by Larry EderNick Willis caught Bernard Lagat at the tape, 3:50.5 to 3:50.6, first Kiwi to win Fifth Avenue Mile since John Walker in 1984! Lisa Dobriesky edged Shannon Rowburty 4:18.6 to 4:19.2, to give Great Britian its first womens win in NY since Paula Radcliffe in 1997! 4,000 runners ran miles in the Continental Fifth Avenue Mile.
Jefferson Perez of Ecuador, the 1996 Olympic race walk gold medalist, last world champion and the 2008 silver medalist walked his last race today, in Murcia , Spain, finishing third in 1:24.35.
Stefan Holm of Sweden, one of the great jumpers of our era, competed for the last time in Vaxnashallen, Sweden, where he had started his competitive life at the ripe old age of 12, with a clearance of 1.40 meters. Saturday, he won and cleared 2.25 meters with friends and fans around. We wish him well.
Please keep Aussie distance runner David Fitzimmons, who died of non Hodgkins Lymphoma on September 7, 2008 in your thoughts and prayers. A two time Olympian-76 and 80, Fitzimmons ran 13:17 for 5,000 meters and 28:04.4 for the 10,000 meters.
EME NEWS (SEP 21, 2008)
Feitor and Fernandez, Plätzer and Tallent, Perez farewell
MURCIA (ESP, Sep 21): The IAAF Walking Challenge saw today in 30 degrees heat in Spain tough fights and wins for Susana Feitor of Portugal (1:30:17) and home Francisco Fernandez (1:23:14). But the Challenge winners (and owners of 30 000 USD) were third placed Norwegian Kjersti Plätzer (1:31:31) and second Australian Jared Tallent (1:24:02). But the real hero was last world champion and Olympic winner 1996 Jefferson Perez of Ecuador who ended third in 1:24:35 in his last competition of great career. Second woman Olympic winner 2004 Athanasia Tsoumeleka of Greece (1:31:17) was also second in the final ranking of the challenge.
Dobriskey and Willis beats Lagat
NEW YORK (USA, Sep 21): Britain’s Lisa Dobriskey and New Zealand’s Nick Willis won the professional races at the 28th Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile, informs Race Results Weekly. Dobriskey just got to the line slightly ahead of US number one Shannon Rowbury, winning in 4:18.6, the second fastest time in the history of the race. She is the first British women’s champion here since Paula Radcliffe in 1997. Rowbury, who like Dobriskey was making her Fifth Avenue debut, got second in 4:19.2. Kenyan Rose Kosgei held on for third in 4:23.9. At half-way Bernard Lagat, last year’s world 1500m and 5000m champion, decided to make his bid for victory. Willis, the Olympic 1500m bronze medalist, followed Lagat and the two came to the finish line just below East 60th street side-by-side. Willis got the win with a lean, 3:50.5 to 3:50.6, becoming the first Kiwi champion here since John Walker in 1984. Canada’s Nate Brannen finished third in 3:51.9. Over 4000 runners competed in various heats, and more than $30,000 in prize money was earned. Both Dobriskey and Willis will receive $5000.
Wanjiru first race after Beijing
PORTO (POR, Sep 21): Olympic marathon winner Samuel Wanjiru in his first competition since Beijing won The Porto Half Marathon in solid 1:01:24. Second in this race was another Kenyan, Jacob Yator achieving 1:02:41. Best European was home Rui Pedro Silva (fifth 1:04:56) who was also a pacemaker. The women’s race produced another Kenyan win, by Pamela Chepchumba, the IAAF World Road Running Championships bronze medallist last year in Udine with 1:10:26, ten seconds ahead of her countrywoman Lena Cheruyiot (1:10:36). Best European was Italian Alba Console (1:12:31) as fourth.
Kitwara beats Arusei
ZAANDAM (NED, Sep 21): The 24th edition of the ‘Dam tot Dam’ run over Ten Miles between Amsterdam and Zaandam registered a double Kenyan victory in sunny weather. Sammy Kitwara was the best man in 45:17 (world lead) and Peninah Arusei the first woman in 51:22. Olympic Marathon winner Constantina Dita of Romania finished fourth (53:23). Olympic bronze holder at 10 000 m Micah Kogo was fourth (46:12). In the men vs. women duel Kitwara prevailed as he catched in final km Arusei. Women had a 5:46 min advantage.
