by Larry EderChristian Olsson, the Swedish triple jumper, one of the most dominant jumpers of his era, has injured himself once again, this time during the DN Galen, and will be unable to defend his Athens gold medal at Beijing. Bekele and Tirunseh Dibaba are both on 5,000 m reserve for Ethiopia, and Gebrselassie is still a question for Beijing….three weeks to go!
EME NEWS (JULY 23, 2008)
BELARUS: Nesterenko and Tikhon
MINSK (BLR): Belarus sends its Olympic champion Yulia Nesterenko, hammer world champion Ivan Tikhon and decathlon world leader Andrey Kravchenko as top names to Olympic Games.
The team
Women
100 m: Yulia Nesterenko, 400 m: Ilona Usovich, 800 m: Svetlana Usovich, 5000 m: Olga Kravtsova, 100mH: Yekaterina Poplavskaya, LJ: Olga Sergeyenko, Irina Chernyshenko-Stasyuk, TJ: Kseniya Priyomko, heptathlon: Yana Maksimova, 20 km walk: Rita Turova, Elena Ginko, Snezhana Yurchenko, heptathlon: Oksana Menkova, Darya Pchelnik, Mariya Smolyachkova, DT: Irina Yatchenko, Elina Zvereva, Anna Mozgunova, SP: Nadezhda Ostapchuk, Natalya Mikhnevich, Yanina Provalinskaya-Karolchik, JT: Natalya Shimchuk, Marina Novik, 4×100 m: Nesterenko, Anna Bagdanovich, Oksana Dragun, Anastasiya Shyulak, Yevgeniya Volodko, Olga Ostashko, 4×400 m: Svetlana Usovich, Ilona Usovich, Anna Kozak, Yuiliana Yushchenko, Irina Khlyustova, Yekaterina Bobrik
Men
Marathon: Andrey Gordeyev, 110mH: Maksim Lynsha, TJ: Dmitrij Plotnitskiy, decathlon: Andrey Kravchenko, Aleksandr Parkhomenko, Nikolay Shubenok, 20 km walk: Ivan Trotskiy, Sergey Chernov, Denis Simanovich, 50 km walk: Andrey Stepanchuk, HT: Ivan Tikhon, Vadim Devyatovskiy, Valeriy Svyatokho, DT: Dmitriy Sivakov, SP: Andrey Mikhnevich, Pavel Lyzhin, Yuriy Belov, JT: Vladimir Kozlov
CUBA: Robles, the gold medal hope
HAVANA (CUB): Total of 47 athletes (22 men and 25 women) will be competing for Cuba at Olympic Games. The headliner is of course 110 m Hurdles world record holder Dayron Robles. Questionmark remains in triple jump with third spot open between David Giralt and Osniel Tosca. Jumper Yargelis Savigne will double with long and triple, another medal hope is former hammer world champion Yipsi Moreno, the surprise could come from 800 m Yeimer Lopez.
The team
Men
100 m: Jenris VizcaÃno, 400 m: William Collazo, 800 m: Yeimer López, Andy González, 110 m H: Dayron Robles, PV: Lázaro Borges, LJ: Ibrain Camejo, Wilfredo MartÃnez, TJ: Alexis Copello, Héctor Dairon Fuentes, Arnie David Giralt or Osniel Tosca, SP: Carlos Véliz, Alexis Paumier, Reinaldo Proenza, DT: Jorge Fernández, JT: Annier Boué, decathlon: Leonel Suárez, Yordani GarcÃa, Yunior DÃaz, 4×400 m: Yeimer López, William Collazo, Omar Cisneros, Yunier Pérez, Yasmani Copello, Yunior DÃaz
Women
100 m: Virgen Benavides, 200 m: Roxana DÃaz, 400 m: Indira Terrero, 800 m: Zulia Calatayud, 100 m H: Anay Tejeda, Yenima Arencibia, PV: Yarisley Silva, LJ: Yargelis Savigne, TJ: Yargelis Savigne, Mabel Gay, Yarianna MartÃnez, SP: Misleydis González, MailÃn Vargas, Yumileidi Cumbá, DT: Yarelis Barrios, Yania Ferrales, HT: Yipsi Moreno, Arasay Thondike, Yunaika Crawford, JT: Osleidys Menéndez, Yanet Cruz, heptathlon: Gretchen Quintana, 4×400 m: Indira Terrero, Roxana DÃaz, Diosmely Peña, Susana Clement, Daysurami Bonne, Aymée MartÃnez
GREECE: Thanou is going, Halkia still open
ATHENS (GRE): The Greek olympic team was completed after the meetings of last weekend (the Balkan Championships, the Throws meeting of Nikiti and Heusden). It is comprised of 35 persons, 15 men and 20 women, with the addition of one more name in the women’s 400m hurdles, to be decided until the end of July. There is one still unresolved issue with the women’s 400m hurdles. Both reigning Olympic champion Fanà Halkiá and HristÃna HantzÃ-Neag have the B-standard from last year, so consequently only one can make the team. According to SEGAS, the names of both athletes will be submitted to the Greek Olympic Committee. The one who will travel to Beijing will be selected after a final competitive test.
