ALL MEDALISTS FOR PRE HJ

EUGENE (USA): Clean sweep of Olympic medallists will compete at this year’s Prefontaine Classic on June 1 in the men’s High Jump. The all-star field is led by Russia’s Ivan Ukhov, the gold medallist from London. Erik Kynard and Derek Drouin coming from the US collegiate scene. Also there the other bronze winners Qatari world indoor leader 2013 Mutaz Essa Barshim and Briton Robbie Grabarz. Also in this „like an olympic final” field World Champion Jesse Williams, Olympic winner 2008 Andrey Silnov and top two from European Indoors in Goteborg Sergey Mudrov and Aleksey Dmitrik. Add to the field as emerging star 21-year-old Guowei Zhang of China.

THIRD CHILD FOR KLYUGINS

MOSCOW (RUS): High jump European indoor medalist 2009 Viktoria Klyugina – wife of high jump Sydney Olympic champion and Ivan Ukhov’s, Svetlana Shkolina’s and Sergey Mudrov’s current coach Sergey Klyugin – gave birth to their third child on March 12. “Our son was born strong and healthy: 3670 g and 51cm. Viktoria is doing well. Unfortunately I haven’t seen them yet as I’m staying in the training camp in Spain. In next few days I’ll join my family. Firstly I have to see my son and only then we’ll named him” said Sergey Klyugin towww.rusathletics.com. Daughter Darya was born in 2005 and first son Denis in 2011.

OTHER NEWS

HANNOVER (GER): The TUI Marathon Hannover will see a duel of two champions on 5th May: While Kenya’s defending champion Joseph Kiptum returns to the race South Africa’s Lusapho April has also been signed by the organisers. April had won in 2011. It will be the target in the women’s race to finally improve the course record to a time well under 2:30. Kenya’s Julia Muraga looks like she has the potential to deliver such a performance. Also entered Wilfred Kigen with two other Kenyans to watch: David Kisang will come to Hannover with a PB of 2:08:54 and Wesley Kibett Langat won the Nairobi Marathon in 2012. In high altitude he clocked 2:10:40. In women field Mercy Jerotich could be in with a surprise. So far her career best stands at 2:44:56.

GLASGOW (GBR): To mark Commonwealth Day 2013 the Commonwealth Games Federation GF presented a new short film telling the story of what is arguably the greatest athletics race of all time – the Miracle Mile of 1954. The final of the one-mile race at the Commonwealth (then called the ‘Empire Games’)in Vancouver, Canada on Aug. 7, 1954 featured the two titans of middle-distance running in the 1950s; Roger Bannister (England), and John Landy (Australia). Both men were world famous runners, both were at the peak of their athletics careers, and they were the first two men, within the previous six months, to break the 4-minute mile time barrier that many at that time thought was impenetrable.

DONETSK (UKR): The photo exhibition “Athletics. Power of attraction” dedicated to the World Youth Championships 2013 will take place in commercial-entertaining center Donetsk-City from 16th to 26th of March. Selection of shootings lasted more than for one month. Not only professionals but amateurs as well will have the ability to demonstrate their view on athletics. The opening ceremony will be held on March 16 with participation of IOC representatives and famous Ukrainian athletes.

LONDON (GBR): Agencies are informing that the athletics officials are investigating 17 suspected doping cases highlighted by blood tests. The IAAF’s biological passport programme has uncovered 36 positive findings, with 19 athletes already sanctioned and cases proceeding against a further 17 so far unnamed athletes. Thomas Capdevielle, the IAAF’s medical and anti-doping results manager, told a conference in London the blood tests focused on endurance events, but that biological passports were now being used for speed and strength events as well. Capdevielle said the IAAF were planning to send a satellite doping laboratory to Kenya, where 150 endurance athletes are part of the biological passport programme.

BRUSSELS (BEL): Belgian decathlete Thomas Van der Plaetsen signed a new sponsorship deal with Asics and will remain ambassador of the brand for another four years. Asics hopes to support the build up of the athlete towards the Rio Olympic Games. This year Van der Plaetsen has already confirmed his start at the IAAF World challenge combined events meeting of Gotzis at the end of May.

EINDHOVEN (NED): Athletes who have in the past received a doping sanction will no longer be invited to compete at the Eindhoven marathon organizers have announced. Director Edgar Van de Veen confirmed the new rule in association with the new manifest of the World Marathon Majors.

BERLIN (GER): German hammer thrower Betty Heidler managed a solid 75.80 when competing at a training camp in New Caledonia. Heidler traveled to the exotic pacific island with her coach and spent several weeks in good training conditions, the athlete confirmed on her website.