Holm final one
KARLSTAD (SWE, Sep 20): The really last one competition of Stefan Holm was held on Saturday in Vaxnashallen where he as 12 years old started with 140 cm. This time he ended with solid 225 win in friendly atmosphere with friends and other supporters.
Ramzi beaten
SANTANDER (ESP, Sep 20): Ethiopian Gebremedhin Mekonnen won the second edition of Cantabrian road mile here after 4:12. Home Juan Carlos Higuero was second (4:13) ahead of Olympic winner Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain (4:16). Natalia Rodriguez was the best woman in 4:49 in close finish ahead of Nuria Fernandez (also 4:49).
OTHER NEWS
LAUSANNE (SUI): As IOC informs at its web-site, the IOC Disciplinary Commission, composed of Thomas Bach (Chairman), Denis Oswald and Gerhard Heiberg, met on Sunday in Lausanne on three pending doping cases from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Two cases are from athletics and are related to Belarus hammer throwers Vadim Devyatovskiy and Ivan Tikhon. The commission gave the two hammer throwers the opportunity to provide further information until October 17. The decision by the IOC Disciplinary Commission will be taken once this information has been analysed.
MONTREAL (CAN): The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced on Saturday that its Executive Committee approved the List of Prohibited Substances and Methods for 2009. This new List will be published online by October 1, 2008, and will go into effect on January 1, 2009. The Prohibited List is one of the cornerstones of the harmonized fight against doping in sport. It specifies substances and methods prohibited in sport. The 2009 List offers a number of changes compared to the 2008 List, including modifications in relation to specified substances in order to align the 2009 List with the more flexible sanctions set forth in the revised World Anti-Doping Code (2009 Code) to come into effect on January 1, 2009.
As is traditionally the case at its September meeting, WADA’s Executive Committee also approved scientific research projects for funding. WADA will commit US$6.5 million—approximately a quarter of its total budget—to scientific research as part of its 2008 research grant program. This will bring the total amount of grants provided by the Agency to scientific research since 2001 to approximately US$44 million. A record number of proposals (75) were received this year from 24 countries, and 30 were selected for funding by the Executive Committee. These projects will help advance anti-doping research in such areas as the detection of blood manipulations, the development of techniques to detect gene manipulation, the development of new global technologies of detection, and the implementation of further means for detecting a number of substances including human growth hormone and various forms of erythropoietin.
The Executive Committee approved the accreditation of a new laboratory in New Delhi, India and the new International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information, which will also go into effect on January 1, 2009. However, the Executive Committee asked WADA’s management to continue its discussions with European governments to see whether any further improvements might be made. Informations from WADA website.
MINNEAPOLIS (USA): Returning to the race where he began his marathon career, Dan Browne will try to win his second USA marathon title at the 27th Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 5. It was at this race in 2002 where Browne ran his first –and still fastest– marathon in 2:11:35, winning both the U.S. and overall race titles. Informs Race Results Weekly.
His key challengers in Minneapolis this year include Justin Young (2:13:54), Fernando Cabada (2:12:27), Matt Downin (2:14:35) and Fasil Bizuneh (2:16:47). Organizers reported that six of the top-25 finishers at last November’s Olympic Trials marathon in New York are in the field.
The women’s race is an international competition this year, and the top entrant is Russia’s Silvia Skvortsova (2:27:07 PB). However, American Mary Akor could also win the race (2:33:50 PB), and become the first woman to win both of Minnesota’s primary marathons, Grandma’s and Twin Cities, in the same year. Russian Olga Glok is also in the field (2:30:40 PB), and could contend for the win.
SHANGHAI (CHN): Expert statistician Lennart Julin is questioning the reaction time of Veronica Campbell-Brown (0.567) at 100 m which would really send her into world record region. Julin writes: “Of course the reaction time issued for VCB is erroneous. A quick frame-by-frame analysis of the video shows that her move begun two frames (2×0.04) after that of Lauryn Williams in the lane outside of VCB. Williams RT is given as 0.158 which means that the true RT for VCB is approximately 0.24. The 0.567 is simply nonsense, VCB was up and running by then. But her race as such still was truly amazing. Because she was last out of the blocks and she did stumble noticeably for a couple of steps before getting into her stride. And with that dreadful start she did run 11.01 with nil wind leaving four Beijing finalists more than a quarter of a second behind.”
