by Larry Eder
AG Kuger, 2008 Olympics, photo by PhotoRun.net
It is Thursday, June 20, and we are flying down Highway 5, to Eugene, heading to an interview with Tyson Gay. We just witnessed the best presentation that we have ever seen on the hammer throw.
Sergey Morgunov has broken the 4o year old world junior record of one Randy Williams, breaking the former record by one centimeter with his 8.35m long jump. Wind was legal 1.1 .
Jenny Meadows, 2009 WC silver medalist at 800m is not running 2012 Aviva Trials due to Achilles injury.
EME NEWS (JUN 20, 2012)
WORLD JUNIOR RECORD: 835 BY MORGUNOV
CHEBOKSARY (RUS, Jun 20): Sensational news from Russian Junior Championships in Chuvashya. Last year European junior champion Sergey Morgunov won the long jump with new world junior record 835 (+1.1). He improved so by 1 cm the oldest world junior record (men or women) by US Randy Williams from 1972 Olympic Games in Munich when winning the gold medal. Morgunov had PB of 810 and windy 818 from last year. It is also first track world record in any category in 2012. New Russian junior record at 100 m Hurdles for Yekaterina Bleskina with 13.11. Previous mark by Aleksandra Fedoriva 13.12 was five years old. The event is also trials for World Junior Championships in Barcelona.
NAZAROVA 711, PISHCHALNIKOVA 68.18
MOSCOW (RUS, Jun 20): Top marks during first day of Moscow City Championships. Anna Nazarova a former European U23 Champion from 2007 achieved her first 7+ long jump with 711 (+1.3) in last series. It is also European lead 2012 and only one cm behind the world lead of Brittney Reese. She also had in her series 700, 697 and 684, all legal. European champion Ineta Radevica of Latvia got 660 (+1.4) as second. In women discus former European Champion Darya Pishchalnikova improved her best to 68.18, also third best mark in the world this year. Maksim Sidorov got good quality 21.22 in the shot put. Also to note solid 4:04.97 1500 m win by Yekaterina Kostetskaya ahead of Yelena Korobkina 4:07.46. Yelena Migunova won the 400 m in 51.85, Anastasiya Savchenko cleared 450 in the pole vault and Irina Tarasova registered 19.15 in the shot put.
MAKUSHA OUT OF THE GAMES
GAINESVILLE (USA): Last year NCAA double champion and Zimbabwe record holder Ngoni Makusha (25) will miss the Olympic Games in London because of his Achilles tendon problems. He is world medalist from Daegu in long jump and was planning a double at the games in the 100 m and long jump. His national records are high quality 9.89 and 840.
SPANK CANCELS HIS SEASON
DRESDEN (GER): World 2009 bronze winner in high jump Raul Spank is cancelling his summer season. The reason: right Achilles injury. „I m shocked, my dream about London Olympics is over,” Spank was quoted as saying. He was jumping this summer with pain and Tuesday´s examination showed how serious the situation is. But he will not undergo a surgery but trying to heal it conservatively. He hopes to be back in training after 3 months.
MEADOWS AND KWAKYE NOT AT UK TRIALS
LONDON (GBR): Simon Hart writes on his twitter that worrying injury news are coming from British team. Both 800 m runner and world and European medalist Jenny Meadows and sprinter Jeanette Kwakye are forced to miss Olympic trials. Both have Achilles issues.
MUROFUSHI THINKS LONDON
TOKYO (JPN): World champion 2011 and Olympic winner 2004 Koji Murofushi of Japan is fully concentrating at Olympic Games. He will not compete until then and has only one outing when winning the national championships with 72.85. Last year he had similar planning and had only two competitions before Daegu, both in Japan and well in advance. London will be his fourth games after Sydney (9th), Athens (winner) and Beijing (5th).
HELSINKI NEWS
EUROPEAN ATHLETICS: EA announced that it will stream live the Helsinki 2012 European Athletics Championships with English-language commentary (Peter Matthews, Phil Minshull). The live streaming platform at http://eurovision.digotel.com/ea/index.html is brought in partnership with European Athletics’ principal sponsor SPAR. Athletics fans around the world will be able to watch the 27 June to 1 July championships live in their entirety. Fans will also be able to instantly rewind the action and watch video on demand of an event just a few minutes after it has finished. A Facebook feature allows fans to chat with each other as they watch the action unfold, while they can follow all the latest news and opinions on the championships through a feature that lets them follow the @Euro_Champs and @EuroAthletics Twitter feeds and see all the Tweets with the #Helsinki2012 hashtag. The live stream will be available worldwide except for Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland and Mexico.
SWITZERLAND: Because of flu Swiss hurdles record holder Lisa Urech will miss the European Championships. She hopes for the Games in London.
GERMANY: Javelin world champion Matthias de Zordo who missed weekend´s national championships decided because of his elbow problem to skip Helsinki. He will be replaced by Thomas Rohler in German team, he was national champion last weekend and before improved to 80.79 m. De Zordo still hopes for London and German Athletics Federation DLV will propose him for a special considerationy by German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) for the Games on July 2.
NETHERLANDS: The groin injury of Dutch sprinter Patrick Van Luijk will be healed in time for the European Championships report Dutch media. Van Luijk had pulled out of the 100m and 200m at the Dutch national championships last week.
GREAT BRITAIN: Javelin thrower Merv Luckwell (82.15 this years best) is out of the Olympic trials and Helsinki with a knee injury but hopeful of recovering in time for London Games.
