by Larry Eder
2004 Penn Relays, photo by PhotoRun.net
Picture to right is of Penn Relays Historical marker on campus at the University of Pennsylvania.
KAMEL RETURNS AT 800 M
DAEGU (KOR): Not only sprints, but also distance races will have top
names at the best one day meeting in Korea. The Colorful
Pre-Championship meet in Daegu (IAAF World Challenge) will see on May 12 the
return of reigning 1500 m
world champion Kamel Yusuf Saad of Bahrain. He will compete in the 800 m against Kenyan Boaz
Lalang. In the steeple race olympic bronze winner and African Champion Richard
Mateelong will fight with World Youth Champion 2009 Hillary Yego. In the women 1500 m Ethiopian World
Indoor Champion Kalkidan Gezahegne is scheduled against her team-mate Tizita
Bogale who is World Junior Champion and Youth Olympic Games winner from last
year.
ROBLES FOR GUADELOUPE
HAVANA (CUB): Cuban media are informing that world
record holder Dayron Robles will start his outdoor season earlier than
expected. Before coming to Europe he will run at the Caribbean
event. On May 7 in
Baie-Mahault, Guadeloupe, which is French
territory. Reports are saying he is ok after the injury from indoor season.
After that he plans to have a small European tour highlighted by 50th Ostrava
Golden Spike meeting on May 31
in Czech
Republic. Then he plans
to return to Cuba for
training and be back in Europe for July
meetings. His main aims for this year are World Championships in Daegu and
Pan-Am Games in Guadalajara.
In Baie-Mahault his main rivals will be olympic medalist US David Payne and
Jamaican olympic finalist Richard Phillips.
TRIBUTE AT BISLETT STADIUM
OSLO (NOR): The Norwegian athletics federation has announced that there
will be a national tribute in memory of Grete Waitz at the Bislett Stadium in
Oslo on 11 May. Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg will give a speech at
the tribute and Norway’s
Royal Family has also been invited to the tribute. The gates of the stadium
will also be open for members of the general public to pay their respects to
Waitz, who was one of the greatest female distance runners in history. A bronze
statue of Waitz was erected already in 1984 outside the Bislett Stadium to
acknowledge her contribution to the sport. Informs European Athletics.
FIRST NAMES FOR NYC MARATHON
NEW YORK (USA):
First three names confirmed for New York City Marathon this autumn are
defending champions Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia and Kenyan Edna Kiplagat.
The New York Road Runners also announced that Meb Keflezighi, who in 2009
became the first American to win the race since 1982, will also compete on
November 6. A
record number of 140 000 runners applied for the race.
JETER FOR TOP UK MEETS
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): US
sprinter Carmelita Jeter who is the second fastest woman in history, will
compete at both the Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix and the Aviva London Grand Prix
in a double-diamond swoop on the UK this summer. The 31-year-old has
announced her plans to run the 200m at the Birmingham Alexander Stadium on 10
July and 100m at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre 5-6 August, which
will take 100 days from now. Organizers are informing.
FELIX VS. OHURUOGU
MANCHESTER (GBR): Three times World Championships 200 meters gold medalist
Allyson Felix will clash with Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu next
month in what could be the first of several encounters this summer. The pair of
world beaters are both returning to the spectacular Powerade ION4 Great
Manchester CityGames track meeting, which will take place for the third
successive year on Deansgate in Manchester’s
City Centre on May 15. Felix clocked last year here at straight 200m 22.55. “I
love this concept of street athletics where the spectators are virtually
rubbing shoulders with you and make it so exciting,” Felix said for the
organizers. Jessica Ennis, the reigning World and European heptathlon title
holder and Britain’s current golden girl, will defend her 150 m crown (last year 16.99)
and will also race in the 100m hurdles against Tiffany Ofili. Last month Ofili
won the European Indoor 60m hurdles silver medal in Paris,
where the former USA
athlete deprived Ennis of her British record.
TOP JAMAICAN AND US NAMES FOR
PENN RELAYS
PHILADELPHIA (USA):
Jamaica is sending Asafa
Powell, Sheri-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Melaine Walker, Kerron Stewart and Nesta Carter
for the USA
vs The World relay events on Saturday at the 117th Penn Relays. Also in the
team Sherone Simpson, Davita Prendergast, Kaliese Spencer, Christine Day,
Novlene Williams-Mills, Kenia Sinclair, Aleen Bailey, Simone Facey, Michael
Frater, Steve Mullings, Ramone McKenzie, Dewayne Barrett, Lerone Clarke and
Michael Mason. The top 4×100 m is expected to be composed from 3 MVP sprinters
(Carter, Frater, Powell) and added by current world leader Mullings. US teams will
have Walter Dix, Ivory Williams, Trell Kimmons, Mike Rodgers, Wallace Spearmon,
Justin Gatlin, Darvis Patton, Shawn Crawford. In the 4×400 m Angelo Taylor,
Bershawn Jackson, Johnny Dutch, Kerron Clement, David Neville, Lionel Larry,
Xavier Carter, Jamal Torrence, Michael Tinsley, Joshua Scott, Quentin Summers.
