by Larry Eder
Shalane Flanagan, US record holder at 5,000 m/10,000 m outdoors and 3k and 5k indoors, will be racing against Ejegayehu and Genzebe Dibaba, sisters of Tirunesh Dibaba. Ejegayehu is hte 2004 silver medalist and 2005 bronze medalist at both 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. Genezebe just won her second World XC Junior title!
They will be competing at the adidas Track Classic on May 16, 2009 at Carson, CA.
Photo by Photo Run.net
WARINER, CLEMENT, THOMAS
OSAKA (JPN): Double world champion and 2004 olympic winner Jeremy Wariner is the top star of Osaka Grand Prix Meeting (part of IAAF GP) this Saturday. The US star will well remember the Nagai Stadium where he was crowned global title holder in 2007. Another gold medalists from before two years will be Kerron Clement at 400 m Hurdles and Bahamian Donald Thomas in High Jump. For Wariner and Clement second races in their events this spring. Wariner clocked 45.06 at Drake Relays and Clement 49.10 as fifth in Kingston. Another US Olympic medalist at 400 m David Neville should be the main rival for Wariner. US Olympic fourth placer Derek Miles is the star of Pole Vault. In women events Olympic heptathlon medalist Hyleas Fountain of USA competes in Long Jump against world leader Grace Upshaw and another medalist from Beijing Australian Sally McLellan at 100 m Hurdles. Interesting duel between Sheena Tosta,Tiffany Williams and Tasha Danvers is expected at 400 m Hurdles. Australian Tamsyn Lewis is scheduled to compete in flat 400 m. Antigua´s Brendan Christian can prove his shape after windy 19.98 from last weekend in Texas at 200 m. Home Naoki Tsukahara could be the 100 m winner. In the past Chinese star Liu Xiang travelled to this meet. But because of his health situation the replacement will be world finalist Shi Dongpeng at 110 m Hurdles. Unfortunately top names like Bershawn Jakcson, Brad Walker, David Payne and Marc Burns were cancelled in recent days due to injuries and other difficulties.
FLANAGAN AND DIBABA SISTERS
LOS ANGELES (USA): Latest additions to the adidas Track Classic (Carson, May 16) include in the women’s 5000 meters US star Shalane Flanagan, the top female distance runner in America. Flanagan, the Olympic bronze medalist at 10,000 meters in Beijing, owns four American records including the 5000m. She has already broken one American mark this year, for 5000m indoors. Among her top rivals will be Ethiopian sisters Ejegayehu and Genzebe Dibaba. Ejegayehu is the 2004 Olympic silver medalist at 10,000m and 2005 World Championships bronze medalist at both 5000m and 10,000m, while younger sister Genzebe is a two-time World Junior Cross Country Champion and last weekend won the Ethiopian senior 5000m national title at only 18 years old. The men’s 1500 meters, meanwhile, will feature the entire 2008 U.S. Olympic squad of Bernard Lagat, Lopez Lomong and Leonel Manzano. Lagat, the American record holder at 1500m, is the reigning World Champion at 1500m and 5000m – the first man ever to win that double. Joining them will be three-time U.S. indoor 1500m champion Rob Myers; Canadian 1500m record holders Kevin Sullivan and Nate Brannen and Mexican national indoor record holder Pablo Solares. The 2009 adidas Track Classic will also highlight winners from the Jamaica Invitational in Kingston last weekend. Among them are Americans Dawn Harper, the surprise 2008 Olympic gold medalist in the 100-meter hurdles, and Darvis Patton, a 100-meter finalist in Beijing (won so far his both outdoor 100 m races), Jamaica’s current 400 m world leader Novlene Williams, a 4x400m World Championship bronze medalist; and Rennie Quow, the 2006 World Junior Champion at 400m from Trinidad and Tobago.
