WEBB 20.37 WL IN THE 200 M

FAYETTEVILLE (USA, Mar 8): World leading 20.37 by Ameer Webb at the 200 m highlighted the first day of first division NCAA Championships. He is now 15th performer ever and produced the fastest indoor 200 m time since 2008. Webb clocked his faster time in heats and then won the final in equally impressive 20.42. South African Olympic finalist Anaso Jobodwana got first 20.51 national record in heats and improved that to 20.47 to win his final heat. Here second Trey Hadnot 20.48 PB and third Estonian Marek Niit 20.89 (faster 20.86 in heats). In Webb´s final second Jamaican Akheem Gauntlett 20.67 ahead of Dedric Dukes 20.70 and Aaron Ernest 20.72 to confirm the qualities of the Tyson Track Center oval. Kenyan Kennedy Kithuka won the 5000 m in lifetime best 13:25.38. In jumps top wins for Andrew Irwin 570 PB (US top pole vault mark of 2013), Marquis Dendy improved in long jump to 828 ahead of Jamaican Damar Forbes 821 also PB. Jordan Clarke topped the shot put with 20.50 ahead of Kole Weldon 20.02 and Danny Block 20.00 (for both lifetime bests). In women finals Kimberlyn Duncan confirmed top shape with winning the 200 m in 22.58 (also 22.59 in heats) ahead of Aurieyall Scott 22.71 and Kamaria Brown 22.90. In other final section Octavious Freeman 22.87 (but faster 22.72 in heats). Also to note PB for Abbey D´Agostino winning the 5000 m 15:28.11 ahead of Kenyan Betsy Saina 15:33.66. Felisha Johnson won the weight throw with lifetime best 23.52, Olympic medalist Brigetta Barrett won her third NCAA title with season best 195 in the high jump (and tried at collegiate record of 199) and second best jump decided in the long jump between Andrea Geubelle (655/653) and Canadian Christabel Nettey (655/644). In heats to note CAC junior indoor record for Shaunae Miller of Bahamas in the 400 m 51.14 (World junior indoor record is 50.82) ahead of Regina George 51.73, in other heat Ashley Spencer 51.55 beating hurdles Olympian Georganne Moline 52.21. Second fastest time of the year for Brianna Rollins with 7.82 in 60 m hurdles heats. Also fast 7.15 in 60 m heats by English Gardner and Aurieyall Scott. Emma Coburn posted 4:37.47 in mile heats. In the men heats fast 400 m times by world leader Deon Lendore of Trinidad 45.36 (also fast times and PB´s for Mike Berry 45.64, Errol Nolan of Jamaica 45.72, Patrick Feeney 45.92, Najee Glass 45.97 and Russian Anton Kokorin 46.14). In hurdles heats Eddie Lovett 7.53 and flat 60 m heats D´Angelo Cherry 6.53 and Darrell Wesh 6.57 with Marcus Rowland 6.58. The other favorite Marvin Bracy false-started.

IF CONFIRMED, OUTCOME WILL AFFECT MANY TOP EVENTS

HELSINKI (FIN): The latest retesting results from 2005 World Championships in Helsinki when confirmed on the ban side will have wide affect also on results of other competitions. When confirmed Andrey Mikhnevich will lose his 6th position in Helsinki, upgraded into 6th will be Joachim Olsen of Denmark. If giving two years ban it will be his second (first disqualified at World Championships 2001 in Edmonton) and might get lifetime ban. He then could lost European silver from Goteborg 2006, another silver from World Indoors 2006 in Moscow and bronzes from Osaka and Daegu worlds and Beijing Olympics. For Nadezhda Ostapchuk in women shot put the latest finding could result into losing the gold medal from 2005 World Championships. Medals promotion for Russian Olga Ryabinkina for gold, at that time Valerie Vili the silver and another Russian Svetlana Krivelyova the bronze (but she also has a problem from 2004 Games) that means next in order would be German Nadine Kleinert. What makes it more difficult for Ostapchuk is the fact that when her London 2012 disqualification will be confirmed it could result into lifetime ban as second offence. She might also lose 2006 Goteborg silver. For Ivan Tikhon after Olympic Games 2004 disqualification and now 2005 World Championships as second offence the situation is similarly worse. It could result to lifetime ban and also deletion of his all results after 2005 including European title 2006, World title 2007 and already disputed Olympic bronze 2008. For Devyatovskiy this would be also second offence (after 2000-2002 period), and he could lose also the bronze from Goteborg European Championships 2006 and disputed Olympic bronze from 2008. The 2005 Worlds hammer could have as new medalists after top two possible disqualification (Tikhon and Devyatovskiy) Szymon Ziolkowski for gold, Markus Esser for silver and Olli-Pekka Karjalainen for bronze. In women hammer Russian Olga Kuzenkova if confirmed will lose her gold, that would go to Yipsi Moreno, silver for Tatyana Lysenko and bronze to Manuela Montebrun. As she had also positive retest at Olympic Games in Athens 2004 she could face a lifetime ban. The last case is Tatyana Kotova in long jump, if confirmed she will need to return her silver. That could go to Eunice Barber of France and bronze to Cuban Yargelis Savigne. When giving two years ban to Kotova she will also lose the World Indoor title from 2006 in Moscow.

