by Larry Eder
Two of the most extraordinary sprinters of our life times will be running in the 2012 Belgacom Brussels Van Damme Memorial. Yohan Blake, the 2011 WC at 100 meters and Usain Bolt the WC at 200 meters in 2011, and Olympic gold medalist in 2008, in the 100, 200, and 4 x 100m and then, in 2009, he won the 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay once again.
Blake to Bolt, 2011 WC 4 x 100m, photo by PHotoRun.net
BOLT AND BLAKE IN BRUSSELS
BRUSSELS (BEL): On 7 September, the fastest men in the world, Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake, head for the Belgacom Memorial Van Damme, the Samsung Diamond League meeting in Brussels. That was confirmed by their coach Glen Mills in Jamaica. Meeting director Wilfried Meert went to Jamaica last weekend. He attended the trials, but mainly wanted to talk to Glen Mills, coach of Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake. In a recent survey by the Memorial’s organisation among the athletics fans asking them about their preferences of whom they would love to have over at the King Baudouin Stadium, the names of the Jamaican ace sprinters stood out. Mills had good news: both Bolt and Blake will be at the Belgacom Memorial Van Damme. Who will run which distance is not yet clear. Wilfried Meert is very happy with the presence of the two ace athletes confirmed. „This shows that we care for our audience,” Meert said. „In an Olympic year, we put in additional financial efforts and especially if our fans ask about it so in such numbers. This confirms the Memorial’s top meeting status, which requires the most important current athletes to take part.” The Belgacom Memorial Van Damme takes place on Friday 7 September in the King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels. There are hardly 10,000 of the 47,000 tickets still available. Organizers are informing.
BRITISH TEAM SELECTED
LONDON (GBR): British Olympic Association has announced 71 track and field athletes selected to Team GB for the London 2012 Olympic Games. These athletes join the six marathon runners earlier selected to complete the Team GB athletics line-up, bringing the athletics total to 77, and the overall number of athletes selected to Team GB to 502 from across 25 sports. Youngest member is sprinter Gemili and oldest triple jumper Aldama, world champions from last year are Dai Greene and Mo Farah. Also selected Dwain Chambers for the 100 m. 100 m and 4×100 m: Gemili, Chambers, Dasaolu, 200 m and 4×100 m: Malcolm, Ellington, 400 m and 4×400 m: Rooney, C. Williams, Levine, 800 m: Osagie, Rimmer, 1500 m: Murray, Baddeley, 5000 m: McCormick, Farah, 10 000 m: Farah, Thompson, SC: Stokes, 110mH: Pozzi, Clarke, Turner, 400mH and 4×400 m: Greene, Green, R. Williams, HJ: Grabarz, PV: Lewis, LJ: Rutherford, Tomlinson, TJ: Idowu, JT: Luckwell, DT: Okoye, Morse, Buhari, SP: Myerscough, HT: Smith, Dec: Awde, 50 km w: King, 4×100 m: Talbot, Williamson, Lewis-Francis, 4×400 m: Buck, Lennon-Ford, Tobin. Women – 100 m and 200 m: Oyepitan, Onuora, 200 m: Adeoye, 400 m and 4×400 m: Ohuruogu, Cox, McConnell, 800 m: Sharp, 1500 m: Weightman, Dobriskey, England, 5000 m and 10 000 m: Pavey, Bleasdale, 5000 m and SC: Parker, SC: McColgan, 20 kmw: Jackson, 100mH: Porter, 400mH: Shakes-Drayton, Child, PV: Bleasdale, Dennison, LJ: Proctor, TJ: Aldama, HT: Hitchon, JT: Sayers, hept and 100mH: Ennis, hept: Johnson-Thompson, Hazel, 4×400 m: Okoro, Sanders, Diamond. UK Athletics informs.
RUDISHA THINKS RECORD
NAIROBI (KEN): East Standard informs that World 800 m champion and record holder David Rudisha will attempt to lower his record this Friday when he takes part in the Paris Diamond League meet. Pacesetter Sammy Tangui who will help Rudisha said this is their plan and with the weather permitting. Rudisha will be running his last race before the Olympic games in London, which starts in the next three weeks. Tangui said if they fail in Paris, then they will certainly go for a new record in Zurich in August.
JELIMO FOR BRUSSELS
NAIROBI (KEN): Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo will run in Brussels this Saturday as part of her preparations to defend her title in London. Jelimo left the country on Monday and is expected back home early next week to continue with her preparations for the Olympic games.
SHELLY-ANN NOT DECIDED YET
KINGSTON (JAM): Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who ran two personal best times, 10.70 to lower her own Jamaican 100m record and 22.10 in the 200m, was asked if she will double in London, she replied: „I can’t answer that yet. I am tired, mentally I am drained, because I pb twice this weekend and within a short space of time. I came in here with a sore leg from last night, I felt really tired, but thanks be to God I came out healthy,” she told journalists after Sunday’s 200m final.
