by Larry Eder
Ivan Ukhov, August 2009, photo from PhotoRun.net.
Sergio Sanchez has run a world leading 4:52.90 at 2,000 meters, the new European all time indoor best, and third, world list behind Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie. Ivan Ukhov cleared 2.37m for the high jump, with good attempts at 2.41m! Other big news is the word that Sir Sebastian Coe is considering running for IAAF President in 2011, to replace Lamine Diack…..more to come on that one!
EME NEWS (JAN 23, 2010) UPDATE
SANCHEZ 4:52.90
OVIEDO (ESP, Jan 23): Spanish runner Sergio Sanchez clocked 4:52.90 at 2000 m what is European all-time best (in this event no official European indoor records are registered). Former best of Irishman Eamonn Coghlan was 4:54.07 in 1987 and former Spanish best 4:56.87 by Andres Diaz in 1999. It is third fastest ever behind Ethiopian greats Bekele and Gebrselassie.
UKHOV CLEARS 237 AND TRIES 241
HUSTOPECE (CZE, Jan 23): First leg of 6th Moravia High Jump Tour climaxed to some very special male high jumping. Russian European indoor champion Ivan Ukhov in his first meet of the year had a one-man show at highest level. He started at 220 with training jump, continued at 228, 230, 232 always first attempt clearances. More seriously finally in shorts he went over 237 easily what was new meet record, world lead and best ever indoor mark in Czech Republic. Full hall of nearly 1000 spectators than saw his three very realistic tries at 241. Specially the first one was very good. Ukhov confirmed his great shape and will next compete in the second leg of the series on Tuesday in Trinec. US Dusty Jonas despite tight achilles cleared on third attempt 230 and looked also very impressive. It was first time for Nebraska jumper to attend a special high jump meet with music. Italian Alessandro Talotti as third, local hero Jaroslav Baba as fourth and Briton Samson Oni as fifth went over 228 and achieved World Indoor Championships standard. Ukrainian Dmytro Demyanyuk after 224 passed the 228 and had very close attempts at 230. 2003 World Champion Jacques Freitag returned to European indoor scene after five years and was confident with his 215. German Torino gold medalist Ariane Friedrich said before the competition she did not tried jumps over the bar in the training so far. That is why she started carefully with 189 clearance and also had at 192 an easy one, 195 came in second attempt. That was already a world lead and also a win for her. Then she passed 198 and tried immediately for meet record 201. All three attempts have been good tries, specially the last one. „I was not exactly knowing what I could expect from todays competition. It showed I can jump high in next meetings, „she said. Russian Svetlana Shkolina and Czech Iva Strakova tied for second with 192, Doha standard and both had nice attempts at 195. 2005 World medalist Chaunte Howard-Lowe of USA also mastered 192 but in second attempt (also Doha qualifier) and also did not had bad attempts at 195 and ended fourth. The series continues in Trinec on Tuesday. Friedrich and Shkolina are not continuing, otherwise all jumpers will travel on Sunday to East Moravian part in Trinec near Ostrava. Special addition will be world champion Blanka Vlasic. Results: 1.Ukhov 237 MR, WL, 2.Jonas 230, 3.Talotti 228, 4.Baba 228, 5.Oni 228, 6.Demyanyuk 224, 7.Nieto 224, 8.Mudrov 220, 9.Freitag 215, 10.Horak 215, 11.Kabelka 215, 12t.Grayman and Harsanyi 210. 1.Friedrich 195, 2t.Shkolina and Strakova 192, 4.Howard 192, 5.Maresova 185, 6t.Stepaniuk and Mamlina 185, 8t.Lalakova and Spencer 185, 10.Ayhan 175.
