OTTO STARTS WITH 590

COTTBUS (GER, Jan 30): German olympic pole vault medalist Bjorn Otto started with excellent 590 into the indoor season. He cleared that height at the Jumping Meet in Cottbus, also a meet record. Second Hendrik Gruber 565, standard for Goteborg. Otto started at 550, with 570 was already the winner and cleared in third attempt the top mark of the evening before 2000 spectators. His duel with Renaud Lavillenie will be one of the highlights of Karlsruhe on February 2. Third and fourth with 560 Tobias Scherbarth and Karsten Dilla. Women high jump winner Russian Irina Gordeyeva got 190.

V. CHERUYIOT NO FOR WORLD CC

NAIROBI (KEN): The Nation writes that the World Cross country senior women’s champion, Vivian Cheruiyot, will not defend her title on March 24 in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Although the 29-year-old World 5,000m and 10,000m champion didn’t take part in the Kenya Police Cross-country Championships, many expected her to get a wild card to the National Championships on February 16 at Uhuru Gardens. Cheruiyot’s coach Moses Kiplagat said the athlete wants to concentrate on training to defend her two World Athletics Championship titles in Moscow.

A. MERRITT AGAINST US RIVALS

BOSTON (USA): World record holder Aries Merritt plans for his second race of the indoor season. He will compete at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston. World lead 7.60 by Kevin Craddock will be under threat, meet record of Terrence Trammell 7.49 from 2010 is tougher. Among the rivals for Merritt who is also world indoor champion on Saturday will be another US Olympian Jeff Porter, also Ty Akins, Jarret Eaton and Jamaican Eric Keddo.

TADESE FOR PRAGUE

PRAHA (CZE): The burgeoning running scene in the Czech Republic will be boosted by the five-time world champion and world record holder, Zersenay Tadese competing in the Hervis Prague half-marathon in early April. Tadese, 30, ran the current half-marathon world record of 58:23 in Lisbon 2010, and is expected to attack the Prague course record of 58:47, the fourth fastest in history (and world’s fastest last year), set by Ethiopian Atsedu Tsegay. Among the other runners due to appear on the start line alongside Tadese on April 6, will be Philemon Limo from Kenya who ran the first half-marathon under one hour in the Czech Republic in 2011, with a time of 59:30. It is expected that the field will shortly be augmented by other sub-60min men. Writes Pat Butcher.

OTHER NEWS

DIJON (FRA) : Swedish pole vault star Angelica Bengtsson will be the star of the meeting ‘happy jump’ organized by the Dijon University club on Saturday February 2. The meeting features the high jump and pole vault. Damiel Dossevi is the man to beat in the men’s pole vault according to athle.com.

BERLIN (GER): Discus olympic and world winner Robert Harting collected 7118 E through Ebay where he auctioned over 40 pieces of his personal collection of items from the London Olympic Games. The money will be given to the Berlin swim team, which Harting has decided to support confirms leichtathletik.de.

BERLIN (GER): German middle distance runner Denise Krebs will miss the entire indoor season after a ski accident. Krebs, who was on a training camp in Austria, fell and injured her right hand. Krebs will receive surgery this week and already confirmed she will miss the indoor season according to leichtathletik.de.

LILLE (FRA): The international meeting of Villeneuve d’Ascq, to be held on June 28 as EA Premium, will not be staged in 2013, confirmed meet organizer Jean-Pierre Watelle. The reason for canceling the event is the lack of financial support and sponsorship as Watelle confirmed they are currently 350.000 E short.

NAIROBI (KEN): Thirty two Kenyan athletes were tested for banned drugs last month in Nairobi and Eldoret, Athletics Kenya chairman Isaiah Kiplagat has said. The exercise that was conducted by officials from International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was voluntary and out-of-competition. Informs The Nation. Kiplagat clarified that it was not a spontaneous exercise since the athletes had been notified and were to present themselves in either of the two centres for testing.

STOCKHOLM (SWE): One of worlds top female milers Abeba Aregawi, who won the 1500 m Diamond Race last year after victories in Rome, Oslo and the final in Zurich, will run her first race as Swedish citizen, in Stockholm, February 21. It will be Aregawi’s 2nd appearance in the Globe Arena where she won the XL-Galan in 2011 with the fastest 1500 meter race of that indoor season, 4:01.47. „I am looking forward to compete in Stockholm and the Globe Arena. I had a very good race there last time. I was delighted by the support of the crowd” recollects Aregawi from her training camp in Ethiopia.