COURSE RECORD ATTACKS PLANNED
PRAGUE (CZE): The International Volkswagen Prague Marathon will celebrate its 15th anniversary next Sunday. The aim is again to attack both course records 2:08:52 (1998) and 2:26:33 (2001). In the men start list four runners are having better best results than the course mark. Former Chicago winner Patrick Ivuti has 2:07:46, David Kemboi 2:08:34 and Leonard Mucheru (with his Bahraini episode) 2:09:37. The fourth in this group is Morrocan now representing Spain Hicham Chatt (2:07:59). Also returning is title defender Kenneth Mungara (2:10:37), his team-mate Stephen Kipkoech (2:10:10) and Ukrainian Oleksandr Sitkovski (2:10:18). Other top European runners will be also from Ukraine Andrey Naumov (2:11:06) and Mykola Antonenko (2:11:57) along with Italian Mostafa Errebbah (but of Morrocan origin, 2:12:22). In terms of debuts Belgian solid track runner and olympian Monder Rizki, Kenyans Jonathan Maiyo (60:10) and Stephen Kosgei (60:34). In women category Ethiopian favorites are Shitaye Gemechu (2:26:10 last year in Paris) and Mulu Seboka (2:29:06 from last year in Toronto). But this year the fastest is Eyerusalem Kuma of Ethiopia who improved to 2:26:51 while beeing 6th in Dubai in January. Top Europeans are Russian Olga Glok (2:30:40 last year in Paris) and experienced Polish runner Malgorzata Sobanska (40, her best 2:26:08 from 2001, last year 2:31:20). In the elite category in total runners from 16 countries, best home runner will be the former international Robert Stefko. The race has the IAAF Silver Label.
OTHER NEWS
LONDON (GBR): The IOC President, Jacques Rogge, who turned 67 on Saturday and is nearing the end of his first term in office, has disclosed that tumbling global markets have knocked USD 34 million off the value of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) financial investments. The paper loss has been incurred over 16 months since January 2008 and it represents around eight percent of the body’s overall investment pot of just over $400 million. “I would say, in terms of the organising committees, we have no problem today,†Rogge stated. On sponsorship, he revealed that the IOC’s TOP worldwide sponsorship programme has to date yielded “a little over $900 million for the current quadrennium and said that two further companies would soon be extending their support to the four years ending in 2016, as insidethegames.com informs.
MONTE CARLO (MON): 173 of the IAAF’s 213 Member Federations have submitted preliminary entries to compete at the 6th IAAF World Youth Championships in Bressanone, Italy (8-12 July). The largest ever number of nations to have sent teams to the World Youth Championships was in 2005 when 177 different nationalities took part in the edition that was hosted by Marrakesh, Morocco. The Final Entry process opens on 18 May and will close 22 June.
NAIROBI (KEN): Reigning world women’s marathon champion Catherine Ndereba is still not ok after a foot injury sustained at the London Marathon. The twice-Olympic silver medallist (Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008) is afraid she could be out of her title defense in Berlin. „I will see a foot doctor in the US to know the full extent of my condition. It is my wish to compete for Kenya, but it requires intensive training that may not be possible if recovery takes longer,“ the champion from Osaka 2007 (2:30:37) revealed. Last Thursday, Athletics Kenya (AK) named Ndereba in the squad for Berlin alongside Boston Marathon champion Salina Kosgei, Agnes Kiprop, Hellen Kiprop and Irene Lemika. Ndereba as world champion has a wild card entry. Informs East Standard.
NEW YORK (USA): Trading surges on New York City‘s West Side Highway last July, Kenya‘s Patrick Makau and Ethiopia‘s Tadesse Tola battled for victory at the NYC Half-Marathon. Already a world championships medalist at the distance, Makau seemed to have the odds in his favor. But Tola put in a surprising burst in the final 100 meters to take the title by just one second. On Saturday, May 16, Makau has his chance at a rematch with Tola and a second opportunity to earn a generous bonus: $20,000 for breaking Dathan Ritzenhein‘s Healthy Kidney 10-K course record of 28:08. That‘s the same bonus Makau missed when he won the Healthy Kidney last year. Interestingly, neither man may be the prerace favorite. Two-time ING New York City Marathon champion Brazilian Marilson Gomes dos Santos is also in the field. He‘s run 27:28.12 for 10,000m, and was second at the Healthy Kidney 10-K last year, just 12 seconds behind Makau. There are also Americans Abdi Abdirahman (27:16.99) and Anthony Famiglietti (27:37.74) in the field, along with Ireland‘s Martin Fagan (27:58.48) and New Zealand‘s Adrian Blincoe (13:10.19 5000m PB). Informs Race Results Weekly.
LOS ANGELES (USA): Olympic 200 m winner Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica was given clearance to resume training last week Thursday and now is moving forward positively anticipating the outdoor season. „I will now open my season at the Adidas Track Classic in Carson , California on May 17th and will then defend my 100m title at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York before the Jamaican Trials,†she was quoted by IAAF.
KOLN (GER): The Koln Marathon planned for October 4 is having already 10 000 entries registered. That is by 2000 more than last year in the same period of the year.
BERLIN (GER): During World Championships in Berlin the video measurement in long jump and triple jump will be tested. It will not be official so far, but this test should establish this quicker and more reliable way starting from 2010 officially. The difference is that the judges are marking the landing point or the last point of body touching the sand on the screen. That means in the mean-time all could be made ready for next jumper etc.
