by Larry Eder
After two years of trials and tribulations, Liu Xiang ran 13.09 for the 110m hurdles, taking his third Asian Games title. Samsung DL for 2011 events have been finalized, and Galen Rupp and Alan Webb will be running the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 5k in San Jose, CA on Thanksgiving, with 15,000 running the 10k at the same event!
Excellent article by Elliot Almond in San Jose Mercury News of Galen Rupp’s increase in mileage from 80 miles a week to 100 miles under the watchful eyes of Alberto Salazar, his coach. Alan Webb will also be running the 5k, as he has been working with Salazar for the past several months. Congrats to Mark Winitz, who put together the impressive 5k field at the
Applied Materials Silcon Valley Turkey Trot 5k!
DL
EVENTS FOR 2011 ARE SET
MONTE CARLO (MON): The General
Assembly of the Diamond League in Monaco had a constructive two days
(Monday
and Tuesday) of discussions, which included final decisions regarding
the
distribution of event disciplines for next season which are now also
being
announced. Further announcements regarding the 2011 season of the
Samsung
Diamond League will be made in the coming weeks. The dates of the
meetings were
known already earlier. Now the events are set. For example men´s 100 m
will be staged in Doha, Rome, New York, Lausanne, Birmingham, Monaco
and Zurich. The
other highly anticipated event in 2011, men´s 110 m hurdles will be
organised in Shanghai, Eugene, Oslo, Paris, Stockholm, London and
Zurich. Pole
Vault women will be in Shanghai, Eugene, Oslo, Birmingham, Stockholm,
London and Zurich.
Women High Jump in Shanghai, Rome,
New York, Lausanne,
Birmingham, Monaco
and Brussels.
The global TV viewers figures dramatically increased in 2010 compared to
2009
Golden League. In 2010 it was more than 252 millions audience to nearly
88
millions in 2009. The hours of coverage rose from 1345 in 2009 to 3425
in 2010.
LIU
GIVES FULL STADIUM FAST 13.09
GUANGZHOU (CHN, Nov 24): 80 000
spectators saw olympic 2004 winner and former world record holder Liu Xiang
cruising into the finish-line of 110
m hurdles in fast 13.09 (+1.1). His best time since
winning the world title in Osaka 2007. Only David Oliver and Dayron Robles were
faster this season. “I didn’t think I’d be able to run 13.09 seconds and break
the Asian Games record. I’m really so happy and actually I was very relaxed.
The atmosphere in the stadium was really great,” Liu who is now three time
winner at the games said for agencies. His team mate Shi Dongpeng was second
(13.38) and third Park Tae-Kyong clocked new Korean record 13.48. Another Games
record also for discus winner Ehsan Hadadi of Iran with high quality 67.99.
Second Ahmed Mohamed Dheeb improved national record for Qatar 64.56.
Bronze again for Iran
as Mohammad Samimi tossed 63.46. Indian Vikas Gowda managed 63.13, but was only
fourth. Korean jumping record holder Kim Duk-Hyung won the long jump with 811
(-0.2) ahead of home Su Xiong Feng (805) and favorite Hussein Taher Al-Sabee of
Saudi Arabia
(796). Chinese women dominated the pole vault. Fourth from Continental Cup Li
Ciaxia cleared 430 as the second Li Ling. China never lost this event at the
Games. From the heats to note the Qatari junior record for 400 m winner Femi Ogunode who
clocked 20.58 (+0.6) in the 200
m heats. In another race Omar Juma of UAE improved the
national record to 20.63 (+1.0). Saudi Arabian Mohamed Al-Salhi was the fastest
in men´s 800 m
heats (1:46.47) and Japanese Kenji Narisako in 400 m hurdles heats (50.15).
On the women side the fastest in heats Chisato Fukushima of Japan in the 200 m (23.75, +0.3).
Kazakhstan´s Margarita Matsko in the 800 m (2:03.23, with 1500 m gold medalist Maryam
Jamal 2:04.54 also easy), Chinese Sun Yawei in the 100 m hurdles (13.15, +0.9)
and Indian A.C. Ashwini with life-time best in the 400 m hurdles (56.43).
AREA
CHAMPIONS FOR DAEGU AUTOMATICALLY
MONTE CARLO (MON): For first time Area
Champions will be automatically qualified for the World Championships without
beeing forced to have the entry standard. IAAF agreed on last council meeting
on entry rules for the 2011 World Championships in Daegu. The Area Champions
(in 2010 for example Europe and Africa) will
be considered as having achieved the “A” standard. Area Champions from 2011
will be also considered. It should be added that the national federation will
have the ultimate authority to enter the athlete or not, based on its own
domestic standard or qualification system. Area Champions qualification is not
valid for relays and marathon.
