by Larry EderJosh Cox broke the American record by over four minutes on Sunday, for the 50 kilometer distance. Running 2:20.32 for the marathon distance, despite six episodes of stomach distress and two bathroom stops, Cox was ninth place at the marathon distance at PF Changs’ RNR Arizona, when he headed to a local track for five more miles on the track. Finishing the last lap in 71 seconds, Cox broke a seven year old US record, set in Palo Alto,CA of 2:51.48 by Alex Tilson. Josh’s time was 2:47:17.
Doing a great impression of LInda Blair ( for you young kids, that is allusion to the Exorcist, the scariest movie of all times) six times, Josh Cox should be awarded something just for continuing on!
PF Changs Arizona had 34,800 finishers in the half and full marathon distance, plus they had 3,300 kiddies in the one mile fun run! What a weekend!
EME NEWS (JAN 19, 2009)
SIMPSON POSSIBLY OUT OF TOP CONTENTION IN 2009
KINGSTON (JAM): Olympic 100 m silver medlist Sherone Simpson is not too much thinking about Berlin World Championships, but 2010 season. Although she is back in training after a successful knee surgery, the sprinter has made it clear this season is not the target. Informs Jamaica Star. „I am more focusing on 2010 seeing that I had the surgery,” added the fastest woman of 2006. „If I am even to run for 2009 for the trials (National Championships June 26-28), then I will be very grateful, but I am not really looking forward to 2009″.
WANJIRU FOR GRANOLLERS
GRANOLLERS (ESP): Marathon Olympic winner Samuel Wanjiru confirmed via his management the first race of 2009. He plans a similar approach as in 2008. It will be the 24th Half-Marathon in Granollers, Spain. After that he plans one more half, possibly in Portugal in March before London Marathon. He will pass the World Championships in Berlin in order to concentrate on Berlin Marathon for late September and possible world record attack. Wanjiru is also world half-marathon record holder with 58:33 from Den Haag 2007. He won in Granollers also in last year clocking 59:26.
TAX THREAT IN SWEDEN
STOCKHOLM (SWE): Swedish media are informing, that he proposal for artist tax for those staying in Sweden for less than six months could have drastic consequences on events in Sweden. Worried is also DN Galan Meeting Director Rajne Söderberg. “Sporting events of international standard will be difficult to survive in Sweden. The Finance Ministry wants a tax of 31.4 percent as of July 1. For the organizers this means higher costs or less possibility to attract stars,” he was quoted.
TSOUMELEKA RETIRED
ATHENS (GRE): 2004 Olympic walking Athanasia Tsoumeleka announced retirement from the sport after her doping case was revealed. Informs hellenicathletes.com. Greece’s state television, NET, reported the story on Saturday. A report on the „To BHMA Online” website states the drug was CERA, a newer version of the endurance-enhancing hormone EPO. She was also quoted as follows by hellenicathletes.com: “I was informed that a positive sample (EPO) from a doping test at 6 August 2008, was found in my body. I will not try to find an excuse for that, but I’m certain that I have never taken any drugs with my knowledge, because I have accepted the fact that I am responsible for anything found in my body. The fact that the samples are re-examined without my presence (the sample came back negative at first instance) brings me unpleasant feelings about this whole procedure. I am really not interested whether in six months time they tell me that the sample is actually negative, like it was the first time. I am very unhappy about the situation with doping use worldwide. I do not want to take part in competition like this anymore.”
DOMINGUEZ THINKS ABOUT MARATHON
MADRID (ESP): Spain’s reigning European 5000m champion and 2007 SPAR European Cross Country Champion Marta Dominguez has revealed that it is just a matter of time before she moves up to the marathon. Informs European Athletics. It was 1500 metres in Atlanta back in 1996, the 5000 in Sydney, last year in Beijing it was the 3000 metres steeplechase, so why not do the marathon when the Olympics are in London in 2012,” said the 33-year-old Dominguez, who missed competing at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens due to injury. „I’ve been dreaming of an Olympic medal since I was nine years old and I haven’t given up yet, even though London will be my fourth Olympics and I’ll be 36,” she added.
