by Larry EderThe big news here is that Christine Aron, France’s sprint goddess has been having some issues with her back and is holding off her opener until probably early June.
The other real news is the amount of control that BOCis attempting on athletes, media and other foreign visitors. It will be virtually impossible for athletes to leave the Olympic village except for a)events, b) official Olympic events. The opportunities for families and the athletes to actually sight see, during the Olympics, will be severely controlled.
Olympics since September 11 have had their issues. However, Athens, with good security, was never obnoxious, and as one who went their with his son, we were able to travel and see much of the country without hindrance.
The concern that the Chinese government has after the Olympic torch relay can not be overemphasized. This is a country where 90 percent of the citizens have no idea bout Tianamen Square, such is the control of the media in the country. They underestimated the response of the world over Tibet, Darfur and Mynamar and they were also upset with the confrontational nature of the protests. It will probably get worse before it gets better.
The access to athletes of various brands after events, such as adidas and Reebok for example, will be quite limited. BOC had reportedly requested names, passports of all reporters and the dates of these press conferences due a month ago, which was preposterous. It just gives one an idea of how concerned BOC is about our movements and commentary.
Athletes, coaches have to understand what they are dealing with, and it does not seem, from conversations, that the community is taking this seriously. Athletes need to think very clearly of the ramifications before spouting out anything remotely political while in China during the Olympics. A simple statement could be misinterpreted.
The Beijing Olympics will be one long track meet, where the athletes will be ensconced in the Olympic village, and go to and from the stadium, and quite frankly, off to their planes and home.
EME NEWS (MAY 17, 2008) UPDATE
Osayomi clocks 11.10 at 100 m, other events affected by wind
DAKAR (SEN, May 17): Third edition of Dakar Grand Prix, the only African stop at Grand Prix circuit, produced few top level performances Saturday night, despite a brand new track and strong tailwind in the sprints and the jumps. Still four meet records were registered at Leopold Senghor Stadium (men pole vault and discus and women 100 m and 400 m).African champion Damola Osayomi recorded the top result of the day when she lowered her personal best to 11.10 in the only race that was within the allowed 2m/s limit (+1.7). Commonwealth champion Sheri-Ann Brooks was second in 11.27 but the Jamaican carried on with win in the 200m (+2.5m/s) in 23.01, ahead of Mali’s Kadiatou Camara who had her fifth race in four days (23.07) and Osayomi, third in 23.30. Jamaican Clement Campbell ruled in the men’s event with a wind-assisted 10.24/+2.2. In the triple jump Grenada´ s Randy Lewis confirmed his favourite status, producing a 17.30m/+3.6 effort ahead of local star Ndiss Kaba Badji (17.00/+3.2), but the results were both wind-assisted. More luck for third Ukrainian Viktor Yastrebov whos 16.85 had 0.0, but fourth Nathan Douglas of Great Britain achieved 16.82 with +3.6 wind. In the women’s long jump Karin Mey of South Africa (6.59/+4) shortly prevailed over Russia’s Anna Nazarova (6.57m/+3.4). Three men battled over 64m in the discus throw as Hungary’s Gabor Mate (64.93m) took the upper hand over fellow countryman and Olympic medalist Zoltan Kovago (64.54) and Cuba’s Frank Casanas (64.57m). In the 400m, African champion Amantle Montsho had an easy win over her Nigerian opponents, clocking 51.00 flat. Her time is only one tenth of second short of her 50.90 PB for 2007, but nowhere close to the 49.83, recorded at altitude in Addis-Ababa early this month. The men’s event was won by Talkmore Nyongani of Zimbabwe in 45.97, as US Tyree Washington faded to 6th and last in 48.88 after having won the 200m earlier in the evening (20.78/+3.7). 