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Well Menlock and Mandeville (to the right), will join two million or so British citizens who are on an email mailing list, waiting in earnest for the ticket lottery to start. Yesterday, the schedule for London 2012 was announced. With tickets from about $25 to $3300, there is a wide range of options. Under 16 year olds can get tickets for 200 of the 631 sessions featuring 26 sports on 34 venues, for under $35. Seniors, those over 60 on July 27, will qualify, same sessions and number for tickets at $35 for 200 sessions of various sports.

For athletics, morning sessions can be found for under $60, but athletics is expensive, from $275 for a day to $1300! A NZ paper calculated that watching Usain Bolt running the 100 meter final, and if Usain runs 9.58 seconds, would cost the can $159 per second! More to come on this one!

London 2012: $159 per second, for a seat to see final! photo by PhotoRun.net.

(And to think what the winner of that race will win? No more chicken mcnuggets for the top three, unless they really, really want it!)

CLASSIFICATION
RUN IN THE 100 M

LONDON (GBR): The eagerly awaited 2012 London
Olympic Games 100 metres
final where world record holder Usain Bolt will be defending his title is
scheduled to take place on Sunday 5 August, writes David Martin. Bolt who set a
then blistering world record of 9.69 when winning the gold medal in Beijing at
the 2008 Games, is already being strongly tipped to retain his title in what
promises to be a classical blue riband final. For this mouth watering clash the
ticket range starts at £50 rising to £750. Also at Olympics the Daegu rule will
be applied. Top sprinters will be handed a bye into the second round of the 100 metres for the first
time in Olympic history. The household names will miss what would have been the
first round but is now being rebranded the ‘classification’ stage, the old
second round, will now be called the first round. The IAAF was quoted: “We’re
going for what is a crisper, more modern programme after consultation with
athletes, TV and officials.” But for another British hope Jessica Ennis the
schedule is not favorable for more events. She will finish her heptathlon
competition on Saturday August 4th but the heats of her second priority 100m
hurdles will start almost 36 hours later. Coach Toni Minichiello had lodged a
request schedulers build in three or four days rest between the events,
pointing out how strings were pulled for home favourite Michael Johnson’s
attempt at a historic 200m and 400m double at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. However,
the finalised athletics programme – unveiled by organisers on Tuesday –
revealed no such favour has been granted to the golden girl of British track
and field. British media are writing. It was also thought it would appeal to
organisers to allow Paula Radcliffe, another home favourite, to bring the
curtain down on the Olympics in potentially golden style. But the women’s
marathon will be staged on Sunday August 5th and the men’s marathon on Sunday
August 12th. On the other hand the schedule is favorable for men and women
potential 200/400 doubles. But 800/1500 combinations are nearly impossible.
Interesting is the 100 m
finals switch, women to second day and men to third day. Another unusual is
4×400 m men final on 8th day and 4×100 m on 9th day (last on the track).

bye for Isinbayeva for Paris….photo by PhotoRun.net.

BYES
FOR ISINBAYEVA AND UKHOV

MOSCOW (RUS): Wild cards from Russian
Athletics Federation for Paris European Indoors are given to two athletes. Pole
vault star Yelena Isinbayeva and high jump world leader Ivan Ukhov, this two
athletes must not compete at the national indoor championships which are
starting on Wednesday. Head-coach Valentin Maslakov pointed out that in
principle top three will qualify with the provision that their results will be
in the top 8 of European list 2011. Also the coaches committee will have the
right to select for the third position an young and upcoming name. Maslakov
also said that he is proposing that last years best Russian at 400 m Vladimir Krasnov should
be included into the team. He did not compete yet as he started the preparation
later due to an injury. His selection will also depend on the results at 400 m from other runners.
during the championships.

