The Zatopek Memorial is, for me, the official start of the 2011 global track & field season. Long a tradition in Aussie T&F, the 10,000 meters is really a great competition. This year, Josephat Menjo ran the fastest 10,000m at the Zatopek in twelve years with his 27:29.80. Ben Lawrence was first Aussie in 28:05, and in 28:08 was Bobbie Curtis, one of our promising young U.S. distance runners. Eloise Wellings won the women’s race in style, running a PB of 32:08.31.

                  Bobby Curtis, Brutus Hamilton 2009 Invite, photo by PhotoRun.net.

JAMAICAN
EVENTS FOR IEC

KINGSTON (JAM): IEC in Sports has come to an
agreement with the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association for the international
media rights to two prestigious athletic events in 2011. The events are the
inaugural IAAF World Challenge Meeting in Kingston,
taking place the 7th of May and the Jamaican National Championships taking
place the 24th-26th of June. “We are extremely happy to enter this agreement
with IEC in Sports, which is one of the major TV distributors in the world for
Athletics” says Mr. Howard Aris, president of JAAA.”From an IEC in Sports point
of view, this was one of the most important agreements for the upcoming
athletic season, since Jamaica
is one of the driving forces in the world of athletics today. This is a very
interesting cooperation which has been very high on our priority list for a
long time and we are very pleased that we have come to an agreement with JAAA”,
says Magnus Tegel at IEC in Sports.

PRISCILLA
NUMBER ONE IN CANADA

OTTAWA
(CAN): Athletics Canada
announced the winners of its twelve annual awards, the winners are chosen by
Athletics Canada’s Awards Committee from the nominee pool as put forward by the
Athletics Canada membership. The award recipients will be honoured at a banquet
following the 2011 Canadian Championships in Calgary. Hurdler and Diamond League winner
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep is the winner of both the Jack W. Davies Trophy for the
outstanding overall athlete of the year and the Phil A. Edwards Memorial Trophy
for the outstanding athlete of the year in track events. The Cal D. Bricker
Memorial Trophy (outstanding performance of the year) voting ended in a tie
with the honour going to both marathon runner Simon Bairu and Priscilla
Lopes-Schliep. Shot putter Dylan Armstrong is the winner of the F.N.A. Rowell
Trophy for the outstanding athlete of the year in field events. Jamie
Adjetey-Nelson is the recipient of the Combined Events Athlete of the Year.
Sprinter Sam Effah is the 2010 recipient of the Dr. Fred Tees Memorial Trophy
as the outstanding athlete enrolled in a Canadian university. The Eric E. Coy
Trophy for the outstanding junior athlete of the year goes to long jumper
Taylor Stewart. The Myrtle Cook Trophy for the outstanding youth athlete of the
year recognized two very deserving recipients; both Katie Reid (400 m) and Chanice
Taylor-Chase (400 m
and 100 m
hurdles). Former hammer great and olympic winner 1972 Anatoliy Bondarchuk is
the recipient of Athletics Canada’s Coach of the Year Award.

MENJO
27:29.80

MELBOURNE (AUS, Dec 9): World
leader Josphat Kiprono Menjo clocked the fastest Zatopek 10 meet time since
1998 27:29.80 (8:19 at 3 km
and 13:58 at 5 km).
Commonwealth Games 5000 m
and 10 000 m
representative Ben St
Lawrence was the first Australian
over the line, taking out the national crown in 28:05.25. Third Bobby Curtis of
USA
achieved 28:08.78. Eloise Wellings claimed the women’s national title in a new
personal best time of 32:08.31. Wellings was followed across the line by Lara
Tamsett in 32:32.02. Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Dale Stevenson took
out the men’s shot put with a heave of 18.95 on his sixth and final attempt.
World indoor 800 m
champion 2008 Tamsyn Lewis took out the rarely-contested 600m event in a time
of 1:27.77, outside the national record time of 1:26.04 she set in August.
Informs Athletics Australia.

SAILER
PLANS FOR PARIS

NICOSIA (CYP): German 100 m gold medalist Verena
Sailer spoke to leichtathletik.de from training camp in Cyprus and confirmed
she will compete during the indoor season and plans to run also in Paris at
European Indoor Championships. For summer the aim is to qualify for finals at
World Championships in Daegu. Her indoor opener should be Aviva Glasgow Match
on January 29.