2006 European champion Yevgeniya Isakova dominated the 400 m hurdles clocking 56.20 ahead of Christine Spence of United States (56.43) while Jamaican Isa Phillips was well above the field in the men’s event, finishing in 49.70. African champion Kabelo Kgosiemang was the only one above 220 in High Jump with a 224m clearance, finishing ahead of Czech’s Jaroslav Baba and US Jamie Nieto (both 218m). The pole vault was more disputed with two men at 555, Denis Yurchenko of Ukraine and Slovenian Yuriy Rovan, the latter setting a season’s best. US Jeremy Scott was third with a 550 clearance. The women’s 800m turned into a duel between Moroccan Seltana Aït Hammou and Romanian Mihaela Neacsu as the former prevailed in 2:05.06 against 2:05.84. There was a home victory in the men’s 800m as Abdoulaye Wagne, who was in Addis-Ababa but pulled out the African championships scared of the challenge, had the edge over Kenyan Richard Kiplagat in a tactical race (1:49.21 to 1:49.53). Bernard Sang dominated an all-Kenyan field in the 3000m finishing the race in 7:48.88
OTHER TRACK RESULTS
MAUI (USA, May 16): Final day of second discus throw challenge in Hawaii brought the best results. World leader Stephanie Trafton won the first competition of the day with good 64.05, but was beaten in second (62.86) by Suzy Powell who achieved 63.69 as second and then 63.27 as winner. Aretha Thurmond was twice third (63.05 and 61.38). Becky Breisch was good fourth in first (63.03) but lost to Cecilia Barnes in second (60.65). Barnes was fifth (61.99) and fourth (61.15). Men were more clearer with same top three in both. Ian Waltz achieved 66.35 and 65.71, Jarred Rome was second (65.12 and 64.75) and Australian record holder Ben Harradine third (63.96 and 62.61).
KAKAMEGA (KEN, May 16) On the first day of the 6th KCC Athletics Tour, Daniel Kipkemei won the men’s 10,000m in 28:56.6, while Diana Chepkemoi took the women’s race in 25:32.6. The 5000m was won by Mary Wacera in 16:17.8.
VERSMOLD (GER, May 17): Great throwing at meet in Versmold. Osaka discus medalist Robert Harting achieved twice 66.82 (his best 66.93). Second Michael Mollenbeck registered also Olympic qualifier 64.63 m. Another Olympic norm for shot putter Peter Sack who got European leading and PB 21.19 m. And that despite only 11 degrees and rain. Second European champion Ralf Bartels (20.17). World champion Franka Dietzsch was on the other side not very happy with her 59.39 m because she missed the Olympic standard of 61 metres. Petra Lammert won the shot put in excellent 19.04, but this event was not organised as an olympic qualifier.
OORDEGEM (BEL, May 17): Cedric van Branteghem clocked at Flemish Championships 46.22 at 400 m. National record holder Eline Berings achieved 13.25 (+0.5) at 100 m Hurdles.
PRAHA (CZE, May 17): Jiri Vojtik missed at Prague City Championships the Czech federation Olympic norm at 200 m only by 0.11 with 20.76 (+0.1). Solid hurdles by Stanislav Sajdok (13.74, 0.0), Michal Uhlik (50.22) and Lucie Skrobakova (returned to her original name after divorce, before Martincova) who achieved 13.36 in heats and hand-timed 13.0 in finals (0.0). Polish 400 m indoor record holder Grazyna Prokopek-Janacek won both sprints after 11.91 and 23.94.
RIGA (LAT, May 17): Igor Sokolovs again improved his national hammer record. At University Championships his mark was 78.23 m.
SAARBRUCKEN (GER, May 17): Simon Kirch clocked solid 45.95 at 400 m during German Teams Championships. Ghana´s Vida Anim was also competing and was the best in sprints (11.67 and 23.58). ASV/DSHS Koln teams won men and women categories.
ISTANBUL (TUR, May 17): Development series at unusual distances ended with wins of Serdar Tamac at 300 m with new national best 33.28. Selahattin Cobanoglu clocked 1:18.93 at 600 m. On the women side fast 37.90 (300 m) and 1:28.70 (600 m) for Ozge Gurler.
