by Larry EderThe injury is taking longer than Tyson Gay’s management group expected and after consulting a top German physician, Gay withdrew from the event. This was to be the anticipated Powell-Gay clash at the Aviva London Super GP, a two day affair at the Crystal Palace starting Friday, July 25, 2008…..
EME NEWS (JULY 24, 2008)
Gay out of Powell duel
LONDON (GBR): World 100 metres champion Tyson Gay has pulled out of his eagerly-anticipated head-to-head with Asafa Powell at the Aviva London Grand Prix on Friday night. The American has lost his battle to regain full fitness following a hamstring injury. After winning the 100m at the USA Olympic trials, Gay then fell to the track in his 200m quarter-final on July 5 clutching his left hamstring, and an MRI scan showed a mild strain in the semi tendinosus muscle. The injury was later diagnosed as more serious and two weeks ago, Gay flew to Munich for treatment from one of the world’s leading sports specialists, Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt.His management and medical team advised Gay, despite his eagerness to fulfil his commitment at the Crystal Palace meeting, a further setback could wreck his chances of competing in the fast-approaching Beijing Olympics. The latest MRI taken on Monday, and discussed at a medical appointment showed Gay’s hamstring strain to be healing well. Mark Wetmore, the sprinter’s agent, insisted: “The decision does not affect Gay’s plans for Beijing, by which time he is expected to be fully recovered.”
Other top action at Crystal Palace during Friday and Saturday (first two days GP meet since the eighties). World record holder Usain Bolt runs the 200 m, world champions Bernard Lagat the mile and Kerron Clement the 400 m Hurdles. Home world indoor champion Philips Idowu is the star of triple jump. In the pole vaulf for first time this summer the top two in the world US record holder Brad Walker and Russian world indoor champion Yevgeniy Lukyanenko will meet.
On the women side world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica runs the 100 m against strong opposition from her own country and USA. Allyson Felix will be there too and is competing also at 200 m. 400 m will see first this years clash of home stars Christine Ohuruogu and Nicola Sanders. US Trials winner Lolo Jones runs the 100 m Hurdles and finally the first this years duel Yelena Isinbayeva vs. Jennifer Stuczynski is expected in Pole Vault. Both 4×100 m relays will see mainly USA vs. Jamaica duels added by appearances of home quarttets.
Shaheen no for Olympics
LONDON (GBR): World 3000mSC record holder Saif Shaheen (QAT) has decided that he will not be ready for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing due to a series of injuries over the past year. The 2003 & 2005 World Champion missed all of last season due to knee and Achilles tendon injuries and although he has made great progress over the past 3 months does not feel that he is well enough prepared to put two races together in three days in Beijing. He sets himself very high standards and would not be satisfied with anything other than the gold medal. Informs his agent Ricky Simms. He ran the 5000m in Belgrade (13:29.83) and the 2 miles in Eugene (8:22.86 national record) earlier this year off base fitness but was forced to drop out of the 3000mSC in Athens when he felt a pain in his knee going over the water jump on the 4th lap. Fortunately the knee pain was not serious and he is now back in full training. However having missed so much over the past year he wants to take things slowly in an attempt to be at full fitness for 2009 and beyond. He has not yet decided if he will run some track races in September but may consider the 5th Avenue mile or the 3km in the Great North Run.
Robles for Lausanne
LAUSANNE (SUI): Cuban world record Dayron Robles already knows that he will compete in Switzerland after Olympic Games. First at Weltklasse of Zurich on Aug 29 followed by 33rd edition of the Athletissima Super Grand Prix, which will take place at the Pontaise Stadium on 2 September in Lausanne. For this Swiss meet also Olympic winner Liu Xiang is confirmed, here he set his world record 12.88 in 2006. Sanya Richards will compete in the 400m event, three years after her win here. The women’s 100m race will also be exciting, with top Americans and Jamaicans. Muna Lee, Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams will race against Jamaican sprinters Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson.