Men
200m: Anastásios Goúsis
110m hurdles: KonstadÃnos DouvalÃdis
400m hurdles: PeriklÃs Iakovákis (4x400m relay)
High jump: KonstadÃnos Baniótis
Long jump: Loúis Tsátoumas
Triple jump: DimÃtrios Tsiámis
Shot put: MihaÃl Stamatóyiannis
Hammer throw: Aléxandros PapadimitrÃou
Javelin throw: Ioánnis-Yeóryios Smaliós
50k walk: KonstadÃnos Stefanópoulos
4x400m: PadeleÃmon Melahrinoúdis, DimÃtrios Grávalos, KonstadÃnos AnastasÃou, Yeóryios Doúpis, Stilianós Dimótsios
Women
100m: EkaterÃni Thánou
400m: DÃmitra Dóva
1500m: KonstadÃna Efedáki
100m hurdles: Flóra Redoúmi
Marathon: Eléni Dónta
3000m steeplechase: IrÃni KokkinarÃou
400m hurdles: still open (Fani Halkia or Hristina Hantzi-Neag)
High jump: AdonÃa SteryÃou
Pole vault: AfrodÃti SkafÃda, Nikoléta Kiriakopoúlou
Triple jump: Hrisopiyà Devetzà (also LJ), AthanasÃa Pérra
Shot put: IrÃni-Hrisovaládou Terzóglou
Discus throw: Dorothéa KalpakÃdou
Hammer throw: Stilianà Papadopoúlou, Alexándra PapayeoryÃou
Javelin throw: Sávva LÃka
Heptathlon: Aryiró Stratáki
20k walk: AthanasÃa Tsoumeléka, EvaggelÃa Xinou, Déspina ZapounÃdou
ETHIOPIA: Bekele and Dibaba reserves
ADDIS ABABA (ETH): Ethiopian federation clarified the Olympic team and deleted the reserves. Haile Gebrselassie is included in the 10 000 m, but small questionmark about his health still remains. Even when Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba are not listed any longer for 5000 m races, they still will be entered and the possibility that they will compete still remains.
World one-hour record holder and current Boston marathon champion Dire Tune will run instead of Bezunesh Bekele and in the men marathon Gashaw Melese was selected and not Gudisa Shentema.
Revised team
1500m: Derese Mekonnen, Mulugeta Wondimu, Demma Daba
3000m steeplechase: Nahom Mesfin, Yacob Jarso, Roba Gari
5000m: Tariku Bekele, Abraham Cherkos, Ali Abdosh, Kenenisa Bekele (reserve)
10000m: Kenenisa Bekele, Sileshi Sihine, Haile Gebrselassie
Marathon: Deriba Merga, Tsegaye Kebede, Gashaw Melese
1500m: Gelete Burka, Meskerem Assefa
3000m steeplechase: Zemzem Ahmed, Mekdes Bekele, Sofia Assefa
5000m: Meseret Defar, Meselech Melkamu, Belaynesh Fekadu, Tirunesh Dibaba (reserve)
10000m: Mestawet Tufa, Tirunesh Dibaba, Ejegayehou Dibaba
Marathon: Gete Wami, Berhane Adere, Dire Tune
UKRAINE: Blonska in two events
KYIV (UKR): Heptathlon world medalist Lyudmyla Blonska leads the Ukrainian Olympic Team as she will double with long jump.
