RUDISHA
AND VLASIC BY TFN

MOUNTAIN VIEW (USA): As in Monaco at IAAF World Athletics Gala
also Track and Field News announced David Rudisha and Blanka Vlasic as Athletes
of the Year 2010. Being a consensus winner in the TFN AOY award used to be
rare. It happened only twice over the span of some 40 years; now it has
happened three years in a row, as David Rudisha has followed Usain Bolt’s two
perfect years with one of his own. The first two aces were scored by legends
Henry Rono in ’78 and Michael Johnson in ’96. Writes TFN website. Rudisha
recieved the perfect 300 score. Three US athletes followed: David Oliver
(269), Christian Cantwell (209) and Tyson Gay (205) for 2-4. Andreas
Thorkildsen as best European athlete is fifth (189) followed by Teddy Tamgho
(99). At places 7-9 again US athletes, Bershawn Jackson (84), Jeremy Wariner
(75) and Dwight Phillips (67). Top ten is completed by marathon runner Patrick
Makau (43). Losing only twice in a long 20-meet season, Blanka Vlašic was a clear
choice for the female honor. The 26-year-old Croatian became the first high
jump winner since Heike Henkel in ’91 with 289 points. DL double winner Allyson
Felix was second (230) and beacuse of great season third shot putter Nadezhda
Ostapchuk (227). Fourth Jessica Ennis (167) followed by another European (and
last in top ten) Liliya Shobukhova (130). Veronica Campbell-Brown is 6th (104)
ahead of Olga Rypakova (91), Tirunesh Dibaba (79), Fabiana Murer (72) and
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep (62) as 10th.

TOP
CLASHES IN BOLZANO

BOLZANO (ITA): The 36th edition of the
international New Year’s Eve run BOclassic in Bozen/Bolzano may more than ever
be considered as the best cast in the world. Europe’s Number 1 Mo Farah from Great Britain
encounters Olympic third and titleholder Edwin Soi, the Diamond League winner
Imane Merga and record winner Serhiy Lebid. The women’s run has never been
better cast than this year. Vivian Cheruiyot, the current 5000m world champion
with one of the best marathoners Irina Mikitenko are coming to Bozen/Bolzano.
The elite runs for women (5 km)
and for men (10 km)
are going to start at 3 pm on 31 December. Up to 15,000 spectators are going to
be expected in South Tyroleans biggest
“lounge” and along the track. The weather forcast predicts sunshine and mild
temperatures. Organizers are informing in a release.

FUKUSHIMA AOY IN
JAPAN

TOKYO
(JPN): Awards for 2010 by Japan
Athletics Federation JAAF. Athlete of the Year is female sprinter Chisato
Fukushima who broke 100 m
and 200 m
national records this year. Outstanding Athletes were named javelin throwers
Yukifumi Murakami and Yuki Ebihara. Shota Iizuka who won the 200 m at World Junior
Championships in Moncton
got the Rising Star award.

ANOTHER
ATHLETICS WEDDING

CULIACAN (MEX): 2010 CAC Champion
and 2007 Pan American pole vault silver medalist, Giovanni Lanaro married his
longtime girlfriend, Mireya Beltran, a former Mexican heptathlete and record
holder in a catholic ceremony on Tuesday in Culiacan, Mexico. Lanaro has a
personal best of 582 and has won such meetings as Prefontaine, NY
Grand Prix and Modesto Relays. Also attending the wedding was Japan’s
decathlete, Hiro Tanaka. The couple lives in Los Angeles.

NADAL
AND VLASIC

LAUSANNE (SUI): Spanish tennis
star Rafael Nadal and Croatian high jump queen Blanka Vlasic have been voted
the two best athletes of 2010 by the members of the International Sports Press
Association (AIPS). The  online poll
attracted the votes of 515 sports    
journalists from 93 nations. Writes AIPS.  Not surprisingly Spain’s victorious FIFA World Cup
2010 team took the honour for AIPS Best    
Team 2010, well ahead of the Canadian national hockey team with 1906
votes to 486. Brazil’s
victorious World Cup volleyball team were not far behind on 453 votes. The AIPS
Best Press Facilities award went to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa.
Staged across nine cities and in 10 venues, FIFA and the local organising
committee provided free wireless internet at all venues and press centres for
thousands of international and local media. 
The Vancouver Winter Olympics press facilities came in second
with 678
votes against the 828 votes registered online for the FIFA World Cup,
South Africa. Wimbledon was third favourite among the sports scribes.
From athletics point of view to add that in male ranking David Rudisha
was 5th
and in the category best press facilities the European Championships in
Barcelona ended as fourth
best of the year ahead of Asian Games.