World champion Brad Walker will compete in the pole vault. British Phillips Idowu, who won the World Indoor Championships last winter in Valencia and holds the World’s best performance of the year with 17.58 m, will face World silver medallist Brazilian Jadel Gregorio and Marian Oprea (Romania), who won in Stockholm this week will compete in Triple Jump.
OTHER NEWS
ISTANBUL (TUR): Long Jumper Karin Mey is no longer a South African. She is now Melis Mey and competes for Turkey. Her 662 from Stockholm DN Galan is new national record.
ADDIS ABABA (ETH): Elshadai Negash informs that in an incident that took place last Sunday at the Ghion Hotel, Ethiopian marathon runner Tessema Abshiro and Olympic hopeful Deriba Merga (6th in the 2008 London Marathon and winner of the 2007 Great Ethiopian Run 10km) were involved in a physical confrontation that saw Abshiro aim a gun at Merga after the pair exchanged in a heated conversation. The incident follows last Thursday´s physical fight between Bezunesh Bekele and world one-hour record holder Dire Tune before their early-morning training session after the pair argued over who deserved to claim the last spot on Ethiopia´s female Olympic marathon team. Several athletes, hotel security, and coaches tried to calm the situation, but the situation did not defuse until city police were called. They arrested all involved parties taking them to a nearby station for questioning. Merga or Tune have not pressed charges on Abhsiro or partner Bekele till the time of writing.
BUDAPEST (HUN): Hungarian High jumper Dora Gyorffy retired because of injuries in recent months. She is 30 years old, achieved 200 cm national record back in 2001. Her biggest success was the silver medal at European Indoor Championships 2002 in Vienna. She studied in US at Harvard University.
MONTE CARLO (MON) : The Herculis meeting to be held on Tuesday 29th of July in Monaco will present a women’s pole vault with the world’s best athlete. Russian Yelena Isinbayeva who has bettered her own World Record in Rome, will be up against South American record holder Fabiana Murer. For the Men’s 400m, The Herculis Meeting gathered together France’s best runner of the moment, Leslie Djhone and Bahamian NCAA Champion Andretti Bain together with strong Briton Martyn Rooney and Jamaican Ricardo Chambers.
RESULTS
RAKVERE (EST, July 23): Russian Svetlana Cherkasova clocked 2:00.43 to win the 800 m at 4th BIG Kuldliiga meet (Estonian Golden League). Home athletes achieved good results as Taavi Peetre got 20.13 in Shot Put and 31-years old Sirkka-Liisa Kivine improved to 667 (+1.2) in Long Jump. Korean record holder Kim Deok-Hyung registered solid 16.91 (+0.2) in Triple Jump. The last 5th meet of the series will be held in Tallinn on Aug 31.
BRASCHAAT (BEL, July 23): Flanders Cup continued with another top international fixture. Strong results by US Athletes here. Bolota Asmerom clocked 7:47.82 at 3000 m, Rob Myers 3:38.21 at 1500 m and Duane Solomon 1:46.10 at 800 m. Another American Tetlo Emmen surprised with even faster 800 m in B-race, 1:46.04 is his PB. Nicole Teter was the best in women´s 800 m (2:01.46). Hurdler Joel Brown got double as he after 110mH (13.49, +0.6) was the best also at 200 m (20.77, +0.3). Kendall Stevens beat Trell Kimmons at 100 m (10.31-10.34, 0.0). Heptathlete Virginia Johnson clocked 13.04 (-0.2) at 100 m Hurdles and Erison Hurtault 46.08 at 400 m. At 400 m Hurdles Michael Tinsley (49.45) beat South African Ockert Cilliers (49.48). Strong PB for Mimi Belete at 3000 m (8:54.40) and Ethiopian living in Belgium.
YAOUNDE (CMR, July 20): At national championships Myriam Mani clocked excellent 22.63 (+1.6) to win the 200 m. It is her fastest since 2001.
Used with permission of Alfons Juck, publisher of EME News.