GEBRE ALSO NOT IN BERLIN MOST PROBABLY
DUBAI (UAE): After Samuel Wanjiru another runner said that he might skip the World Championships Marathon in Berlin. It was the best of all Haile Gebrselassie. „I do not think I’ll go to Berlin,” said the Ethiopian after his victory at the Dubai Marathon, according to comments reported by the German daily Tagesspiegel. He missed also the Olympic Games and participated in his career at six world championships, but never in marathon.
ELITE NAMES FOR MARUGAME
MARUGAME (JPN): It is widely reported that the organizers of Marugame Half-Marathon planned for February 1 are negotiating with 2000 olympic winner Naoko Takahashi. She might run as a guest runner as she no longer counts herself as an elite runner). Foreign invited runners are Jon Brown now running for Canada, Francis Kirwa who is representing Finland and Australian Andrew Letherby. In Kenyan section Mekubo Mogusu, Daniel Gitau and Samuel Nganga. Japanese headliner is Tsuyushi Ogata. In the women part World marathon bronze medalist 2007 Reiko Tosa with Yuri Kano and Briton Mara Yamauchi and Romanian Luminita Talpos.
BAD RUMOURS IN JAMAICA
KINGSTON (JAM): Jamaica Star informs, that Pablo McNeil, the man who found the talent of triple Olympic champion and world record holder, Usain Bolt, has denied a rumour circulating in Falmouth, Trelawny, that Bolt recently gave him 2 million USD. In an interview with Star Sports, a disturbed sounding McNeil, explained that people have recently been approaching him whenever he is in Falmouth, asking him for money, having heard he recently got two millions from the sprint sensation. But according to McNeil this is not so and in fact he hasn’t seen Bolt in years.
BADDELEY FOR WEEKEND MILE
NEW YORK (USA): Best british miler Andy Baddeley is fully prepared for the defence of his title over the distance at at the New Balance Indoor Games on January 24.
Baddley despite being badly spiked when defending his BUPA Great Edinburgh International Cross Country four kilometres title last weekend, showed he is also fully recovered from an Achilles injury. Informs David Martin. The British number one is now determined at Manhattan’s Armory Track & Field Centre to repeat last year’s victory when he clocked 3:59.29.
CURRENT RESULTS
INDOOR
AIGLE (SUI, Jan 17): Swiss Pole Vault record equalled by Nicole Buchler with 430 right in her season opener. The national standard for Torino is 440 cm.
SHEFFIELD (GBR, Jan 17): At the North of England championships in combined events promising star Jessica Ennis returned to competition after broken ankle with encouraging 7.56 for 60m and 13.50 for shot put. Still not in good jumping shape, these will be her only competitions for the indoor season. Also in this meet Luke Cutts continued very good weekend for GB in pole vault with PB of 562.
LEE VALLEY (GBR, Jan 18): In the South of England championships at Lee Valley, North London,. Austrian Ryan Moseley (Barbados origin) won 60 m in very good 6.65. That meant for him standard for Torino and new PB. Second Akeem Ogunyemi of Nigeria achieved 6.66. European medalist 2007 Craig Pickering ran 6.68 in prelim, but did not run final. In women 60m, national 400m hurdles champ Perri Shakes Drayton won with 7.44. In age group races Jodie Williams, worlds fastest at age 14 in 2008 at 100m with 11.56 ran very good 7.38–she is now 15 and currently faster than all British senior women.
GLASGOW (GBR, Jan 17): At Scottish Championships fast 6.66 60 m by European Junior 2003 finalist Nick Smith.
AUBIERE (FRA, Jan 18) : On the second day of the Auvergne provincial championships, 200m world junior champion Christophe Lemaître clocked 21.19 in the 200m.
