Ivan Ukhov clears 2.37m world leader, by Alfons Juck, note by Larry Eder

OPOLE (POL, Jun 6): At 7th Jumping Festival special high jump meet Russian Ivan Ukhov cleared world leading 237 cm. It is also his outdoor personal best, the previous one 236 was achieved also here in Opole in 2010. Ukhov had a great day of jumping, clearing the first world lead at 234. He also attacked the new Russian record height of 241. Czech record holder Jaroslav Baba was second (224) and third home Piotr Sleboda also 224. World medalist 2009 Sylwester Bednarek returned after injuries with 220 as 6th. Although the meet is only high jump, it is held in the stadium. Women winner was combined eventer Izabela Mikolajczyk with 192 personal best.

BOLT THINKS SUB 19 IS POSSIBLE

OSLO (NOR): World fastest man Usain Bolt admitted that a sub 19 seconds in the 200 m is possible. He said that at the traditional Strawberry Party held one day before Exxon Mobil Bislett Games (Samsung Diamond League) at UK Embassy in Oslo. Bolt said he is ready for the 12th direct 100 m clash with Asafa Powell, the first one in Oslo. The same was said by Powell, both will have in Oslo their last competition before Jamaican Trials. They also said laughing that Bolt is better in video-games, but Powell in driving fast cars. The meeting is sold out already for some days and weather forecast is also promising. In 16 Diamond League events 9 individual world champions from Daegu are competing (7 men and 2 women).

OTHER NEWS

BRUSSELS (BEL): Belgian triple jumper Svetlana Bolshakova has withdrawn from the German meeting in Rhede (Thursday) due to a slight strain in her back. Bolshakova just made a successful comeback from an Achilles rupture but told Belgian media her current injury is very small and will only prevent her from competing in Rhede.

LAUSANNE (SUI): European Athletics announces the news that one of the most prominent figures in Estonian athletics, Martin Kutman, passed away at the age of 83. In addition to his many other accolades and achievements, and earlier this year he was a recipient of a European Athletics Coaching Award, Kutman was the coach to the current Estonian women’s high jump record holder Anna IljuÅ¡tÅ¡enko.

LAUSANNE (SUI): Latvia’s Vadims Vasilevskis is back from prolonged injury and is keen on performing well at the European Athletics championships and the London Olympic Games. Since his silver medal in Athens, Vasilevskis has had a series of frustrating fourth places at major championships including the 2006 European Athletics Championships as well as at both the 2007 and 2009 World Championships reports European Athletics.

LONDON (GBR): Jessica Ennis has confirmed that she will compete in four events in a demanding weekend at the Aviva 2012 Trials at the Birmingham Alexander Stadium. Ennis will compete in the 100m hurdles and high jump on Saturday 23 June, followed by the long jump and 200m on Sunday 24June. “I’ve got a gruelling couple of days lined up on the Saturday and Sunday at the Aviva 2012 Trials. I want to use the meet to give myself a real physical test over two days, as I’ll be competing in two heats and four finals over the weekend. Everything is focused on London 2012 for me and a packed Birmingham Alexander Stadium will be the closest I’ll come to replicating that tough schedule and environment ahead of the Games.” Ennis was quoted on UK Athletics.

LONDON (GBR):  The head coach of Britain’s athletics team says foreign-born athletes competing at the London Olympics have been told to learn the words to the national anthem. Charles van Commenee says the athletes „know the words, or they will” know them according to newsok.com.

RIO DE JANEIRO (BRA): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission, led by Morocco’s Nawal El Moutawakel, has visited the Olympic Village being built for Rio 2016 to check on progress there. The foundation stone for the Village was laid in December 2010 but this was the first time that the IOC Coordination Commission had officially seen it, even though this is their third full visit. Also present the ceremony were Carloz Nuzman, the President of Rio 2016, and Eduardo Paes, the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro reports insidethegames.

FRANKFURT (GER): Germany will send 7 combined eventers to Helsinki for European Championships. The leader is Pascal Behrenbruch with Norman Muller and Matthias Brugger for decathlon and Claudia Rath with Carolin Schafer for heptathlon. The top names like Jennifer Oeser, Lilli Schwarzkopf and Rico Freimuth decided to concentrate on Olympic Games.

FRANKFURT (GER): German long distance runner Simret Restle-Apel is provisionally suspended because of possible breach of doping rules. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) informed the German Athletics Federation (DLV). She had suspicious result of an out of competition test in May this year. She won earlier German Half Marathon title and achieved qualifying times for Helsinki at 5000 m and 10 000 m.

MONACO (MON): Olympic champions and multiple record holders Mildred ‚Babe’ Didriksen, Michael Johnson and Dan O’Brien of the U.S. are the latest athletics legends to be included among the 24 inaugural Members of the IAAF Hall of Fame. IAAF President Lamine Diack made the announcement in New York City’s Times Square during a ‚100 Kids – 100 metres – 100 years’ relay event to mark the Centenary year of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). President Diack was accompanied by IAAF Athlete Ambassador Tirunesh Dibaba, the reigning Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion, and they were joined by Dan O’Brien, who was the surprise guest of honour. On Friday (8), President Diack will return to Times Square to ring the NASDAQ closing bell, an honour given to mark the IAAF Centenary and the work of the International Athletic Foundation of which he is also President. Informs IAAF.

RESULTS

YALTA (UKR, Jun 4): At Cup meet European indoor champion Olesya Povkh clocked new European leading 100 m time of 11.08 (+1.2), also her personal best. Other women top results 673 (+1.7) in the long jump by Viktoriya Molchanova, Valentyna Lyasenko 190 in the high jump and Iryna Sekachova 72.42 in hammer. Natalya Mazuryk cleared 450 in the pole vault. In men events Ihor Bodrov clocked 20.74 (-0.8) in the 200 m and Denys Yurchenko cleared 572 in the pole vault. Good discus won by former big talent Mykyta Nesterenko 63.95 over Oleksiy Semenov 63.65.

NANTES (FRA, Jun 6): Fast men´s 1500 m at the Elite meet. South Africans Juan van Deventer and Johan Cronje clocked 3:36.91 and 3:37.01. US Dominic Berger won the hurdles in 13.58 (-1.1). Frederic Erin leaped to windy 800 cm (+2.2, legal 774) in the long jump. South African champion Wenda Theron was the best at 400 m hurdles with 56.76.

ANKARA (TUR, Jun 6): Men of Fenerbahce and women of Enka Spor Kulubu won the Turkish Super League club titles. During second day Ivet Lalova clocked 23.71 and Ramil Guliyev 21.27 in the 200 m. Romanian Marian Oprea achieved 16.45 in the triple jump.

ADDITIONS

BELLINZONA (SUI): The Tuesday mark 68.79 by Virgilijus Alekna (40) is European masters best in the category 40+. World best by Al Oerter in 1980 at age of 43 is even better 69.48. Alekna is also holder of the world best for the 35+ age with 71.56 in 2007.