NAIROBI (KEN): East Standard is informing that a runner, who finished in a respectable position at the Standard Chartered Nairobi International Marathon last October, failed a dope test. The athlete has been informed, but Athletics Kenya (AK) won’t reveal the name, which we are keeping confidential for legal reasons. “Yes, we have an athlete who failed a dope test at the Nairobi International Marathon, but we are following procedures first throughout due process,” said an AK official, who did not want to be named.

NEW YORK (USA): The 106th Millrose Games’ women’s 400 meters will comprise a golden trio of Olympic champions. Their names especially should be familiar to Big Apple track & field followers as two are New York natives and the other has been at her best when competing in New York City. Brooklyn-born Natasha Hastings and Mary Wineberg along with Francena McCorory, whose 50.06 at the 2012 adidas Grand Prix at Icahn Stadium is a personal best, all have claimed Olympic gold medals in the 4x400m relay. University of Arizona senior Georganne Moline no doubt will challenge the talented trio. Moline finished fifth in the 2012 Olympic 400 m hurdles with a personal best 53.92. Organizers are informing.

KARLSRUHE (GER): French steeple specialist, European champion and olympic medalist Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad after four weeks of training in Potchefstroom, South Africa will compete on Saturday in Karlsruhe at IAAF Permit meet in the 1500 m. Then he plans to run in Dusseldorf and Val de Reuil with the aim to continue in indoor racing including the European Championships in Goteborg.

NEW YORK (USA): Bring Back the Mile, the group campaigning to bring the iconic distance back into the main athletics calendar, has announced an inaugural tour that will include 13 events all across the United States and an end-of-the-year gala. The Bring Back the Mile Tour 2013 is due to open on Saturday (February 2) at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston and at the Camel City Indoor Mile, part of the Hilton Garden Invitational collegiate track meet in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. After the initial meeting in Boston, the tour will travel to Winston-Salem, the Millrose Games in New York, the Ray Flynn Mile in Johnson City, Minneapolis, St Louis, Santa Barbara, Mammoth Lakes, Arlington, Charlevoix, Pittsburgh, Falmouth and Duluth, with the concluding gala at Santa Barbara. Informs insidethegames.

MOSCOW (RUS): Beijing Olympic champion in 4x100m relay and 400m world indoor silver medalist 2012 Aleksandra Fedoriva-Shpayer is waiting for her first child. “My pregnancy is desired and predesigned. We agreed on this all together with my husband and coach. I’m continuing to train but all loadings are determined by my coach and mother Lyudmila Fedoriva. I hope I’ll able to come back to the track as I’ve not done a lot of things in athletics yet. Moreover I’m sure maternity leave will be good for me. Last year was so difficult and I was off the rails mentally. So it’s the right moment to take a break,” said 24-years old Russian to www.rusathletics.com.

ZAPORIZHZHYA (UKR): Reigning European indoor silver medalist at 60m Mariya Ryemyen is not decided yet whether she will compete in Goteborg one month later or not. Wining national team championships in her home city Zaporizhzhya Mariya equaled Verena Sailer’s European season best 7.16. “In fact we didn’t prepare for European Indoor Championships aiming to compete this winter just to keep competitions experience. After Olympics I have been starting my trainings slowly and had rehabilitation training camp in October only. That is why we didn’t want to force the events. But let see what results I’ll show at next meetings. Depending on the results my coach will make the decision about European Indoors,” said the 25-years old Ukrainian for official FLAU web site. Actually Ryemyen confirmed her participation in Moscow at “Russian Winter” meeting on February 3.

RESULTS

ZAPORIZHZHYA (UKR, Jan 30): At second day of national team championships Viktor Kuznetsov won men triple jump with 16.74. Junior Anastasiya Tkachuk finished first in the 800m 2:06.13 ahead of Olena Zhushman 2:06.91. Volodymyr Burakov clocked 47.69 in the 400m and 800 m European Junior finalist 2011 Olha Lyakhovaya topped women 400 m 54.34. 224 and 189 were the winning results in the high jump by Viktor Shapoval and Viktoriya Dobrynska.