MILANO (ITA): On the closing day of the 72nd AIPS Congress legendary German athletics writer Gustav Schwenk received a commemorative silver plaque as recognition for his achievements over many years. The citation read: “In recognition of a lifetime of outstanding and dedicated service to Sports Journalismâ€.
SAO PAULO (BRA): World Champion and Panamerican Games winner Cuban Yargelis Savigne will be the star of women triple jump at first of four Brazilian top meetings which will be staged this Sunday in Fortaleza. In total athletes from 25 countries are expected at this Area Permit event to score for IAAF World Athletics Tour. Also in the field her team-mate Mabel Gay and home Gisele de Oliveira.
SANTO DOMINGO (DOM): On Sunday the first Santo Domingo Grand Prix meet will be staged at Felix Sanchez Stadium. Former Jamaican Commonwealth gold medalist Michael Blackwood will compete against Cuban William Collazo and home elite headed by new-Dominican Alvin Harrison a former US runner at the main event, the 400 m. Cuban sprinter Roxana Diaz is the favorite of the short women races.
BERLIN (GER): German media are reporting that the organisers of 12th IAAF World Championships in Berlin are planning with 44 millions EUR budget. The income should be 14.85 millions EUR from ticket sales, 7.1 from sponsors and hospitality packages sales. Other income (from example in merchandising) is planned at 2.05 millions. The region Berlin gives 20 millions, if income will be higher in other parts, the contribution from Berlin will be less. Additional 13.3 millions is given for the infrastructure (stadium etc.). In comparison with Stuttgart 1993 the budget is doubled. At that time before 15 years itn was 40 millions DM (approx. 20.5 millions EUR). Another discussion topic is the Hertha Berlin football club which plays its league games at Olympic Stadium. The first round for next season 2009/10 is planned for the weekend Aug 7-9 and at that time all works will be started in the stadium for the championships (Aug 15-23). Hertha will consider to play its games (also Champions League qualification) in Leipzig.
RESULTS
JABLONNE (CZE, May 3): Latvian hammer record holder Igors Sokolovs after returning from Warsaw achieved good quality 78.23 in Czech Republic where he is having his training base.
NIORT (FRA, May 3): European Indoor Champion Renaud Lavillenie cleared 570 here and also clocked good 14.54 PB at 110 m Hurdles.
ITHACA (USA, May 2): Shot-putter Sheldon Battle continues to show his return to fitness with his second toss of the season over 20 meters. He won the event at Cornell Invitational with a throw of 20.13 m.
STAVROPOL (RUS, May 2-3): Discus thrower Bogdan Pishchalnikov was again better at Stavropol region championships with 65.58 m. Olympic finalist Anna Omarova won the shot put with 17.66 m.
MOSCOW (RUS, May 4): Winners of 17th International Moscow Half-marathon during holiday day were Aleksey Khokhlov (1:04:53) and Lyudmila Stepanova (1:14.51). Ukrainain Tetyana Holovchenko won the 10 km in 35:55.
BELFAST (GBR, May 4): Kenyan John Mutai won the Belfast Marathon in 2:17:34 which ranks in the top 10 fastest of Belfast’s 28 marathons. Kenyan woman was also effected by the wind with Joyce Kandie taking her second title in three years in 2:47:44. Despite the indifferent weather, marathon organisers were delighted with the record turnout of over 17 000 participants in the various events – an increase of 2000 from last year (3000 in marathon).
CHISINAU (MDA, May 5): New national hammer record at Moldavian University Championships by Marina Marghieva with 72.58 m.
QATIF (KSA, Apr 29-May 1): Top marks at 12th Gulf Countries Senior and Youth Championships in Saudi Arabia. Home Youssef Ahmed Al-Masrahi improved the meet record to 45.90 at 400 m. Hassan Ali Obeid Shirook as second got UAE national record 46.10. He also won the 400 m Hurdles in new national mark 49.66 ahead of home runners Bandar Yahya (49.82) and Idris Abdelaziz (49.85). Olympic finalist Hussein Taher Al-Sabee achieved excellent 815 (+0.7) in Long jump. Another national record for UAE in triple jump by Mohamed Abdallah Darwish (16.30, +1.2). Omar Jouma sprinted to 20.72 at 200 m (-0.3), another national record for United Arab Emirates. Two meet records for throwing home champions Sultan Al-Hebshi (19.88 in Shot Put) and Sultan Al-Dawoodi (64.19 in discus). Kuwaiti world championships finalist Mohamed Al-Zankawi won the hammer (74.49).
Special thanks to Alfons Juck, EME News.
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