by Larry EderBryshon Nellum, the 2007 Gatorade athlete of the year, redshirted this year at USC, was shot three times at a Halloween party in Los Angeles on Friday evening. Surgeons believe that Mr. Nellum will have a full recovery and be able to compete at his earlier levels.
Said Aouita, the new Moroccan technical director, is having challenges as he tries to put the entire team on a program that emphasizes periodization and core training. Mr. Aouita will have to convince the recalcitrant athletes that his system is best. We wish him luck.
EME NEWS (NOV 2, 2008)
MOLLA SURPRISE WINNER IN 2:08:46 PB
SEOUL (KOR, Nov 2): 21-years old Ethiopian Solomon Molla who debuted at the distance only this year (9th in January in Marrakesh in 2:17:57 and then second in Ottawa in May in 2:11:05) won the JoongAng Seoul Marathon. In the 10th jubilee edition (23 000 runners in all races) he improved to 2:08:46. He missed the course record of Jason Mbote (2:08:13 in 2006) only by 33 seconds. Mbote himself was a non-finisher after 30 km. Second place for Kenyan Solomon Chelimo in new PB 2:08:51 and third also for Kenya´s Paul Biwott (2:09:29) who was also third this year at Vienna Marathon. Last under 2:10 was Ethiopian Chala Lemi with his lifetime best 2:09:36. Morrocan Ridouane Harroufi as 5th also improved to 2:10:14. Best home runner was Young-Joon Ji as 9th (2:13:04). Beijing Olympian (56th) Lee Sun-Young was the best woman with new PB 2:29:58. She missed the current course record 2:29:32 set last year by Korean Eun-Jung Lee (did not compete this year) only by 26 seconds. Second Bae Hae-Jin was far away back in 2:42:44.
BOBOCEL AND TODORAN CHAMPIONS
CRAIOVA (ROM, Nov 1): Fourth placer from last two European U23 Championships at 10 000 m Paula Todoran won the main female race at 8 km during Romanian Cross-Country Championships. She clocked 27:37.29 clearly beating still junior Gabriela Neacsu (28:41.16). At 6 km the winner was steeple Olympian and world junior medalist 2006 Ancuta Bobocel after 20:29.46. The track national champion Marius Ionescu who is also European junior champion 2003 won clearly the main men race at 12 km with 36:49.58. Second Cristinel Irima was more than one minute behind (38:07.43). European CC participant Marian Suhanea won the 8 km (25:19.87). In total 223 athletes from 51 clubs participated.
WORLD LEADING YOUTH TRIPLE JUMP
TAIAN (CHN, Nov 1): Seasonal world leading boys triple jump in U18 category during Chinese Junior and Youth Championships. 17-years old Cao Shuo achieved good quality 16.42 (+0.6).
HOME WINS
ROMA (ITA, Nov 1): The All-Saints road race at 10.5 km brought home wins for Daniele Meucci (31:16 ahead of Matthew Rugut of Kenya 31:33) and Anna Incerti (35:39).
NEWS
RABAT (MAR): The new technical director of the Moroccan federation and former Olympic winner and world record holder Said Aouita, gave an outline of his strategy to prepare the new generation of champions for Moroccan athletics, in a press conference held in front a hundred athletes from the national team. “Resorting to scientific research in the training of champion is a crucial step to improve the athletes’ performance, allowing to closely monitor their state of health and keep informed of their needs, besides focusing on raising their awareness on the dangers of doping,” Aouita explained. He added that the federation is striving to acquire a medical laboratory to help both the medical and coaching staff to monitor and assess the performance of the athletes. To succeed in his mission, Aouita has reunited around him a team of coaches (with a share of former champions), technical experts, neurology specialists and officials, who’ll themselves benefit from modern training to better interact with the new generation of athletes. Aouita also explained that his first eight week in the job had not been enough yet to assess the situation of Moroccan athletics, adding that he’s been trying to get closer to the provincial Leagues and the clubs. The conference was gathered one day after a news article by Moroccan daily
“Le Matin”, reporting the first breaches in the relation between the technical direction and some athletes. It was reported that some of the 57 athletes called for a training camp early October in Rabat were missing; that other didn’t appreciate the training methods set by the technical director who ruled weight training sessions for everybody regardless of their specialities; that the technical director didn’t behave properly with some athletes and kicked one of them out of the National Institute; and that two athletes from the 1500m junior national team had just obtained Qatari citizenship – all claims being refuted as untrue by Said Aouita to the newspaper.
COPENHAGEN (DEN): Not only Colin Jackson or Maurice Greene competed successfully in dancing. Also Olympic 2004 Shot Put bronze medalist Joachim Olsen is the latest man to watch. With Marianne Eihilt he just won the Danish version named Strictly Come Dancing or Wild with the Dancing. Olsen who is European Indoor Champion 2005 and a non-qualifier in Beijing was praised by local media for his efforts in romantic waltz and a freestyle where he was „Tarzan”. Due to his injury problems Olsen competed in 2008 only twice and it is not sure whether he will try his luck in winter next year.
LONDON (GBR): Nick Bitel, the chief executive of the London Marathon, has been replaced on the Board of Britain’s biggest National Lottery distributor UK Sport by an oil executive. Bitel, who had been a member of the Board since 2002, has stepped down after serving two terms and been replaced by Jonathan Vickers. Vickers, appointed by Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe, spent 25 years in the international oil and chemicals industries, latterly as a board member of Castrol and of Burmah Chemicals. Informs insidethegames.com.
