Tyson Gay speaking with BBC, Aviva London, photorun.net.

All the stars are arriving in Split today. The Continental Cup is looking like a pretty good way to end a non championship year. Looking forward to some fun end of season matchups!  

One more thing. I just read this stuff about Usain Bolt, in Huffington Post, noting that he runs for big races and Tyson Gay, “probably hates his guts?”. Was it a slow news day? Both of these sprinters are supposed to be professionals. And they both comport themselves that way. My frustration, like all track fans, was that once Gay beat Bolt, Usain Bolt called it a season due to his sore back. The frustration is not about his sore back, but not seeing them race more in the early season.

The great thing about this sport is that, all is decided on the track. In 2007, Tyson Gay was on top of the world. In 2008, Usain Bolt was, as he was in 2009. In 2010, after two years of stunning running, Usain’s body showed that, yes, he is human after all.

In 2011, when it comes to that hot, humid night in Daegu, when a billion track fans are watching the World Champs on TV, web or in the stadium, the tension will be felt. The finalists for the 100 meters and 200 meters will line up, wait for the gun, and put four years of emotions into under ten seconds for the 100 meters and 20 seconds for the two hundred meters. The key is being healthy then, and in London 2012.

GAY ARRIVED TO SPLIT

SPLIT (CRO): Stars of Zagreb
meeting moved on Thursday southwards to Split to compete at IAAF Continental
Cup. Amongst them also Tyson Gay who is scheduled to run the 4×100 m relay.
Since he did not compete in the national championship of the USA, which is a requirement
for selection into the Americas team he cannot run in the individual event. Gay
also apologised to Nesta Carter after a collision at the Zagreb 100 m on Wednesday. Gay said
he and Carter briefly clashed hands, preventing him from recording a quicker
time. Writes TrackAlerts. „I kind of ran into his lane and bumped on him. That
messed me up and him also, but it was my fault. It was very cold but the cold
weather did not affect my result,” the US record holder was quoted. After his
arrival to Split Gay said at a press conference about the relay for IAAF: „No
we haven’t yet (training). I’ll be running third leg, and Wallace (Spearmon)
will be handing to me. We’ve been running the sticks for years. We do need to
practice though. I need to work with whoever is going to be the anchor
leg. But we don’t know who that’s going to be right now since Yohan Blake was
injured and went home.”

NO RUDISHA AT CG

NAIROBI (KEN): The Nation
writes that world record holder and African champion at 800 m David Rudisha will skip
the Commonwealth Games due in Delhi next month, citing fatigue. “I have come to
realise that, in this profession, you do not need to wait for your body to tell
you when to stop but rather have the instict to stop when it is required,” he
was quoted. Athletics Kenya (AK) has since agreed to the request and settled on
Abraham Kiplagat, second at the national trials, to fill the place.

OTHER NEWS

NEWCASTLE (GBR): German top
marathon runner Irina Mikitenko will renew her rivalry with Mara Yamauchi at
the 30th edition of the Bupa Great North Run on September 19. Writes Athletics
Weekly website. The former two-time London Marathon winner Mikitenko will clash
not only with Yamauchi but also defending champion Jessica Augusto from
Portugal and former winner Berhane Adere from Ethiopia. For Mikitenko a good
preparation for Chicago Marathon early October.

PARIS (FRA): French media are
informing that Jacques Piasenta will help 2005 world champion Ladji Doucoure
the technical part of his training. Renaud Longuevre remains his main coach.
His main goal is to be in top shape at London Olympics 2012.

LONDON (GBR): Latest Pat
Butcher´s blog at www.globerunner.org
– David Rudisha and Colm O’Connell.

BUDAPEST (HUN): In
All-Athletics.com one day meetings rankings the last IAAF World Challenge
Zagreb 2010 is ranked fourth in that category. Leading is Rieti ahead of Berlin
and Ostrava. In overall meeting Zagreb gets position number 18. Best EA Premium
meeting of the year in the rankings is Bydgoszcz ahead of Zhukovskiy and
Barcelona. In EA Classic still one more meet remains to be held (Padova), top
three for the moment are Luzern, Dubnica and Huelva. Best European meeting in
the rankings which is not EA Premium or Classic is the DLV Gala in
Wattenscheid, Germany. Not counting Baie Mahault under French jurisdiction, but
staged in Caribbean Area which is having higher ranking as the German meet.

TILBURG (NED): Dutch
representative Hilda Kibet will not be able to compete at the Tilburg Ten Miles
on September 5th due to illness. Kibet currently trains in Kenya and has gotten
sick earlier this week. Lornah Kiplagat and Meselech Melkamu remain the top
favourites of the event.