In the distance medley to compete Nick Symmonds, David Torrence, Duane Solomon,
Leo Manzano, Bernard Lagat, Russell Brown. Very strong also women teams. In the
4×100 m Carmelita Jeter, Marshevet Myers, Alex Anderson, Allyson Felix, Lauryn
Williams, Miki Barber, Me’Lisa Barber, Bianca Knight. The 4×400 m will see
names like Debbie Dunn, Allyson Felix, Francena McCoroy, Natasha Hastings,
Sanya Richards-Ross, Lashinda Demus, Dee Dee Trotter, Sheena Tosta, Nicole
Leach, Latavia Thomas, Keshia Baker and Monica Hargrove.
MAKAROV, ZAGORNIY, DOUCOURE ADDED
OSTRAVA (CZE): Top opposition in the 110 m hurdles at 50th Ostrava
Golden Spike meeting on May 31 (IAAF World Challenge) for world record holder
Dayron Robles and home hero and European indoor champion Petr Svoboda.
Scheduled to run is 2005 World Champion Ladji Doucoure of France with
12.97 national record along with Poland´s olympic finalist Artur Noga. Two
current Russian world leaders are also confirmed. The stellar javelin field
(Thorkildsen, Pitkamäki, best Czechs) will see the 38-years old Sergey Makarov
who won twice in the past in Ostrava.
In 2005 and in 2006 when the current meet director and world record holder Jan
Zelezny had his last competition here. Aleksey Zagorniy who just achieved 81.54
is the addition into the hammer throw where all three medalists from Barcelona are confirmed
(Libor Charfreitag, Nicola Vizzoni, Krisztian Pars). In the javelin also to
note the presence of Latvian youngster Zigismunds Sirmais who improved in March
the world junior record to 84.47. Poland´s high jump bronze winner from Berlin
Sylwester Bednarek is an valuable addition to the field headlined by world
number one Ivan Ukhov and best home jumper Jaroslav Baba. In the men´s 400 m world indoor champion
from Doha Chris Brown of Bahamas
will work on his comeback against Jamaican record holder Jermaine Gonzalez.
CHAMBERS FOUR RACES IN BRAZIL
SAO PAULO (BRA): Brazilian Athletics Confederation
announced that world indoor champion British sprinter Dwain Chambers will
compete in four meetings of Brazilian Athletics Tour 2011. He will run in Belem on May 15, Uberlandia
May 18, Sao Paulo May 22 and as the final race
the IAAF World Challenge meet in Rio
de Janeiro on May 26. Former triple jump world
champion Walter Davis of USA
is announced for Belem, Sao
Paulo and Rio. Also for Rio
earlier announced was World medalist Alonso Edward of Panama for 100 m and 200 m, home star and world
indoor champion Fabiana Murer for pole vault and olympic champion Maurren Maggi
for long jump.
OTHER NEWS
MUMIAS (KEN): The Nation informs that some top names are planning for
Athletics Kenya meeting on Thursday. Olympic 800 m champion Pamela Jelimo
is expected to compete. Over to the 5000 m the world junior 10 000 m Dennis Masai will
run with last year World CC Champion Joseph Ebuya.
AUCKLAND (NZL): New
Zealand sensation in shot put Jacko Gill is certain he
will qualify for the London Olympics when he lines up against the world’s best
in Sweden
in late July. Gill, who left Takapuna Grammar at the end of last year to
concentrate on his Olympic bid, received an invitation late on Tuesday night to
the DN Galan meeting in Stockholm,
the setting for a record 83 world athletics records. NZ media are informing.
The unique “Big Shot” shot put competition takes place at the Kungstradgarden (Kings Garden),
a tree-lined square in the heart of the city. Athletics New Zealand
will seek dispensation for “exceptional”Jacko Gill to throw at this year’s
senior world championship after claiming he has had the same meteoric rise as
Olympic Games sprinting champion Usain Bolt. The 16-year-old broke the 20m
barrier for the first time on Saturday, and met the 2012 Olympic Games
qualifying target, but IAAF rules prevent shot putters competing at the world
championships until their 18th year reports stuff.co.nz.
MOSCOW (RUS): Russian top middle distance runner and
2009 European Indoor Champion Anna Alminova plans to open the season at Russian
Team Championships to be held in Sochi
on May 24-25. Expect of one race she passed last indoor season due to an back
injury. She was recently performing in a programme of Russian TV second channel
during a gymnastics exercise.
TRENTON (USA): NJ.com informs that in a
ruling that outraged Democrats and prompted accusations of a conflict of
interest, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno threw Olympic track-and-field champion Carl
Lewis, a Democrat, off the ballot for state Senate. Guadagno, a Republican,
said there was “substantial credible evidence” that he had not lived in New Jersey for the four
years required under the state Constitution.
UTRECHT (NED): Organisers of the Jaarbeurs Utrecht marathon have denied
that Kenyan athlete Mutai Kipkorir slowed down in the final stages of the
marathon in order to let Dutch athlete Michel Butter win. Kipkorir had a
significant lead until the last kilometer of the race but then slowed down and
lost the victory to Butter.