BURGOS (ESP): Spanish miler Juan Carlos Higuero (30) wants to make sure to reach his two main objectives for next year: a medal at the European Indoor championships in Turino as well as a medal at the World championships in Berlin next August. He also said that he would start the season with cross competitions, like the cross in Atapuerca, but without specific aims because the winter season demands the best shape in March. The middle distance runner added that he would have to make sure to get a place in the team for Turin and Berlin at the national championships where he expects, like in previous years, a high level due to the long tradition in Spanish middle distance running. Higuero, who was only 28 hundreds of a second away from a medal in Beijing, was very cautious to talk about the next Olympics: „London 2012 is very far away. I have been to three Olympic Games and of course, I would like to participate at my fourth. However it is clear that I will only go to London with full guarantees of a medal. If I see that the physical shape is not there to shine, I will be the first to decide not to go,” he said for Spanish media. At the European championships 2010 Juan Carlos Higuero has the intention to compete at both events like he did in 2006 in Gotenburg (two bronze medals at 1500 and 5000 m). He was 5th in Beijing at 1500 m, 8th in Sydney and out in semifinals in Athens.
NAIROBI (KEN): The Nation writes that Athletics Kenya has warned runners to pay attention to sponsors who are out to lure them with fake contracts. Speaking at Nyahururu Stadium on Friday, the newly elected AK Nyandarua sub-branch secretary, Lawrence Miano, noted that there has been a rise in complaints in the country, where athletes have been denied their money due to fake contracts. Miano urged upcoming runners to be careful when signing sponsors’ contracts.
KAMPALA (UGA): Inaugural world steeple female champion and Commonwealth Games winner Dorcus Inzikuru is seeking financial help from President Yoweri Museveni to prepare for the World Cross Country championship in Jordan. The event is planned to be Inzikuru’s first in a return to the track after taking a break that enabled her deliver a baby. The Ugandan star fro Arua region embarked on training at camps in Bukwo in Kapchorwa and in Kenya recently. Ugandan media are writing.
LONDON (GBR): After victories in San Giorgio su Legnano and Toro in 2006 and 2007, Britain’s Steph Twell has got her sights set on an unprecedented third SPAR European Cross Country Championships junior women’s title this December in Brussels. „This SPAR European Cross Country Championship is particularly important for me as it will be my last one as a junior before I step up to being a senior. I think it’s going to be very important for my long term development as an athlete,” said Twell, the European Athletics Rising Star 2008 for EA website.
LOS ANGELES (USA): 19-years old USC sprinter Bryshon Nellum, the 2007 Gatorade national Boys’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year, was shot in the legs three times Friday morning during a Halloween party, according to police. Nellum, a freshman, was shot in the left thigh and right hamstring and underwent surgery Friday night at California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles. Two bullets hit Nellum’s thigh and one hit his hamstring. Doctors said surgery was successful and were hopeful Nellum could resume his track career, according to USC track coach Ron Allice. He clocked also 45.38 at 400 m in 2007, but was not competing at all in 2008. In 2005 he won World Youth bronze medal at 400 m and in 2006 World Junior gold in 4×400 m Relay.
NEW YORK (USA): In current financial crisis ING still stands as title sponsor for one of the most popular marathon races in the world. Mary Wittenberg, the president of the New York Road Runners, recalled Friday for New York Times, that it was not easy to accept a title sponsor for the New York City Marathon in 2003. ING, the Dutch financial-services giant, agreed to spend an estimated 2 million USD a year, which has probably increased since, to place its letters in front of the marathon’s name. “ING came to us,” she said, “which put us in a good position to say, Here are the grounds we’ll consider a title sponsor. We wanted a real partner and someone who cares a lot about getting kids running, and about the community.” The recent financial crisis weakened ING enough that the Dutch government announced Sunday that it would provide $13.4 billion to stabilize ING’s operations, if not prevent a possible collapse. ING is not cutting its commitment to the marathon, which goes through 2010. Tom Waldron, an executive vice president for ING Americas, said in an interview at Tavern on the Green: “We’re not letting up. I’d be wondering about people who retreat at a time like this.”
INDIANAPOLIS (USA): USATF Chief Executive Doug Logan in his blog outlined the plans to restructure the different leading groups withing the organisation. The USATF Board will be reduced in size from 32 to 15 members. Included in those 15 seats are USATF’s elected president; a seat each for USATF’s High Performance, Long Distance Running, General Competition, Youth, Coaches and Officials groups; three seats for athletes; three „independent” seats; one seat for „5E” organizations (groups such as the NCAA an others); and one seat for USATFs IAAF representative. The Board will elect its own Chair. If the USATF President is not elected as Chair, the President will be named Vice Chair. The President will preside over the Annual Meeting and approximately 320 committees, leading a Volunteer Leadership Group in addition to sitting on the Board. USATF’s High Performance Plan (HPP), as developed by the High Performance Committee, will be implemented by a USATF staff person accountable to the CEO. Having a full-time employee responsible for and accountable to the programs most critical for our elite development is the best way to ensure our competitive success. It also will ensure more efficient and streamlined implementation of the HPP. On the afternoon of December 3 in Reno, USATFs Board of Directors, members, committee chairs and athlete leaders will host a series of meetings to discuss and get feedback on the proposed changes, writes Doug Logan on his blog.
EME News courtesy of Alfons Juck.
Runblogrun.com encourages you to check out the sites of Shooting Star Media, Inc.: American Track & Field (www.american-trackandfield.com), Athletes Only (www.atf-athlete.com), California Track & Running News (www.caltrack.com), MIssouri Runner & Triathlete (www.morunandtri.com), Latinos Corriendo(www.latinoscorriendo.com), Coaching
Athletics Quarterly (www.coachingathleticsq.com), and USATF Fast Forward (www.usatf.org). All of the above magazine websites can be found at RunningNetwork.com (www.runningnetwork.com).