AMSTERDAM (NED): Kenyan Moses
Masai and Ethiopian Sileshi Sihine are the big names announced for the Dam tot
Damloop in Amsterdam on September 19th. Masai won the World’s Best 10K in
Puerto Rico earlier this year while Sihine is slowly building his career in
road racing after being a double Olympic silver medalist on the track. In
the women’s race, which starts exactly 5.46 minutes before the men’s race,
Lornah Kiplagat and Doris Changeiywo have high hopes of winning the race. Also
Hilda Kibet is announced for the race but she has withdrawn from the Tilburg
Ten Miles this weekend.

LONDON (GBR): Britain has begun
preparing for the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck in 2012 by
inducting four young girls into a development bobsleigh programme overseen
by world champion Nicola Minichiello. Charlotte Burrows, Kirsten Emery, Mica
McNeil and Rebecca Law were chosen by Great Britain Bobsleigh to take part in a training
camp at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

LAUSANNE (SUI): European
Athletics is pleased to unveil its new website homepage following the Barcelona
2010 European Athletics Championships which attracted a record number of
visitors to the official site of the continental governing body. The new
homepage layout at www.european-athletics.org
is similar to the one introduced ahead of Barcelona 2010, which drew praise from
athletics fans for its design and ease of use. European Athletics is now
working on the redesign of the rest of its website. The official website, along
with the B10 local organising committee website, live results website and
official statistics website, attracted record numbers during the 20th European
Athletics Championships. In an eight-day period between 26 July and August 2,
there were almost 2.5 million unique visitors and 22.66 million page views on
the websites dedicated to the championships. There were more than 654,000
unique visitors to www.european-athletics.org
during the event, with over 5.1 million page views. The LOC website www.bcn2010.org attracted over 910,000
unique visitors during the same period with more than 3 million page views. Swiss
Timing’s live results service attracted 829,100 visitors and 13.7 million page
views, while the www.tilastopaja.com
website of European Athletics’ official statistician, Mirko Jalava, drew in
almost 100,000 unique visitors and approaching 1 million page views. Writes
European Athletics.

FRANKFURT (GER): This year
Jamaica has the highest number sub 10 runners per year with 6. USA is following
with 5, one athlete from France and Great Britain also dipped under 10 seconds.
The season is still not over. Highest ever number legal sub 10 by individual
athlete is 65 of Asafa Powell. Second Maurice Greene has 53 and third Ato
Boldon 28 and Tyson Gay 27 (including split from Manchester). Usain Bolt has 21
including split from Manchester.

DIAMOND LEAGUE: Best results
according to IAAF Scoring Table in the 2010 inaugural Samsung Diamond League
are Tyson Gay´s 100 m
9.78 in
London worth of 1297 points and on the women side the 52.82 of Lashinda Demus
in Rome at 400 m
hurdles worth of 1242 points. In men events Gay is the best in section
sprints/hurdles, in middle distances the 1:42.04 of David Rudisha in Oslo
valued at 1261 points. In long distances the best points score of 1263 for
Brimin Kipruto and his 8:00.90 in the Paris steeple. Best jumps results is the
17.98 of Teddy Tamgho in New York worth of 1262 and in throws the 22.41 in shot put by
Christian Cantwell (1265 points). In women groups of events Demus is the best
in section sprints/hurdles. Russian Anna Alminova has the best result in middle
distances with her 3:57.65 1500
m win in Paris (1224), in long distances Vivian
Cheruiyot and her 14:27.41 in the 5000 m also in Paris (1232). Best result in
jumps was the 203 clearance in Rome by Blanka Vlasic and Chaunte Howard (1226).
In throws the best result is the javelin of Mariya Abakumova 68.89 in Doha (1238).

SPLIT
PREVIEW

RUDISHA, WARINER, DIBABA

SPLIT (CRO): Former World Cup
is now Continental Cup. Warmer weather that in most parts of Europe is expected
in Croatia over the weekend. New format brings together four teams competing
for the final ranking (men and women together). It looks like Europe and
Americas will fight for the first place. Africa with superb runners could be
third and Asia-Pacific select will have the toughest job to attack one of the
other teams. Top stars competing are Wariner, Rudisha, Oliver, Bershawn Jackson
in running events. Phillips and pole vaulters in jumps, Cantwell, Thorkildsen
and best discus giants in throws. Tyson Gay is scheduled to run the relay.
Women top names in long distances Defar, Dibaba, Cheruiyot. Home stars Vlasic
and Perkovic will be just perfect for the local crowds. Winners of each event
will get 30 000 USD (the same also for winning relay team), prize money is
ready for top 8 in
each event. Throwers and long/triple jump will have four attempts.

