by Larry EderThe bidders for 2016 are Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Chicago. Chicago did get a boost with the new U.S. President elect. Tokyo’s response is quite thoughtful-make the Games more appealing by making the Games smaller…that idea may make it for a few minutes-the HUGENESS of the event is one of the things that gives the Olympics life beyond its 18 days….
EME NEWS (NOV 15, 2008)
MASAI AND MONTEIRO
OEIRAS (POR, Nov 15): The IAAF Cross Country permit series started in Portugal with traditional Kenyan win. Unheralded Titus Masai who is having his first European season won clearly with 27:07 at 9 km. Second home favorite Rui Pedro Silva (27:27) who beat another Kenyan David Kilel (27:35) and secured his spot in Portugal´s team for European CC Championships in Brussels. The same goes for fourth Licinio Pimentel (27:38), fifth Jose Ramos (27:39) and sixth Eduardo Mbengani who is from Congo but represents Portugal since this September (27:41). Home female runners clearly dominated at 9th edition the 5 km race. Former steeple runner and currently already a marathoner Ines Monteiro won after 17:31. Second Jessica Augusto (17:42), third Analia Rosa (17:49) and fourth Dulce Felix (17:55) will also compete for their country in December in Belgium. Best Kenyan Rahab Ndungu only 7th (19:02). The remaining two males and females of Portugal for European CC will be selected later. Next IAAF CC Permit race will be next weekend in Soria, Spain but then the next one early in 2009.
BEKELE NOT SURE
NIJMEGEN (NED): It is not sure whether top distance track runner on this planet Kenenisa Bekele will compete on Sunday at Seven Hills 15 km race in Nijmegen. He arrived to Netherlands with problems with his right knee as gerdenlander.nl reports. His agent Jos Hermens and doctors give him the advice not to compete because of stress-fracture in the bone after training on the road. But Bekele himself still said he wants to run, final decision will happen after the warm-up. He does not want to give up the plan to attack the world record 41:29 by Felix Limo with pace help of his younger brother Tariku Bekele who is also going to compete. Kenenisa is having also a special motivation as he plans to invest the possible funds for running on Sunday to a project some ten kilometers from Addis Abeba. At 2650 meters altitude he bought a piece of ground (55 hectares) and plans to build a track and later a golf and tennis resort.
KOZMUS AND SESTAK
LJUBLJANA (SLO): Olympic hammer champion Primoz Kozmus was announced on Saturday evening as Slovenian male Athlete of the Year 2008. In the poll of National Athletics Federation he got 275 points ahead of High Jumper and Olympic finalist Rozle Prezelj (80) and sprinter Matic Osovnikar (62). During the ceremony Kozmus again pointed out that his goal for next year is to attack the world record. Olympic triple jump 6th placer Marija Sestak was voted best woman with 268 points ahead of 800 m runner Brigita Langerholc (107) and middle distance runner Sonja Roman (87).
MRACNOVA AGAIN
BRATISLAVA (SVK): Former Olympian High Jumper Maria Mracnova (4th at Montreal Games 1976 with 192 PB) was on Saturday elected into her fourth term since 1998 until 2012. In total four candidates tried for the president of Slovak Athletics Federation post. In first round she got 35 votes, another former High jumper (225 best) and currently executive director of the Army Sports Club Dukla Banska Bystrica Lubomir Rosko achieved 27 and went into second round as Rostislav Matousek achieved 17 and former world class miler Jozef Plachy (Mexico 1968 800 m finalist) only 5 and were eliminated. In the second round Mracnova prevailed over Rosko 44:37.
MARTINA WINS
LEEUWARDEN (NED): One of the fastest men in the world Churandy Martina of Netherland Antilles won the race against Domino at 30 m. He clocked 3.81 and was faster as domino by 0.4 s. „Breaking more world records than ever”, that was the theme of this year’s tenth anniversary of Domino Day. And it was succesfull in 10 categories. The event was broadcasted live in many countries.
OTHER NEWS
MADRID (ESP): In first vote for Spanish Athlete of the Year the 17th trofeo Jose Luis Alonso steeple olympian Marta Dominguez was the number one with 1610 points. Ahead of miler Juan Carlos Higuero (1491) and veteran walker Jesus Angel Garcia (1466). Next places in top five are for high jumper Ruth Beitia (1437) and discus thrower Mario Pestano (1344). This trophy started in 1992 in memory of former general secretary of Spanish Athletics Federation. The official ceremony is planned for early December. But this is not the official vote of the national federation, here the results will be announced later.
