by Larry Eder
Greg Nixon ran 20.65 for 200 meters, to take the global lead, in Eubonne, France on Friday night.
Early this morning we were told that Usain Bolt, three time world record holder at the Summer Olympics in Beijing in the summer of 2008, would run first 100 meter race of 2009 in his home country of Jamaica on May 2, 2009 in the city of Kingston! Now, while agent Ricky Simms is saying that Usain would love to, but the announcement was premature. As we desire to ONLY give accurate information, the question remains open, where will Usain Bolt open this season at 100 meters? Well, inquiring minds do know he will run 400 meters on February 14, but stand by to see how his season will progress.
If you want to see something cool, get your hands on the Tyson Invitational program, to be held February 13 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. PUMA did a special ad for Usain that is just perfect!
EME NEWS (FEB 6, 2009)
FIRST 100 m FOR BOLT IN KINGSTON
LONDON (GBR): World fastest man Usain Bolt plans his first serious 100 m race of the year for the top Jamaican meet on May 2 in Kingston. Last year he clocked at this meet excellent 9.76. That was confirmed by his agent Ricky Simms who spoke to BBC. Simms is pleased to report that Bolt’s personality hasn’t changed. “He is very much in demand in Jamaica. He gets a lot of invitations but he just has to make sure that he keeps training and keeps performing at this level for a number of years. Last year, he was very well-advanced. At this stage, he’s probably a little bit behind where he was last year but his coach Glenn Mills is very happy with him,” Simms said for BBC.
BOGDANOVA WORLD LEADING 4784 POINTS
PENZA (RUS, Feb 5): World indoor bronze medalist from Valencia 2008 Russian Anna Bogdanova scored at National Combined Events Championships new personal best and world lead 4784 points in pentathlon. That makes from the Olympic 6th placer a serious medal contender for European Indoor Championships in Torino. Her individual results: 8.30-186-13.77-654-2:16.63. Second World Junior 2006 medalist Yana Panteleyeva improved also to 4508 (8.67-180-12.64-643-2:17.30) and third Anna Nikitenko 4401. Men heptathlon winner was Aleksandr Kislov with good quality 5934 points ahead of Vasiliy Kharlamov who improved to 5923 points. Concerning the Torino participation according to the 2008 lists Tatyana Chernova and Olga Kurban have been invited from Russia, but Bogdanova is third in the ranking and looks like to be in better shape than above tow and thus be named. Yana Panteleyeva is interestingly next in order in Russia and should be also there with chances to compete. European Athletics is inviting only two athletes per country for combined events, 9 are invited according to 2008 result, five based on 2009 and one home athlete. In men heptathlon Aleksey Sysoyev and Aleksandr Pogorelov have been invited from Russia, but if not accepting next in order is Aleksey Drozdov who competes in Tallinn this weekend.
NIXON GETS FASTEST 200 m OF THE YEAR 20.65
EAUBONNE (FRA, Feb 6): Excellent world leading 200 m time 20.65 by US world relay indoor champion Greg Nixon was the highlight of 7th Indoor Val d´Oise meet, part of French national indoor series. Also second another US sprinter Chris Berrian was fast (20.68). Cuban world indoor medalist from Valencia David Giralt leaped to high quality 17.22 in his opening triple jump competition. His team-mate Alexis Copello was second (16.85) and best home jumper Karl Taillepierre achieved 16.84. African wins for Nigerian Peter Emelieze at 60 m (6.64), Kenyan Jackson Kivuna at 800 m (1:48.71) and Nigerian Selim Nurudeen at 60 m Hurdles (7.70 is new national indoor record). On the women side fast 7.26 by Bahamian Chandra Sturrup at 60 m ahead of French sprinters Myriam Soumare (7.34) and former European champion Muriel Hurtis-Houairi (8.35). Former 400 m world champion Amy Mbacke Thiam of Senegal won her event in 53.12. US Danielle Carruthers was also pretty fast at 60 m Hurdles clocking 8.01 ahead of Russian Yulia Kondakova (8.02) and French veteran Patricia Girard (8.13 what is new world indoor best for masters 40+ category). Two Russian wins for miler Natalya Yevdokimova at 1500 m (4:15.32) and Aleksandra Kiryashova in Pole Vault (450).
RAMOLEFI WITH WORLDS QUALIFIER
DURBAN (RSA, Feb 6): World Championships qualifier of Ruben Ramolefi who achieved 8:20.5 in 3000 m steeple was the best result during the third meet of national Yellow Pages Series in South Africa. King´s Park stadium also saw fast 1500 m (this site is on sea-level so friendly for distances) when Juan Vandeventer clocked 3:38.3, Tshamano Setone improved to 3:38.3 and one of world´s top 800 m runners Mbulaeni Mulaudzi achieved new PB 3:38.5. Javelin thrower Robert Oosthuizen opened the year with 80.78 m and Sunette Viljoen again achieved 60+ in women javelin (60.61). LJ Van Zyl wanted to open faster than his 50.03 at 400 m hurdles. Talkmore Nyongani clocked 46.49 at 400 m and Thuso Mpuang won windy 200 m (20.68, +2.5).
