Mo Farah leads Chepseda and Gebremaskel at NB 3,000m on February 5, photo by PhotoRun.net.

On Friday, February 18, 2011, at a press conference in Birmingham, the big news was about Mo Farah. Mo Farah, the current European champion at 5,000m and 10,000m outdoors and defending champion at 3,000 meters indoors, will now be coached by Alberto Salazar. Mo told the assembled masses that he wanted to move from his previous Olympic and World Champs performances to medal contender. He is moving his family to the US as well!

At Russian Indoor Champs, held in Moscow, on Friday, February 18, a quartet of Russian women broke the current 4 x 800m WR, running 8:06.24!

And 49 of possible 50 countries will be competing in European Indoor Champs, to be held in Paris, France, March 4-7, 2011. Only Lietchtenstein will be absent.

Looks like no David Oliver for U.S. Indoor champs. Coach Johnson told RBR that David has a small injury and that ” all we set out to do indoors has been accomplished.”  

FARAH
CHANGES COACHES

LONDON (GBR): “Yes it’s true! In case you
haven’t already heard. Me and my family are moving to USA so I can be
coached by Alberto Salazar from now on,” said double European champion at 5000 m and 10 000 m Mo Farah on his
twitter. He will be accompanied by his wife Tania and five-year-old daughter
Rihanna and is hoping that Salazar – a Cuban-born American best known for
winning the New York
marathon three times in a row from 1980 – can give him the extra edge required
to move from European to Olympic success. Farah will continue to train at
altitude in Kenya and Font
Romeu in France
– where Paula Radcliffe also trains – and insists he is not taking a major
gamble with the Olympics so close. Adds insidethegames.

ONLY LIECHTENSTEIN
IS MISSING

PARIS (FRA): With two weeks to
go until the start of the European Indoor Championships the installation of the
track began on Friday. It should be completed by 26 or 27 February at the
latest. General manager of LOC Jean Gracia informed that general rehearsal will
be staged on Thursday 3 March at 6 pm, the evening before the start of the
event. It will take the form of a minor competition gathering together regional
athletes and supported by judges, volunteers and protocol representatives. The
deadline for entries is February 27.  As
of February 18 633 athletes and 520 officials from 49 countries are registered.
Only Liechtenstein
is likely to be missing. Two days of the event Saturday and Sunday are already
sold out.

RELAY
WORLD RECORD

MOSCOW (RUS, Feb 18): During last day of
Russian Indoor Championships a world indoor record was registered. Moscow team clocked 8:06.24 in the 4×800 m women relay to
improve the 8:12.41 mark from last years national event by another Moscow team with Yelena
Kofanova beeing on both squads. On Friday she ran third leg in 2:00.4.
Aleksandra Bulanova opened with 2:01.8, she was followed by Yekaterina
Martynova 2:03.1 and as anchor Anna Balakhsina 2:00.6. Martynova won earlier a
dramatic 1500 m
in 4:07.67 ahead of Yelena Arzhakova 4:08.81 and Yelena Korobkina 4:09.55.
World leader Yevgeniya Zolotova fell 100 m before the finish line because of foot
pain. European leading times were achieved in the 5000 m races. Andrey
Safronov clocked 13:49.07 and on the women side Natalya Popkova 15:39.25.
Interesting tie for second here as Natalya Gorchakova and Natalya Puchkova
achieved 15:39.40. Men´s 1500
m solid for Russia, Vyacheslav Sokolov got
3:41.56 ahead of steeple specialist Andrey Farnosov 3:41.83. Olesya Zabara
(formerly Bufalova) returned after giving birth to a child at age of 27 with a
win 14.38 m.
Pregnant Tatyana Lebedeva was watching from the stands. Also over 14 metres Natalya
Kutyakova (14.13), Alsu Murtazina (14.09), Yekaterina Koneva (14.05) and
Yekaterina Kayukova (14.02). Surprise in men´s long jump when Sergey Polyanskiy
with 792 beat world leader Aleksandr Menkov (788). Dmitriy Starodubtsev as only
one cleared 560 and that was enough to win the pole vault. Moscow teams won remaining relays. Men´s
4×200 m (1:25.66) and 4×800 m (7:28.80) and women´s 4×200 m (1:35.11).

