by Larry EderUsain Bolt, Aries Merritt and David Rudisha are the finalists for the IAAF Male 2012 World Athlete of the Year. Who will get this prestigious award?
EME NEWS (NOV 5, 2012)
Bolt, Merritt, Rudisha
MONACO (MON): Fastest man on earth and triple London gold medalist, hurdles world record holder with superb improvement and 800 m world record runner without rabbits. That is the excellent offer of three finalists who are still in contention to become the 2012 World Athlete of the Year. After three weeks poll they are Usain Bolt, Aries Merritt and David Rudisha. The winners of the 2012 World Athlete of the Year Awards will be announced live, on stage, during a Special Awards Ceremony as part of the IAAF Centenary Celebrations, which will take place in Barcelona, on 24 November. Women finalists will follow this week. Bolt won the award already three times (2008, 2009 and 2011) and Rudisha once (2010). Newcomer at this level is Merritt.
Gelana against T. Dibaba
NIJMEGEN (NED): Olympic marathon champion Tiki Gelana has decided to run the ABN AMRO Seven hills run at 15 km in Nijmegen on November 18th. Gelana was set to compete at the ING New York city marathon last weekend but due to the cancelation of the event Gelana now announced she will run in The Netherlands in two weeks time. Gelana will face compartriot Tirunesh Dibaba at the event. In men race road world record holder Leonard Komon will face marathon world champion Abel Kirui.
European Youth Championships to debut in 2016
BUCURESTI (ROU): Apart of deciding about the venues for European Team Championships in 2014 and 2015 the European Athletics Council also approved the main concept and proposals for a new commercial strategy and entrusted the head office to follow up on the work done by an external agency. The next step is to evalulate different agencies’ suitability in terms of carrying out the commercial sales strategy in partnership with European Athletics. The allocation of the 2013 European Athletics Outdoor Classic and Premium Meetings, Indoor Permit Meetings and Race Walking Permit Meetings were approved. The Council also approved the calendar of events for 2013-2016. The Council agreed to the concept proposal of the European Youth Championships that is foreseen to be held in 2016. It will be presented to the Congress in Skopje for final approval in April 2013. IAAF is organising youth world championships since 1999 and other continental federations also.
OTHER NEWS
NAIROBI (KEN): World record holder Patrick Makau’s victory at the Frankfurt Marathon has catapulted him to the nomination for the Safaricom Sportsman of the Year Awards. Makau will face athletes -David Rudisha (800m), Ezekiel Kembo (3,000m), Julius Yego (javelin), Abel Kirui (Marathon) and Wilson Kipsang (Marathon) in the race for the Soya’s top men’s award. Also in the running for the top Sportsman award will be rugby players William Ambaka and Dennis Ombachi, who have been impressive on both the local and international rugby scene. Scotland-based Kenyan professional footballer Victor Mugubi who turns out for Scottish champions Celtic will be the other big name to watch out for the top award. This year’s Safaricom SOYA Awards are scheduled for December 6.
GOTEBORG (SWE): Goteborg2013.com website informs that during the European Indoor Championships former triple jumper Christian Olsson will be an expert commentator for the competitions. This will be Christian’s debut behind the speaker-microphone, where he will be joined by the experienced and knowledgeable Pelle Crona.
BUCURESTI (ROU): At the Romanian centenary of athletics gala not only Sergey Bubka or Dragutin Topic were honoured. Special recognition for Romanian women stars Iolanda Balas, Lia Manoliu and Mihaela Penes (trophies taken by brother of Lia Manoliu), Viorica Viscopoleanu, Anisoara Cusmir, Doina Melinte, Maricica Puica, Paula Ivan, Gabriela Szabo and Constantina Dita.
KINGSTON (JAM): Jamaica Observer informs that Dwight Ruff, soldier in the US Army, married Jamaican high jump record holder Sheree Francis at Jewel Runaway Bay Beach and Golf Resort. EME NEWS is not sure whether it is the Dwight Ruff with 49.50 400 m hurdles best from 2003 NCAA Championships in Sacramento.
LAKE PLACID (USA): It is now confirmed. Agencies are informing that Lolo Jones and Tianna Madison, world stars in athletics, will debut in bobsled at the World Cup level. It will happen at the cup opener in Lake Placid this weekend. Third name with athletics background is shot putter Aja Evans with 17.08 indoor best from 2010.
MOSCOW (RUS): Russian national team head coach Valentin Maslakov said for rusathletics.com that Russian athletes will have actually two main events in next year. Not only the World Championships in Moscow but also the World University Games in Kazan. “I must admit that in the past we considered the Universiade as an event for the young generation of upcoming athletes. This has changed now, we expect strong US team and also our team should be now stronger than before. And we should not forget also the European Team Championships. Fortunately we are having all our stars continuing in their careers,” said Maslakov. For example high jump olympic winner Ivan Ukhov already said he wants also compete at the Universiade in Kazan.
TALLINN (EST): Former 228 high jumper Marko Aleksejev (33) is new sports director of Estonian Athletics Federation. He has a degree in law and has worked as a sports coach and team manager. Competed at Olympic Games in Athens 2004 and four European Indoor Championships (always in qualification).
NEW YORK (USA): Runnersworld.com says that Meb Keflezighi, who with Deena Kastor was an original member of the Mammoth Track Club, is planning to move to San Diego “sooner rather than later,” he said during an New York City Marathon press event on Friday. “Now in 2012, the Olympics are over and I’m making the decision to move to San Diego,” he said. “I want to get into the running industry on a different level. It’s heartbreaking because I owe a lot to the town of Mammoth Lakes – they’ve been very hospitable.” Keflezighi, who won the New York City Marathon in 2009, said he remains committed to running it again in 2013. He will also compete in a spring marathon, but has not announced which one yet.
