Return of Alvin Harrison? by Alfons Juck, note by Larry Eder

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EME NEWS (APR 7, 2009)
RETURN OF ALVIN HARRISON
SANTO DOMINGO (DOM, Apr 3-5): Major sensation at Dominican Republic Championships held at Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium. Sydney Olympic silver medalist at 400 m Alvin Harrison who last October ended his four years ban competed for first time since 2004 Olympic Trials. The 35 years old former US athlete now competes for Dominican Republic. He started with 47.52 in heats, but in finals clocked from lane 8 impressive 45.68 clearly beating Beijing Olympian Arismendy Peguero (46.27). They clashed also at 200 m, where Peguero won in 21.01 (+0.4) just 0.01 ahead as Harrison got 21.02 (and 21.20 in heats). It remains to see what is the future of Harrison competing for Dominican Republic, one thing is sure he will have it tough to compete at meetings in Europe due to his doping past. Dominican Long Jump record holder Carlos Jorge leaped to 790 (+0.1) and also won the 100 m in 10.46 (-0.5) after being faster in semifinals (10.38, -0.6).

Larry Eder adds:
Alvin and Calvin were two of the most talented athletes I have ever met. As the assistant coach at Foothill Community College in the 1990-1996 era ( with Hank Ketels and Joe Mangan), I got to watch both run for Hartnell College. Coach Shaw kept them on a short rope, and they still must have driven him crazy. I do remember watching Alvin do 350s in a workout. He was just flying down the track. The one time Calvin was able to compete, I believe he ran a 47 for the 400 meters with little warm up.
Young men with huge talent and difficult family lives, they were looking for role models and picked the wrong people. After a four year ban, Alvin has already run a 45.68? Think of what he could have done at his prime…clean

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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