Jenny Barringer, New Balance Games 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Big weekend of track and field is fast approaching! In Jamaica, on Saturday, May 1, Usain Bolt will run his first 200 meters in Kingston, with Wallace Spearmon (ran 20.20 at Drake) joining him in the fun! DeeDee Trotter will be running 400 meters in Kingston as well! On the men’s side of the track, Tyson Gay will be running another 400 meters! Remember, Tyson ran 44.89 just two weeks ago!

In Palo, Alto, California, also on May 1, the Payton Jordan Invitational will take place. The race of the night should be the men’s 10,000 meters, section 1, also known as the Kim McDonald Invitational 10k. The race will feature a who’s who of the 10,000 meters in the U.S. racing circuit, including Galen Rupp, Anthony Famiglietti, Tim Nelson, and Mike Aish, to name just a few. Jenny Barringer leads a tough 1,500 meter field for the women and Shalane Flanagan, U.S. record holder at 5,000m, 10,000m, and the half marathon, will be racing over the 5,000 meter distance.

Track season is just about here!

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POWELL IS NOW CRAWFORD

KINGSTON (JAM): This years US
indoor champion Ginnie Powell will open at the 100 m hurdles on Saturday in
Kingston at Jamaican Invitational. But she will also compete under a new
name. She married on April 23 the former olympic gold medalist, winner from
Athens 2004, Shawn Crawford. Her new name is Virginia Crawford.

FELIX AND CLEMENT FOR DOHA

DOHA (QAT): 200 m world champion Allyson
Felix decided that at IAAF Diamond League opener she will contest the 400 m. â€žThis year the race
will be much more competitive since it is the opening location of the Diamond
League so it will be a real treat for athletics fans,” she said for IAAF.
Her duel with world gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross who is also contracted as
Ambassador of the new series is not sure because of the injury of the title
holder. Another Bobby Kersee coached athlete 400 m hurdles world champion
Kerron Clement is also scheduled to run in Doha on May 14. But for him it will
be his second outing of the summer in his special distance. Before he runs this
Saturday in Kingston.

ROBLES VS. BRATHWAITE IN HENGELO

HENGELO (NED): FBK Games of
Hengelo planned for May 30 is having a new highlight. The organizers
announced that in the 110 m
hurdles will clash world record holder and olympic winner Dayron Robles of Cuba
with reigning world champion Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados. They both should also
run against each other on May 19
in Daegu at Korean IAAF World Challenge meet. In Hengelo
in the field also top home hurdlers Gregory Sedoc and Marcel van der Westen.
According to sources Robles is no longer scheduled to run in Shanghai against
home hero, Liu Xiang on May 23.

BOLT AGAINST US SPRINTERS

DAEGU (KOR): World fastest man
Usain Bolt will face a solid field at Daegu IAAF World Challenge meet on
May 19 in
his first 100 m
of the year. USA will be represented by 2009 national champion Mike Rodgers,
another Berlin participant Rae Edwards, Doha participant Trell Kimmons and
Travis Padgett.

SAMUELS IN OSAKA

OSAKA (JPN): New star for May 8
Osaka Grand Prix (IAAF World Challenge) is Australian world champion Dani
Samuels for discus. Australia will also have a strong men 4×400 m line-up
in Japan headed by fresh national champion Ben Offereins. Samuels afterwards continues
to Doha Diamond League meet.

GAY ON THE STRAIGHT

MANCHESTER (GBR): US sprint
record holder Tyson Gay confirmed that his distance at GreatCity Games in
Manchester on May 16 will be 200
m, but on the straight. He wants to attack the 19.5 by
Tommie Smith from San Jose (cinder track), in 1966 what was at that time
official IAAF World Record. Actually the original distance was 220 yards for Smith.
Tommie Smith should be also present. In women 150 m Christine Ohuruogu will
clash with Jessica Ennis and at 200
m Sanya Richards-Ross is scheduled to run. Also 110 m hurdles at Manchester
streets is planned with multiple silver medalist from global events US Terrence
Trammell, reigning world champion Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados should run the 200 m hurdles. The Sunday
morning Bupa Great Manchester Run at 10 km will feature Ethiopian stars Haile
Gebrselassie and Derartu Tulu.

OTHER NEWS

ANTALYA (TUR): Ioannis Daras of Greece was elected the new president of UEPS
at their 32nd Congress in Antalya,Turkey, AIPS website informs. Daras defeated
Jura Ozmec of Croatia (athletics commentator) by 27 votes to 11. Lev Rossoshik
of Russia was elected vice president with 22 votes against Jerzy Jakobsche of
Poland who polled 13. Charles Camenzuli of Malta was elected unopposed as
secretary-general and Murat Agca of Turkey was returned unopposed as treaurer.