YALTA (UKR, May 17): Ukrainian super talent Mykyta Nesterenko (17 years) registered new national record in shot put with 5 kg implement. In last series his mark was 22.33 m. All-time best of Croatian Marin Premeru is 22.79 m from last year. Russia won here five nations youth (U17) match with total score of 575 points, second Ukraine (518), third Belarus (479), fourth Turkey (312) and Latvia (210). Also high quality triple jump by Russian Andrey Fyedorov (16.04, +0.4).
LETHBRIGDE (CAN, May 16): New national hammer record by Jim Steacy who achieved 79.13 m.
ROAD
NEW YORK (USA, May 17): Kenyan World road silver medalist Patrick Makau on a glorious spring morning in Central Park bolted from the start of the 4th annual Healthy Kidney 10-K to attack Dathan Ritzenhein’s one year-old course record. A 20 000 USD bonus awaited him at the finish line if he could break 28:08, a very solid mark considering the difficulty of the course. He clocked at the end 28:19. “I ran the course very well,” said a mostly satisfied Makau who won 7500 USD in prize money. Brazilian Marilson Gomes dos Santos held on for second in 28:31 (5000), and Kenya’s Richard Kiplagat finished third in 29:08 (3000). Organizers recorded a race record 6273 finishers, up from 5413 last year, making it the largest race in Central Park so far this year. Informs Race Results Weekly.
BERLIN (GER, May 17): London marathon winner Irina Mikitenko won the 25th Berlin Women Run. With her 32:24 at 10 km she missed the course record of Restituta Joseph of Tanzania by 10 seconds.
GOTEBORG (SWE, May 17): Kenyan men dominated the Goteborg GS Varvet 21 km road race. Sylvester Kimeli achieved 1:01:21 ahead of Silas Sang (1:01:24) and Patrick Kimeli (1:02:52). Norway´s Kirsten Otterbu won the women section with 1:10:19. Kenyan Isabellah Andersson who will soon become Swedish was second (1:11:06) and Christelle Daunay of France third (1:11:19).
BIRSTONAS (LTU, May 17): Belarus Vadim Tivontchik won the 20 km walk at 22nd international walking meet here after 1:31:51. Home Sonata Milusauskaite was the best at women 10 km (46:03). Good mark by 17 years old Lithuanian talent Gennadiy Kozlovskiy 43:53 at 10 km.
OTHER NEWS
PARIS (FRA): French sprinter Christine Arron has decided to postpone her debut, originally scheduled for May 25 in Forbach because of back problems. “I’d like to make clear that I’m not injured. Having faced posture problems during my intensive training camp in Guadeloupe, I decided with caution to delay my debut. This problems have delayed my preparation but since my return [to Paris in April], I’ve been receiving treatment and carried out the necessary adjustment that allow me to train normally right now” she stated in a release.
RABAT (MAR) In an interview with Runner’s world, the new marathon record holder of Morocco Abderrahim Goumri – 3rd place in London with a time of 2:05:30 – indicated that double world champion Jaouad Gharib and 2008 Boston second placer Abderrahim Bouramdane will be his partners in the Moroccan marathon team for the Beijing Olympics.
BEIJING (CHN): For next week Good Luck Beijing pre-olympic track competition two world champions from Osaka are entered. Not only the biggest home star hurdler Liu Xiang but also New Zealand´s shot put gold medalist Valerie Vili. European athletes are not planning to come, so there is apart of all top Chinese athletes strong group from Japan and Australia. For example top Aussie sprinters with Patrick Johnson and Joshua Ross. Japan sends sprinters Nobuharu Asahara and Shingu Suetsugu along with hurdlers Kenji Narisako and Dai Tamesue. Also entered for his first start of the year is Olympic champion in hammer throw Koji Murofushi. Chinese Athens winner at 10 000 m Xing Huina should compete at 5000 m. In women hammer Osaka medalist Zhang Wenxiu is the top name.
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