by Larry Eder
The big show for Friday night will be one Usain Bolt. Bolt made BBC and local Swedish TV on Thursday evening. He is drawing the crowd at the Stockholm Diamond League.
” I am one of the best in the world. I am not worried. As soon as you worry, you do not run well.” noted a thoughtful Usain Bolt after he was questioned about his fitness and ability to run against the young sprinters.
Usain Bolt, 2011 Compeed Golden Gala, Roma, photo by PhotoRun.net
ADAMS AND CANTWELL
STOCKHOLM (SWE,
Jul 28): DN Galan Big Shot was held for third time at Kungstradgarden.
World champion Valerie Adams won the women competition which was part of
Diamond Race with second round effort of 20.57 m. She missed the meet
record by 6 cm. European champion Nadezhda Ostapchuk of Belarus attacked
in fifth round but 20.37 was not enough. US Jill Camarena-Williams
third 19.87 ahead of Trinidad´s record holder Cleopatra Borel-Brown
19.15 and German Christina Schwanitz who achieved her season best 19.14.
Adams now leads the Diamond Race and is unbeaten so far this season.
Men´s competition was not part of the Diamond Race and world champion
Christian Cantwell comes into the shape in right time. He started with
21.44 and improved in fourth round to 21.70. It is his second best of
the season. Olympic winner Tomasz Majewski was coming close in last
round with 21.60 effort. His best of 2011 and fourth best of the career.
World leader Dylan Armstrong was fourth 21.00 just ahead of Reese Hoffa
20.91.
BOLT, HURDLES, RETURN OF MERRITT/
STOCKHOLM
(SWE): 11th Samsung Diamond League meet of the season at the legendary
Olympic Stadium in Stockholm which has more world records than another
top Scandinavian place the Bislett of Oslo. All is set to see last time
before Daegu Usain Bolt, but also other top issues are expected. Duel of
the hurdlers and return of LaShawn Merritt. The other question is how
fast can go Vivian Cheruiyot.
Event by event preview
Men
200 m: Usain Bolt attacking his own world lead 19.86, no major opponents. And wants his first win here.
400 m: Return of Merritt, European meet debut by Bartholomew, also running Wariner, Gonzales, Ch.Brown and J. Borlee.
1500 m: S. Kiplagat vs. Kiprop, world lead?
Steeple: Kipsiele Koech now alone – can he again attack a fast time? He is the stadium record holder here.
110mH: Duel of the evening: Robles vs. Oliver.
HJ: J. Williams in first meet after US Trials against Russians and young Qatari.
LJ: Saladino and from injury returning Watt.
DT: Kanter vs. Malachowski and Alekna, Harting is missing due to knee problems.
JT: Another clear effort for Thorkildsen? First 90 in the Olympic Stadium and of 2011?
Women
100 m: Carmelita Jetter attacking stadium record 10.90.
800 m: Sinclair back from injury, Semenya debuting here, Russians, US runners, all is possible.
5000 m: Vivian Cheruiyot aiming for a fast time, real chance to improve Defar´s WL.
400mH: Jamaican affair, Spencer and is Walker in better shape than earlier in the season?
PV: The best field
of the year so far, Isinbayeva, Suhr, Germans, Murer, Feofanova, you
cannot ask for more. World lead should be guaranteed.
TJ: Savigne unbeaten on the circuit so far, can she go 15 ? Meet record 14.85 should go.
Others:
Good quality B-races men 400 m, men 1500 m, women 800 m and revenge
from Bislett Games in Cross Country mile of nordic skieers Hellner of
Sweden and Northug of Norway.
OTHER NEWS
BIRMINGHAM
(GBR): British media are informing that top two long jumpers Chris
Tomlinson and Greg Rutherford, will miss this weekend’s trials. Both
athletes have picked up injuries in training and will not compete in
Birmingham this weekend, where they will be hoping two of their domestic
rivals do not achieve the qualifying standard. UK Athletics regulations
state that the top two in the trials will be selected for the world
championships if they achieve the ‘A’ standard within the qualifying
period, which ends on 7 August.
LJUBLJANA
(SLO): Pierre Weiss, the IAAF General Secretary, points out that 400 m
hurdler Brent LaRue will not be eligible to compete for Slovenia at next
year’s Olympics. In his case, as an athlete who has not previously
competed internationally, there is a two-year waiting period from
acquiring citizenship before he can represent his new country in
international competition. Thus, as LaRue became a Slovenian citizen on
13 July 2011 he will not become eligible to compete for that country
until 13 July 2013. Writes Athletics Information.
CAPE ELIZABETH
(USA): American marathon record holder Deena Kastor will continue her
comeback from maternity leave at the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10-K in
Cape Elizabeth, Me., a week from Saturday, organizers reported. For
Kastor, 38, the Beach to Beacon will be her second race since giving
birth to daughter Piper Bloom Kastor on Feb. 21. She first dipped her
toe back in the competitive distance running waters at the NYRR New York
Mini 10-K on June 11, where she clocked 35 minutes flat, good for 25th
place. She’ll be using the Beach to Beacon as part of her build up to
the USA Olympic Marathon Trials on January 14. It’s also a race she’s
long wanted to do, especially given her admiration for race founder Joan
Samuelson. Elite athlete coordinator Larry Barthlow has recruited a
very strong women’s field, including Ethiopia’s Werknesh Kidane, Wude
Ayalew Yimer, Aheza Kiros, Misiker Mekonnin Demissie, Buzunesh Deba, and
Belainesh Gebre. Other contenders for victory include Kenyans
Catherine Ndereba and Jelliah Kerubo Tinega. Kastor’s USA teammate at
the Beach to Beacon will be marathoner Adriana Nelson. On the men’s
side, Gebre Gebremariam, the defending champion from Ethiopia and last
November’s ING New York City Marathon champion, will be in an excellent
field which also includes top Kenyans Micah Kogo, Sam Chelanga, Wilson
Chebet, and Alan Kiprono amongst others. Informs RRW.
