by Larry EderDavid Rudisha is the TFN Athlete of the Year. His world record run in the London 2012 Olympics was the most exhilarating performance of the Olympics. Track & Field News, the bible of the sport, recognized Rudisha’s dominance of his event!
RUDISHA IS NUMBER ONE
MOUNTAIN VIEW (USA): Kenyan 800 m world record holder and olympic winner David Rudisha is Track and Field News Male Athlete of the Year 2012. As TFN writes, and now Carl Lewis has company. He and David Rudisha are the only performers (man or woman) to top the AOY voting 3 years in a row. The 23-year-old Kenyan halfmiler did it largely on the strength of the Performance Of The Year, a wire-to-wire World Record run of 1:40.91 to win Olympic gold. If only votes for No. 1 had counted, Ashton Eaton would be AOY instead, as he was the most popular choice for the top spot. So close was the voting that for the first time ever the No. 4 performer had an approval rating in the 80% range. Rudisha got 326 points ahead of Eaton 309, Usain Bolt as third 300 and Aries Merritt as fourth 297. Over 100 points for 5th Mo Farah (196), 6th Robert Harting (173) and 7th Yohan Blake (141). Top ten is ended by Krisztian Pars (86), Kirani James (82) and Renaud Lavillenie (76).
KIPSIELE KOECH FOR CAMPACCIO
SAN GIORGIO (ITA): It’s only ten days before the 56th edition of the Campaccio Cross Country race, which is part of the IAAF CC Permit circuit for the second consecutive year and the first International event in Italy in 2013. The field of top athletes who are expected to take part on 6th January at the Angelo Alberti in San Giorgio su Legnano was enlarged by Paul Kipsiele Koech, the world number one steeple runner. The other new elite names announced by Technical Director Marcello Magnani are no less impressive. The line-up features Ugandan star Moses Kipsiro. And more Kenyans: 21-year-old John Kipkoech, ninth in the 2009 World Junior Cross Country Championships and 19-year-old Geoffrey Kirui, a talented runner who was world junior medalist in Barcelona 2012.
AOY BY ALL-ATHLETICS.COM
BUDAPEST (HUN): Usain Bolt of Jamaica is the male Athlete of the Year while Jessica Ennis of Great Britain and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica are female Athletes of the Year (tied) according to All-Athletics.com. All-Athletics.com, the most comprehensive worldwide athletics database website, announced also the Athletes of the Year in the different Areas. In Africa David Rudisha and Tirunesh Dibaba, in Asia Liu Xiang and Olga Rypakova, in Europe Renaud Lavillenie and Jessica Ennis, in Oceania Jared Tallent and Valerie Adams and in South America German Lauro and Caterine Ibarguen. The North and Central America AOY are the world number ones Bolt and Fraser-Pryce. The Athletes of the Year are determined based on the All-Athletics.com Overall Rankings dated 26 December 2012.
OTHER NEWS
NEW YORK (USA): Usain Bolt Olympic triple gold success and repeated after Beijing 2008 was listed among Wall Street Journal top stories for 2012. „Once more, surrounded by the world’s best, the electrifying Bolt seemed to possess an extra gear, and celebrating after his victories, was thrilled to reflect the world’s spotlight. It is exactly why we watch this stuff. Irresistible, unforgettable–and totally Tebow-free,” writes Wall Street Journal.
RENO (USA): The traditional National Pole Vault Summit will be staged in Reno on January 18 and 19. Among the stars announced both London Olympic winners US Jenn Suhr and Renaud Lavillenie of France. Also reigning world champion Fabiana Murer from Brazil is among the entries. On the men side all three previous olympic winners Steve Hooker, Tim Mack and Nick Hysong. Briton Steve Lewis and South American record holder Fabio Da Silva. From younger generation Thiago Braz da Silva who is world junior champion from Barcelona. Several jumpers from US elite are also confirmed.
BRUSSELS (BEL): 2011 European CC Champion Atelaw Bekele will not be banned for missing doping control. The Flemish Anti-Doping Agency VDT accepted his explanation of the third missed control on February 8, 2011 in Ethiopia. Also he was tested two days afterwards and with negative result.
MOSCOW (RUS): Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new Sports Law in Russia.
BYDGOSZCZ (POL): 2011 Pole vault world champion Pawel Wojciechowski is back in planning for the indoor
season. He could not follow his 2011 success in the olympic year due to an injury and subsequent surgery. He confirmed to jump on February 9 at the Samsung Pole Vault Stars meet in Donetsk on February 9. He could not qualify in London for the finals and had only 562 as season best in 2012. He might consider also other meets early February before Donetsk.
BEOGRAD (SRB): Shot putter Asmir Kolašinac and discus thrower Dragana Tomaševic are the Serbian Athletes of the Year 2012. Best in the U23 category are hurdler Emir Bekric and long jumper Ivana Spanovic and best juniors the 800 m runner Nemanja Kojic and runner Amela Terzic who recently won European junior CC title in Hungary.
LONDON (GBR): Sport England chief executive Jennie Price claims that she would fully support a bid from the country for the 2022 Commonwealth Games following the inspirational effect of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. After London 2012 proved arguably the greatest Games in history, UK Sport unveiled their Gold Event Series which looks to bring more major sporting events to Britain over the next decade and the 2022 Commonwealth Games is now starting to emerge as a real option for London, with the majority of facilities in place following the Olympics and Paralympics. The next possibility is 2022 as 2014 will be in Glasgow and 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia.
HAMILTON (BER): Bermudan long jump record holder and Olympic finalist Tyrone Smith hopes to break the 835 mark next year after what he deemed a disappointing 2012 track and field season. For most athletes, competing in the Olympics would be the highlight of any season, but Smith says he’s set the bar much higher. “I didn’t have a good season in my eyes, my ultimate goal was to get a medal at the Olympics and that didn’t happen so I wasn’t too pleased with that,” Smith said. “The World Championships will be a focus after I just missed out on a medal last time and also defending my CAC championship,” the 822 jumper said for local media. He is also the current Bermuda Male Athlete of the Year.
CORRECTION
MADRID (ESP): Walker Miguel Ãngel López and high jumper Ruth Beitia (of course not Kirani James) have been voted Spanish Athletes of the Year 2012 in the national federation RFEA poll.