ROGOWSKA 462
POTSDAM (GER, Feb 6): Poland´s Olympic 2004 medalist and national record holder Anna Rogowska won the 10th Potsdam Pole Vault meet in Shopping Center called Stern Center with clearing 462 cm. That is new meet record and she also tried at new world leading 472 cm. Second Russian Tatyana Polnova jumped before 2500 spectators 442 cm. Best German Kristina Gadschiew mastered 422 cm as third. Men competition will be held on Saturday.
OTHER NEWS
VALENCIA (ESP): The Spanish premier indoor meet “Ciudad de Valencia” announced for Feb 14 good field for women 60 m Hurdles headed by national record holder Josephine Onyia. Her aim is to attack the indoor record 7.83 of Glory Alozie from 2003. US hurdles team will be represented by world indoor finalist Danielle Carruthers and world outdoor finalist Jenny Adams.
RAS AL KHAIMAH (UAE): The men’s field in the third edition of the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Half Marathon (Feb 20), now just two weeks away, has grown even stronger with the addition of two significant names, each aiming to sharpen up in preparation for his spring marathon effort: Morocco’s Abderrahim Goumri, the sixth fastest marathon runner in history, has thrown his hat in to the fray, as has Switzerland’s Viktor Rothlin, Europe’s fastest marathon runner of 2008 and IAAF World Championship bronze medalist in 2007. Organisers are informing in a release. Both men, now regarded very much as marathon specialists, are targeting the London Marathon on April 26th as the main spring priority, but equally both can look to RAK with realistic expectation of a personal best at the half marathon distance. The RAK women’s field has been improved too, with Ethiopia’s consistent Dire Tune, the Boston Marathon winner of 2008, who set a world best for the One Hour run in Ostrava last June, added to the race. With a half marathon best of just 71:11, Tune like Goumri, is surely heading for a huge improvement over 13.1 miles. Morocco’s Malika Asahssah, recent victor of the Marrakech Half Marathon in 69:54, has also been added. The top names in the start list Matrick Makau and Edith Masai of Kenya.
MONTE CARLO (MON): The IAAF announced a major new broadcasting rights agreement for the Latin American region which will ensure widespread “free to air” coverage of the next IAAF World Championships in Athletics which takes place in Berlin. The agreement, recently reached with the Pan regional group “Organizacion de Telecomunicaciones Ibero Americanas” (OTI) – ensures guaranteed coverage of the IAAF’s leading competition on free to air channels in the following countries: Argentina – TYC Sports; Bolivia – Red Uno; Chile – UCAT; Mexico -TV Azteca; Panama – TV MAX and MEDCOM; and finally in Peru – ATV. The IAAF is also delighted to announce the first ever agreement for an IAAF World Championships in Athletics, in Cuba, with the “Instituto Cubano de Radio y Television” (ICRT) which will ensure widespread coverage in a country famous for its top athletes. Finally, the IAAF has concluded an agreement with ESPN International in the region for all IAAF World Athletic Series competitions for the period 2009-2011.
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): Fresh British 3000 m indoor record holder Mo Farah says there is more to come this year from him. David Martin writes. The 25-year-old will next be in action over 1500m at the Aviva European Trials in Sheffield a week on Saturday before returning to the 3000m at the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham on February 21.
LAUSANNE (SUI): The Indoor arenas around Europe came alive in earnest in January with a number of athletes already showing top class form after a good winter’s training to lay their claim for top honours in 2009. Following this, European Athletics is pleased to announce the nominations for the European Athlete of the Month for January representing nine countries. At the end of each month, a panel of experts produce a shortlist of the outstanding athletes and performances achieved by European Athletes during that month which is emailed to the European Athletics media and thousands of fans who have already signed up to receive news from European Athletics. The voting will close on Friday February 13 at 12 noon.
BARCELONA (ESP): Despite financial crisis the organisers of Barcelona European Championships 2010 announced the signature of the agreement with Estrella Damm, the beer of Barcelona. Estrella Damm becomes the first Barcelona 2010 local sponsor.
BEIJING (CHN): Chinese 2004 Olympic champion and former world-record holder in the 110-meter hurdles, Liu Xiang, who is undergoing rehabilitation in the USA, is expected to return to Shanghai as early as next month as his recovery from the foot injury that forced him out of the Beijing Olympics has been much better than expected, according to his coach. The 26-year-old Shanghai native started jogging on the treadmill last week, nearly two months after undergoing ankle surgery at Houston’s Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center on December 5.
OSAKA (JPN): Rikuren announced that Athens Olympics women’s marathon gold medalist Mizuki Noguchi has withdrawn from the first national women’s marathon training camp, scheduled to begin Feb. 6 in New Zealand, after suffering inflammation in her left hip. Noguchi also withdrew from last August´s Beijing Olympics marathon after injuring her left thigh. The next runner also withdrawn is Kayoko Fukushi while she would like to allow an injury to her left leg time to heal. Informs Japan Running News.
MOSCOW (RUS): Former Russian 800 m runner, 28-years old Natalya Lavshuk (PB 1:57.45 from 2004) ended her career and was named senior national coach for endurance events. She confirmed plans when top russian runners are planning to have a training camp in Eldoret, Kenya.
AMSTERDAM (NED): Dutch 800 m hope for European Indoor Championships Robert Lathouwers (25) will not be able to compete there. The Rotterdammer underwent a surgery this week on his left knee. Next programme four weeks of rest and then preparation for summer can start. Last year he improved to 1:44.75 and competed at Olympic Games.
Special Thanks to Alfons Juck, EME News.
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