by Larry EderJenn Stucysnski, the Olympic silver medalist in the pole vault, and the second highest active vaulter in the world, is, per www.trackandfieldnews.com quoting her coach, Rick Suhr, ” 50/50″ on competing at the World Championships. She has a pain in her left achilles tendon, much like the 2007 season. Her right hip flexor is also causing her pain, which, Suhr believes, is a compensation issue. RBR will keep you informed…we wish Jenn a speedy recovery.
Jenn Stuczynski showed winning the U.S. women’s pole vault title in Eugene, Oregon on June 28, 2009. Photography courtesy of PhotoRun.net.
EME NEWS (JULY 14, 2009)
HOOKER BEATEN, LUCAS SECOND FASTEST IN THE WORLD
REIMS (FRA, July 14): French pole vaulters beat olympic winner Steven Hooker at fifth Alma Athle Tour series meet. European indoor champion Renaud Lavillenie cleared 582 in first and Romain Mesnil in second. Hooker achieved before 577 in first and tried unsuccesfully at 587 and both French jumpers tried then at 592. The best female result was new Trinidad record and second fastest in the world 54.17 at 400 m hurdles by Josanne Lucas. Jamaican Nickiesha Wilson was second (55.46). Nationals fourth placer Alexandria Anderson in her European debut won the 100 m in 11.32 (-0.6) with returning home star Christine Arron being 8th (11.78). Ukrainian Natalya Pigida won the 400 m (51.96) and Morrocan Btissam Lakhouad the 1500 m (4:09.30). French Melanie Skotnik won the high jump with 193 over Canadian Nicole Forrester and Bulgarian Venelina Veneva (both 191). Funmi Jimoh leaped to excellent 673 in long jump and world leader Martina Hrasnova of Slovakia was clear hammer winner (74.49). In men events home walker Yohan Diniz dominated the 5000 m (18:47.53). Jamaican wins for Dwight Thomas at 110 m hurdles (13.45, -1.1, veteran Allen Johnson 5th in 13.75) and Ricardo Chambers at 400 m (45.34). In the 100 m race Craig Pickering clocked 10.29 (-0.7) ahead of Antigua´s Brendan Christian (10.31).
BOLT ARRIVED TO PARIS
PARIS (FRA): Main star of AREVA meeting in Paris Usain Bolt arrived to the main French city on Tuesday. It will be his debut this year in the AF Golden League series. After arrival he was the guest at the festivities during National Day in France. Informs meeting website. His main rivals in the 100 m on Friday will be his training partner Daniel Bailey of Antigua and olympic medalist Richard Thompson of Trinidad. No new opposition is waiting on Jackpot contenders. Kenenisa Bekele will run this time the 3000 m and to mention as possible rivals Ethiopian Abreham Cherkos and James Kwalia of Qatar (second in Oslo). Yelena Isinbayeva is not having in pole vault anybody new, the US rival Jenn Stuczynski is struggling with injury and not competing currently. Also Sanya Richards at 400 m will more compete against the clock and herself. In women 100 m Kerron Stewart also looks safe, although Allyson Felix and Lauryn Williams are new opponents in comparison with Rome.
STUCZYNSKI UNDER QUESTIONMARK
MOUNTAIN VIEW (USA): Track and Field News website informs that pole vault American Record holder Jenn Stuczynski currently is described by coach Rick Suhr as being „only 50-50“ to compete at the World Championships in Berlin. The 27-year-old New Yorker has suffered since early May from a recurrence of the tendinitis in her left Achilles tendon that bothered her much of the ’07 season. But the problem didn‘t crop up at all last year. She also is bothered currently by a sore right hip flexor. „That‘s almost certainly a compensation injury leading back to the left Achilles,“ says Suhr. She was going to jump in Rome, in Spain and in London, but now she won‘t be in any of those meets.