Men
100 m: Dmytro Hluschenko, 200 m: Igor Bodrov, 400 m: Mykhaylo Knysh, 1500 m: Ivan Heshko, marathon: Oleksandr Kuzin, Oleksandr Sitkovskyy, Vasyl Matviychuk, 110mH: Sergiy Demydyuk, 20 km walk: Andriy Kovenko, 50 km walk: Oleksiy Kazanin, Oleksiy Shelest, Serhiy Budza, decathlon: Oleksiy Kasyanov, HJ: Oleksandr Nartov, Yuriy Krimarenko, Dmytro Demyanyuk, PV: Oleksandr Korchmid, Maksym Mazuryk, Denys Yurchenko, LJ: Andriy Makarchev, TJ: Mykola Savolainen, Viktor Kuznetsov, Viktor Yastrebov, SP: Yuriy Bilonoh, Andriy Semenov, DT: Oleksiy Semenov, HT: Yevhen Vynohradov, Artem Rubanko, Ihor Tuhay, JT: Roman Avramenko
Women
100 m: Nataliya Pohrebnyak, 200 m: Iryna Shtanheeva, Nataliya Pyhyda, 4×100 m: Pohrebnyak, Shtanheeva, Pyhyda, Iriyna Shepetyuk, Olena Chebanu, Hrystyna Stuy, 400 m: Antonina Yefremova, 4×400 m: Oksana Shcherbak, Pyhyda, Yefremova, Rabchenyuk, Kseniya Karandyuk, 800 m: Tetyana Petlyuk, Yuliya Krevsun, 1500 m: Iryna Lishchynska, Nataliya Tobias, Anna Mishchenko, 10 000 m: Natalya Berkut, marathon: Tetyana Filonyuk, Oksana Sklyarenko, 3000mSC: Valentyna Gorpynych, 100mH: Yevheniya Snihur, 400mH: Anastasiya Rabchenyuk, 20 km walk: Vira Zozulya, Nadiya Prokopuk, heptathlon: Lyudmyla Blonska, Nataliya Dobrynska, Anna Melnychenko, HJ: Vita Palamar, Vita Styopina, PV: Nataliya Kushch, LJ: Blonska, Viktoriya Rybalko, Oleksandra Stadnyuk, TJ: Olha Saladuha, Liliya Kulyk, Svitlana Mameeva, DT: Kateryna Karsak, Nataliya Semenova, Olena Antonova, HT: Iryna Sekachova, Inna Saenko, Iryna Novozhylova, JT: Olha Ivankova, Vira Rebryk, Tetyana Lyahovuch
SLOVAKIA: The highest number of entries from all sports
BRATISLAVA (SVK): Slovakia is sending 18 athletes to Beijing, the biggest number in all sports. Last addition is Slaven Dizdarevic in decathlon who during the weekend improved to 7700 points. At least final positions (even medal attacks) are expected from 800 m runner Lucia Klocova, hammer throwers Libor Charfreitag and Martina Hrasnova and triple jumper Dmitrij Valukevic.
The team
Men: Jozef Repcik (800 m), Peter Horak (high jump), Dmitrij Valukevic (triple jump), Milan Haborak (shot put), Libor Charfreitag, Miloslav Konopka (hammer), Slaven Dizdarevic (dec), Matej Toth (20 km walk), Peter Korcok, Milos Batovsky, Kazimir Verkin (50 km walk)
Women: Lucia Klocova (800 m), Zuzana Tomasova (marathon, she lives in US), Miriam Bobkova (100 m H), Jana Veldakova (long jump), Dana Veldakova (triple jump), Martina Hrasnova (hammer), Zuzana Malikova (20 km walk).
DENMARK: Only three with Olsen the leader
COPENHAGEN (DEN): Denmark is sending three athletes. The headliner is the Olympic bronze medalist in shot put Joachim Olsen. National record holders Christina Scherwin (javelin) and Morten Jensen (long jump) will be there too.