OTHER RESULTS
VOLGOGRAD (RUS, Jan 23): At Governor Cup Indoor meet European indoor champion Antonina Krivoshapka started into the season with 52.04 at 400 m. Anastasiya Potapova got excellent jumping double 665 and 14.34. Another top double by sprinter Yuliya Katsura 7.23 and 23.40 at 60/200 m. Former olympic winner Yelena Slesarenko cleared 188 in high jump and Anna Omarova tossed 18.36 in the shot put. On the men side Maksim Sidorov achieved 20.21 in shot put and Roman Smirnov solid sprint double 6.79 and 21.21.
HIRSON (FRA, Jan 23): At special indoor high jump meeting Italian Andrea Bettinelli cleared 222 to win over former world champion Yuriy Krimarenko of Ukraine (also 222) and French Ousmane Diarra (222).
JABLONEC (CZE, Jan 23): European indoor bronze medalist Petr Svoboda showed excellent shape at International meet in Jablonec. Already in heats his time was 7.58 and in finals another current world lead 7.56, just 0.01 behind his national mark from Torino 2009. Svoboda next time competes in Karlsruhe. His training group members at 60 m Katerina Cechova (7.45) and Libor Zilka (6.76) also showed decent shape.
WIEN (AUT, Jan 23): Two national records at ASVO Vienna Indoor Gala meeting in the Ferry Dusika Hall. Estonian Maris Magi achieved 52.98 at 400 m and Ireland´s Kelly Proper leaped to 662 in long jump. German Nadine Kleinert achieved 18.44 in shot put. Austrian Andreas Rapatz with 46.87 at 400 m and Czech Jakub Holusa with 1:46.96 at 800 m also showed Doha qualifications.
CARDIFF (GBR, Jan 23): Solid results from Welsh Championships. Chris Baillie won 60 m Hurdles in 7.82, newcomer Gemma Turtle improved to 4:14.06 in the 1500 and a scottish pole vault record of 4.31 by Henietta Paxton.
MINSK (BLR, Jan 23): Eduard Mikhan won the national heptathlon championships with 5679 points score. Olympic medalist Andrey Kravchenko competed in two events, 8.03 at 60 m hurdles and 480 in pole vault.
POTSDAM (GER, Jan 23): Carsten Schlangen achieved 7:58.12 at 3000 m during regional championships.
FURTH (GER, Jan 23): Tobias Unger posted 6.74 at 60 m.
CHEMNITZ (GER, Jan 23): Christian Blum was also pretty fast at regional championships with 6.69 at 60 m.
BELFAST (GBR, Jan 23): At the Antrim international cross country (IAAF Permit) Irish athlete Mary Cullen took first place in the women’s race in 18:45 with Hungarian Aniko Kalovics in second. Pre race favorite Hayley Yelling came in fifth in 19:39 just ahead of American Delilah DiCrescenzo. In the men’s race Kenyan Mike Kigen crossed the finish first in 27:49 before England’s Andy Vernon and Mexican Juan Luis Barrios. Mengisteab from Eritrea and Skinner from England completed the top five in Belfast.
ADELAIDE (AUS, Jan 23): Another 400 m test of Tamsyn Lewis with 54.38.
US INDOOR ROUND-UP (SATURDAY)
NEW YORK: With the challenge of the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games looming just six days ahead, Britain‘s Andy Baddeley showed impressive early season form as his 3:55.64 win at the New Balance Games here came close to erasing Mark Carroll‘s Armory Track & Field Center record of 3:54.98. Erin Donohue was a virtual wire-to-wire winner with her 4:28.92 mile, though she did get a late challenge from an unexpected source. Both athletes set indoor personal bests. Ricky Stevenson (3:56.31) and Mark Draper (3:56.80) made the race a 1-2-3 British sweep. They also ran career best indoor times. Canadian, Nicole Edwards was close second in a personal best 4:29.42 and Sarah Bowman, the former University of Tennessee star who is now a New Balance-sponsored professional, third in 4:32.14. The New Balance Games also featured two elite 400s, with Natasha Hastings (52.68) and Miles Smith (46.70) taking the wins. Writes RRW.