PRAGUE (CZE): Czech Republic
will send junior boys team for IAAF Race Walking World Cup in Mexico in May.
They will be Lukas Gdula, Pavel Schrom and Jiri Malysa jr. In women category
two representatives in the 20
km will Lucie Pelantova and Zuzana Schindlerova.

PRANGINS (SUI): The 125th
European Athletics Council Meeting, held between 30 April and 2 May in
Switzerland, will announce city of the 2014 European Athletics Championships,
the premier continental athletics event. The 2010 European Athletics
Championships will take place in Barcelona through 26 July to 1 August. The
2012 championships are scheduled for Helsinki, Finland, through 27 June to 1
July wrote european-athletics.org. The only candidate for 2014 edition is Zurich.

STANFORD (USA): Stanford track
and field will host one of the most elite track meetings in the nation with the
Payton Jordan Invitational on May 1, informed gostanford.com. The men’s 10,000 meters will
join Galen Rupp, Samuel Chelanga with Alistair Cragg of Ireland. The featured
women’s event will be the 5,000
meters with Americans Shalane Flanagan and Lisa Koll.
Stanford meet will have at 1500
meters All-Americans Chris Derrick, Dylan Ferris and
Elliott Heath. Although the Payton Jordan Invitational is known for the
distance events, the sprints and field events will also be strong this year.

ANTALYA (TUR): Jayne Pearce,
Head of London 2012 Press Operations told the international sports media at
today’s AIPS Congress session that journalists would be able to use their
accredited laptops in locations other than the MPC. Writes AIPS. Jayne Pearce
was heavily involved with athletics in the past.

BARCELONA (ESP): JesÃºs Espana,
one of the Spain’s big medal hopes, wants to win the 5000 meters at
Barcelona 2010, as its his only goal for this year, he said in an interview.
But he also said that anyone who represents the Spanish team this summer can
win the title, such as Sergio SÃ¡nchez, who wants double at 5000 and 10000 meters. The
first big test for Espana on track will be in Huelva on June 9, later the
European Team Championships and then the Spanish Championships in AvilÃ©s.

BAUNATAL (GER): German top
stars high jumper Ariane Friedrich and Shot putter Ralf Bartels are announced
to compete in the German meeting in Baunatal on June 2nd (EA Classic).

HALLE (GER): World medalist in
shot put Ralf Bartels will also be present at throwing meet in Halle on May 15.
He will be joined by compatriot Peter Sack and Hungarian Lajos Kurthy. Also on
the startlist is Polish Jakub Giza and Andy Dittmar. Canadian record holder
Dylan Armstrong was already announced for the meeting in March writes
leichtatletik.de.

RESULTS

JAPANESE 100 M
RECORD

HIROSHIMA (JPN, Apr 29): New
Japanese women 100 m
record highlighted Oda Meet in Hiroshima. Chisato Fukushima clocked 11.21
(+1.7) and improved her own mark 11.24 from last june. Second Momoko Takahashi
achieved 11.35 and Australian Melissa Breen 11.38 as third. In menÂ´s 100 m Kota Sakuma beat in
10.42 (-0.1) Yusuke Kotani (10.44, but 10.34 +1.4 in heats). Another top
mark was the 570 pole vault clearance of national record holder Daichi Sawano,
his best mark since 2007. Second Chinese Yang Yansheng cleared 560. African
distance winners Kenyan Bitan Karoki (13:48.17) and Ethiopian Betelhem Moges
(15:38.70). Also to note 13.25 (-0.2) at 100 m hurdles by Asuka Terada. In menÂ´s hurdles
Tasuku Tanonaka achieved 13.79 to win. Japanese meetings circuit continues on
Monday in Shizuoka.

BAMAKO (MLI, Apr 27): Ghana’s Ignisious Gaisah has achieved his
best performance since coming back from knee surgery, landing at 806 in Bamako at African
Area Permit meet. New Mali long jump record for Mamadou ChÃ©rif Dia 782 as
second if wind is legal. South Africa Ofentse Mogawane won the 400m in 45.89
ahead of Botswana’s Isaac Makwala (46.20). Informs Carole Fuchs.

0S (NOR, Apr 25): World-class
walker Erik Tysse tested himself with 1:12:01 at 15 km road walk.

SAD NEWS

ZAGREB (CRO): On Moday died the
oldest worlds known sports journalist Zarko Susic at age of 95. It happened in
Zagreb in his home. He was born in 1915 and his first article was printed in
1934. He retired in 1980 after 41 years
of being professional sports journalist and writing mainly about athletics. For
example he reported from 16 Olympic Games from 1956 until 2004. He was also
successful athletics coach. In 2004 he was awarded by IOC for his contribution
to sports journalism. Informs Croatian federation website.

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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