Will Claye, TJ/LJ, 2012 USA Indoors, photo by PhotoRun.net

Janay DeLoach, LJ, 2012 USA Indoors, photo by PhotoRun.net

Justin Gatlin, Trell Kimmons, 60m, 2012 USA Indoors, photo by PhotoRun.net

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Kristi Castlin, 60m hurdles, 2012 USA Indoors,
photo by PhotoRun.net

Matt Centrowtiz, 1,500m, photo by PhotoRun.net

Sara Hall, 3,000m, 2012 USA Indoors,
photo by PhotoRun.net

Natasha Hastings, 400m, 2012 USA Indoors,
photo by PhotoRun.net

Reese Hoffa, Shot Put, 2012 USA Indoors,
photo by PhotoRun.net

The US team numbers fifty-one (51), heading to Istanbul, Turkey, for the 2012 World Indoor Championships, being held March 8-11, 2012. The team is pretty impressive, but so are some of the teams from the rest of the world. Looking forward to three solid days of track & field!

MORE
TEAMS FOR ISTANBUL

USA: The
biggest of all teams with 51 athletes. USATF writes that two-time World Indoor
3000 m gold medalist Bernard Lagat and two-time defending long jump gold
medalist Brittney Reese join world-leaders Tianna Madison (60m), Sanya
Richards-Ross (400m), Kristi Castlin (60mH), Trell Kimmons (60m), Will Claye
(TJ and LJ) and Reese Hoffa (SP) as Team USA looks for a repeat
performance from 2010 when it won a total of 17 medals to take the overall
medal count. The roster also features six athletes who earned individual medals
at last summer’s World Outdoor Championships in Daegu, South Korea. The list
includes Claye, who took a bronze medal in the triple jump, 1500 m bronze
medalist Matthew Centrowitz, triple jump gold medalist Christian Taylor, high
jump gold medalist Jesse Williams, decathlon silver medalist Ashton Eaton, shot
put bronze medalist Jillian Camarena-Williams and long jump gold medalist
Reese. The team, men – 60 m: Kimmons, Gatlin, 400 m: Roberts, C. Smith, 800 m:
Rutt, T. Everett, 1500 m: Centrowitz, Rupp, 3000 m: Lagat, Lomong, 60mH:
Merritt, Craddock, HJ: Williams, PV: Walker, Roth, LJ: Claye, TJ: Claye,
Taylor, SP: Hoffa, Whiting, hept: Eaton, 4×400 m: added Wright, M. Mitchell,
Iglehart-Summers, Torrence. Women – 60 m: Madison, Pierre, 400 m: Richards-Ross,
Hastings, 800 m: Moore, Wright, 1500 m: Martinez, Vaughn, 3000 m: Areson, Hall,
60mH: Castlin, Ivy, HJ: Lowe, McPherson, PV: Suhr, Saxer, LJ: DeLoach, Reese,
TJ: Smock, SP: Camarena-Williams, Carter, 4×400 m: added Cole, Hayes, S.
Williams, Cousins.

CUBA: In
total 11 athletes from Cuba, 7 men a 4 women. Top guns Dayron Robles at 60
m hurdles, Yargelis Savigne in the triple jump and both pole vaulters Lazaro
Borges and Yarisley Silva. The team, men – 60mH: Robles, Ortega, PV: Borges,
TJ: Copello, Girat, SP: Veliz, Hept: Y. Garcia. Women – PV: Silva, TJ: Savigne,
Gay, SP: Gonzalez.

NEW
ZEALAND: The only entry is the shot put world champion Valerie Adams.

AZERBAIJAN:
Two runners for 3000 m are entered, Layes Abdullayeva and Hayle Ibrahimov.

BELARUS:
Only 2 men and 16 women are selected. Andrey Kravchenko for heptathlon and
Maksim Lynsha for 60 m hurdles are the male representatives. On the women side
shot put title defender Nadezhda Ostapchuk is the top entry, also in the team
is 100 m olympic 2004 winner from Athens Yulia Nesterenko. Women team – 60 m:
Balykina, Nesterenko, 800 m: Arzamasava, 1500 m: Koreyvo, 60mH: Talay, LJ:
Mironchyk-Ivanova, Shutkova, TJ: Detsiuk, SP: Ostapchuk, Kopets, Pent:
Maksimava, 4×400 m: Kiyevich, Tashpulatova, S. Usovich, Khlyustova, Yushchanka.