MOSCOW (RUS, Jan 18): Vasiliy Kharlamov won the City combined events championships with 5794 points in heptathlon. Marina Goncharova was the best in pentathlon with 4221 points.
SUMY (UKR, Jan 16): Sprinter Ihor Bodrov showed great early shape during regional championships with 6.66 at 60 m and even better 20.93 at 200 m. Oleksiy Shelest walked 10 000 m in 40:57.7 and Tamara Tverdostup clocked in a solo race 2:03.39 at 800 m.
DONYETSK (UKR, Jan 16): Oleksiy Bubka cleared 550 in Pole Vault to beat more experienced Maksim Mazuryk (540) at regional championships. Oleksiy is son of older brother Vasiliy Bubka.
EDMONTON (CAN, Jan 17): World 400 m medalist and world indoor champion Tyler Christopher tested again his shape at 60 m with 6.84 as fourth placer. Winner Pierre Browne clocked solid 6.69. Kaltouma Nadjina of Chad got 38.13 at 300 m and national record as tilastopaja reports 1:31.93 at 600 m. Olympic finalist Angela Whyte won the 60 m Hurdles in 8.22 and achieved 8.19 in heats.
OTTAWA (CAN, Jan 17): Last year Canadian junior Michael Robertson clocked here a good 33.21 at 300 m.
YORK (CAN, Jan 18): Olympic 100m Hurdles medalist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep started the indoor season with fast 7.45 at 60 m. She equalled her personal best from college set in 2004. She is expecting because of that fast hurdles times, the international meets scheduled for her are Millrose Games, Gent, Lievin and Paris-Bercy meet.
LEVERKUSEN (GER, Jan 18): Nigerian Peter Emelieze as guest improved at regional championships to 6.65 in heats, he also won the final in 6.70. Irish Deirdre Ryan improved her national high jump record to excellent 193 cm. It happened during this regional championships where she participated as guest. Her previous mark was 190 from 2005 and outdoors 192 from 2006.
GRONINGEN (NED, Jan 18): 23 years old Dutch shot putter Denise Kemkers improved to overall PB 17.34 and fulfilled so the standard for Torino which is in Netherlands at 17.20 level. She is fourth placer from European U22 Championships 2007.
ROAD
KYUSHU (JPN, Jan 18): Toyota Industries won the 20th Women’s Kita-Kyushu Ekiden, 5 stage 32.8Km ekiden. Yuriko Kobayashi, a medalist at both the World Youth and World Junior Championships, took the lead 1Km into the first stage, and Toyota Industries never looked back in 1:43:56 final time. The defending champion won the Kita-Kyushu Ekiden by nearly two minutes over Tenmaya, anchored by Yurika Nakamura, who was 13th at the Beijing Olympic marathon.
PHOENIX (USA, Jan 18): Addition´s to Chang Rock and Roll Marathon. A record 34 800 registered plus 3300 more in the Kids Rock 1-mile. That pushes the event back into first in the world for marathon and ½ marathon combination finishers. US runner Josh Cox overcame stomach problems to complete 50 km in 2:47:17, breaking the American record 2:51:48 held by Alex Tilson since 2002. Cox ran the marathon then almost five miles more on Arizona State’s track. He threw up a half dozen times and made a bathroom stop before going entering Sun Angel Stadium. That thwarted his top goal of breaking the unofficial world best (2:43:38).
MONTEFORTE (ITA, Jan 18): Nearly 18 000 runners competed in 34th Trofeo S.Antonio Abate-De Megni di Monteforte d’Alpone. At 6.06 km Anna Incerti achieved 19:26 and at 10.605 km Morrocan Rachid Kisri 31:04.
CORRECTION
Gyorgi Csiki reports that St. Lucia´s High Jumper Darwin Edwards jumped already in January 2008 225 so his 220 from weekend in England could not be a national record.
For more information, please check http://www.american-trackandfield.com