MOSCOW (RUS): New Athletics marriage happened in Moscow recently. Olympic finalist at 1500 m 23-years old Anna Alminova (best 4:02.02) married with two-time Pole Vault Olympian Viktor Chistyakov (33, and also partly Australian in 1999-2006).
HAVIROV (CZE): Another wedding from Czech Republic, but this is not fully athletics. Former World Junior medalist and European senior medalist Denisa Scerbova married with tennis player Lukas Rosol (around 180th in rankings). The European indoor 2007 medalist in Long Jump will now have a new name Rosolova. During the coming indoor season she wants to defend her medal from Birmingham but also try to qualify in pentathlon.
TORINO (ITA): The organizers of European Indoor Championships in March in Turin are planning a ceremony marking 100 days to the event on November 26. Both Italian hopefuls Andrew Howe and Antonietta Di Martino should participate. The marking of 100 days will be presented at Palazzo Cisterna in Torino.
MONTE CARLO: IAAF confirmed new 18 doping cases. Most of them already known. Mainly the life ban of Ukrainian heptathlete Lyudmila Blonska who tested positive (second time in her career) at Olympic Games. Also the Greek sprinter Anastasious Gousis and hammer thrower Hristos Polychroniou (life ban), German long jumper Kofi Amoah Prah (who also ended his career), French miler and 2005 world medalist Bouchra Ghezielle (until May 12, 2010, so could compete at European Championships in Barcelona). In lower level of results two year bans for Hungarian 400 m and 400 m Hurdles runner Monika Meixner (until June 2010), Morrocan female long distance runner Salima Charki and male long distance runner Abdelhadi Habassa (both until May 2010), also from Morroco sub 8:30 steepler Abdelghafour Lasri (until July 2010). Two years also for Russian 51 seconds 400 hurdles runner Aleksey Kovalyov (until May 2010, he refused a doping control), Colombian hammer thrower Freimar Arias (60 m level, until August 2010), Egyptian hammer thrower Ahmed Abdel Raouf (74 m level, until May 2010) and two Pakistani athletes women 100H and triple jump record holder Noshee Parveen (until June 2010) with 13.9 male 110 hurdler Muhammad Shah (until June 2010). In lower bans US high jumper Eric Thompson (218 as junior) was banned for one year until August this year after CAS decision. Morrocan 2:20 marathon runner Rachid Nadij got three months ban from June until September 2008.
BRUSSELS (BEL): 26 years old former Morrocan Hassan Mourhit who competes for Belgium was banned for two years, Belgian media are informing. In his sample at KBC Nacht (EA Premium Meeting) in Heusden in July (3:43.63 at 1500 m) traces of anastrozol were found. His older brother former world medalist and European record holder Mohammed Mourhit was also banned in his career in 2002 for EPO.
BUCURESTI (ROM): Romanian Olympic marathon winner Constantina Tomescu described her next plans in IAAF dairies as follows: “I’ve been taking care of my house, and my son Rafael, who is busy all the time with school, basketball, and soccer. There are two more races remaining for me this month, the Chiba International Ekiden in Japan, and then the new Great Australia Run Melbourne and then I can relax with my training until after the holidays. I am going to Romania for Christmas and the New Year with my son. It will be wonderful to spend time with all my family.” She competed this year in four marathons winning the most important in Beijing (2:26:44), in January she was 9th in Osaka (2:28:15), in April 8th in London (2:27:45) and in October fourth in Chicago (2:30:57).
MOSCOW (RUS): Here is the final word from 2004 Olympic winner in High Jump Russian Yelena Slesarenko about her plans for the winter. She confirmed for Russian media that she will not jump this indoor season. „I was trying to start with training, but my leg is not totally healthy because of my injury from pre-olympic period. Doctors recommended to run and another light workouts but not speed and jumping. And have a lot to do at the Diplomatic Academy where I m studying,” she was quoted.
ORLANDO (USA): Olympic 200 m winner and 100 m world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica has her first book out. It is named „A Better You”. A Better You gives the reader insights as well as encouragements in making time for devotional activities. It also begs the reader to take a positive view on life and to take pride in dreaming dreams. Each effort is carefully penned to leave the reader reflective and challenged as an avalanche of inspirations rain down on the reader. We are reminded that our mind is one of our biggest assets, and if we feed it with a diet of positive thoughts, it will favorably impact our confidence thereby making a “better you.” So is the book reviewed through her website www.veronicacampbellbrown.com. She is still undecided about competing during indoor season 2009. In her Dairy at the website she writes that training has resumed and fun-time is over. She also remembers how she with her husband enjoyed a week in the beautiful Island of Bahamas after all the celebrations in Jamaica.