Event
by event preview

men

100
m: Fastest European Lemaitre has a good chance to win, his main opponent
will be Daniel Bailey.

200
m: Looks like a clear one for Diamond Race winner Spearmon.

400 m:
Wariner wants to remain unbeaten and can attack the meet record 44.47.

800 m:
Last race of the year for world record setter Rudisha. He can win any kind of
race.

1500
m: Kiprop, Laalou, Casado, Manzano, if slow anything can happen.

3000
m: Tariku Bekele looks to be in top shape. But Lagat could be dangerous.

5000
m: Again Lagat, but African team has Diamond Race winner Merga with also very
strong finish.

SC:
Mekhissi can prove his qualities, Africa is not having the best ones. Meet
record 8:19.09 under threat.

110mH:
Oliver against the time.

400mH:
Batman should continue in winning.

HJ: An
open one, Eurochamp Shustov, former world champ Thomas.

PV:
Another Hooker-Lavillenie affair. Miles and Mazuryk waiting behind.

LJ:
Phillips wants to remain unbeaten since Prefontaine Classic, but Reif and Lapierre
can attack.

TJ:
Copello could get it, but also Eurochamp Idowu is there.

SP:
Cantwell is the one to watch, he likes Croatia. Eurochamp Mikhnevich finally
gets a chance to compete.

DT:
Again Harting vs. Malachowski. This year they are 6:3 so far.

HT:
Charfreitag is the one to watch. Let´s see whether Murofushi will be a late
addition.

JT:
Thorkildsen wants to be again the winner.

4×100
m: Americas should be the one (with Tyson Gay), but French and Japanese squads
representing their continents are well working with baton.

4×400
m: Can Europe take the pace of Americas?

women

100 m:
Baptiste vs. Okagbare, where would fit Eurochamp Sailer.

200 m:
Very open, Europeans Bryzgina, Fedoriva but also Moore and Mothersill to watch.

400 m:
High quality affair with Firova, Dunn and Montsho.

800
m: Also here excellent line-up. Eurowinner Savinova, DL winner Jepkosgei,
in-shape Sinclair.

1500
m: Nancy Langat should remain in winning ways. But in slow race Burka, Dehiba,
Dobriskey are to be considered too.

3000
m: One for Meseret Defar, but Alemitu Bekele can try as in Stockholm.

5000
m: The duel of the weekend Dibaba vs. Cheruiyot and Abeylegesse.

SC:
Another clash of the two best Chemos and Zarudneva. Meet record very possible
(9:29.10).

100mH:
Lolo with Felicien as in Zagreb, but added by Pearson and Yanit.

400mH:
Antyukh should get it, but what is the shape of Stambolova.

HJ:
Something for the crowd Vlasic and the bar.

PV:
Murer, but also Feofanova. Meet record (460) should be for sure.

LJ:
Europeans Radevica and Gomes are the favorites. Okagbare should be also
considered.

TJ:
Savigne vs. Rypakova, rematch after Brussels.

SP:
Ostapchuk vs. Adams as usual.

DT:
Another one for the Split crowds Perkovic but against Barrios.

HT:
Heidler is in good shape, ready to win. Moreno and Lysenko attacking.

JT:
Abakumova is ready, Eurochamp Stahl not missing, but Patterson and Viljoen
should not be underestimated. Meet record 64.41 could go.

4×100
m: Well synchronized Ukraine against stronger on paper Americas.

4×400
m: Europe with three Russians is the main team. Only Americas can come close.

RESULTS

CELJE (SLO, Sep 2): At National
Grand Prix meet in Celje world indoor record holder Jolanda Batagelj (formerly
Ceplak) ran her last international race. She will continue to run at club level
in Slovenia. On Thursday she was 6th with 2:12.36, winner Amela Terzic of
Serbia got 2:05.66. Solid shot put for Hungarian Lajos Kurthy (20.01) over
Serbians Milan Jotanovic (19.96) and Asmir Kolasinac (19.81). Another win for
Hungary for Krisztian Pars with 76.40 in hammer. Overseas wins in men´s running
events. Ghana´s Aziz Zakari posted 10.45 (-1.2) and beat Nigerian Peter
Emelieze (10.46) in the 100 m.
Jamaican Oral Thompson won the 400
m (46.28) and Kenyan John Kipkoech the 3000 m (7:55.09). Everyoung
Merlene Ottey was at age of 50 second in the 100 m in 11.99 (-1.0) and was
beaten only by Serbian Tatjana Mitic (11.81). Russian relay European champion
Natalya Nazarova won the 400m (52.20) and Bulgarian Magdalena Khristova leaped
to 646 in
long jump. Good home win for javelin record holder Martina Ratej (61.05).
Jeremy Scott cleared 561 to win the pole vault.