ISI IN FIRENZE

FIRENZE (ITA): Multiple pole
vault world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva is currently training in Firenzee
with 2008 World Indoor champion Yevgeniy Lukanenko and World championships
finalist Aleksander Gripich under the guidance of Vitaliy Petrov at the Indoor
Facility near Luigi Ridolfi athletics stadium. Claudio Stecchi, World Junior
silver medallist in Moncton and Italian Indoor Junior record holder with 5.31,
and Marcello Palazzo (PB 5.30) two promising Italian pole vaulters, are taking
advantage from training with Petrov’s group. Firenze
has become the center-stage of pole vaulting this winter. The idea to make
Firenze the centre of winter training of Isinbayeva and her group has been made
possible by the joint initiative of Riccardo Calcini (the coach of Italian
multi-eventers William Frullani and Francesca Doveri) and Gianni Stecchi,
father of Claudio Stecchi and former Italian pole vault record holder in the
seventies.

ALBUFEIRA
NEWS

LAUSANNE (SUI): European Athletics informs
that twelve countries will broadcast action from the SPAR European Cross
Country Championships in Albufeira on Sunday. According to current informations
national broadcasters in Belgium,
Great Britain, Greece, Ireland,
Italy, Netherlands, Portugal,
Spain and Turkey will
show live coverage of the 17th edition of the event. There will be at least 22
hours of live television coverage of the premier cross country championships in
2010. National broadcasters in Finland,
Russia and Sweden will
show delayed coverage. In addition, pan-European channel Eurosport plans to
broadcast a summary of the championships across its 59 territories the Monday
morning after the event. Outside Europe, the
event will be broadcast by the Dubai Sports Channel. The event is supported by
European Athletics’ long-standing international partners SPAR, OMEGA, EPSON, LE
GRUYÈRE and EUROVISION, along with a number of national partners and suppliers.
In other news from Albufeira preparations Spain will compete without silver
winner from last edition Rosa Morato because of hamstring strain. She will be
replaced in the Spanish team by Irene Pelayo. Also in Italian team a change as
European track bronze winner Daniele Meucci is out because of ilness and will
be replaced by Gianmarco Buttazzo.

HONOLULU HOPES FOR MEN COURSE RECORD, MAKAU SHOULD HELP

HONOLULU (USA): Thanks to the
allure of Hawaii and a desire to help his friends world fastest marathoner of
the year Kenyan Patrick Makau will toe the line on Ala Moana Boulevard on
Sunday for a very modest fee at Honolulu Marathon. And it’s almost certain that
he will not run away with the $40,000 first-place prize. Makau came here
primarily for some quality time with his wife and 2-year-old daughter. “We have
been enjoying the weather, and everything is (nice),” Makau said. He will serve
as the race pacesetter and lead the elite men’s field through the first 15 kilometers before
stepping off the course. Makau because of the snow did not had the chance to
run the 15 km
last Sunday in Netherlands.
Pre-race favorite is Nicholas Chelimo was second last year (2:13:10) but
improved to 2:07:38 in Eindhoven
in October this year. Title defender Patrick Ivuti is not returning because of
an hip injury. Other top names from Kenya are Richard Limo (2:06:45)
and Gilbert Kirwa (2:06:14). Also to mention in his 17th appearance here the
multiple winner Jimmy Muindi (2:07:49) and Kosice third placer Peter Chebet (2:08:42).
Good chances to break the course record 2:11:12 by Jimmy Muindi in 2004.
Russian veteran and title defender Svetlana Zacharova is top women name. Ethiopian
Teyba Naser achieved in spring her fastest time 2:26:20 while beeing second at
Los Angeles Marathon. Japan
will have three good quality runners headed by 6-time competitor here Eri
Hayakawa (and winner in 2003), Megumi Oshiba and Eri Okubo. Kenyan Emma Mutoni
achieved 2:29:52 in September. Here the course record is 2:27:19 by Lyubov
Denisova in 2006. The race which started in 1973 has 22 000 entrants for this
Sunday. With help from staradvertiser.com and event website.