JAPAN ADDS RELAY MEMBERS
TOKYO (JPN): Since Japan qualified for the women 4×100 m relay Anna Doi, Momoko Takahashi, Yumeka Sano, Kana Ichikawa are added to the team. Also Takumi Kuki is added to men´s 4×100 m relay. Yoshihiro Azuma with Hiroyuki Nakano are added for the men 4×400 m squad.
FIRST NAMES FOR MADRID
MADRID (ESP): European high jump champion Ruth Beitia and silver winner in long jump Luis Felipe Meliz confirmed they will compete at the Madrid Meeting on Saturday (IAAF World Challenge). Antonio Reina is entered in the 800 m with Briton Michael Rimmer and Cuban Maury Suriel Castillo.
ZARIPOVA AND SAVINOVA EL
CHEBOKSARY (RUS, Jul 3): During first day of Russian Championships the Daegu winner Yulia Zaripova won the women steeple in European leading time 9:09.99 (also 4th best in the World) ahead of the world record holder Gulnara Samitova-Galkina 9:25.92 and Yelena Orlova 9:31.37. In men steeple Nikolay Chavkin clocked 8:26.38 to win. Great depth in women 800 m with four sub 1:58 times, all winning their heats. World champion Mariya Savinova achieved 1:57.42 what is also European lead 2012 and third fastest in the world 2012. Fresh European gold medalist Yelena Arzhakova got 1:57.67 personal best, Yekaterina Kostetskaya 1:57.46 and Yelena Kofanova 1:57.77 in other races. Eurowinner 2010 Natalya Antyukh was the fastest in the women 400 m hurdles heats 54.51. In men´s heats Vladimir Antmanis was the best in 49.71. Helsinki medalist Valeriy Iordan was the best in javelin qualification (79.88). In women long jump qualification top marks from Anna Nazarova 690 (+0.7) and Yelena Sokolova 681 (-0.5). Out was heptathlon world champion Tatyana Chernova, only 605, she also did not qualify in the high jump 178. Tatyana Lebedeva qualified in the triple jump (13.95) but Helsinki medalist Yana Borodina not (13.68). In shot put qualification Maksim Sidorov achieved 20.92 as the best mark and Bogdan Pishchalnikov 62.79 top mark in discus qualification.
HELSINKI WINNERS FOR PARIS
PARIS (FRA): Areva meet, the next event of Samsung Diamond League on Friday will offer many of the Helsinki champions and medalists. Mainly 100 m winner Christophe Lemaitre and pole vault gold medalist Renaud Lavillenie (against Bjorn Otto). David Storl is in the shot put, Vitezslav Vesely in the javelin. In the women 200 m rematch between Marya Ryemyen of Ukraine and Myriam Soumare. Gulcan Mingir will run the steeple against Africans. Ruth Beitia and Tonje Angelsen will jump against Chaunte Lowe of USA. Eurowinner Eloyse Lesueur in the long jump with Russian Anna Nazarova and US Janay De Loach. Helsinki gold medalist Sandra Perkovic is the top name in discus.
RESULTS
ZHUKOVSKIY (RUS, Jun 23): Late addition from the Moscow Region Championships with top hammer marks. Sergey Litvinov achieved his second career 80+ with 80.33 ahead of Kirill Ikonnikov 79.37 and Igor Vinichenko 77.39. Former world record holder Gulfiya Khanafeyeva got also second career best and third best 2012 77.08 over Mariya Bespalova 76.72 PB and world champion Tatyana Lysenko 74.77.
OSAKA (JPN, Jul 1): At relay Challenge Meet for Asian countries Australia won the 4×100 m in 38.68 over Japan 38.71, China 39.25 and Korea 39.67. In second race 3.5 hrs later Japan clocked 38.83 ahead of Taipei 39.06 and Australia 39.26.
BARCELONA (ESP, Jul 3): Good heptathlon by Laura Gines 5860 points, she equaled with that the national
record.
MAIDLA (EST, Jul 1): At Heino Lipu Carl Myerscough of Great Britain won the shot put with 20.13 over Ukrainian Dmytro Savitskyy 19.83.
AOSTA (ITA, Jul 2): Former European champion in the long jump Andrew Howe competed for the first time since Diamond League in Doha and won the 200 m in 20.85 (0.0).
LILLESTROM (NOR, Jul 3): At Hyundai GP meet fast women 5000 m by Ethiopians Amare Waganesh 15:15.47 and Ababel Yeshaneh 15:17.05 ahead of home Karoline Grovdal 15:28.32.
VILJANDI (EST, Jul 3): Olympic winner Gerd Kanter won the Kuldliiga series meet with 65.16 in the discus. Second Lithuanian Andrius Gudzius 63.39. Oleksandr Pyatnytsa confirmed solid javelin shape with 82.61. Ana Iljustsenko cleared 191 in the high jump. Lauma Griva of Latvia leaped to 667 (+0.6) in the long jump.
CLARIFICATION
MOSCOW (RUS): To clarify the Russian story, the athletes were convicted of doping through the use of the biological passport program which, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency, „is based on the monitoring of selected biological variables which indirectly reveal the effects of doping.” As such, athletes do not have to be caught with banned substances in their systems, but rather can be convicted based on variations in blood and other values which can only be explained by doping. From RRW.
