by Larry Eder
Usain Bolt, August 2009, photo courtesy of PhotoRun.net.
In Guangzhou, China, it is the first day of the 18th Asian Championships, where China has already won two golds. In Jamaica, Usain Bolt has begun training for his 2010 season.
In Austin, Texas, nearly nine hundred attendees are inundating the Austin Hilton for the Running Event. This morning, Jeff Risley of Barkley US did a presentation on social networking and how stores and running businesses can use it.
Risley’s closing statement was quite prophetic: ” You can choose not to engage in social media, but you’ll still be talked about in the space. There are many benefits of being involved in the conversation….”
China wins 2 golds
GUANGZHOU (CHN, Nov 10): During first day of 18th Asian Championships China won two events, while Qatar, Philippines and Tajikistan got the other gold medals of the day. But possibly the biggest media attention was given to hurdler Liu Xiang who arrived to the site of the event on Tuesday and will compete in heats on Wednesday. In the 5000 m races favorites prevailed. Chinese National Games winner Xue Fei was the best in women race in slow 16:05.19. The same for Qatari bronze medalist from Berlin James Kwalia who was the best in men´s race after 14:02.90. Kwalia won Asian Championships already in 2005 and Qatar won this event for a 6th time in a row. Kwalia after the race set the World Indoor Championships in his country as next goal. His team-mate Essa Ismail Rashed was third (14:04.52), between them Hasan Mahboob of Bahrain (14:03.44). All three medalists are of Kenyan origin. In the women race silver for Bahraini Tajitu Daba (16:05.45) and bronze for Indian Kavita Raut in life-time best 16:05.90. Another Berlin bronze medalist Gong Lijiao dominated the shot put with 19.04 ahead of her Chinese team-mate Liu Xiangrong (17.55) and Leyla Rajabi of Iran (Belarus origin, 16.71). China won women shot put for 14th time in history and Gong declared her dream for 2010 to win the Asian Games and for 2011 to win the World Championships. Tajikistan´s national federation president hammer thrower Dilshod Nazarov won his event with 76.92 m ahead of Kuwait national record holder Mohamed Al-Zankawi (73.45) who after three golds achieved this time a silver. National record holder Marestella Torres was the surprise winner in long jump with 651 (+0.6). For Philippines only second ever women gold in technical event at the championships. Chinese Chen Yaling beat on countback Japanese Sachiko Masumi (both 628, second best 622 vs. 614). Uzbekistan´s Berlin participant Yulia Tarasova leads heptathlon after first day with 3624 points (13.85-176-13.17-24.25). In the qualifications the biggest sensation the result of Japanese 100 m champion and Universiade bronze medalist Masashi Eriguchi (this season 10.07) who clocked 10.82 and did not qualify for the second round. Fastest times (10.51) were produced by his team-mate Naoki Tsukahara and Oman´s national record holder Barakat Al-Harthi. Asian record holder Samuel Francis of Qatar was a non-starter. Another interesting development in men´s 1500 m heats as Ali Belal Mansour of Bahrain did not compete and Berlin and Olympic steeple finalist Ali Abubaker Kamel of Qatar went out after 3:52.25. The fastest time for Saudi Arabian record holder Mohamed Shahween (3:44.82). Favorites were the best in other first rounds. Japanese at 400 m (Asami Tanno 52.78 and Yuzo Kanemaru 46.15) and women´s 100 m (Chisato Fukushima 11.37) and Chinese Sun Yawei at 100 m hurdles 13.32.
Richards and four technical event athletes
MONTE CARLO (MON): IAAF announced after men also five women candidates for the title 2009 World Athlete of the Year. Interestingly only runner is US 400 m world champion Sanya Richards with four representatives of technical events. Three of them are world champions. Croatia´s high jumper Blanka Vlasic, New Zealand´s shot putter Valerie Vili (unbeaten the whole season) and Poland´s hammer thrower Anita Wlodarczyk (achieving also world record in Berlin). Last name is three time winner of the award and the only non-world champion Russian Pole Vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva (2004, 2005 and 2008). In the past also Richards won the award in 2006. Never in the history of the award shot putter or hammer thrower won. The winners of the 2009 World Athlete of the Year Awards will be announced live, on stage, during the 2009 World Athletics Gala, which will take place in Monaco, on 22 November. This five candidates resulted from the IAAF Family voting (nearly 1800 persons were approached). The winners will be determined by the decision of International Athletics Foundation.