OTHER NEWS
KINGSTON (JAM): In a statement issued by
Shelly-Ann Fraser and her management at MVP track club the Jamaican sprinter
says she is looking forward to the 2011 IAAF World Championships and the 2012
Olympic Games. Fraser is currently sitting out a 6 month drug suspension but
wants to stress that what she tested positive for what is not a performance
enhancing drug and not a masking agent. She decided to compete in Shanghai to not let down
the thousands of supporters that had shown up to see her compete in her first
ever Diamond League competition.
LONDON
(GBR): IAAF General Secretary Pierre Weiss admitted that London’s bid to host the 2017 World
Championships could be damaged by the country’s three previous failures to
secure the event reports Insidethegames. “Of course we were all very
disappointed when London
pulled out of the bid to host 2015 and I think our friends at UK Athletics were
also very disappointed about that too. It is the third time this has happened
and now, in 2017, that will certainly be in the back of everyone’s minds.”
Weiss was quoted. However, Weiss did offer the London bid hope by suggesting it remains a
strong contender to host the competition because of the stature of the city and
its strong athletics background. “The event will go to the city which puts
forward the best technical bid as has always been the case in the past. There
is no doubt that London
has the capacity to host a wonderful event in 2017”. The IAAF will make its
decision for the 2017 World Championships in November 2011.
BRUSSELS (BEL): The Belgian 4x400m team has
been named the Walloonian sports team of the year. The team, headed by the
Borlee twins, conquered the bronze medal for Belgium at this years European
Championships and consists of mostly Walloonian athletes.
PARIS (FRA): French walker
Yohann Diniz has confirmed in an interview with athle.com that he will focus on
the 50 km
race for the next 2 years. Diniz has in the passed attempted the 20 and 50
double but believes he will be better off just focussing on the 50 when
competing at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu and the Olympic Games in London. Diniz is back
into training after a two month rest period and will return to competition on
March 12, when he will attack the World 50 000 m record on the
track in his hometown Reims. After that, he will only again attempt the 50 km race in Daegu. In 2012
Diniz plans to only walk one race, the 50 in London.
BOLZANO (ITA): The 36th edition
of the International New Year’s Eve Run BOclassic in Bolzano (December 31) will
have Kenyan olympic medalist Edwin Soi going for fourth victory and German
marathon star Irina Mikitenko in women race. The organizers are saying in a
release that they are trying to get double European champion Mo Farah into
their race. Elite men will run 10
km and women 5 km.
MONTE CARLO (MON): IAAF Senior
Vice-President Sergey Bubka has voiced his “extreme disappointment” at the
suggestion by Britain’s Minister for Sport and Olympics, Hugh Robertson –
exclusively reported by insidethegames – that his recent call for London to
retain a running track at the Olympic Stadium was prompted by his political
ambitions within the sport. “I am extremely disappointed to read that my
concerns about the London 2012 stadium are being linked to political aspirations,”
said the former world and Olympic pole vault champion. Informs insidethegames.
NEW DELHI
(IND): Indian
police have arrested the sacked treasurer of the Delhi Commonwealth Games
Organising Committee in connection with an investigation into alleged corruption
and may soon begin questioning chairman Suresh Kalmadi, it has been reported.
Writers insidethegames.biz.
AMSTERDAM
(NED): Latest information from Netherlands
about plans on new sprinting income Churandy Martina is that he is not planning
to compete at European Indoor Championships in March in Paris.
LONDON
(GBR): World Championships in Berlin 6th
placer in long jump Shara Proctor of Anguilla
has held British citizenship since birth and her request to switch allegiance
has now been cleared by the IAAF. UK media are informing. She plans
to represent Great Britain
at Olympic Games 2012. Proctor is immediately installed as the British number
one for both long jump and triple jump, thanks to her season’s bests 669 and
13.88 (indoors) respectively. Great
Britain had no representative in the women’s
long jump at the Barcelona European Championships.
LAUSANNE
(SUI): The newly elected European Athletics Athletes Commission convened for
the first time at European Athletics headquarters in Lausanne
on Tuesday, and unanimously appointed Finland javelin thrower Mikaela
Ingberg as their chairperson. Sweden’s
multiple European, Olympic and World Championships high jump medallist Kajsa
Bergqvist was named as vice chairperson of the commission that will serve from
2010 to 2014. The eight-member commission, which was elected during the 20th
edition of the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona, includes
decathlon superstar Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic, former pole vault world
champion Rens Blom of the Netherlands, multiple European and World
Championships shot put medallist Manuel Martinez of Spain, along with British
hurdler Tasha Danvers, reigning World Championships pole vault silver medallist
Monika Pyrek of Poland and Austrian long-distance specialist Gunther
Weidlinger. The commission members welcomed European Athletics’ initiative to
organise the European Athletics Championships every two years. The commission
agreed that its primary area of focus and discussion at the beginning of its
four-year tenure will be European competition structure and anti-doping
education. Writes European Athletics.