DALLAS (USA): US Road Sports and Entertainment Group, a Dallas-based company which produces endurance sports events, will launch their national 13.1 Marathon series this Sunday in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The races, scheduled for Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Atlanta and Chicago, are all half-marathons organized under the slogan, „13.1 isn’t half of anything!” About 2000 athletes are expected for the inaugural edition of the Ft. Lauderdale race which will feature DJ’s, bands, drum lines and other entertainment along the course. Finishers will be treated to a pancake breakfast at the finish line, accompanied by live music. Informs Race Results Weekly.
SYDNEY (AUS): Athletics Australia has launched a new scheme designed to keep promising youngsters in the sport until at least London 2012 after losing talent like Georgie Clarke. Informs insidethegames.com. „Target 2012″ has signed up 22 athetes born between 1985 and 1988 who they believe have the potential to make an impact at the next Olympics. Clarke is probably the best example of this, the world junior 800 metres champion who qualified to run in the 1500m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics as a 16-year-old but who has not really progressed, although she is still running, unlike other several other promising youngsters.
PARIS (FRA): A spokesperson for French nuclear giant Areva denied that the company signed a 3 million Euro partnership contract with the French federation on Thursday. “The contract is not signed” declared Patricia Marie, the head of PR. “Nothing will be done before the election of the president”. The French federation’s General Assembly, where reigning president Bernard Amsalem will face former president Philippe Lamblin and former technical director Richard Descoux is to be held on December 6, L’Equipe informs.
TOKYO (JPN)): Olympic host 1964 Tokyo has announced plans to make the 2016 Olympics even more compact if it is chosen to follow London 2012. It has announced a new location for its International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and Main Press Centre (MPC) in the very heart of the city along with identifying new venues for selected indoor sports and the road cycling competition. The changes, agreed after consultations with the relevant international governing bodies, are designed to increase the compactness, sustainability and efficiency of its plan. The IOC are due to choose the host city for 2016 at its Session in Copenhagen on October 2, 2009. The other candidates are Chicago, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro.
LONDON (GBR): Latest Pat Butcher´s blog is The Tragic Tale of John Tarrant at http://www.globerunner.org/blog/?p=84.
RESULTS
KERICHO (KEN, Nov 15): Olympic bronze medalist Edwin Soi won the second AK Cross-Country series race clocking 34:33 at 12 km. Second place for Patrick Langat (34:36) and third Timothy Kiptoo (34:33). Women winner at 8 km was Pascalia Chepkorir (26:17) ahead of Caroline Chepkwony (26:19). As IAAF informs, running on her home course, World Junior 3000m champion, Mercy Cherono, was unchallenged in winning the 6km junior women’s race in 19:29 with Japhet Korir (22:18) taking the junior men’s title.
MAKUTANO (KEN, Nov 15): Vincent Cheruiyot (30:27) and Jackline Chemwok (35:42) are the new Tegla Loroupe Peace Race champions after winning the men’s and women’s divisions of this year’s 10 km race.
COPENHAGEN (DEN, Nov 15): 30 years old national steeple champion Oystein Sylta of Norway won the main male race at 9 km during Nordic Cross Country Championships with 27:56. Sweden took the team title (17) as its runners Oskar Kack (27:57) and Erik Sjoqvist (28:02) were second and third individually. Denmark was second (33) ahead of Norway (44) in team section. Former Olympian and European junior record holder Annemari Sandell-Hyvarinen of Finland won the women 8 km race (27:23) ahead of Kirsten Otterbu of Norway (27:32) and Sweden´s Ida Nilsson (27:49). Here also team title for Sweden (13) beating Norway (22) and Finland (26). Junior titles for Sondre Nordstad Moen of Norway (6 km, 18:15, team of Norway) and Sandra Eriksson of Finland at 4.5 km with Sweden getting the junior girl team title.
BULLE (SUI, Nov 15): Olympic marathon sixth placer Viktor Rothlin showed good shape at Bulle 8 km road race as best home runner with 23:15 what was a fourth place behind three Africans. Abraham Tadesse of Eritrea won in 23:09 ahead of Simon Tesfay (23:10, also Eritrea) and Tolossa Chengere of Ethiopia (23:10). Ethiopian Tsige Worku was the best woman at 6 km (19:32) beating home runner Sabine Fischer (19:33).
SORRY
Great Australian Run is of course November, 30. Not this weekend.
Used with permission of Alfons Juck.
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