DOMINGUEZ
DETAINED AND RELEASED

PALENCIA (ESP): Spanish Civil Guard detained
a group of people in a new investigation about doping in sports as part of
Operation Galgo. Among them also world steeple champion Marta Dominguez, her
coach Cesar Perez, her agent Jose Alonso Valero and doctor Eufemiano Fuentes
who was involved in another operation Puerto. As Marca informs, Dominguez was
later released under charges after testifying at the Army offices in Palencia. The officers
took into account that she is pregnant. The European silver medalist in steeple
Dominguez will not compete in 2011 because of pregnancy. Sources added that at
her home documentation was found which could be related to doping in sports.
Other members of the group of coach Perez like Reyes Estevez were not contacted
by police, informs Marca.

TERGAT
IN ACCIDENT

ELDORET (KEN): Former world
marathon record holder Paul Tergat was on Thursday involved in a road accident
at Bayete area about 30
kilometres from Eldoret town along Nakuru-Eldoret
highway. Writes The Nation. Tergat was heading to Eldoret for the Moi University
graduation ceremony where he was to receive a honorary doctorate degree of
science. Speaking from his bed at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital’s
memorial wing, Tergat said he was trying to overtake a lorry which had broken
down at the centre when he collided with another lorry coming from the opposite
direction. “I cannot remember what happened but I just found myself in
hospital,” Tergat, who looked exhausted and who was alone in the Mercedes Benz
vehicle, said. He said that even though he was in a stable condition, he felt
some pain in both legs.

FRIEDRICH
AND UKHOV RETURNING TO THE MORAVIA
HIGH JUMP TOUR

BRNO (CZE): Reigning European indoor high
jump champions Russian Ivan Ukhov and German Ariane Friedrich will open their
international indoor season 2011 at the second leg of 7th Moravia High Jump
Tour in Hustopece on January 29. Both will return as title defenders and meet
record holders. Ukhov jumped here in January 2010 excellent 237 and will make
his fifth appearance at the tour. “I love Hustopece, I always jump high there
(note: 231-236-234-237). I want to defend not only the title from Torino this winter but also my position as number one
jumper,” said the Russian. Friedrich achieved 195 to win in 2010 but cleared
two metres (meet record) in 2009 here, for her this will be her fourth
Hustopece. „In last three years I started my indoor season in Hustopece. That
is the reason why I m returning, I know the place and I also know you can jump
high there. Currently my training is going well and I m preparing for the
indoor season with full speed. Good begin is always important and the season is
also important because I should defend my title in Paris,” said Friedrich. First meeting of the
tour in Trinec on January 26 will see Sweden´s Emma Green who is silver
medalist from Barcelona
and Russian Aleksey Dmitrik (silver in Torino 2009) as top names. Czech Iva
Strakova will return in top shape as she started the summer 2010 later because
of an injury.

OTHER NEWS

BOLZANO
(ITA): Former European Cross Country bronze medallist Aniko Kalovics of
Hungary confirmed her participation in Bolzano. She will take on
twice World Marathon Majors winner Irina Mikitenko at the traditional
end-of-year Boclassic Silvesterlauf on December 31. Athletes Manager
Gianni
Demadonna said: “One World champion from Berlin
may line up in Bolzano.
There is a good chance that Linet Masai or Vivian Cheruiyot will take
part at
the Boclassic”. Already confirmed is three-time Boclassic winner Edwin
Soi who
will be shooting for his fourth win in Boclassic.

BERLIN (GER): Michael Schrader is working on
his comeback for the 2011 season reports leichtathletik.de. De 23-year old
decathlete has suffered multiple stress fractures in his foot and had to let
the IAAF World championships in Berlin and the
European championships in Barcelona
pass by. After achieving a total of 8522 points in Götzis in 2009 Schrader has
not been able to compete. In 2011 and 2012 Schrader’s main objectives are the
IAAF World championships in Daegu and the Olympic Games.

NAIROBI (KEN): Athletics Kenya (AK) Golden
Gala and National Olympics Committee of Kenya Night of Champions will be held
on the same evening December 15. Writes East Standard. 47 gold medallists, five
world record holders, Samuel Wanjiru, the World Marathon Majors repeat champion
as well as team leaders to World Cross, World Juniors, Africa Championships,
IAAF Intercontinental Cup and World Half Championships are in line to receive
plaques and cash awards.