OTHER
RESULTS

POTSDAM
(GER, Feb 18): Kristina Gadschiew went over life-time best 466 in pole vault to win the
Potsdam Pole Vault meet in the Stern
Shopping Center. It was
also a new meet record ahead of Martina Strutz 450 and Malin Dahlstrom with new
Swedish record 450. Fourth Caroline Bonde Holm cleared new Danish record 440.
Men competition is on Saturday.

GOMEL (BLR, Feb 18): National indoor
university championships saw Aleksandr Linnik winning the 60 m in 6.73 (6.70 PB in
heats) and 60 m
hurdles 7.93. Aleksandr Lyakhovich posted 42:05.01 in the 10 000 m walk. Second day
is on Saturday.

BUCURESTI (ROU, Feb 18): Triple
jumper Marian Oprea confirmed his excellent shape with third best mark of the
season 17.30 during first day of national indoor championships. Estera Petre is
the new name of Romanian high jumping, she won the title with 192 life-time
best. Ancuta Bobocel fulfilled favorite role with 4:16.18 in the 1500 m. Sprints winners were
Catalin Cimpeanu (6.74) and Adreea Ograzeanu (7.38, with 7.36 PB in heats).

KLAIPEDA (LTU, Feb 18): Povilas Mikolaitis
highlighted the first day of Lithuanian indoor championships with 803 long jump
mark. He is so 6th European during the indoor season with a 8+ result. In the 60 m Rytis Sakalauskas got
6.71 and Lina Grincikaite 7.33. Airine Palsyte cleared 185 to win the high jump
and 800 m
record holder Egle Balciunaite switched to 400 m and won in 55.27.

US FRIDAY
ACTION

BATON ROUGE: Horatio Williams
posted at LSU Twilight 6.64 at 60
m, also to note the 7.67 of Ryan Fontenot at 60 m hurdles to equal his PB.
Walter Henning got 23.32 in
weight throw.

BLACKSBURG: Olympian Queen Harrison returned
to second race of the season after Millrose Games and clocked 8.15 at 60 m hurdles during first day
of Virginia Tech meet in the heats.

LUBBOCK:
Rondell Bartholomew of Grenada
is a name to count with. At oversized track here he got 21.03 at 200 m. Russian Anton Kokorin
beat in the 600 m
Trinidad´s world medalist Rennie Quow (1:17.28 – 1:17.30). Omo Osaghae is still
fast and achieved 7.10 at 55 m
hurdles, the same for Terra Evans with 6.95 in women´s 55 m.

OGDEN: Zack Lloyd achieved 20.31 in shot put during
Wildcat Indoor Open meet, his first 20+ since early February last year.

CAPE GIRARDEAU: Young Taurean Nixon (20)
improved to 6.24 at the 55 m
during Redhawks Invitational.

VERMILION: Derek Miles still
hampered with low back pain sustained in Lievin competed in the University of South Dakota
Indoor Twilight meeting and cleared 565, the US season leader.

STATS

RAS AL KHAIMAH (UAE): Ken
Nakamura points out that Mary Keitany’s time 1:05:50 is faster but not the
fastest ever. Paula Radcliffe has run 1:05:40 on the downhill course, 2003 Great
North Run (Newcastle to South
Shields). Susan Chepkemei has run 1:05:44 also on the downhill
course, 2001 Lisboa Half Marathon.  With
59:25 recorded in RAK half marathon, Deriba Merga’s top five half marathon
average is now 59:19.5, just behind Paul Teragat’s average of 59:19.2 but ahead
of Haile Gebrselassie’s average of 59:21, Zersenay Tadese has fastest average
of 59:03, followed by 59:04 by Patrick Makau and then 59:09 by Samuel
Wanjiru.  Mary Keitany, who already had
fastest five half marathon average, has improved her top 5 average to 1:06:38.