by Larry Eder
David Oliver is a hurdler with a lot of talent. Coached by Brooks Johnson,
Oliver has what it takes to be successful on the world circuit. David
is in the Roger Kingdom school of hurdlers-big, fast and fearless. A
winning smile, a great sense of humor and very relaxed with the media,
Oliver is the epitome of the athlete our sports needs to grow in the
future.
The key to our sport is competition. As Christian Cantwell made so clear
a few weeks ago in Rome, for track to succeed, one must compete, good
days and bad. Fans love head to head clashes.
The Tyson Gay–Walter Dix battle in Nike Pre Classic was a case in point.
Tyson and Walter were neck and neck coming off the turn and the race
was not over until just before the finish! At the adidas Grand Prix, it was
the epic battle between Allyson Felix and Veronica Campbell Brown! At the
NIke Pre? Several races come to mind, but you will just have to wait til
Thursday to read my piece on the Nike Pre!
The big deal is–when will David Oliver get to race a fit Dayron Robles? According
to Alfons Juck, our eyes in the global track world, it could be very, very soon!
VLASIC
TWO MORE MEETS
SPLIT (CRO): High jump world champion Blanka Vlasic has now only two
competitions left until European Championships in Barcelona. On July 9 in Barcelona at EA Premium
Meet and on July 16 at Samsung Diamond League in Paris.
ROBLES-OLIVER
POSSIBLE TWICE
PARIS (FRA): Areva Diamond League meet could see in Paris on July 16 the first
this years clash of seasons fastest David Oliver with world record holder
Dayron Robles. Another possible meet in July of this two could be in Herculis
of Monaco. Robles also runs in Lausanne this week and then in Tangier, Morocco
on July 18. Both duels Oliver vs. Robles must still be confirmed by both meet
organisers.
OTHER NEWS
GOTZIS (AUT): After 36 years Konrad Lerch (71) made farewell as meet director
at the best combined events meet in Gotzis, Austria. New responsible for
engaging the athletes should be Walter Weber who was working in past years with
Lerch.
EUGENE (USA): Stats from Ken Nakamura, only four times in the history of 5000 m sub 13 was achieved
outside of Europe. They were 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne (Choge and
Mottram), 2008 Olympics in Beijing (Kenenisa Bekele), and 2010 Diamond
League in Doha (E Kipchoge & Chepkok) added by Eugene this saturday. With
14:34.07 for 5000m in Prefontaine on July 3, Tirunesh Dibaba now has 33 sub
15-minutes 5000m (include both indoor and outdoor). She is now tied with
Meseret Defer for the number of sub 15-minutes 5000m (include both indoor and
outdoor), who also has 33 such performances.
LONDON (GBR): Pat Butcher´s blog at www.globerunner.org: Time for another Olympic boycott?
HELSINKI (FIN): Finnish Athletics Federation selected another group of athletes
for European Championships in Barcelona. On the top the title defender in the
steeple Jukka Keskisalo, with pole vaulter Eemeli Salomäki, long jumper Tommi
Evilä, javelin thrower Harri Haatainen, decathloner Mikko Halvari and 50 km walker Jarkko Kinnunen.
HEUSDEN (BEL): For Saturdays EA Premium Meet in Heusden good 100 m hurdles is planned for
home stars Eline Berings and Elisabeth Davin. They will run against US Damu
Cherry and Kellie Wells.
TRENTO (ITA): Agent Eric Lilot working for De Madonna group is changing his
position after 14 years in the athletes representation businness and live in
Italy. In August he will start his new job at PUMA North America in Boston, as
Marketing Manager – Sports Performance.
BERLIN (GER): German marathoner Markus Hohenwarter will
not take part in the European championships in Barcelona as he has not
recovered from injury. The German team will consist of Günther
Weidlinger,Christian Pflügl and Florian Prüller.
BARCELONA (ESP): World indoor 60m champion Dwain Chambers
will try out the new track for the European Championships at the Miting Ciutat
de Barcelona on June 9th (EA Premium). It will be the first time Chambers
competes in Barcelona which gives him the opportunity to break Linford
Christie’s stadium record of 9.96 which he ran during the Olympic Games in
1992.
JOHANNESBURG (RSA): South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma
admitted there is support of hosting the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in
South Africa. Following the success of the FIFA World Cup interest to host
another megaevent has grown. Zuma is due to meet International Olympic
Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge later thisweek when he travels to
Johannesburg to attend the World Cup final at Soccer City next Sunday (July 11)
and an potential bid for the Games is expected to be top of the agenda writes
insidethegames.
LONDON (GBR): The London 2012 Olympic Committee has
unveiled plans for using a cable car system to cross the River Thames
during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Transport for London (TfL)
estimated the plans would cost 25 million pounds and would have a capacity
of up to 2500 passengers an hour in each direction. The cable car would travel
at a height of more than 50
meters and would cut journey times to around five
minutes between the O2 Arena and the ExCeL exhibition centre – both of which
are Olympic venues according to insidethegames.
FRANKFURT (GER): German 400 m
hurdler Thomas Goller recieved a two years ban from the disciplinary
committee of German Athletics Federation DLV. He was positive at two
out-of-competition tests in Spring this year. In the meantime Goller retired
from athletics.
BARCELONA (ESP): Spain’s top middle-distance runner and one of the candidates
to represent the national squad in the 1500 metres discipline
at the European Athletics Championships Barcelona 2010, Juan Carlos Higuero,
got injured at Friday’s Madrid Meeting. The Göteborg 2006 double bronze winner
(1500 and 5000m) participated in the 800m event in the Spanish capital, where
he withdrew after 500
metres due to problems with his abductor, injury that
might force him to drop out on the Spanish Championships scheduled for 17 and
18 July in Avilés. On Saturday he started to take care of the injury and will
most likely begin training again on Tuesday. Higuero’s big goal this season is
the European Athletics Championships Barcelona 2010 and he will need to be in
top shape to occupy one of the three spots in an event where Spain features a brilliant
line up. Writes Barcelona 2010 website.
KINGSTON (JAM): Olympic 100
m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser has opted not to compete at
the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October. The Jamaican, who took part in an
IAAF Diamond League meeting on Saturday, said October was too late in the year.
KINGSTON (JAM): Jamaican media are informing that sprint king Usain Bolt
has taken another bold step into the building of his business empire, with a new
partnership with his long-time equipment sponsors, Puma, following the launching
of his own line of products in collaboration with the German company. Puma
recently launched their ‚Bolt Collection’, which includes training-friendly
footwear and apparel all designed by the Jamaican.
PREVIEW
RETHYMNO (GRE): In the 26th edition of Verdinoyiannia in Rethymno (European
Athletics premium meeting) on Wednesday the 100m men’s race will be highlighted
by double world silver medallist Marc Burns who will go head to head with
Austrian Ryan Moseley and Jamaican Mario Forsythe. In the women’s race twin
sisters Mikele and Melissa Barber take on compatriot Gloria Asumnu as well as
newly crowned British champion Laura Turner and Bulgarian Ivet Lalova. The
women’s 200m will feature again Laura Turner and Ivet Lalova along with Ebony
Floyd, Anastasia Le-Roy, Cydonie Mothershill and Shereefa Loyd.In the 110H
Jason Richardson will take on compatriots Joel Brown and Jeff Porter as well as
British Williams Sharman. USA leads the way in the 400H as well with Justin
Gaymon and LaRon Bennett, they will take on local favorite Periklis Iakovakis.
The men’s long jump has Brian Johnson, Trevel Quinley and Australian Chris
Noffke to take the competition over 8 meters. European 400m champion Vania
Stambolova will compete in the 400H.