GREECE:
In total 8 athletes (5 men and 3 women) have been selected from the Greek
Federation. Pole vaulter KonstadÃnos FilippÃdis is the only member of the team
who participated in the previous edition of 2010, while LoÃºis TsÃ¡toumas is
bound for his 4th appearance in a World Indoor Championships and has been
named the captain of the team. Men – 60mH: DouvalÃdis, HJ: BaniÃ³tis,
HondrokoÃºkis, PV: FilippÃdis, LJ: TsÃ¡toumas. Women – 800m: FilÃ¡ndra, TJ:
PanÃ©ta, PapahrÃstou.

ISRAEL:
Former US athletes will represent Israel. In women pole vault Jillian Schwartz
and in menÂ´s 800 m Dustin Emrani who improved this winter to 1:47.81.

LATVIA:
Two females will compete in the long jump, heptathlete Aiga Grabuste and Lauma
Griva.

BOTSWANA:
As EME NEWS already reported 400 m world champion Amantle Montsho is not
running, the representatives will be men 4×400 m relay team. They will be five:
Jamaica-based Isaac Makwala, Obakeng Ngwigwa, Thapelo Ketlogetswe, Pako Seribe
and Sakaria Kamberuka.

TURKEY:
Host nation selected 20 athletes. Just recently approved is the participation
of two high quality runners of Kenyan origin Polat Kemboi and Ilham Tanui. Also
in the team European Champion Nevin Yanit at 60 m hurdles. Men – 400 m: Kayas,
added for relay: Kilic, Guzel, Tamac, Can, 800 m: Kilic, 1500 m: Koyuncu, I.
Tanui, 3000 m: P. Kemboi, LJ: Kulaksiz, SP: Atici. Women – 400 m: Redif, 800 m:
Aydin, 1500 m: Cakir, Karakaya, 3000 m: Karakaya, 60mH: Yanit, HJ: Ayhan, LJ:
Mey, TJ: Sinmez, SP: Dereli

CROATIA:
The national federation asked for an exception for high jumper Ana Simic, she
has 192 from last year, 191 this year. Otherwise no athletes with standard in
the country.

OTHER NEWS

DUBLIN
(IRL): Kenenisa Bekele, the world’s greatest ever cross country and track
distance runner, will return to the city of one of his greatest achievements
when competing at the SPAR Great Ireland Run in Dublin at 10 km. It is 10 years
ago next month when, aged only 19, he became the first and only male athlete
ever to lift the IAAF World Cross Country long and short course titles in the
same year with two magnificent performances at Leopardstown racecourse. Now
Bekele’s appearance in the SPAR Great Ireland Run on 15 April suggests the
reigning Olympic 5000m and 10000m champion, before taking part in this summer’s
London Games, could be taking a preliminary step in the transition of
proving himself as equally successful on the roads which would cement his reputation
as the world’s best ever distance runner. Writes David Martin.

LONDON
(GBR): A 12 million euro Olympic Museum will be opened in the Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park after London 2012 announced the British Olympic
Association (BOA) in the presence of Olympic and Sports Minister Hugh
Robertson. The Olympic Museum is set to open in 2014 and be situated adjacent
to the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower writes Insidethegames.

LONDON
(GBR): India have promised that they will not boycott London 2012 in protest over
Dow Chemical’s sponsorship of the Olympic Games but warned that they could be
taking part in the Games â€žunder protest”. Indian Olympic Association (IOA)
acting-President Vijay Kumar Malhotra revealed that they would discuss the idea
at the organistion’s next Executive Board reports Insidethegames.

LONDON
(GBR): Banned British sprinter Dwain Chambers is unlikely to know until
mid-April whether he can compete at the London Olympics, according to the
British Olympic Association (BOA).”It is unlikely that there will be a determination
by CAS before probably three to four weeks after that hearing, we are expecting
a month,” BOA chairman Colin Moynihan told reporters from Reuters.

COLORADO
SPRINGS (USA): Current National Track & Field Hall of Famers Valerie Brisco,
Gail Devers and Dan O’Brien have been named as nominees for the 2012 U.S.
Olympic Hall of Fame, announced the U.S. Olympic Committee. Fans are eligible
to vote for their favorites of the 18 Olympic athletes, five Paralympic
athletes and five teams nominated. The three athletes have combined to win a total
of seven Olympic gold medals.

MOSCOW
(RUS): World indoor record holder at 1500 m Yelena Soboleva who continues in
her comeback after being banned before Beijing Olympics said that the she plans
to concentrate on the 800 m in the summer. At the last week Russian Indoor
Championships she was third in the 1500 m and satisfied as she just recently
underwent a achilles surgery.