VIENNA (AUT, Jan 29): To add from Vienna Indoor Classic on Tuesday. Richard Strachan of Great Britain ran 46.31 in the 400, almost a second faster than anyone else. 19-year-old Slovenian talent Žan Rudolf was the fastest in the 800m with 1:47.44 in his first ever indoor race, also Slovenian indoor record. More British wins by Laura Muir in the 1500 m 4:12.39 and Meeghan Beesley in the 400 m 52.80.

PRAHA (CZE, Jan 29): Addition to Prague open meet in Stromovka Hall is the personal best for olympic hurdles medalist Zuzana Hejnova with 37.80 in the 300 m.

ANCONA (ITA, Jan 30): New Italian women 1000 m indoor record by Alesia Cusma 2:44.11.

EARLIER RESULTS

HUESCA (ESP, Jan 27): Another Eritrean CC win in Spain when Siun Kiflom clocked 31:20 at 10.56 km at Memorial Jesus Luis Alos. Second Antonio Abadia 31:37. Irene Pelayo was the best woman at 6.42 km with 23:03.

SAN SEBASTIAN (ESP, Jan 27): Eritrean Teklemariam Medhin won the 11.475 km race at the Cross Internacional de San Sebastian in 31:59. Second Thomas Ayeko of Uganda 32:09 ahead of best Spanish here Antonio Jimenez 32:41. Ethiopian steeple runner Sofia Assefa won the women 6.975 km in 22:23 ahead of another steepler Milcah Chemos 22:47 and Diana Martin 22:57.

ALMERIA (ESP, Jan 27): Kenyan wins at the 16th Half Marathon here David Kwemoi 1:03:59 and Jebichi Yator 1:15:28.

YANGON (MYA, Jan 27): Winners at Yoma Yangon International Marathon were Kenyan Gitau Kariuki with 2:19:13 and home Myanmar female runner Mi Mi Aye timed with 2:46:07.

BEOGRAD (SRB, Jan 27): European Athletics informs that ´taking that step from junior to senior level can always be tricky but Serbian Amela Terzic looks like she will make the transition in style. Terzic gave Serbia much to smile about at the weekend as she led a one-two at the European Athletics Cross Country Permit meeting in Belgrade ahead of Sonja Stolic (10:12 and 10:59). Hungarian Barnabas Bene won the men race in 25:37 at 8 km over Bulgarian Mitko Tsenov 25:38.

SPALA (POL, Jan 27): Solid sprints here by Kamil Krynski 6.76 and Karol Zalewski 21.26. Anna Rostkowska won the 800 m in her first race after maternity break since 2009 in 2:03.67.

NOVI SAD (SRB, Jan 26): Good shot put 20.44 for Serbian Asmir Kolasinac.

SASSNITZ (GER, Jan 27): Sassnitz Shot Put indoor meet returned with its 14th edition. Christina Schwanitz with second best ever of her career 19.58. Ralf Bartels won the men competition with 19.63 and Patrick Muller improved the German U18 record with 5 kg 21.44.

IRKUTSK (RUS, Jan 26): World indoor bronze winner Aleksandr Menkov leaped to world leading 822 at the Siberian Indoor Championships. Mikhail Logvinenko summed 6038 points in heptathlon. In women events Yulia Kashina clocked 7.34 in the 60 m, Yelena Bolsun 23.38 personal best in the 200 m, Nataliya Aristarkhova 9:01.74 in the 300
0 m, Lyudmila Yeremina improved to 450 in the pole vault and olympic medalist Yevgeniya Kolodko 18.23 in the shot put.

TORONTO (CAN, Jan 27): New best for Canadian sprinter TJ Lawrence with 6.68 at the 60 m.

GAINESVILLE (USA, Jan 27): Zambian record holder Gerald Phiri won here the 55 m in 6.27. Veteran 37-years old Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie of Bahamas got 6.88 win in the women 55 m. It is for her rare indoor appearance in the short sprint.

ATHLONE (IRL): Note to weekend meet in Ireland in the new hall. The winner of 1500 m Matt McLaughlin (will be 19 in December) set a new British junior record 3:42.87 which had previously stood for 27 years to former world junior 800 m winner David Sharpe.