FELIX
IS US
AOY

MOUNTAIN VIEW (USA):
Versatile sprinter Allyson Felix was voted US Women Athlete of the Year 2010 by
Track and Field News unanimously as all 24 international panelists went for her
(240 points). In total 16 athletes recieved votes. Second Brittney Reese (183)
was only 8 ahead of Chaunte Lowe (175) and 11 ahead of Carmelita Jeter (172).
Fifth Lashinda Demus (158) with big margin over 6th Kara Patterson (96).
Seventh Lolo Jones (81) over Debbie Dunn (68), Alysia Johnson (63) and Molly
Huddle (25).

WANJIRU
IN PROBLEMS

NAIROBI (KEN): Daily Nation writes that Olympic
marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru has been charged with threatening to kill his
wife, Tereza Njeri, using an illegal firearm. The two-time Boston marathon winner was also charged with
threatening to kill their househelp, Nancy Njoki, and wounding a security
guard, William Masinde. One of the world best runners denied the charges in a
Nyahururu court and was released on a bond of Sh300,000 with a similar surety.
He is said to have been committed the offences on Wednesday at his Muthaiga
estate home in Nyahururu town. Next hearing is planned for March 2011. Wanjiru
said through his lawyer Ndegwa Wahome that he had been framed.

NAMES
MENTIONED

MADRID (ESP): Spanish media are informing
that The Guardia Civil investigation in Galgo doping case is now also indicating
names and doping schedules of the athletes as prepared by coach Manuel Pascua.
The codes were identified. Sheets found in Pascua´s home are corresponding with
names of the athletes and their plans. Mentioned in this situation are top
Spanish runners like Nuria Fernandez, Reyes Estevez, Alemayehu Bezabeh, Eugenio
Barrios and Miguel Quesada along with sprinter Digna Murillo. Also mentioned is
Dutch runner Adrienne Herzog. Also conversation with double European Champion
from 2006 sprinter Francis Obikwelu is included in the media in this
connection. One of the most respected coaches in Portugal Moniz Perreira
believes in the innocence of Obikwelu.

OTHER NEWS

EDINBURGH (GBR): Defending
champion Ricky Stevenson and Nick McCormick another previous winner of the Bupa
Great Edinburgh Cross Country four kilometres race will be tested to the limit
at the 2011 meeting on January 8. The event has been thrown open to overseas
competitors and the organiser’s decision will see reigning Olympic champion’s
Asbel Kiprop and Brimin Kipruto both shooting for the title. Kiprop and Kipruto
who claimed the 1500
metres and 3000 metres steeplechase gold medals at the
2008 Games, will be joined by fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, a former World
5000m champion, who was also runner-up over that distance in Beijing. The Brit
duo will also be severely tested by Spaniard Arturo Casado an outstanding
winner of the European Championships 1500m title last August, who will be
carrying the hopes of mainland Europe. Informs
David Martin.

RALEIGH
(USA):
For Reuters.com, the headline ‘Tired Gay succumbs to Dix in 200 meters’
mattered most to its readers. At least in terms of clicks. The story, posted in
the wake of Olympic bronze medalist Walter Dix victory over former world
champion sprinter Tyson Gay at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting
in Eugene last summer was newsworthy to fans of track and field, but it was the
snickers drawn by the headline which made it the most popular of the year, and
an internet meme all it’s own. Media are writing.

SOEST (NED): Former European 800 m Indoor Champion Arnoud
Okken will not run on Friday the Sylvesterloop in Soest. He was title defender
in the short course. Okken only recently returned from training camp in Kenya and did
not feel the right competition rhythm and needs more training and adaption. His
main aim in winter is Paris Euro Indoor. Also Dutch cross country champion
Khalid Choukoud will not run here. Choukoud is sick and will not be able to
recover in time for the race, writes losseveter.nl.