PARIS
(FRA): For its 20th edition, the Paris International Half-Marathon plans with a field
of 30 000 runners this Sunday. This year, the field in the men’s race will be
welcoming several runners whose personal bests come under the one hour mark.
Ethiopian Getu Feleke, winner of the 2010 Amsterdam Marathon with a time
of 2:05:44′, will be the man to watch with a personal best of 59:56.
Kenyan challengers will be headed by track world record holder Moses Mosop with
59:20 and also Boston top time 2:03:36 last year. He is also Chicago winner and
one the 6 preselected marathon runners in Kenya for olympic games. In the
women’s race title defender Peninah Arusei, her countrywomen Sarah Jepchirchir
and Pauline Kahenya will be attempting to capitalise on recent performances.
Organizers are writing in a release.

METZ
(FRA): Last big international indoor meet in Europe will be the Athlelor
Moselle Indoor in Metz on Wednesday. Main names are European indoor champion
Olesya Povkh in the 60 m, former Cuban triple jump world champion Yargelis
Savigne (with Mabel Gay), pole vault duel Roman Mesnil against world medalist
Lazaro Borges. In the men 60 m Cuban Yuniel Perez will clash with Ramil
Guliyev, both are not in Istanbul due to their nationality status. Improved
Pascal Martinot Lagarde will fight with Italian record holder Emanuele Abate at
60 m hurdles. Kenyans Ismael Kombich, Remy Limo and Gideon Gathimba are the
1500 m favorites.

CLERMONT
(USA): Orlando Sentinel informs that Olympic hurdler Damu Cherry continues her
comeback from an Achilles injury as she prepares at the National Training Center
for hurdles as she works to come back from injury and prepare for the 2012
Olympic team track and field trials in June in Eugene.

MADRID
(ESP): Spanish marathon runner Alessandra Aguilar gave a positive drug
test for a stimulant after she won the Cross de Cantimpalos on December 8.
The news came out over the weekend and she has admitted that she tested
positive.

GOLD
COAST (AUS): Athletics legend Ron Clarke has resigned as Mayor of the Gold
Coast to run for a seat in Queensland’s State election next month and he
has claimed that ensuring a successful 2018 Commonwealth Games will be one
of his key priorities if he is elected. The 75-year-old from Victoria was a key
figure throughout the Gold Coast 2018 bid campaign and his presence at the
Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) General Assembly in St Kitts and Nevis in
November played a decisive factor in helping the Australian city hold off
sole rivals Hambantota of Sri Lanka by 43 votes to 27. Insidethegames informs.

PORT OF
SPAIN (TRI): A member of Trinidad & Tobago’s team to last year’s IAAF
World Outdoor Championships in Daegu has been linked to a positive test
according to a well-placed TrackAlerts.Com source. Information reaching
the website is that the test was carried out at last year’s Sagicor-NAAA Open
Championships (Trials), held August 13-14, but that could not prevent the
athlete from competing in Korea because of the time frame between both events.
TT’s local track and field governing body (NAAA) head Ephraime Serrette did not
confirm or deny that there was a positive test, when contacted by
TrackAlerts.com. â€žI don’t want to comment on that situation in order to protect
the athlete,” he said.

ALBUQUERQUE
(USA): Galen Rupp and Chaunte Lowe claimed the 2012 Indoor Visa Championship
Series titles on the final day of competition at the USA Indoor Track &
Field Championships. Both will get the bonus of 25 000 USD. National
Championships were the fourth and final stop on the indoor Visa Championship
Series.

MODENA
(ITA): Marathon 2004 olympic winner Stefano Baldini became father for second
time on Sunday evening. First daughter Alessia was born in 2001 and now Laura
as second daughter. Mother and wife is the former national 400 m champion Virna
De Angeli.

RESULTS

MAGGLINGEN
(SUI, Feb 26): Irene Pusterla returned to competition with solid 651 cm. The
national record holder confirmed so her fitness for the World Indoors.

GENOVA
(ITA, Feb 26): Chinese national walking team dominated the 43rd Ugo Frigerio
Trophy on the road. Wang Zhen was the best in menÂ´s 10 km in 38:36 ahead of Si
Tianfeng 40:57. In women race Liu Hong got 44:10 and Li Yan Fei 45:06.

SEATTLE
(USA, Feb 26): At Brooks High School Invitational at oversized track here fast
400 m times for Najee Glass 46.06 (facility record) and Aldrich Bailey 46.07.
Levonte Whitfield won the 60 m in 6.71 ahead of Tatum Taylor also 6.71. In the
girls 60 m Shayla Sanders impressive 7.21. Donovan Robertson clocked new US HS
record at 60 m hurdles 7.57 (HS height).

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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