DIX CASE SETTLED
ATLANTA (USA): Agencies are reporting that 100 m and 200 m olympic bronze medalist Walter Dix resolved a contract dispute with his agent in an arbitration hearing. Terms of the settlement weren‘t disclosed, agencies are writing. The sprinter‘s legal scuffle centered around compensation owed to agent Kimberly Holland, who helped him broker a rich deal with Nike. His side‘s claim was that Holland wasn‘t the sole reason Dix got the Nike contract, and that she wasn‘t entitled to her 20 percent commission of the deal worth between $4 million to $5 million over a 4Ë-year period. Dix wants to compete end of July again.
OTHER NEWS
LOS ANGELES (USA): NBC plans on bidding for rights to televise the 2014 and 2016 Olympics despite the United States Olympic Committee‘s (USOC) decision to build a competing Olympic network, the broadcaster said. The company‘s spokesman Brian Walker claimed that nothing had changed in the network‘s intentions to bid for the Games. Because of the current economic crisis, the International Olympic Committee has postponed the bidding for the 2014 and 2016 Olympics, likely until after the 2016 Games are awarded at its Session in Copenhagen on October 2. Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo are the four cadidate cities. NBC has televised all Olympics since 2000. NBC will pay about $2.2 billion to televise the 2010 and 2012 Olympics.
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): Dwain Chambers Europe‘s fastest 100 metres runner this year until beaten by Simeon Williamson who ran a faster time in Birmingham on Saturday is sweating on selection for next month‘s World Championships. Williamson who clocked 10.05 seconds gained automatic seelction. The selectors will choose the other two who will represent the Aviva GB team in Berlin where the action gets underway on August 15. Writes David Martin. Charles van Commenee, UK Athletics head coach, said of Chambers unexpected second place: „(He is) in the waiting room. The other athletes can still race, a few will go head to head and we have to see what times they run.“ Tyrone Edgar and Craig Pickering and other candidates for the side are all expected to compete at the Aviva London Grand Prix on July 24-25 to try and stake their claims. But Chambers will not be there. The reformed drug cheat is not permitted to compete at EuroMeetings after serving a two years suspension and the Crystal Palace event falls under its umbrella.
KINGSTON (JAM): Olympic Games champions Usain Bolt, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser and Melaine Walker Jamaica’s team released on Monday to represent the nation at next month’s (August 15-23) IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany. Former two-time World Junior 200m silver medallist Anneisha McLaughlin, is expected to run the 200m in space of Fraser; and along with Christine Day, Yohan Blake, the national junior record holder and Josef Robertson, young jumpers Alain Bailey, Nicholas Gordon, Julian Reid and Kimberly Williams will make their first senior team trip. Writes TrackAlerts.com. Markino Buckley (400mH), Vonette Dixon (100mH), Ramone McKenzie (200m). An alternate would only therefore become a part of the team if it becomes necessary for them to replace an athlete named to the team.†Additionally, Samantha Henry, Lerone Clarke and Anastasia Le-Roy are reserves for the various relay pools and may be selected to the team in the event that it becomes necessary for such a replacement. The team – women: Shelly Ann Fraser, Kerron Stewart, Sheri-Ann Brooks, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Simone Facey, Anniesha McLaughlin, Novelene Williams-Mills, Shericka Williams, Christine Day, Kenia Sinclair, Delloreen Ennis-London, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Lacena Golding-Clarke, Melanie Walker, Kaliese Spencer, Nickiesha Wilson, Jovanee Jarrett, Trecia Smith, Rosemarie Whyte, Bobby-gaye Wilkins, Aileen Bailey, Shereefa Lloyd, Kimberly Williams. Men: Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Michael Frater, Maurice Wignall, Steve Mullings, Marvin Anderson, Ricardo Chambers, Allodin Fothergill, Lansford Spence, Dwight Thomas, Richard Phillips, Isa Phillips, Danny McFarlane, Josef Robertson, Alain Bailey, Nicholas Gordon, Julian Reid, Maurice Smith, Dorian Scott, Dane Hyatt, Jermaine Gonzales, Yohan Blake, Leford Green.