LAGOS (NGR): Nigerian daily Vanguard writes that the Athletics Federation of Nigeria is likely to be lenient with shot putter, Vivian Chukwuemeka whose B sample returned a positive result and is faced with a life ban. Chairman of the AFN medical committee, Ken Anugueje disclosed that a hearing will be conducted for the athlete and depending on the circumstances, the federation might just let Chukwuemeka, who set a new record at the 2012 African championships take a ‘walk’. “We are yet to make any pronouncement. The AFN will give her a hearing and depending on our findings, she may get a life ban or get a reprieve,” said Dr. Anugueje.
FAYETTEVILLE (USA): Arkansas women’s track and field sprinter Regina George was arrested by Fayetteville police about 9 a.m. Sunday on North Gregg Avenue. A preliminary police report said an officer responded to a welfare check call about an intoxicated woman who had been discharged from Washington Regional Medical Center and didn’t have a ride. Hospital security called police when the woman began to walk north without shoes on, police said. George was released on 2000 USD bond and has a December 14 court date. “We are aware of the situation with Regina and are disappointed that she put herself in that position,” said Lance Harter, the Razorbacks women track and field coach. “We are continuing to gather the facts and will take appropriate action once we have that information.” George was arrested by university police in March 2011 after getting into a fight with former women’s basketball p
layer Chrisstasia Walter. She was olympic semifinalist in the 400 m and Nigeria also competed in the relay final but was disqualified. Her best is 51.11 from beeing second at African Championships in Benin end of June.
ELDORET (KEN): Ugandan media are writing that London 2012 Olympic marathon gold medal Stephen Kiprotich has returned to his training camp in Eldoret, with an aim of plotting for more success next season. The 23-year-old, who has been partaking light training on the streets of Kampala coupled with attending numerous social functions, has left for Eldoret, whose training facilities he used enroute to becoming an Olympic champion. According to his manager Jurie Van Der Velden, of Global Sports Communication, the Assistant Superintendent of Prison will now embark on serious training as he prepares for races early next year. “He left on Monday for camp. That will give him time to concentrate,” said Jurrie when asked of Kiprotich’s programme. Kiprotich, who is sponsored by Nike, will train under the watchful eyes of Kenyan coach Patrick Sang, who helped him improve from a 10000m runner in 2011 to a road distance runner. Although his primary focus is to win the World Championships in Moscow, Russia in August next year, Kiprotich will need to compete in one of the international races earlier in the year to gauge his fitness levels and resilience.
PAPENDAL (NED) : Dutch hurdler Gregory Sedoc confirmed he is fully fit to train and his injured hamstring is healed. Sedoc lost his contract as a professional athlete with the army but is hopeful about his future as an athlete and told Dutch media he is continuing his career until the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.
LAUSANNE (SUI): The 2012 SPAR European Cross Country Championships, which take place in Szentendre, near Budapest, on 9 December, is likely to be graced by the presence of former European Athletics rising star from Norway Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal. After a two-year absence the Norwegian is now injury free and is hoping to add to her European junior track and cross country titles as an under 23 at a continental championship reports European Athletics.
LONDON (GBR): Mo Farah’s double Olympic triumph was named the most inspiring performance of the 2012 Games in a poll by The Scotsman. The runner, who won gold in the 5000 and 10 000 m, picked up 22 per cent of the votes and was more popular than Jessica Ennis’s heptathlon win (17 per cent), Bradley Wiggins’s cycling gold (8 per cent) and Andy Murray’s tennis victory (5 per cent).
LONDON (GBR): UK travel agency Sports Tours International says the reputation of the ING New York City Marathon will be damaged if organisers fail to return entry fees to runners writes Athletics Weekly. The Manchester-based company that has been organising NYC Marathon trips for Brits since 1983, says marathon organisers risk losing credibility if they don’t reimburse an entry fee that ranges from 216 dollar for NYRR members through 347 dollar for non-US international runners.
NEW YORK (USA): David Monti of Race Results Weekly writes on his twitter that thanks largely to the efforts of Boulder Wave’s agent Brendan Reilly many elite runners who were to compete in New York on Sunday will now run at Yokohama and Fukuoka marathons in Japan.
NAIROBI (KEN): Kenyan media are writing that the Kenyan Revenue Authority have reassured local athletes that they will not face double taxation of their earnings acquired abroad. In a statement the Authority said athletes will however have to submit evidence of tax payments abroad to allow it as a deduction against a computed Kenyan tax liability.
RESULTS
KITA-KYUSHU (JPN, Nov 4): Solid 13:22.48 at the 5000 m by Kenyan Paul Tanui at the West Japan Relay Carnival. Former world medalist in javelin Yukifumi Murakami won with 77.43 m. Solid also women javelin as Yuki Ebihara got 60.66 m. It was 6th career meet for the Japanese record holder with 60+ result.
KABARNET (KEN, Nov 4): Little known Hosea Nailel won the Safaricom Baringo half-marathon in 1:02:33. Second Jackson Limo 1:02:39 and third Kenneth Kipkemoi 1:02:43. National team runner Philomena Cheyech was the top woman after 1:11:16 ahead of Margaret Akai 1:13:14 and Beatrice Cherop 1:14:06.
