LEMAITRE FOR GENT

GENT (BEL): European sprint champion Christophe Lemaitre will be running at the De Record Bank Flanders Indoor on February 10 in Gent. Organisers are confirming. His distance will be the 60 m. Already earlier top Belgian athletes have been confirmed for this meeting. Hans Van Alphen, Tia Hellebaut, Kevin and Jonathan Borlée, Eline Berings and Svetlana Bolshakova.

BIG YEAR FOR OLYMPIC MOVEMENT

LAUSANNE (SUI): Switzerland’s Denis Oswald, the experienced international federation and Olympic official, is seriously considering becoming a candidate to replace Jacques Rogge when the International Olympic Committee president stands down at elections in September. Agencies are confirming. In the Olympic Movement, next 12 months is likely to prove the most important and dramatic year for some time. Adds insidethegames. It is a year that will see a host city selected for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, a new sport join the 2020 Olympic programme as one is almost certainly removed and the „small matter” of a new International Olympic Committee (IOC) President elected. Rather significantly, all three of these major decisions will be made within a matter of days, and all of them during the 125th IOC Session in the Argentinian capital city Buenos Aires this September. In the race for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo are jostling to follow Rio de Janeiro as the next host city. The seven bidders for new sport are climbing, karate, roller sport, squash, wakeboard, wushu and a joint baseball/softball bid. Equally intriguing is which sport could make way to accommodate a new entrant, and modern pentathlon will perhaps be most wary of the axe, even though any sport would understandably feel hard done by after all enjoyed successful London 2012. The race to replace Jacques Rogge in one of the most powerful roles in sport is already well underway, and it won’t be anything like the last one. Leading the candidates is Germany’s Thomas Bach, the IOC vice-president who seems to be the name on everyone’s lips. Bach’s most vocal potential rival so far is Ng Ser Miang of Singapore, another IOC vice-president with a strong powerbase in Asia. Puerto Rico’s Richard Carrion is another leading contender. A high profile banker by profession, he chairs the IOC’s Finance Commission and Audit Commission which has allowed him to build strong support in the Movement. CK Wu of Taiwan appears the dark horse after the AIBA President showed himself an election master in becoming the leader of world boxing in 2006. Among the outside contenders are René Fasel and Denis Oswald, both of Switzerland, and Morocco’s Nawal El Moutawakel.

OTHER NEWS

NICE (FRA): The Sunday´s 14th Prom´Classic 10 km road race in Nice will see the comeback of French marathon record holder Christelle Daunay. She injured herself last June and could not compete at the London Games. Main rival will be in shape French runner Laurane Picoche. In men category also French duel mainly with Abdelatif Meftah, Driss El Himer, James Theuri and Simon Munyutu. Record number of 7000 runners is entered.

REGENSBURG (GER): German European finalist at 1500 m Corinna Harrer wants to qualify for the 3000 m for European Indoor Championships in Goteborg. The 21 years old European U23 medalist will also run in spring the German CC Championships. She aims again for the best at European U23 event in Finland and also at World Championships in Moscow. Harrer also admitted she may try a 5000 m but not as top event. She improved in 2012 to 4:04.30 in the 1500 m.

PARIS (FRA): World indoor medalist from Istanbul Pascal Martinot-Lagarde hopes for a good indoor season. First he will have a training camp in Senegal from January 6 to 26. Then plans meetings in Karlsruhe, Dusseldorf and Val du Reuil. At World indoors in Istanbul as third was the best European and achieved personal best 7.53 at 60 m Hurdles. Now he says for athle.com he wants to break 7.50 and be top European in Goteborg in March.

BOLZANO (ITA): Multiple European CC Champion Sergiy Lebid of Ukraine after his Bolzano race admitted he may try marathon in future. I hope that this is not my last top result in Bolzano. In any case, I want to win again, maybe I will try the marathon distance,” he was quoted as saying. Lebid also said he wants to compete at next European CC Championships in December 2013 in Belgrade.

KARLSRUHE (GER): Top German runner Arne Gabius announced he wants at INDOOR MEETING of Karlsruhe on February 2 attack the German indoor record 7:37.51 achieved by Dieter Baumann in 1995. The 31-years old Gabius clocked last indoor season in Karlsruhe 7:38.13 but improved
outdoors to 7:35.43. He also won silver medal at European Championships in Helsinki in the 5000 m race.

LONDON (GBR): A series of concerts in the Olympic Stadium featuring some of the world’s biggest acts is being lined up to help celebrate the first anniversary of the Opening Ceremony of London 2012. The full line-up is due to be announced in the next few weeks, but it is anticipated that it will include leading names. Informs insidethegames.

LONDON (GBR): The trial of the man accused of throwing a bottle at the start of the men’s Olympic 100 meter final at London 2012 began. The Court heard that he did not actually have ticket for the blue ribbon event of the Games. Ashley Gill-Webb, 34, was arrested after the incident on August 5 that saw him shout abuse at eventual winner Usain Bolt. As Bolt prepared to get into the starting blocks, the court heard that Gill-Webb shouting. He then threw the plastic green Heineken bottle at the Jamaican as the race got underway. The bottle landed just behind Bolt but it did not affect his performance as he went on to take gold in an Olympic record of 9.63. The incident saw Dutch world judo champion and Olympic bronze medallist Edith Bosch, who was sitting nearby, have an altercation with Gill-Webb before he was dragged away by security personnel at the Olympic Stadium and arrested. Once taken into police custody, the father of two told officers his name was „Alan Cumming” and signed his statement AA Cumming. He later explained that he gave the name Alan Cumming, who is a Scottish actor, because many people say the pair look similar. Gill-Webb originally denied throwing the bottle but has now admitted to it, although he says he has no recollection of the incident. The hearing is set to continue next week, although the date has not yet been specified. Informs insidethegames.

POTSDAM (GER): One of top German walkers Melanie Seeger is pregnant for second time in her career. The 35 years old athlete still thinks about returning after giving the birth. She lives since last fall in Belgium. She was 19th at the London Games and wants to end her career in 2014 at European Championships in Zurich. Already in 2010 returned at high note after first birth when she was fourth at European Championships in Barcelona.

HAPPY NEWS

WELS (AUT): On December 28 in Wels former top US sprinter Kellie White-Wagner gave birth to a boy Thomas Wagner (3.35 kg and 50 cm). Father is respected track agent and organiser Robert Wagner.

RESULTS

HAVANNA (CUB, Dec 22): At Copa Cerro Pelado Omar Cisneros achieved 34.1 hand timed in the 300 m. World medalist Guillermo Martinez tried with 900 g javelin and got 70.80 and Roberto Janet 69.80 with 8 kg hammer.