Lavillenie number one in France
PARIS (FRA): French Athlete of the Year is pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie (8461 points). That was announced based on results at French Federation website and by readers of Athletisme Magazine, in total by 3000 votes what is record number. Following him were steeple runner Bouabdellah Tahri (7628) and another pole vaulter Romain Mesnil (6646). The results were announced during a gala evening in Touquet. The Result of the year Award was given to Tahri for two European steeple records. The Young Athlete of the Year award went to European junior 100 m champion Christophe Lemaitre, All-round prize for Antoinette Nana Djimou and Team Spirit Award to Romain Mesnil.
Bolt started
KINGSTON (JAM): Sprinting star Usain Bolt started his activity towards the next season on Monday. At the UWI Bowl in Kingston as Jamaica Observer reports he did some exercises but was not running. “I just did some abs (abdominal crunches) and push-ups just to try and to feel myself out. It was raining earlier, so I didn’t do anything (track work) on the grass,” Bolt told the Observer in an exclusive interview. “The first day back is always good,” added Bolt. “It should be fun next year because there will be a lot of competition and it will be all about showdowns and I’m definitely looking forward to it,” he added. Bolt´s next international appearance should be later in the week in Mexico City at Sports Congress and next week at World Athletics Gala in Monaco.
Provinces also against
JOHANNESBURG (RSA): Four provinces affiliated to Athletics South Africa (ASA) have thrown down the gauntlet to the national body because of its handling of the Caster Semenya saga. In a “final call to resignâ€, Western Province, Eastern Province, Boland and Free State gave members of the Board of ASA until noon Wednesday to leave their posts. Writes Race Results Weekly. This challenge follows the decision by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) last week to suspend ASA President Leonard Chuene, the ASA Board and its members “pending the outcome of a disciplinary investigation and further actionâ€. SASCOC also asked the IAAF to consider suspending ASA from the international body.
OTHER NEWS
TOKYO (JPN): IAAF Marketing partner Dentsu reported 17 percent drop in sales, media are informing.
LONDON (GBR): 2012 London Olympic Games entries deadline will be on July 9, so the newly approved European Championships in Helsinki could be one of the last opportunities to qualify.
GUANGZHOU (CHN): New Delhi will host a top-class athletics meeting, starring leading names like China’s Liu Xiang next August as a test event for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Suresh Kalmadi promised after being re-elected as the President of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA). Writes Insidethegames.biz. The dates are Aug 29-30. During the Commonwealth Games athletics is due to be staged at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, built in 1982 for the Asian Games and which is being extensively renovated, including lifting the capacity up to 75,000, for next year.
MOSCOW (RUS): Russian 4×100 m olympic winner Yulia Gushchina re-started after injury her preparation for next season. Her next aim the World Indoor Championships 2010 in Doha. Guschina soon after ending the summer season (4th with 4×100 in Berlin and 200 m semifinalist) started her training but injured her leg during jumping. She missed so two weeks of training. Her event indoors will be 400 m as the 200 m is out of championships programme.
GLASGOW (GBR): Scottishathletics’ sponsor PUMA UK has kindly put up prizes for the leading Scottish athletes and their personal coaches for an inaugural indoor Grand Prix in January and February 2010. The format for the PUMA Grand Prix comprises of series of four indoor track and field meetings throughout January and February in Scotland and England. In January the Scottish Inter Regional Championships, on February 7 the Scottish National Championships, then the Aviva World Trials in Sheffield (Feb 13-14) and Aviva England U20 Championships in Birmingham (Feb 27-28).
TORONTO (CAN): November 14 is World Diabetes Day, and Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, Canada’s 100-meter hurdles Olympic star and World Silver medalist, is joining forces with MedTagger.com to advocate for trusted, reliable information related to the world’s fourth-leading cause of death. The campaign’s slogan is “Tag you’re it! Take action in support of World Diabetes Day.” Lopes-Schliep speaks from the heart on the issue of diabetes as several of her family members have the disease. She also has a genetic condition called Lipodystrophy that can lead to diabetes.
GUANGZHOU (CHN): Asian Coach of the year awards were given during the 2nd Congress of the Association of Asian Athletics Coaches( AAAC) held in Guangzhou. Japanese Shunji Karube, Shigenobu Murofushi and Chinese Songli Liang and Kuigang Ye were awarded for the year 2008 while Tarek Sabt of Bahrain and Fengling Zhu of China won the award for the year 2009. Association of Asian Athletics Coaches was founded in 2002 to educate and improve standards of coaching in Asia with the support of IAAF RDC Centre and Asian Athletics Association’ s coaching commission.
RESULTS
SAO PAULO (BRA, Nov 8): Tanzanian Martin Sulle won the Brazilian Road Race Grand Prix race at 10 km with 29:57 ahead of Kenyan Titus Kosgei (30:05) and best home runner Damiao Anselmo de Souza (30:13). Writes RRW.
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