Tyson Gay, USA Champs, 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Tyson Gay is healthy once again. Injuries that date back to his time at Arkansas were operated on this past fall, and Gay is showing his form, having run a 44.89 for 400 meters, and a new found confidence. All this means that a Bolt versus Gay clash this year could take us to new found heights in the world of sprinting! 

KANTER 71.45 IN
DISCUS

CHULA VISTA (USA, Apr 29):
Discus olympic gold medalist Gerd Kanter of Estonia started his summer season
with excellent world leading 71.45 at OTC meet in Chula Vista. It is also his
fifth best of the career and best ever in the center. His best throw comes from
round five in the series: 67.98 – 61.68 – 65.81 – 67.15 – 71.45 – 67.06. Kanter
with this mark passed Lithuanian Virgilijus Alekna in all-time top 10 throws
average with 71.38 over 71.30. Writes team75plus.com. Second was US Jarred Rome
with 66.71 and third another Estonian Mart Israel (64.35, coming back after
surgery) ahead of Australian Ben Harradine (64.01). Dutch Eric Cadee followed
as fifth (63.59). In the B-competition big improvement for young Norwegian
Fredrik Amundgaard 63.72.  Becky Breisch
won women discus with 63.89 ahead of Asian Games medalist Krishna Poonia of
India who bettered her lifetime best to 63.69. 
Shot put winners were Russ Winger (19.96) and Dutch Melissa Boekelman
(17.38). The competition was staged in good conditions, 16 degrees, partly
cloudy, right side wind 3-5 m/s. Next throwing meet with same competitors will
be staged on May 6. Informs globalthrowing.com.

SIMPSON IN KINGSTON

BAIE MAHAULT (FRA): Latest
addition into the start list of Guadeloupe meet on May 1 is the Jamaican 100 m olympic silver medalist
Sherone Simpson. After communication misunderstandings she did not had
a lane in Kingston and so will run in Baie Mahault. At the Jamaican meet
definitely the race would be tougher for her with Kerron Stewart and Carmelita
Jeter, first years sub 11 could be expected. In the Guadeloupe meet she will
face current world leader US LaShauntea Moore.

GAY THINKS ABOUT FAST 100
M

ORLANDO (USA): „I’ve already
programmed my mind to run faster,” US record holder Tyson Gay said in
a teleconference organised by IAAF and reported by The Independent. „I’m
thinking of 9.58 or faster this year. I’m very thankful that Usain Bolt is
running as fast as he is because he’s pushing me to run faster and faster. It’s
a huge motivation for me and it’s a huge thing for the sport. It’s
something that track and field needs.” About his ambitions at 400 m he said per IAAF: „I’ve
always had it in me to run a fast 400. I was a state champion in
high school in the 400. But I never liked doing it. And my coach told me
that if I ran the 400 I wouldn’t be able to do the 100. And I do
like running the 100 more. But it’s definitely a goal to make a relay
team.” Gay has a personal best of 30.8, from a training run, in the 300 m. The distance Usain
Bolt will try in Ostrava on May 27. They will be together on Saturday in
Kingston but in different events. Gay in the 400 m and Bolt in the 200 m. Their next possible
clash and first this year in the 100
m is scheduled for New York meet on June 12.  Next known is set for Brussels on Aug 27.
A third should be planned too. It looks like they will not meet together
this year in the 200 m.

CANTWELL FOR DOHA

DOHA (QAT): IAAF announced more
names announced for Diamond League opener on May 14. Mainly shot put world
champion Christian Cantwell who should clash with olympic gold medalist Tomasz
Majewski of Poland. In women 200
meters Jamaican Kerron Stewart is the latest addition.
She plans only two races in May. On Saturday in Kingston at 100 m and in Doha at 200 m. EME NEWS already
informed that Kerron Clement and Lolo Jones will participate also in their
special events.  Earlier based on their
ambassadors role it was clear that Sanya Richards-Ross (currently sidelined by
an injury), Kenenisa Bekele (5000
m), Allyson Felix (400 m), Asafa Powell (100 m), Barbora Spotáková and
Blanka Vlasic will be under spotlight in the Qatar Sports Club Stadium.

OTHER NEWS

BUDAPEST (HUN): London Marathon
winners Tsegaye Kebede and Liliya Shobukhova are the new leaders of the
All-Athletics.com World Rankings in the Men’s and Women’s Marathon
respectively. Informs All-Athletics.com. The Ethiopian runner improved his
score to 1398 thanks to winning last Sunday’s prestigious event. Liliya Shobukhova
of Russia, who won in London with a new personal best, is the new Nr.1 of
the Women’s Marathon for the first time in her career. More at www.all-athletics.com.

BUDAPEST (HUN): Before the
weekend leading event in all-athletics competition rankings in one day meetings
category of 2010 is Dakar ahead of Sydney and Melbourne. But after Saturday
Kingston and Guadeloupe might change it.