OTHER NEWS
LIEGE (BEL): The organisers of the International meet in Liege on July 5 (Meeting International de la Province de Liege) will organise as special addition men´s 10 000 m race. As athlete liaison Marc Corstjens explains, it is the result of several requests of agents and athletes to achieve London qualifying time. The race will be scheduled at a favorable time of 9.30 pm.
GOTZIS (AUT): The organisers of hypomeeting in Gotzis (IAAF CE Challenge) announced its date for 2013. The traditional May 25-26.
BRUSSELS (BEL): European bronze triple jump medallist Svetlana Bolshakova will skip this weekend’s EAP meeting in Nivelles to fully concentrate on the European championships. Bolshakova is returning from a severe Achilles injury and is hoping to qualify for the London Olympic Games when competing in Helsinki reports sporza.be.
LONDON (GBR): Cuban-born triple jumper Yamile Aldama believes she could do a great job in inspiring her fellow athletes if she is made captain of the British track and field team at the London Olympics. Aldama, who won her first global title at this year’s World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, has been identified by head coach Charles van Commenee as a candidate for the captaincy because of the respect she commands among her team-mates and the way she has triumphed over adversity in her career reports The Telegraph.
INDIANAPOLIS (USA): Dan O’Brien recently released his book entitled “Clearing Hurdles: A Quest to be the World’s Greatest Athlete”, which covers his struggles and perseverance in ultimately becoming an Olympic decathlon gold medalist. The book includes a forward from tennis great Andre Agassi and covers all aspects of O’Brien’s life that includes being adopted, failing out of college, battles with depression and substance abuse, his failing to qualify for the 1992 Olympic team and his eventual 1996 Olympic gold medal and three World Outdoor titles reports USATF.
EUGENE (USA): In preparation to the US Olympic Trials decathlete Ashton Eaton has told Reuters he could break the world record in the coming years. „It is an obtainable mark, and if it is there, I am definitely going to go for it. Based on what I have been doing in practice, I would probably be able to get it, maybe sooner than later.” Eaton was quoted.
GLASGOW (GBR): Young people will be the heart of Glasgow’s bid to host the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games, it was promised as the city officially launched its campaign with a spectacular show reports Insidethegames. At an event memorable for the fact no politicians were involved in the presentation, the Scottish city launched its logo and slogan – „Be a Champion in your life” – with an hour’s show that featured a display of gymnastics, street dancing and a performance from the Scottish Youth Theatre. Dame Kelly Holmes, the 2004 Olympic 800 and 1500 meters gold medallist, spoke about how watching the 1984 Los Angeles Games had inspired her to become an athlete.
RESULTS
SANTANDER (ESP, Jun 20): Spanish record holder Ruth Beitia comes in right time into the shape. At a local meet she cleared 197 in third attempt and tried three times at two meters. As team captain she will be one of medal favorites at European Championships in Helsinki next week.
PRAHA (CZE, Jun 20): The 21st edition of Prague Pole Vault at Ventseslas square saw Jan Kudlicka and Michal Balner in nice battle as both cleared 566 cm. Kudlicka was better on count-back and Balner jumped Helsinki standard three day later than required. But he still hopes for Olympic qualification (needs 572). Roman Sebrle cleared 460 in his Helsinki preparation. Oceanian record holder Alana Boyd won the women competition with 432 when top home jumper Jirina Ptacnikova was a non-starter due to a palm injury.
CALABAR (NGR, Jun 19-20): From first day of Nigerian Championships to note good quality women 100 m won by olympic long jump medalist Blessing Okagbare in 11.12 (-0.3) over Gloria Asumnu who was timed with 11.13. For Okagbare fourth title in a row. Third placed Lawrette Ozoh improved to 11.19. During second day men´s 100 m final was won by Obinna Metu in 10.11 over title defender Ogho Oghene-Egwero 10.19. Another favorite Peter Emelieze after clocking 10.21 while winning his semifinal was 6th in 10.39. UK based triple jumper Tosin Oke improved his national record by 1 cm to 17.23 m. Seun Adigun won the 100 m hurdles in 13.13 over Naomi Osazuwa 13.16.
GOTEBORG (SWE, Jun 20): At Swedish Team Championships Ethiopian middle distance star Abeba Aregawi competing for Hammarby IF won the 800 m 2:05.73 and 1500 m 4:28.24. Nil de Oliveira confirmed solid sprinting shape with 10.41 (-0.5) and 20.89 (-0.2) wins. Michel Torneus leaped to 799 (+1.5) and Angelica Bengtsson cleared 425 in the pole vault. Sparvagens FK men and Ullevi FK women were the overall winners.
PORDENONE (ITA, Jun 20): National record holder Marzia Caravelli achieved at 13th Meeting Equipe here solid 13.03 (+0.1).
MODENA (ITA, Jun 19): At 2nd Memorial Goldoni-Benetti in the women pole vault Giorgia Benecchi cleared personal best 435 cm.
HAVANA (CUB, Jun 17): Another open meet here with Ignacio Morales clocking 13.56 (+0.9) at 110 m hurdles and Mailin Vargas achieving 18.21 in women shot put.
NEURIM (ISR, Jun 20): Moldovan Vladimir Letnicov achieved here 16.61 (-0.1) in the triple jump.
SAD NEWS
MOSCOW (RUS): Rusathletics.com informs that legendary coach Timofey Vasilyevich Prokhorov died at age of 94 years. He was World War II veteran. In 70 years of coaching work he prepared many of the top Russian athletes, coaches, scientists, specialy from the Don region. He coached olympic relay winner from Beijing Yulia Gushchina, in Sydney Svetlana Goncharenko.
—
J