CROATIA: Vlasic the leader
ZAGREB (CRO): High jumper Blanka Vlasic who won in Stockholm last night and is undefeated since June 2007 leads the Croatian Olympic Team. Due to small injury she cancelled her London appearance, Croatian media are informing. Last added are the hammer thrower Sonja Gavrilovic and discus thrower Martin Maric according to Tuesday results in Ljubljana.
The Team
Men: Jurica Grabusic (110 m H), Nedzad Mulabegovic (Shot Put), Andras Haklits (Hammer), Martin Maric (discus)
Women: Vanja Perisic (800 m), Nikolina Horvat (400 m H), Vera Begic (discus), Ivana Brkljacic and Sonja Gavrilovic (Hammer)
SWITZERLAND: Eight athletes
ZURICH (SUI): World bronze marathon medalist Viktor Rothlin leads the Swiss team composed of 8 athletes.
Men: Marco Cribari and Marc Schneeberger (200 m), Philipp Bandi (5000 m), Andreas Kundert (110mH), Julien Fivaz (Long Jump) and Viktor Rothlin (marathon)
Women: Nicole Buchler (Pole Vault), Linda Zublin (heptathlon)
OTHER NEWS
TALLAHASSEE (USA): Coral Springs and FSU graduate Walter Dix was expected to make his pro debut in Stockholm yesterday. But according to his agent, Kimberly Holland, Dix decided to remain in Tallahassee to train and will make his pro debut in Beijing at Olympic Games. Informs sun-sentinel.com.
INDIANAPOLIS (USA): As the New York Times reported on Saturday, disgraced sprinter Marion Jones is among more than 2,300 convicted felons who have requested pardons or communations from President George W. Bush. Douglas G. Logan, the new CEO of USA Track & Field sent a letter of his own to the Oval Office, asking the outgoing President: please don’t. “With her cheating and lying, Marion Jones did everything she could to violate the principles of track and field and Olympic competition,” Logan wrote in an open letter sent to Bush today, informs Bob Ramsak.
STOCKHOLM (SWE): To add that the 8:34.53 3000 m split is also a world lead by Meseret Defar. Tirunesh Dibaba in Oslo had 8:38.83.
STOCKHOLM (SWE): Christian Olsson has confirmed he will not defend his Olympic triple jump title after injurying himself yet again in last night’s IAAF Super Grand Prix meeting in Stockholm. Writes David Martin. Olsson competing for the first time this season after recovering from groin and hamstring injuries had produced a reasonable third attempt of 17metres in his first appearance of the season. But the 28-year-old Swede who has won every major global championship title after succeeding Johnathan Edwards as world number one in 2003, with his next attempt pulled a thigh muscle. Tests later confirmed not only will he not be competing in Beijing but that his career may even be finished, although that has to be definitely confirmed.
PARIS (FRA): The 2008 season is over for French long jumper Eloyse Lesueur, 4th at the World indoor Championships in Valencia. Lesueur seriously hurt her hamstring last week-end at the French U23 championships.
PARIS (FRA): French miler Hind Dehiba, currently suspended for 2 years after failing an EPO drug test, has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in a bid to force the IAAF to reduce her suspension after she provided the world body with information to help to catch other drug cheats.
BRNO (CZE, July 22): Czech European U23 long jump medalist from last year Roman Novotny improved at local meet to 821 in round three (+1.9) and qualified for Beijing in the very last moment. Stepan Wagner was second with 795 (+1.7) and did not had the same luck, he even jumped the same day at other meet/stadium in Brno and achieved 800 (+1.5). High jumper Svatoslav Ton also tried his last chance and after jumping 220 he went straight to 230 and did not clear. Jan Kudlicka and Michal Balner got 550 in Pole Vault and Jan Marcell 61.39 in discus.
MARIBOR (SLO, July 22): Merlene Ottey failed in her bid to qualify for 8th Olympic Games at age 48. At local meet here was second with 11.70 at 100 m, the winner Sabina Veit achieved 11.66. Sara Oresnik also missed the norm at 400 m Hurdles with 56.99.
LJUBLJANA (SLO, July 22): Former European champion and disgraced discus thrower Robert Fazekas improved here to his best since doping ban with 64.56 m. Croatian Martin Maric improved to B-qualifier 62.68 as second. His countrymate hammer thrower Sanja Gavrilovic improved to A-olympic qualifier 70.07.