EDINBURGH (GBR): Stephanie Twell, three time European junior cross country champion, World junior 1500m champion and an Olympian at the tender age of 19, has this week declared her intention to compete for Scotland at international level. Her mother Isobel is from Paisley and Stephanie’s application was approved by the scottishathletics lawyer and ratified by the Board. It represents a significant boost for the sport in the countdown to London 2012 and Glasgow 2014.
LAUSANNE (SUI): European Athletics is pleased to announce that German High Jump star Ariane Friedrich and French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie have been selected as the European Athletes of the Month for June. The runners-up in the women‘s poll were Portugal’s Naide Gomes and Russian Pole Vault world-record holder Yelena Isinbayeva, while Portgual’s middle-distance runner Rui Silva and triple jumper Nelson Évora were runners-up in the men’s poll.
BERLIN (GER): The second edition of the ‚Grand 10‘ , a 10K road race in Berlin on October 11th will have Irina Mikitenko as top star.
ROMA (ITA): Massimiliano Corso, a young Italian middle distance runner, died yesterday at an accident during a training session in the mountains.
MADRID (SPA): The Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA) will send 20 women and 34 men to the U23 European championships in Kaunas. Alvaro Rodriguez is the top star of the team as he is the reigning U23 European 1.500m champion.
NEW YORK (USA): With an even dozen individual world championships medals between them, American Deena Kastor, Dutchwoman Lornah Kiplagat, and Kenyan Catherine Ndereba are amongst the most accomplished distance runners in history, especially on the roads. They‘ve recorded victories throughout the world (Ndereba alone has 123 career wins), but have faced each other in the same race together on only three occasions. They‘ll get another chance, perhaps their last, at the fourth edition of the NYC Half-Marathon here, set for Sunday, August 16. Also announced are 2009 NYRR New York Mini 10-K champion Rose Kosgei of Kenya (1:09:03 half-marathon PB), three-time Hungarian Olympian Aniko Kalovics (1:08:58), 2009 Guadalajara Half-Marathon champion Genoveva Jelagat Kigen of Kenya (1:09:42), and 2009 New Bedford Half-Marathon champion Heidi Westerling of Acworth, N.H. (1:11:35) would also be competing. A prize money purse of $70,000 is on offer with $10,000 going to the men‘s and women‘s winners. Last year‘s race had a record 10,506 finishers. Writes Race Results Weekly.
LONDON (GBR): Simeon Williamson like a breath of fresh air writes Pat Butcher on his blog at: http://www.globerunner.org/blog/?p=211
RESULTS
GONNESA (ITA, July 11): At the 24th edition of the ‚Gonnesa Corre‘ Hungarian Aniko Kalovics won the women‘s race (5,3km) in 17:17min. Erastus Chirchir from Kenya (23:06min) came first in front of Italian Daniele Meucci (23:07min) in the men‘s race (8,04km).
TALLINN (EST, July 11): To add from the meet is 20.26 shot put by Taavi Peetre.
BARCELONA (ESP, July 12): Mario Pestano achieved 66.10 in discus in a local meet.
LISBON (POR, July 13): Arnaldo Abrantes won the 200 m in 20.64 (+2.4) and 2nd Lusofonia Games ahead of Brazilian Bruno de Barros (20.78). In another sprint battle, Brazil beats Portugal at 4×100 m (39.30-39.31). Marcos Chuva leaped to windy 809 (+3.9) in long jump. Sara Moreira still had power after two golds at Universiade to win also here the 5000 m (15:45.05). Brazil won both 4×400 m relays (3:07.76 and 3:34.16).
TOYSA (FIN, July 13): Olli-Pekka Karjalainen registered his season best in hammer with 78.64 m.
ATHENS (GRE, July 13): Two national records to mention from Tsiklitiria. Gari Roba clocked Ethiopian steeple mark with 8:12.03 and Allian Pompey achieved Guyana´s NR at 400 m 50.90.
Special thanks to Alfons Juck, EME News.
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