BENGTSSON
DID NOT WIN, BUT WAS THE STAR OF THE EVENING

STOCKHOLM (SWE, Feb 22): XL Galan (last IAAF
Indoor permit 2011) saw junior star emerging in huge format. Youth Olympic
Games winner and World Junior Champion 2010 Angelica Bengtsson did not win her
event, but still was the star of the evening. She three times improved her own
world junior record in pole vault. First by one centimeter with 453 in third, then 458 in first followed by
unexpected 463 in
second. She tried even at 468. That height was eventually the winner for
Svetlana Feofanova who after that missed 480. Diamond League winner Fabiana
Murer was third (453). Two world leaders were produced in running events. First
Ethiopian new-comer Abeba Arigawi posted 4:01.47 at 1500m (also a Globen
record). Second world indoor champion Kalkedan Gezahegn 4:03.83 ahead of Irene
Jelagat 4:05.17 Kenyan record, Morgan Uceny 4:05.35 and Sylwia Ejdys with
European leader and pb 4:05.38. In the final race Abubaker Kaki clocked world
leading 2:17.55 in the 1000 m.
Augustin Choge had 2:18.91 as second ahead of Bethwell Birgen 2:19.03, Deresse
Mekonnen 2:19.12 national record and European champion Marcin Lewandowski
2:19.21. Second Globen record at 3000
m for Meseret Defar in 8:36.91 beating Shalane Flanagan
8:39.18, Lidia Chojecka 8:44.25 and Mercy Njoroge 8:44.27. Spectators waited
for the men´s triple jump when world champion Philips Idowu won with 17.48 in fourth and 17.38 in fifth attempt.
Second Marian Oprea 17.37 ahead of Alexis Copello 17.22 and local hero
Christian Olsson 17.06. But Sweden
celebrated Michel Torneus as excellent long jump winner with 813 (his overall
best). Overseas jumpers followed Wilfredo Martinez (807) and Ignisious Gaisah
(800) ahead of Danish record holder Morten Jensen (796). Czech Petr Svoboda
remains unbeaten before Paris
with 7.55 over David Payne 7.58 and Jeff Porter 7.59 at 60 m hurdles. Two athletes
were disqualified after false starts, one of them Aries Merritt the fastest of
all participants. Another Czech win for Denisa Rosolova from lane one at 400 m with 52.64 over
reigning European indoor champion Antonina Krivoshapka 52.65 and Jamaican
Novlene Williams-Mills 52.91. It should be noted that B-race winner Shana Cox
was faster in 52.58. Richard Kiplagat won close 800 m in 1:46.28 over Boaz
Lalang 1:46.37 and Jackson Kivuna 1:46.38. Fourth Briton Andrew Osagie improved
to 1:46.59. Another Youth Olympic Games winner dominated in her event as
Russian Mariya Kuchina cleared 193 to win the high jump. Gabon´s Ruddy
Zang-Milama won the 60 m
(7.20), Hungarian Barnabas Bene the 3000 m in the pre-programme (7:55.51) and
Torino winner Johan Wissman the 400
m in 47.41 when the first finisher Yusif Rabah of Sudan was
disqualified.

BERCY NEWS

PARIS (FRA): French team will
be without 1500 m
European leader Mehdi Baala who injured his left calf during a Monday training
session. Already before the selection Hind Dehiba and Roman Mesnil declared
themselves as unavailable for the team.

TALLINN
(EST): Estonia is sending 12
athletes to Paris.
Gender situation is equal. Six men are Jaanus Uudmae for triple jump, Raigo
Toompuu for shot put, Roman Fosti for 1500 m, Rasmus Magi (a junior) for 400 m. Heptathletes Mikk
Pahapill as title defender and Andres Raja are the biggest medal hopes. Title
defender Ksenija Balta is the top women name, her event is long jump. Others
are Anna Iljustsenko and Grete Udras in high jump, Veera Baranova in triple
jump and Grid Sadeiko with Kaie Kand for pentathlon.

SOFIA (BUL): European Barcelona
medalist Vania Stambolova leads Bulgarian team as second fastest in Europe at 400
m. Other women are Inna Eftimova at 60 m, Teodora Kolarova for 800 m, Venelina Veneva for
high jump, Petia Dacheva and Andriyana Banova for triple jump and Radoslava Mavrodieva
for shot put. Five men are composed of hurdler Martin Arnaoudov, high jumper
Viktor Ninov, long jumper Nikolay Atanasov, triple jumper Momchil Karailiev and
shot putter Georgi Ivanov.

VIENNA
(AUT): Ten athletes will represent Austria
in Paris. Men
are stronger with 8 athletes. Sprinter Ryan Moseley for 60 m, Clemens Zeller for 400 m, Raphael Pallitsch and
Andreas Rapatz for 800m, Andreas Vojta for 1500 m and added was also
Manuel Prazak for 60m hurdles. For heptathlon invited are Roland Schwarzl and
Dominik Distelberger. Two women are Beate Schrott at 60 m hurdles and talented
Jennifer Wenth for 1500 m.

OTHER NEWS

CHRISTCHURCH
(NZL): Following the devastating earthquake in Christchurch,
QEII stadium along with many of Christchurch’s
hotels and infrastructure have suffered substantial damage. The International
Track Meet, due to take place in Christchurch
this Saturday (26 February) has been called off. Event Promoter / Director Paul
Coughlan said “The 2011 International Track Meet and other associated events
have been postponed for an undetermined period. Anyone planning to travel to Christchurch for the meet
should cancel these plans immediately. Further details will follow at a later
date. Our thoughts are with the people of Christchurch,
especially those families who have lost loved ones.” Valerie Adams, Galen Rupp
and others were scheduled to compete. Informs Athletics New Zealand.

MELBOURNE (AUS): Australian
media are informing that former 400
m hurdles world champion Jana Rawlinson, has quietly
slipped back into the country to begin her London Olympic campaign. She is set to resume
her career in the coming weeks. After numerous injury setbacks in recent years,
the 28-year-old is in the shape of her life and keen to make her first
appearance in Australia
since the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Her first competition might happen on March 19 in Sydney.

KINGSTON
(JAM): International Media Content Ltd. (IMC), parent company of regional
sports cable channel SportsMax, on Tuesday announced an agreement with the CVM
Group for the exclusive television broadcast rights to the 2012 London Olympic
Games for Jamaica.
Informs TrackAlerts. Jamaican fans will see so the efforts of Usain Bolt and
co.

MADRID
(ESP): The Madrid
judge in charge of ‘operacion Galgo’ refused to annul the statements of Marta
Dominguez and Alberto Garcia. However, Dominguez and Garcia have been
questioned both as defendants and witnesses in the case which Spanish law
doesn’t allow writes marca.com.

RESULTS

PRAHA (CZE, Feb 22): Talented
Martin Mazac clocked at local meet 7.79 at 60m hurdles in an effort to attack
the Paris
standard of 7.70.