SAN JOSE (USA): American track
stars Galen Rupp and Alan Webb lead the entry list for Thursday´s sixth annual
Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot/Elite 5-K in San Jose, the West
Coast’s most competitive and fastest Thanksgiving Day race. Informs Race
Results Weekly. The two Americans are only part of a very strong and deep field
assembled by elite athlete coordinator Mark Winitz. Course record holder Scott
Bauhs who ran 13:37 to win this race in 2008, is also entered, along with
Belgian Monder Rizki (5000m PB of 13:04.06), American Bolota Asmerom
(13:15.16), Kenyans Josphat Boit (13:17.12) and Kevin Chelimo (13:30.55), and
Moroccan Ali Maataoui (13:32.14) amongst others. The field of invited women is
smaller (18), but is also solid. Misiker Mekonnin Demissie of Ethiopia, who
raced most of her career as Teyba Naser of Bahrain before switching her
citizenship back to Ethiopia, is the top entrant with a road PB of 15:35.
MUNDEN (GER): German female
sprinter Jala Gangnus is ending her career at age of 24 because of injury
reasons and back problems. In 2005 she won silver medal at European Junior
Championships. In 2006 she clocked her best 23.24 at 200 m and was Goteborg
European Championships semifinalist.
INDIANAPOLIS
(USA):
Hurdlers coaches are succesfull this year. Not only Cuban Santiago
Antunez got
the coach award during World Athletics Gala. Brooks Johnson, who coached
David
Oliver to number one world ranking, has been named the 2010 Nike Coach
of the
Year by USA Track & Field. Johnson will be honored on Saturday,
December 4
at the Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held at
the Virginia Beach Convention Center. “It’s obviously good
to receive recognition for your work,” said Johnson. “But any success is
a
collaboration and there are too many other people involved in this
success to
name.” Writes USATF. “Brooks enjoyed an extraordinary season in 2010,
and Nike
is pleased to present this award to such a deserving coach,” said John
Capriotti, Global Sports Marketing Director for Nike. “With David having
such a
terrific season it shows that Brooks is able to bring out the best in
his
athletes, and he’s very passionate about his craft. I congratulate him
on a
fine job, he has earned this award and recognition.”
NAIROBI (KEN): Kenyan media are informing
that world 800 m
record holder David Rudisha will only consider himself one of the greatest
athletes of all time when he wins the world and Olympics titles over the next
two years, his coach Calm O´Connell was quoted as saying. Another elaborate
home-coming celebration was organised for the second time, on his return from Monaco on
Tuesday where he was awarded the World Athlete of the Year 2010. Irish coach
O’Connell warned him that he must keep his feet on the ground ahead of the busy
and hectic season ahead. “Rudisha should realise there is much work to be done
and what he has achieved this year is a phase in his career,” 0’Connell said.
VOLGOGRAD (RUS): 2004 high jump olympic
winner Yelena Slesarenko underwent last August two surgeries on both legs. Left
one is fully ok, but right one must be used carefully, says Slesarenko for
Rusahletics.com. “Im in training with our whole group of coach Zagorulko, I m
jumping, running, but beeing careful with the right leg,” explains Slesarenko.
The group is having its training camp in Tsachkadzor in Armenia in good
weather. In the team also olympic winner Andrey Silnov and European gold
medalist Aleksandr Shustov. The 28-years old double world indoor champion
Slesarenko will still miss the indoor season 2011 and hopes to compete in
summer.
ATHENS
(GRE): Fifth placer from Barcelona
at 400 m
hurdles Periklis Iakovakis and 100
m finalist Yeoriya Kokloni are Greek Athletes of the
Year 2010 by Association of Friends of Athletics. Special award ceremony will
be held on December 5 in
New Smyrna.
ADDIS ABABA (ETH): The Ethiopian Athletics
Federation (EAF) is organising first of a series of cross country races this
season on December 4th at the Jan Meda race course. The event, which is
officially named the Ethiopian Clubs Cross Country Championships, was
originally slated for November 14th, but was postponed for three weeks
following a special appeal by clubs to be given time to prepare for the Great
Ethiopian Run international 10km held last weekend. The race at the Jan Meda
race course, which has served as the venue for the regional and national cross
country championships for the last thirty years, is the first of four cross
country races to be held in the 2010/11 season with the season coming to the
end in February with the staging of the trials to pick Ethiopia’s team for the
World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria. Writes Great Ethiopian Run
website.
RESULTS
SIOFOK (HUN, Nov 21): Judit
Nagy won the 7th Intersport Balaton Marathon in solid 2:37:42 ahead of Katalin
Farkas 2:38:19.
HACHIOJI (JPN, Nov 24): Yusuke Takabayashi
won the 10 000 m
at Hachioji Long Distance meet in 28:10.19. In women´s 5000 m Ethiopian Betelhem
Moges posted 15:24:53 ahead of Kayo Sugihara 15:24.66.
NAGOYA (JPN, Nov 23): Kenyans dominated the
last Nagoya Half Marathon. Martin Mathathi achieved 1:00:29 ahead of Jacob
Wanjuki 1:00:32 and Mekubo Mogusu 1:01:12.