COLOMBO (SRI): Asia’s most successful female sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe is about to announce her retirement, informs the Nation on Sunday. The 32 year old sprinter who claimed the 200m silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in a national record of 22.28 and also bagged to silver ath the 1997 and 2007 world championships, is quitting to start a family.
PRETORIA (RSA): Athletics South Africa (ASA) today announced a team of five men and three women athletes to participate in the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships that will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 12 October. MEN: Boy Soke, Stephen Mokoka, Tshamano Setone, Jeffrey Gwebu, Lindikhaya Mthangayi ; WOMEN: Zintle Xiniwe, Annerien van Schalkwyk, Ntombesintu Ntshiliza
NAIROBI (KEN): A consequence of her outstanding success, Kenya’s 800m Olympic champion and Golden League $1 millions jackpot winner Pamela Jelimo was welcomed home by placards proposing marriage “Marry me Jelimo”.
ISTANBUL (TUR): Turkey has not only imported athletes from abroad in the past few years but also coaches. While the Turkish Olympic team included 11 naturalized foreign sportsmen (Selim Bayrak, Elvan Abeylegesse, Alemitu Bekele, Karin Mey, Svetlana Sudak in athletics), 31 foreign coaches and trainers supervised these squads, athletics standing first with five trainers. They are Guillermo De La Torres (Cuba), Anatoly Bychkov (Russia), Konstantin Astapkovic (Belarus), Teodoru Agachi (Romania), Charley Joseph Strohmenger (South Africa), informs Todays Zaman.
PORT OF SPAIN (TRI): Inaugural Caribbean Games are planned for July next year. Trinidad media are speculating that even a 100 m with Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell might be a possibility. Caribbean Games officials are trying hard to work out the logistical problems to make the mouthwatering rematch of the Beijing Olympic 100 metres final a reality. LOC of the games has been considering changing the dates for the event. The Games was scheduled to be held July 17, 18 and 19 at several venues across Trinidad and Tobago, but Newsday learnt that because there will be Golden League meet in Paris on July 17 next year, they have been considering the change which could see the championship held earlier that same week.
OTHER RESULTS
ELDORET (KEN, Sep 21): Sammy Kibet won this year’s edition of the Kenya Flourspar 10km road race held in Keiyo district. He clocked course record 27:48 what was first sub 28 of the event. Mercy Kibarus was the women’s division winner in 32:27 what was also new event best.
LYON (FRA, Sep 21): The French half-marathon championships were held this Sunday during the Lyon half-marathon. The winner of the men’s race was Moroccan-born legionnaire Abdellatif Meftah (1:02:33) who edged Alfred Kipserem Cherup (out of competition) by 3 seconds (1:02.36). Second French was Kenyan born James Theuri in 1:02:46 and third Fabrice Jaouen (1:03:51). The women’s race was dominated by Yamna Oubouhou (1:12:36) ahead of Christine Bardelle (1:12:42) and Fatima Yvelain 1:13:59.
CAPE TOWN (RSA, Sep 21): Lesotho claimed a podium sweep at Sunday’s Nedbank Cape Town City Marathon with victory for Motlokoa Mkhabutlane in 2:14:16, ahead of Lebenya Nkoka (2:15:10), while Sechaba Bohosi finished third in 2:15:37. Neo Molema was the first South African as fourth (2:16:23). Zimbabwe’s Samukeliso Moyo defended her title in the women’s race, clocking 2:42:12 ahead of fellow countrywoman Sharon Tavengwa (2:42:57) and Moleboheng Mafata of Lesotho (2:43:09).