BERLIN (GER): With the help of Spielbank Berlin, the IAAF World Challenge meeting ISTAF is finalizing a budget of about two million euros for this year’s event on September 1st. With the new sponsor on board, organizers also confirmed they will have the award of 77.777 euro bonus money for any athlete who break the world record at the meeting.

PARIS (FRA): L´Équipe informs that European 100 m champion Christophe Lemaitre will open his summer season not in France as in past years but in USA. At the end of training camp in Miami he will compete at Penn Relays in Philadelphia. Not only in with French colleagues in the 4×100 m relay but also in the individual 100 m.

BOSTON (USA): Boston Globe informs that US Ryan Hall will not participate in the 2013 Boston Marathon. According to a press release, “Hall missed crucial training due to a quadriceps strain.” Hall holds the American record at the Boston Marathon, a 2:04.58 in 2011. Hall expressed disappointment on Twitter. Said Hall “Heart breaking to have to pull out of Boston. Want to thank all my sponsors and supporters for sticking by me through it all.” Other previously announced elite male runners who have also cancelled because of injury include Moses Mosop, Shami Dawit, Eric Gillis, and Lucas Rotich. Two elite women also dropped out due to “lack of fitness” – Asefelech Mergia Medessa and Karolina Jarzynska. Three runners were added to the elite field: Ethiopians Tirfi Tsegaye Beyene, Lelisa Desisa and Kenyan Laban Korir.

TEL AVIV (ISR): The trend of races significantly affected by weather has spread to the Middle East. The Tel Aviv Marathon, scheduled for this Friday, has been postponed to the following Friday, March 22, because of the hot weather forecasted for the original race day. Informs Runnersworld.com.

LONDON (GBR): After Mo Farah also other British top long distance runner Chris Thompson sees his future on the road. He admits he doesn’t know when he will make his half marathon debut, but insists it occupies his thoughts as he looks towards Rio 2016. But before Thompson can even think about the next Olympics, he has this summer’s World Championships in Moscow to worry about having missed the last global gathering through injury.

KAZAN (RUS): Triple jump reigning European Indoor silver medalist Ruslan Samitov told to Russian media that his main competitions next summer will be World University Games in his home town. “I also have carried out standard A for World Championships when improving my PB in Goteborg to 17.30. I still have to be selected to the Russian team at national championships. Certainly, I’ll try to do it but first of all I’ll focus on Universiade performance” said 21-year-old Tatar jumper. From January 2013 Samitov is coached by European champion 1994 and Sydney Olympic bronze medalist Denis Kapustin.

RESULTS

PERTH (AUS, Mar 13): Jarrod Geddes and Daniela Roman are the toast of the Australian Junior Athletics Championships after winning the boy’s and girl’s under 20 100m. Geddes won in 10.48 (-0.5) ahead of Hugh Donovan (10.50) and Josh Clarke (10.52). Roman won the girls final in 12.01 (-0.7). Matt Denny won the hammer with 74.29 and also discus 58.67.

PRETORIA (RSA, Mar 9): World 400 m hurdles medalist LJ Van Zyl started with solid 21.48 in the 200 m. The winner Akani Simbini clocked 20.79 (+0.8) and also won the 100 m in 10.39 (+1.2). Offentse Mogawane was the best in the 400 m 45.94 and PC Beneke in the hurdles 49.99. Two nice personal bests in women sprints. Globine Mayova of Namibia 23.34 (+1.0) in the 200 m and home Anneril Ebersohn 56.57 in the 400 m hurdles.

POTCHEFSTROOM (RSA, Mar 6): World junior record holder and olympic silver winner at 800 m Nijel
Amos of Botswana opened his season with 46.26 in the 400 m. His country-mate Kabelo Kgosiemang cleared top 229 cm in the high jump, his best jump since 2009. Jerry Motsau won the 1500 m in 3:38.83.

SAD NEWS

BERLIN (GER): Olympic 1972 bronze medalist in shot put Hartmut Briesenick died last Friday at age of 63. The East German athlete was also European Champion 1974 and his personal best was 21.67 m.

ROCHESTER (USA): Cedric Walker, a national track and field coach and co-founder of the successful Flower City Track Club in Rochester, died on Tuesday. He was 49. Walker coached future Olympic athletes at competitions such as the World Junior Championships and World University Games. The Madison High graduate used his connections, knowledge and passion to help high school track and field athletes in the Rochester area advance to college.