and a bye for Mr. Ukhov! photo by PhotoRun.net

CHEBET
AND EBUYA TO COMPETE

NAIROBI (KEN): East Standard informs that
Kenya Police have unleashed a strong line-up as their Administration Police
(AP) counterparts pulled off a major coup as battle lines for supremacy at
Saturday’s IAAF Permit/KCB National Cross Country Championships took shape. AP
have drafted World Cross senior women champion Emily Chebet to compete in their
colours at the event to be held at Nairobi’s Uhuru Gardens while in a major
upset, there is no place for Bydgoszcz overall captain, Richard Mateelong, who
was seventh in Poland in the Police squad. In form Geoffrey Mutai, the Rotterdam and Berlin
marathons runner-up, who also bagged men 10 000 m bronze at the
African Championships in Nairobi,
fronts the Police line-up and is heavily tipped for victory. Mombasa and Amman World Cross participant
Matthew Kisorio, former junior bronze medallist Lucas Rotich, last year’s
Trials winner Paul Tanui, Philemon Rono and Philemon Limo complete the Police
senior long race cream. Women’s 10,000m World titleholder and twice World Cross
silver winner Linet Masai, World and Commonwealth 5000m champion Vivian
Cheruiyot, silver medallist at both events Sylvia Chebet, sixth placer in
Bydgoszcz last year, Hannah Wanjiru and Monicah Wangari are the torchbearers in
the women 8km race. Armed Forces who released their artillery on Saturday saw
World champion Joseph Ebuya, Mark Kiptoo and Doris Changeiywo receive wildcard
entries. Forces champion and Bydgoszcz
fourth placer, Lineth Chepkurui, Iness Chenonge, marathoner Sharon Cherop,
Peninah Arusei and Hellen Obiri complete the Forces in the women’s race.

MOTHER
NEWS

BRUSSELS (BEL): Olympic high jump champion
Tia Hellebaut gave birth to her second child, a daughter named Saartje.
Hellebaut welcomed her first child, Lotte, in June 2009 and ended her comeback
last year because of a second pregnancy. 

NEUBRANDENBURG (GER): Shot put olympic winner
1996 Astrid Kumbernuss (41) also gave birth to her second child last week. It
was a daughter too, name is Hannah Marie.

OTHER NEWS

SYDNEY (AUS): US discus throw champion Becky
Briesch has confirmed her intentions to compete Down Under next month and will
face off with world discus champion Dani Samuels at the Sydney Track Classic in
Round 4 of the Australian Athletics Tour on March 19.

COLORADO
SPRINGS (USA):
In the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) list of finalists for the 2011
USOC Coach of the Year awards only one athletics representative is included. In
the Doc Counsilman Science Award runners coach Alberto Salazar is listed. The
USOC Coach of the Year award was initiated in 1996.

PARIS (FRA) : France’s best athletes will be
present at this weekend’s French national championships in Aubière. Sprint
sensation Christophe Lemaitre will take on Martial Mbanjock in the 60 m and will face tough
opposition from Leslie Dhjone in the 200 m while Myriam Soumare will be the star in
the women’s 60m and 200m. Strong hurdles races are expected in the men’s race
Dimitri Bascou, Garfield Darien, Samuel Coco-Viloin, Cédric Lavanne and last
year’s world junior champion Pascal Martinot Lagarde. In the women’s race
Sandra Gomis leads the pack followed by Alice Decaux, Aisseta Diawara and
Reina-Flor Okori. Leslie Dhjone and Muriel Hurtis are the clear favorites in
the 400m. Felix Fajanteino and Hind Dehiba will go head to head in both the
800m and 1500m. The field events are highlighted by the men’s pole vault, with
Renaud Lavillenie, Jérôme Clavier, Romain Mesnil and Damiel Dossevi, and the
men’s triple jump with Teddy Tamgho. Tamgho will also be seen in action in the
long jump along with Kafetien Gomis and Salim Sdiri. Françoise Mbango leads the
field in the women’s triple jump.

BERLIN (GER): New German pole
vault record holder Silke Spiegelburg is over the moon with her new record but
hopes to jump 480 soon enough. Spiegelburg also is looking forward to competing
against Yelena Isinbayeva again. The German athlete also admitted to
leichtathletik.de she dreams of jumping five meters in the future.

DUBLIN (IRE): The Olympic Council of Ireland
has agreed with Athletics Ireland on their qualifying criteria which means only
A-standards will be accepted to compete at the 2012 London Olympics. Only a few
Irish athletes are within the necessary qualifying standards and there had been
expectations the council might relax the qualifying criteria in order to
maximise participation writes Irish Times.

LONDON (GBR): Figures published
by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Olympic Delivery
Authority (ODA), have revealed costs for London 2012 have increased by 110
million dollar since the last quarter although the Games are still on course to
be delivered on time and on budget. The overall funding package for the Games
remains at 14.870 billion dollar while the Anticipated Final Cost (AFC) of the
ODA programme is 11.676 billion dollar confirms Insidethegames.

MERSIN
(TUR): Sportscal informs that  Mersin in Turkey
will most probably replace a Greek venue to host the 2013 Mediterranean Games.