LONDON
(GBR): The Trinidad and Tobago
Olympic team will be located in Cardiff
for their pre-London Olympics training camp. The team will join the teams of Australia and South
Africa, whose Paralympic squads will also be based in Cardiff. The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC)
revealed that they chose Cardiff
because of its cutting-edge sports science and medical services that the Welsh
capital offers. Biggest medal hope for Trinidad and Tobago is sprinter
Richard Thompson, writes Insidethegames.

BUCURESTI (ROU): Former
European Indoor and Outdoor high jump champion Monica Iagar obtained on
Thursday PhD in physical education and sport. The evaluation committee of
National University of Physical Education gave her “very good” note while
defending her work about dynamic elements used in the performance capacity of
athletes in high jump.

KINGSTON (JAM): Usain Bolt’s publicist Carole
Beckford has released some figures around Bolt’s book 9.58 My Story. The
10-part serialisation of the book on Bolt’s facebook page each got 750,000
impressions with the fourth part, which referred to the relationship with his
mom and dad, receiving over one million page impressions. Second was the part
explaining his near-drowning accident which came to 960,000 impressions. Usain
Bolt’s facebook page has over 2,86 million fans with over 750,000 active users
per month and an average of 1.3 million people view the page daily.

BIRMINGHAM
(GBR): The UK’s
biggest and best domestic indoor athletics team series returns with a bang in 2011. A prize money pot
totalling approximately £30,000 will be on offer when the McCain City Challenge
– a league competition consisting of two matches held between eight cities in
two locations – returns next year. The competition kicks off with the first
match on Sunday February 6 at the EIS, Sheffield, and concludes with the second
match on Saturday February 26 at NIAC (UWIC), Cardiff.

KINGSTON (JAM): Legendary hurdler Edwin Moses
will be the second consecutive American athlete, following Sanya Richards-Ross,
to be guest speaker at January 21 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. Moses will
deliver the main address to Jamaican athletes at the country’s annual RJR
Sports Foundation Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year ceremony.

LONDON
(GBR): Sebastian Coe has referred to London’s
transportation problems as the ‘choice between having the city remembered as Barcelona or as Atlanta’.
Coe has applaused the planned Olympic Route Network (ORN), which will designate
traffic lanes to whisk athletes, officials and some sponsors to the venues, and
underlined it is necessary to help deliver a smooth Games. The Atlanta Games
were marked by an overloaded transport system while the Barcelona Olympics were
hailed as model Olympics writes The Post Chronicle.

MADRID
(ESP): 2007 World medalist at 800
m Spanish Mayte Martinez
will have to rest at least 3 weeks due to a rupture in her calf. The
middle
distance runner felt a sharp pain when training and had to abandon
practice. Martinez main aims are the Spanish indoor championships and
the European indoor championships in Paris
reports Marca.com.

KINGSTON (JAM): Former world record holder
Asafa Powell admitted for IAAF that he is not fully over his back injury yet.
“I am still holding back a little in training because the (back) injury has not
fully healed as yet. I give it by year’s end, by that time it should be better.
The diagnosis is, there’s a muscle in my back that got tight and caused the
natural arch that’s there to straighten out, which is said to be causing the
pain in my back,” said Powell who recently travelled to China to sign the
contract with Li Ning.

STATS

BUDAPEST (HUN): All-Athletics.com
informs
that for third year in a row Weltklasse Zürich is the number one in the
category of Invitational/One-day outdoor competitions of
All-Athletics.com
rankings. France
organized the most Top-100 ranked meetings in 2010. Last year’s runners
up, Rome and Monaco
dropped to 10th and 5th respectively while Brussels
and Paris take
the “silver and bronze medal” positions this time. According to the
analysis of
All-Athletics.com France organized the highest number of quality
meetings (10)
although they have one less Top-100 ranked events than in 2009.
Interesting to
note that 8 of those meetings are also ranked in the Top-50. Italy and
Belgium improved a lot. Italy is now the second most active in this
category with 9 meetings in the Top-100 (5 of them in Top-50) while
Belgium have 6
Top-100 ranked meetings (3 of them are also in the Top-50). The number
of
quality meetings in Greece
has dropped dramatically from four to one. Best meet in Africa is Rabat,
in Asia Doha, in North and Central America Eugene,
in Oceania Sydney and in South America Rio
de Janeiro.