CHAPEL HILL: Bahamian Veteran Chandra Sturrup started the season with 7.28 at 60 m. Christian Davis achieved solid 6.65 at 60 m in heats.
BLACKSBURG: During second day of Hokie Invitational former relay world champion DeeDee Trotter scored a 24.03 (200 m) and 52.80 (400 m) double.
COLLEGE STATION: Bahamian surprise Demetrius Pinder confirmed his shape with another fast 400 m in 46.03. Zambian record holder Gordon Phiri posted 6.68 at 60 m during a college duel meet. Curtis Mitchell was fast at 200 m in 20.99. In women events Porscha Lucas clocked 23.21 at 200 m, Jessica Beard 52.27 at 400 m and Jamaican Natasha Ruddock 8.15 at 60 m hurdles.
FAYETTEVILLE: Razorbacks Invitational saw some of the top sprinters testing their shape. US champion Mike Rodgers achieved 6.63 in his race, Steve Mullings of Jamaica 6.74 but the fastest was Ray Jadusingh in 6.62 PB. Hurdles world champion Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados was beaten with 7.68 at 60 m hurdles by Jerome Miller (7.66). Long jump world champion Brittney Reese got 7.39 (7.36 in her heat) and was beaten by Shalonda Solomon (7.28). 200 m world medalist Alonso Edward of Panama tested in the 400 m and clocked in his first ever race at this distance 47.40. Two national records for European countries here. Estonian Marek Niit clocked 46.91 at 400 m in his race. Tina Sutej improved again her Slovenian pole vault record to 432 as second behind April Steiner (440). Former world champion Walter Davis got solid 16.99 in triple jump.
ALBUQUERQUE: Ryan Bailey showed impressive shape with 6.61 and 20.86 times here. James Davis clocked 46.53 at 400 m.
NORMAN: Slovak world hammer medalist Libor Charfreitag achieved 21.85 in weight throw here.
OTHER NEWS
PARIS (FRA): French 800m runner Elodie Guégan is to undergo surgery to both her Achilles on February 5th and will be out of action for about a year. The athlete who has a PB of 1:58.93 from July 2008 wasn‘t able to finish her semi-final at the Beijing Olympics due to acute pain in her right Achilles. It got better after rest and treatment, but pain then appeared on the left side so that she couldn‘t train at 100% in 2009 and had a poor showing in Berlin. Guégan hopes to start jogging during the summer and get back into training in autumn to prepare for the 2011 European indoor championships in Bercy.
LONDON (GBR): Daily Mail writes that Sebastian Coe will bid to become president of the International Association of Athletics Federations next year, 11 months before he completes his role as chief organizer of the 2012 London Olympics. Friends say he has been persuaded by prompting from several major European countries to offer himself to succeed Lamine Diack when elections are held before the world athletics championships in 2011. It is rare and it last happened in 1948 when Lord Burghley, Britain’s last IAAF president and, like Coe, an Olympic gold medallist, chaired the London Olympic Games organizing committee. Lord Coe, a vice-president of the IAAF, refused to comment but his European backers say the only thing delaying a formal declaration is the uncertainty over Diack’s intentions.
NAIROBI (KEN): 5000m world champion Vivian Cheruiyot announced her focus is on competing indoors writes iaaf.org. Following her win at the Kenyan police cross country championships Cheruiyot expressed her aim of competing for Kenya in Doha. “I’m quite happy because it’s my second victory at the police championships and I’m impressed by my form at the start of the season. However, I will not be running in Poland but I’m preparing for the indoor season instead,†Cheruiyot said. “I’m preparing for the indoor championships in Birmingham (20 February) and I hope to be selected in the Kenyan team to the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha where I want to run the 3000m.†In the men’s 12k Sammy Wanjiru placed 39th in 40:32. Wanjiru, who is in the first phase of preparations for April’s London Marathon, will run the Lisbon Hal Marathon on March 21st before defending his title in London.
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