healthcare services 24 hours a day.
MADRID (ESP): The Spanish Federation announced that these athletes who will win medals at European Championships in Helsinki will get automatic qualification for the London Games with the provision they have the necessary standard. The team in Helsinki has 27 newcomers and team leader is Olympic 1500 m winner from 1992 Fermin Cacho.
LONDON (GBR): The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is facing a race against time to raise income levels or be forced to scale back its activities . The warning comes in the agency’s newly-published annual report, which shows a deficit for 2011 of almost $476,000 down from a deficit of $643,000 the previous year. The report says according to Insidethegames: „The cash reserves used to cover deficits are depleting. The result of this is that income will have to increase or activities will have to be reduced, since WADA’s unallocated cash reserve will not meet deficits beyond the next 30 months.”
EUGENE (USA): The opening ceremonies of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will include a tribute to the centennial anniversary of the modern decathlon. The decathlon ceremony will take place on Friday, June 22. Jim Thorpe, winner of the first 10-event Olympic gold medal in 1912, will be represented by two of his sons and will be honored posthumously alongside the six living American gold medalists in the decathlon: Milt Campbell (1956), Rafer Johnson (1960), Bill Toomey (1968), Bruce Jenner (1976), Dan O’Brien (1996) and Bryan Clay (2008).
ISTANBUL (TUR): Istanbul 2020 launched a worldwide public competition for the selection of its logo for its campaign to host the Olympics and Paralympics, which bid leader Hasan Arat promised would become „famous”. Five potential logos submitted by professional designers have been published on the bid’s website and the public have until June 20 to choose their favourite reports Insidethegames.
LONDON (GBR): Northumberland middle distance runner Laura Weightman has recognised the contribution Steve Cram a three time World record holder is making on her behalf as she progresses her career. “Steve has been hugely influential in my progress as an athlete,” said Weightman who this weekend will bid for a Team GB 1500 meters place at the British Olympic trials in Birmingham. Writes David Martin.
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): Dai Greene may be the reigning World 400 meters hurdles champion but he has no intention of resting upon his laurels at this weekend’s Aviva Olympic trials in Birmingham. Greene after undergoing knee surgery during the winter is just beginning to produce the form which saw him with a late surge capture the IAAF World Championships title in Daegu last August. With four further Brits already having posted the Olympic ‚A’ standard time this season, Greene is braced for an event of major importance to his Olympic ambitions. Facing him will be Britain’s strongest crop of 400m hurdlers for a generation, with Greene’s talented 20-year-old training partner Jack Green, as well as Nathan Woodward, Richard Yates and fellow Welshman Rhys Williams all having run sub-49.50sec races this summer. Informs David Martin.
NAIROBI (KEN): Boston Marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai and Dubai Marathon runners-up Lucy Kabuu will lead the field of the 2012 Safari Half Marathon, which is scheduled for July 18 in Nairobi. Event Director Douglas Wakiihuri confirmed in Nairobi on Monday that the duo will lead a strong field of 26 elite runners from Kenya and 27 from other countries and regions during the event’s third edition. Wakiihuri said the foreign runners who have so far signed for the event include eleven Japanese, ten Americans, two Irish and one each from Britain, India and Somalia. Informs Xinhua.
OLOMOUC (CZE): The winners of first edition of Mattoni ½ Marathon in Ceske Budejovice Kenyan Daniel Chebii and Ethiopian Tadelech Bekele remained in the Czech Republic and trained in Praha. They will now compete on Saturday at Olomouc Half Marathon. The race will have an evening start at 7 pm and organisers are hoping that Chebii will be able to achieve similar fast time as in Ceske Budejovice 59:49 in his debut at the distance. He will have four more Kenyans competing with him. For Bekele the main rival will be title defender Netsanet Achamo also from Ethiopia along with Ukrainian Yulia Rubin. Czech London-bound marathon runner Jan Kreisinger will have his last serious test before the Games.
RESULTS
PIHTIPUDAS (FIN, Jun 17): Former World champion Tero Pitkämäki took his last chance to get onto the Finnish Javelin trio for the European Championships in Helsinki by winning the traditional Javelin Carnival competition with his season best mark of 83.87m. Second Ari Mannio 83.63 ahead of Lassi Etelatalo 82.98. Fourth Teemu Wirkkala 81.88 and fifth Antii Ruuskanen 81.72 completed the finest javelin competition so far this year for the Finnish throwers. From this five the final three for European Championships will still be named.
DULUTH (USA, Jun 16): Ethiopian Berhanu Girma won the 36th Grandma’s Marathon in 2:12:25 ahead of another Ethiopian Chala Lemi 2:12:58 and Kenyan Lamech Mokono 2:13:28. Best US runner Chris Erichsen was 9th in 2:16:31. Interesting to note as 12th former top Russian miler Vyacheslav Shabunin improving his PB to 2:18:52 in masters age. Women winner Kenyan Everlyne Langat got 2:33:14 beating Ethiopians Mulu Seboka 2:34:54 and Yi
hunlish Delelcha 2:35:42.
PEORIA (USA, Jun 16): Kenya’s Shadrack Kosgei won 39th Stemboat Classic at 4 miles for the fourth time in 18:01. The women’s race was a close contest between defending champion Diane Nukuri-Johnson of Burundi and Risper Gesabwa of Kenya. Gesabwa got the win by two seconds in 20:26, but Nukuri-Johnson lowered her own ARRS national record to 20:28. Writes RRW.
LIVERMORE (USA, Jun 16): Greek Ekaterini Stefanidi improved to 451 at this Tri-Valley Athletics June Series in the pole vault. It is also Greek U23 record. Paul Lichtfield cleared as top male vaulter 555 cm.
TRIPOLI (LBA, Jun 15): First edition of international 10 km road race in Libya saw Kenyan Philemon Rono winning in 28:56 ahead of Moroccan Jawad Laariss 28:59. On the women side Edinah Kwambai 34:32 beating clearly Alena Vinitskaya of Belarus 37:40. The race was held under 35 degrees hot weather with 150 participants from 12 countries.
SILLAMAE (EST, Jun 18): Raigo Toompuu achieved season best in shot put here 20.04 m.
BLOOMINGTON (USA, Jun 17): Fast 1500 m by German Fernandez 3:37.76 personal best ahead of Andrew Bayer 3:38.07 also PB. For both olympic trials qualifiers.
CORRECTION
MARINGA (BRA): The correct spelling of long jump national junior champion is Jessica dos Reis and her mark 658 was South American junior record, improving by 3cm her own mark achieved in Sao Paulo in April. It is also the best legal jump in the world by a junior this year.