NAIROBI
(KEN): Double Euro gold medalist Mohammed Farah winds up his six-week training
stint in Kenya
this week and he hopes to take part in a few cross-country meets before
focusing on European Indoor championship. Writes Kenyan media. Farah would be
testing his Kenyan training in Edinburgh
alongside Chris Thompson after the duo enjoyed their best ever track seasons
this year. Farah said his training has been perfect and hopes to return next
season. “I have enjoyed training at both Kaptagat and Iten with Moses and Denis
Masai. My main focus would be in the European Indoor and World championship in
Daegu, where I hope to win a medal,” said Farah, 27.

TOKYO (JPN): Brett Larner named in his blog
Japanese male runner of the year Arata Fujiwara who won the Ottawa Marathon in
May.

BERLIN (GER) : High jump star Ariane
Friedrich is hopeful she will be back in top shape for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Friedrich ruptured her Achilles tendon in training and underwent surgery. She
will only be able to do general fitness exercises for the next six months which
makes her participation at the IAAF World championships highly doubtful.
Friedrich will work with a large team of physiotherapists and doctors to bring
her back in top shape writes leichtathletik.de.

BOULDER
(USA):
The Gazette reports that USATF is expected to finish the year within its 20,4
million dollar budget. The projects USATF has conducted in 2010 generated 12,1
million dollar in sponsorships and 2,7 million dollar in US Olympic Committee
grants. USA Track & Field broke even on national team competitions, the
Visa Championship Series, the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and
summer youth and Junior Olympic stops. USATF’s governance and administration
costs totaled 6.4 million dollar, including 573,700 dollar to former chief
executive officer Doug Logan, who took home a 140,000 dollar bonus. Former
managing director of development James Elias got 188,104 dollar and chief
operating officer Mike McNees, serving as interim CEO, received 174,041 dollar
with 32,658 dollar in incentives.

ACCRA
(GHA): President of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) and former triple
jumper Francis Dodoo, said the federation is in close collaboration with Cuba and France to learn from its coaching
experience. Dodoo also said the GAA is determined to build on the female
success they had at the Commonwealth Games by sending them out to more
international meetings writes ghananewsagency.org.

RIO DE
JANEIRO (BRA): IOC President Jacques Rogge has laid the first stone
at the site of the Athlete Village for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Rogge praised
the preparation for the Games in presence of various VIPs such as former FIFA
President Joao     Havelange, Rio State
Governor Sergio Cabral, Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes and Nawal El Moutawakel, who is
the chair of the IOC’s Coordination Commission writes Insidethegames.

LONDON
(GBR): New top-secret documents have illustrated the pressure that Britain’s
top athletes, including Sebastian Coe, came under from Margaret Thatcher not to
take part in the 1980 Moscow Olympics reports Insidethegames. In a series of
letters to the British Olympic Association (BOA) Margaret Thatcher warned it
would be “against British interests and wrong” for them to compete and urges
the boycotting of the Games. Lord Coe and other British athletes chose to
compete in Moscow
despite the opposition. Coe’s victory in the 1500 m over compatriot Steve
Ovett remains one of the most famous races in Olympic history.

RESULTS

TRNAVA (SVK, Dec 30): European
Hammer champion Libor Charfreitag ended the year on a winning note. He was the
best at the 28th Silvester Weight Throwing outdoors at home in Trnava (10.5 kg implement). He won
here for 16th time, his best mark was 41.36 and missed his own meet record by 1.92 m but was better as for
example last year. Berlin
bronze medalist Martina Hrasnova returned to competition after giving birth to
the daughter Rebeka early July. She achieved 22.30 m and missed her own
meet record by 2.34 m.
She was satisfied as her return to training was marked in September. Second in
men´s competition was 2009 NCAA Champion of Virginia Tech Marcel Lomnicky
(35.96) and third world youth medalist 2009 Tomas Kruzliak (31.56). Athletes
competed in freezing cold, minus 10 degrees.

LEON (ESP, Dec 30): Moroccan El
Mouzazi´s dominated the 14th San Silvestre road race in Leon at 6 km. Hamid won and Abdelhadid
was second, both in 17:35. Third best Spanish Alejandro Fernandez (17:43).
Women winner Paula Berodia clocked 20:21.