USTER (SUI, Sep 20): Kenyan John Mwangani won the 29th Uster Half-marathon in 1:04:22 ahead of in Switzerland living Abraham Tadese ot Eritrea (1:04:59). Former British runner who now represents Canada Jon Brown was sixth (1:05:53). Kenyan Hellen Musyoka was the best woman (1:13:56) ahead of Hungary´s Beata Rakonczai (1:14:46). Legendary Tegla Loroupe was seventh (1:21:23). More than 14 000 runners participated.
CAROUGE (SUI, Sep 20): Ethiopian Tolossa Chengere won the 10 km road race here after 28:36, fourth Sven Riederer was also national champion (30:13). Best woman Ethiopian Tsige Worku (34:24), national title for third Angeline Fluckiger-Joly (35:15).
USTKA (POL, Sep 19): At Throws Festival meet excellent javelin mark for Igor Janik 84.76 ahead of German Manuel Nau (76.45). Barbara Madejczyk achieved in women javelin 59.93.
TORUN (POL, Sep 20): At 20th Grzegorz Dunecki Memorial Michal Bielczyk sprinted to 10.37 (+0.3) at 100 m.
PRAHA (CZE, Sep 21): At new International Pole Vault meet in Prague held in sixth district on the roof of shopping centre called “Six” Poland´s Monika Pyrek won with 435. Home Olympic finalist Jan Kudlicka won the men competition with 550 ahead of Russian Dmitriy Starodubtsev who also got 550 but in second attempt. US Jeff Hartwig was fifth (520). In women competition US Jillian Schwartz and Czech Jirina Ptacnikova cleared 420 for second and third.
BUSTO ARSIZIO (ITA, Sep 21): The 32 years old Ariana Farfalletti Casali (born in Switzerland) surprised at local meet with new Italian Pole Vault record when she cleared in second attempt 442 cm. Her previous best was 435 from May this year and former national record 441 by Ana Giordano Bruno from this July.
LITOMYSL (CZE, Sep 20): Czech women team won clearly the U23 three-way match over Hungary and Slovenia (164.5-138-69.5 points). In men category Hungary won by 0.5 with 157.5 against Czechs 157 and Slovenia 83.5. Hungarian Lajos Kurthy achieved good 19.56 in Shot Put, Czech Katerina Safrankova 63.04 in hammer and sprinter Katerina Cechova windy 11.59 (+2.4) and 23.94 (+2.8). Young Hungarian Marcell Deak-Nagy (born 1992) won the 400 m in 47.34.
CORDOBA (ESP, Sep 20): Kenyan Mark Kiptoo won in 29:18 the 3rd Night 10 km race. Tanzanian Zakia Mrisho was the best woman.
VALLADOLID (ESP, Sep 21): The 20th Half-marathon here was also national championships race. Javier Diaz got the men title in 1:04:03 but was only third behind Kenyan Erick Kibet (1:02:48) and Morrocan Abdelhadi El Mouaziz (1:03:42). Yesenia Centeno was the best woman (1:10:17).
GLEINA (GER, Sep 20): Only 19-years old Christopher Linke got the national 50 km walk title in 4:03:59.
HUANGSHAN (CHN, Sep 19-21): At national walking competition the 14th placer from Olympic 50 km race Li Jianbo won the 20 km in 1:23:39, second was Chu Yafei in 1:25:30, he was 10th in Olympic 20 km. Another Olympian competing Zhao Chengliang was disqualified. But more luck for junior Wang Hao (4th in 20 km race at Olympics) who won his category 10 km in 41:12. In women´s 20 km Song Xiaoling was the winner after 1:35:53. Best junior Zhou Kang came close (1:36:21).
ROMA (ITA, Sep 21): At Kronos Trophy (also 3rd round of Club Championships) Jean Nkouloukidi won the 20 km walk race in 1:27:09 with 2004 Olympic winner Ivano Brugnetti second with the same time (1:27:09).
OBITUARY
SYDNEY (AUS): Paul Jenes informs that former international runner David Fitzsimons (23 Apr 1950 – 7 Sep 2008) passed away from Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. He competed for Australia at the 1976 Olympics (14th 10,000m 29.17.74) and 1980 Olympics (10sf 5000m 13.58.22). His pb’s were 1500m – 3.39.92 (1974), 3000m – 7.48.74 (1978), 5000m – 13.17.42 (1977), 10,000m – 28.04.64 (1977).