SAMUELS 64.46 DISCUS, FAST 1500 M AND SPRINTS

SYDNEY (AUS, Mar 9): 2009 discus world champion Dani Samuels, javelin thrower Kim Mickle and sprinter Melissa Breen who are all three London 2012 Olympians recorded IAAF World Championships A-Qualifiers at the 2013 Sydney Track Classic. Samuels achieved her best since May 2010 with 64.46 from third round. Mickle got her fifth best throw ever in javelin 62.53 and Breen won the 100 m in lifetime best 11.25 (+0.3) and clocked another PB to be on top in the 200 m 23.12 (+0.4). Olympic shot put winner Valerie Adams of New Zealand won with 20.02 m. Local favourite Tim Leathart topped men 100 m in PB 10.24 (ideal +2.0) ahead of Josh Ross 10.25 and US Calesio Newman 10.29. Ross came back to win the 200 m in 20.65 (+0.2) over Newman 20.69 and Leathart 20.71 PB. In the men 1500 m 2008 Olympic silver medallist Nick Willis of New Zealand edged past Australian record holder Ryan Gregson (second, 3:35.25, his best in Australia) to win in an IAAF World Championships A-Qualifier of 3:34.68. In the women’s event, Zoe Buckman improved on her second placed performance at the Briggs Athletics Classic to take line honours in the women’s 1500 m in 4:08.84. British record holder Steve Lewis won the men’s pole vault with a leap of 555, with Brad Walker second and Steve Hooker third, both 540. New Zealander Michael Cochrane won the men’s 400m hurdles in a personal best time of 50.07 over US Daegu participant Jeshua An
derson 50.56. In women hurdles Lauren Boden clocked 56.99. Dutch Susan Kuijken won the 5000 m in 15:43.20 and Alex Beck the 400 m in 46.27.

OTHER NEWS

MELBOURNE (AUS): Athletics Australia has confirmed the appointment of Athletics Tasmania President Brian Roe to manage its new Ethics and Integrity Unit. Roe is one of Australian athletics’ most experienced and respected administrators, and has legal training as well as having been an IAAF official for many years. He will manage the Unit, which will include a pool of independent investigators who will be appointed on a case-by-case basis to ensure members of the sport correctly adhere to Athletics Australia’s overarching policies as well as looking into any matters which might threaten the overall integrity of the sport. Roe will stand down as President of Athletics Tasmania in June after ten years in that role.

ISTANBUL (TUR): Insidethegames informs that Turkey has been named as the best performer by Forbes in its 2012 Periodic Table of emerging markets, highlighting the country’s stock market’s „astounding 56 per cent” growth, in a report that delivers a significant boost to Istanbul’s 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games bid. Entitled „Turkey’s hot stock market is no one-trick pony”, the report in the American business and finance magazine reinforces the nation’s capacity to deliver the Games in seven years’ time if they are selected ahead of rivals Madrid and Tokyo, Istanbul 2020 officials claimed. Forbes also alludes to Istanbul 2020’s promise of bridging the ancient with the ultra-modern as it emphasizes the „fantastic transformation” that has taken in place in the city in recent years to open a „new chapter” for Turkey.

NAIROBI (KEN): One of Kenyan top female marathon runners Lucy Kabuu aims to qualify for World Championships Marathon in Moscow. She debuted last year in Dubai and finished in 2012 three marathons and was not selected for Olympic Games. In 2013 Kabuu started in top shape winning the RAK Half Marathon in fast 1:06:09. She plans to run in London Marathon as fast as possible in order to qualify for the Worlds.

LONDON (GBR): Telegraph informs that British top triple jumper Phillips Idowu (34) stopped to work with his coach Aston Moore, who guided him to a world title and an Olympic silver medal. Idowu attempts to resurrect his athletics career following his injury woes last season. He will now work with Femi Akinsanya, a former national indoor triple jump champion who learned his trade as an apprentice coach under Moore.

RIO DE JANEIRO (BRA): Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman is to host the 2013 Laureus World Sports Awards in Rio de Janeiro. Among other stars of stage and screen who will be attending and presenting Awards are Brazilian-American actress Morena Baccarin, who stars as Jessica Brody in the highly successful TV drama Homeland, Maggie Cheung, first Asian actress to win a prize at the Cannes Film Festival and Golden Globe winner Kyle MacLachlan. World-famous music sensation CeeLo Green will entertain the star-studded audience. The Award evening will be held on Monday, March 11. From world of athletics among nominees in Sportsman of the Year category Usain Bolt and Mo Farah. In Sportswoman Jessica Ennis, Allyson Felix and Shelly-Ann Frasery-Pryce. In the Breakthrough of the year Kirani James is included and in the category Comeback of the Year Tirunesh Dibaba with Felix Sanchez.

RESULTS

EDMONTON (CAN, Mar 8): At CIS Indoor Championships Aaron Bowman won the 60 m in 6.73, Alicia Brown clocked 38.28 in the women 300 m.

BIRMINGHAM (USA, Mar 8): Croatian Dario Horvat won the 60 m heat in 6.69 at NCAA Division II Championships in Alabama. Jeron Robinson cleared lifetime best 224 to win the high jump. Nice work-load by 22 years old Vashti Thomas. She clocked 23.67 and 8.13 in heats of 200 m and 60 m hurdles (both PB´s) and won the long jump (619).

CEJKOVICE (CZE, Mar 8): At 40th jubilee special indoo
r high jump meet fresh European indoor medalist Jaroslav Baba cleared 224 to win.