LONDON (GBR): London 2012 Organisers were forced to
extend the deadline to apply for tickets for next year’s Olympic Games by more
than an hour to cope with a last-minute surge in demand. Problems struck the
website for about 20 minutes from 10.30pm last night, as the clock ticked down
to the 11.59pm deadline for the 6.6 million tickets. At 11.37pm – 22 minutes
before the deadline expired – London 2012 posted a Twitter message informing
people it had been extended. By 1.30am the site was closed reports
Insidethegames.
NEW DELHI (IND):
Suresh Kalmadi has been effectively sacked as the President of the Indian
Olympic Association (IOA) and replaced by V K Malhotra, the head of the
country’s archery federation. The decision to remove 66-year-old Kalmadi from
the post he has held since 1996 came hours after a court in New
Delhi ordered him to be held in custody on corruption charges
linked to last year’s Commonwealth Games in New Delhi writes Insidethegames.
MOSCOW (RUS): Moscow
will replace London
to host next year’s Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) General
Assembly revealed Insidethegames. Moscow has stepped in to host the event after
the cash-strapped British Olympic Association (BOA) were forced to admit that
they could not afford the 8 million dollar it would cost to stage.
MIAMI (USA):
Triple world champion in sprints Lauryn Williams reports she has opened an
official facebook page called Lauryn Williams official.
LAUSANNE (SUI): France’s Yoan Rapinier spoke to Athle.com about his
major improvements during the European indoor championships in Paris in which
he triple jumped three new PB’s and managed 4th in the final with 17.23.
Rapinier has only been in triple jumping 2 years and had to switch his take off
leg a year and a half ago. Rapinier is considered one of the favourites to take
the title at the European U23 championships this summer in Ostrava and is hoping to qualify for the IAAF
World Championships.
VIENNA (AUT): RRW informs that organizers of the
Österreichischer dm Frauenlauf (Austrian Women’s Run), reported that the event
reached its 25,000 participant cap after just 31 days. That’s a record for the
event which will be held for the 24th time on Sunday, May 22. Ilse Dippmann,
who organizes the event with Andreas Schnabl, said: “It’s unbelievable, really
sensational. Thank you to all women who registered. I am looking forward to
welcome you all at the starting line of the 24th Austrian Women’s run in May!”
The 25,000 participant number represents an increase of 18% over last year. It
is likely to be the largest all-women’s race in Europe
this year.
DAKAR (SEN): African Athletics Confederation confirms for EME NEWS that the
2012 Senior African Championships will be held in Benin from 27th July to 1st August.
The decision has been taken by the CAA Council in Algiers
in 2007 and has been confirmed in Nairobi
during the 2010 Championships. Reports about countries interested to host the
event from media were not correct. The CAA Council has decided in Yaounde that the Junior African Championships will be
organized by Rwanda in 2013
and that Nigeria
will stage the 1st Youth African Championships in 2012.
RESULTS
STRETFORD (GBR, Apr 25): Fast 1500 m here by Kenyans as
Bethwell Birgen achieved 3:38.19 and 800 m specialist Richard Kiplagat 3:38.71 in
his debut at the distance. Also impressive third place for another 800 m runner and Barcelona silver medalist
Michael Rimmer who clocked in the 1500 m in good quality personal best 3:38.91.
DES MOINES (USA, Apr
26): Alan Webb won the Grand Blue Mile in Des
Moines in 4:08.22 after a finishing kick ahead of
South African Peter Van der Westhuizen 4:08.75. Kenyan Boaz Lalang was fourth
(4:12.28). In the women race at the Grand Avenue Sara Hall dominated in
4:45.78. Second Amy Mortimer clocked 4:46.90.
BRNO (CZE, Apr 23): Czech olympian and Barcelona
participant Jan Marcell improved at a local meet to impressive lifetime best 66.00 m in discus. It is
also current outdoor world leader. But as the meet was not listed among the
qualifiers for Daegu by Czech Athletics Federation he would need to confirm the
result later. Marcell has also indoor shot put best of 20.20 from 2010. In discus he won
silver at European U23 Championships in 2007.
NEW ORLEANS (USA, Apr 23): Ethiopian Belete
Assefa won the 33rd Crescent City Classic 10 km road race in 28:14. Second and best
Kenyan was Allan Kiprono in 28:19 ahead of his team-mate Macdonald Ondara
(28:38). Berlin
bronze winner at 10 000 m
Wude Yimer was the best in women race in solid 31:36 ahead of Kenyan Lineth
Chepkurui 31:47 and another Ethiopian Belainesh Gebre (31:58). Informs RRW.
BAMAKO (MLI, Apr 26): African 400 m champion Amantle
Montsho is in good shape. At Area Permit meet in Bamako
she clocked national 100 m
record for Botswana
11.60 and won also the 200 m
in 23.08. Idrissa Adam of Cameroon
also showed fast speed with 10.40 and 20.56 double. Both results personal bests
for Commonwealth Games participant.
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