HONG KONG (HKG): This year’s
15th edition of Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon will will feature around
65,000 runners in three events, 10k, half-marathon, and marathon, with the last
expected to top 10,000 starters for the first time in its short history. Writes
Pat Butcher (globerunner.org). The men’s course record is a respectable
2.14.57, in 2009, by two-time winner Cyprian Kiogora of Kenya, who returns this
weekend, seeking a hat-trick; the women’s record belongs to Dai Yan Yan of China, who ran
2.34.41 in 2005. Local knowledge will serve both Kiogora and another former
winner John Tubei well, but fastest man in the field is another colleague,
Raymond Kiplagat, who ran 2.09.23 in Barcelona
last year. There are three more sub-2.11 men, Nelson Rotich and Philemon Kemboi
of Kenya, and Tesfaye Girma
of Ethiopia.
Veteran Lyubov Denisova of Russia, a winner twice in Los Angeles, and once in
Honolulu returns as fastest woman with her 2.25.18, from third in New York in
2004. But the young Ethiopian trio of Meseret Legesse, Nagash Letay, and
Serkalem Abraha, all of whom have run just over 2.30, along with Zheng Wenrong
of China (2.33.29) will challenge for victory, and a share of the US$150,000
prize pot.

RESULTS

MUSTASAARI (FIN, Feb 15):
Sweden´s long jumper Michel Torneus highlighted Botnia Games with indoor
personal best 810 cm
what is also second best by an European this season (together with Greek Luis
Tsatoumas). Lithuanian Povilas Mykolaitis leaped to season best 799 as second.
Kenyan Reuben Bett achieved 1:47.23 in the 800 m at the oversized track
here. Fastest Finnish 200 m
runner Jonathan Astrand clocked 20.90 to beat Swedish star Johan Wissman 21.16.
Finnish Paris standards for Sandra Eriksson with life-time best 9:11.48 at 3000 m, Jere Bergius in pole
vault (550, equalled his PB) and Niclas Sandells with overall career fastest
7:57.00 in the 3000 m
(beaten by Kenyan James Kangogo 7:55.27).

SUMY (UKR, Feb 15): Ukrainian Championships
started with very good life-time best of shot putter Olympian Andriy Semenov 20.62 m. It is also second
best mark in current European lists. Inna Akhkozova improved to 4323 points to
win the pentathlon. Sergiy Demyduk registered 7.84 as best in the 60 m hurdles. Reigning
European U23 champion Olena Shumkina won the 5000 m walk in new personal
best 21:51.51 ahead of veteran Lyudmila Shelest (36, 22:22.01). Interesting to
note fast 2:02.47 by Tetyana Petlyuk in 800 m heats and also that Barcelona 200 m silver winner
Yelizaveta Bryzhina debuted in the 400 m with 55.12 in heats and 54.39 in the semis and
qualified for finals on Wednesday.

COPENHAGEN (DEN, Feb 15): At
Sparta Indoor meeting in Osterbro national long jump record holder Morten
Jensen confirmed solid shape with 784 cm. Norwegian record holder Catrine
Larsasen won women pole vault on count back over Danish best ever in this event
Caroline Bonde Holm and fresh Swedish record holder Malin Dahlstrom, all 430.

BAHIR DAR (ETH, Feb 13): IAAF
informs that Ethiopian marathon runner Deriba Merga warmed up for the
international road running season (RAK Half Marathon) by clocking a fast 41:54
to take victory in the 2011 Major Hayelom Araya 15km road race in Bahir, 580km
north of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Although not as explosive as the
men’s race, a tightly-contested women’s race was won by Dire Tune ahead of
Atsede Habtamu with both runners timed 48:31. Also Dire Tune is expected to compete
on Friday at the RAK Half Marathon.

CORRECTION

BERLIN
(GER): European sprint champion Verena Sailer is happy with her performance in Karlsruhe. Sailer clocked
7.28 and wasn’t bothered by the back injury that held her back in training. The
Barcelona 100m
gold medalist is looking forward to winning the German 60m title and competing
at the European indoor championships writes leichtathletik.de.

SAD
NEWS

RIGA (LAT): Athletics International informs
about the death of Inese Jaunzeme (USSR/Latvia) on February 13 at the age of 78. In 1956 at Melbourne she became the
first Latvian to win an Olympic title. After placing third in the USSR
Championships that year, she was a surprise winner, setting an Olympic record
in the first round of 51.63 and improving that to 53.40 and 53.86 in the 4th and 6th
rounds  for fourth on the world all-time
list and to win by a margin of 3.48m. She improved to a lifetime best of 55.73 in 1960 and was 2nd
in the 1957 World University Games. She became a surgeon.