LONDON (GBR):
Olympic 400 metres hurdles bronze medallist Tasha Danvers has announced
she will not compete at the next month’s World Championships in Daegu
and has halted her season. Writes David Martin. The 33-year-old who has
been troubled by injuries in recent years will instead and in agreement
with UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee and her own Malcolm
Arnold, will concentrate on being at her best for the 2012 London
Olympic Games.
ISTANBUL
(TUR): Double olympic medalist Elvan Abeylegesse gave birth to her first
child, a daughter, on Thursday morning. The European 2010 10 000 m
champion plans to return to track and compete at London Olympic Games
2012. The last race of the European 10 000 m record holder was at the
IAAF Continental Cup last September. Daughter Arsema was born at 9.20 am
local time after caesaraian section and was 49.5 cm and 3.190 kg.
GLASGOW
(SCO) : Organizers of the International Festival of Athletics Coaching
(IFAC) which will take place in Glascow from 28 to 30 October have
opened the online registration system. This year’s edition will feature
presentations by former European indoor champion high jumper Dalton
Grant (GBR), Don Babbitt (USA), Wolfgang Ritzdorf (GER), Vern Gambetta
(USA), Penny Werthner (CAN), Elio Locatelli (ITA) and Jimmy Beauttah
(KEN).
NEW YORK
(USA): Allyson Felix admitted that she wants to test if her body can
handle the 200m and 400m combination in Daegu, so that she knows whether
she will be able to do the double at the London Olympic Games. “I’m
happy to get this chance, to try it out before it’s all on the line,”
Felix said for Sports Illustrated.
LONDON
(GBR): Sebastian Coe has rejected calls for athletes who are caught
taking recreational drugs to face the possibility of lesser bans than
those who take performance-enhancing substances. Coe said for The
Independent that such moves display the “morality of the knackers’
yard”. Coe commented on the issue following the suggestion of a senior
member of UK Anti-Doping that there should be a difference drawn between
drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy and some medications, like asthma
inhalers, and those that competitors take to boost performance.
CHICAGO
(USA): Ryan Hall confirmed he is set to compete at the Bank of America
Chicago marathon on October 9th. Hall believes that the Chicago marathon
wont compromise his chances at the Olympic marathon trials held in
Houston on January 14th. Also running in Chicago will be Kenyan Moses
Mosop who ran 2:03.06 in Boston earlier this year.
GATESHEAD
(GBR): Nova International are delighted that deliberations which have
taken place within the relevant committees of the IAAF has resulted in a
recommendation to and subsequent endorsement by the Council of the IAAF
that performances established at competitions on “out of stadia”
facilities should be recognised. This decision, which is encapsulated in
the new IAAF Rule of Competition 149.2 is subject to strict technical
conditions being complied with and appropriate IAAF permits and
agreements regarding dates been in place. There is little doubt that the
principal “out of stadia” facility in the UK if not the world is that
which has been constructed by Nova in Deansgate, Manchester and on the
Gateshead quayside in May and September respectively for the last three
years.
RESULTS
ALBI
(FRA, Jul 28): French Championships started in good weather with hammer
titles going to Manuela Montebrun (69.06) and Frederick Pouzy (74.31).
In women long jump favorite Eloyse Lesueur won with windy 662 (+2.8).
Nadia Vigliano was the best in javelin 55.59. In tactical distances wins
for Hassan Hirt 13:58.11 and marathon record holder Christelle Daunay
16:03.64 at 5000 m. Sophie Duarte got the women steeple title in
10:00.70. Christophe Lemaitre helped the Aix-les-Bains team on the
second leg to win the 4×100 m in solid 39.55. Czech guest, legendary
Roman Sebrle leads the decathlon after first day with 4122 points ahead
of European champion Romain Barras 4093 and Florian Geffrouais 4085.
MINSK (BLR,
Jul 28): Nastasiya Mironchik-Ivanova confirmed good long jump shape at
an international meet here with windy 692 (+2.9) and legal 681 (+1.4).
Good hammer won by Yuriy Shayunov 78.70 over Valeriy Svyatokho 78.02.
Pavel Lyzhin won the shot put (20.02). Latvian guest Stanislav Olijars
clocked 13.89 (+1.9) at 110 m hurdles and Belarus women team achieved
44.40 at 4×100 m.
TRABZON (TUR,
Jul 28): Hungarian super hammer talent 16-years old Bence Pasztor
improved during European Youth Olympic Festival his own world all-time
youth best with 5 kg implement to 84.41 m. His former mark from this
June in Veszprem was 83.92 m. Excellent also second Ukrainian Sergiy
Regeda with 80.81 m. Another Ukrainian Vladyslav Chernikov won the shot
put with 20.13 (5 kg). Dutch Nadine Visser won the 100 m hurdles in
13.28 (+0.5, 76.2) and Italian Lorenzo Perin clocked 13.44 (+1.3) at 110
m hurdles (91.4).