LOS ANGELES (USA): Two-time
Honda LA Marathon champion Wesley Korir of Kenya will throw out the first pitch
at the Los Angeles Dodgers home game against cross-town rivals the Los Angles
Angels on June 12.  „Korir follows recent
pitches by actors Matthew McConoughay, Pamela Anderson, Victoria Beckham and
famed Black Eye Pea, Will. i. am,” said Korir’s manager Karen Locke via
e-mail.  Interestingly, Korir, who lives
in Louisville, Ky., used to work in a baseball bat factory engraving famed
Louisville Slugger bats. Informs Race Results Weekly.

NEW YORK (USA): Rising American
stars Bobby Curtis, Patrick Smyth, and Mo Trafeh will join three-time Olympian
Abdi Abdirahman and four-time Chicago Marathon winner Khalid Khannouchi, who is
looking to make his running comeback, at the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K on
Saturday, May 15, in
Central Park, it was announced by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary
Wittenberg.The top Americans will face a tough international contingent,
which includes 2010 NYC Half-Marathon champion Peter Kamais of Kenya,
Australian 10,000-meter record-holder (27:29.73) Collis Birmingham, and
seven-time NCAA Champion Alistair Cragg of Ireland. Also toeing the line on May
15 will be 2009 World Cross Country Champion Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia, who
boasts the fastest 10,000-meter time in the field (26:52.73).

PRAHA (CZE): World silver
medalist from 2007 in
pole vault Czech record holder Katerina Badurova announced her retirement. Main
reason are health problems, specially damaged ligaments in her knee. She was
former gymnast but also here because of muscle problems and achilles problems
she switched to pole vault. Her last big meet was Olympic competition in
Beijing, but she was unable to clear a height there.

ANTALYA (TUR): At a gala
dinner hosted by FIFA on the first evening of the 73rd annual congress of the
International Sports Press Association FIFA announced great news for the media:
free internet at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa. Something already used
in athletics.

TALLAHASSEE (USA):  The Florida State men’s track team, which won
three straight national titles from 2006 to 2008 and finished second in 2009,
has lost star sprinter Charles Clark for the remainder of the year. As
nolesports.com informs he tore his quadriceps in practice and will be out from
four to six months. He is 6th from last year World Championships in Berlin at 200 m and has a 20.22 PB
from 2008.

LAUSANNE (SUI): Eveline Hodler
of Switzerland became a national winner of the14th series of profiles of
inaugural Women’s Leadership Awards, European Athletics. She has done all when
it comes to the sport of athletics, from an athlete to coach, technical
official to event organiser. She is one of the most versatile person in Swiss
Athletics writes European Athletics. She is involved also in European Champion
Club affairs and responsible for this years organisation of the senior B
category in Bern on May 30.

MILANO (ITA): Alex Schwazer of
Italy is the the biggest name of the 53rd edition of the Coppa Cittŕ di Sesto
San Giovanni near Milan, the IAAF Race Walking Challenge held on May 1. He is
looking to become the first Italian to win the 20km Sesto race since 2004. The
starting list features Yohann Diniz from France, Eric Tysse and Trond Nymark of
Norway, André Höhne of Germany, Robert Heffernan of Ireland, Joao Vieira of
Portugal, Hatem Ghoula of Tunisia, Alexandr Yargunkin of Russia and Ding Chen
and Wang Zhen of China. Also a women’s race will be highlighted by world
medalist Olive Loughnane of Ireland, Vera Santos of Portugal, Melanie Seeger of
Germany and Yanfei Li of China. The other top-names are national record holders
Jo Jackson of Great Britain and the Swiss sisters Marie and Laura Polli
informed iaaf.org.

SAO PAULO (BRA): The Sao Paulo
marathon will be held this Sunday with top home names running. Franck Caldeira
with Claudir Rodrigues (winner in 2008) and Giomar Pereira da Silva. Kenyan
Jonathan Kipkorir is the foreign
top name. He is winner of this years Mainichi marathon in February. Maria
Zeferina Baldaia was the women winner in 2002 and 2008 and is going to run
against Marizete Moreira dos Santos and Marizete Rezende. Former Kenyan star
Margaret Okayo is the top international name.

RESULTS

CARACAS (VEN, Apr 29): Home 400 m runner Freddy Mezones
improved during first day of Iriarte meet (South American Grand Prix) to
lifetime best 46.16.

LAFAYETTE (USA, Apr 29):
Bahamian olympic relay medalist Michael Matheiu came close here to his 200 m best with 20.85 win.
His PB is 20.80 from 2007.

CORRECTION

Virginia Powell recently
married Shawn Crawford earlier then reported, already on April 16 in Los Angeles. Thanks to
Jon Hendershott for the correction.