Mo Farah, 2011 Nike Pre Classic, photo by PhotoRun.net

Mo Farah, the 2010 European champion at 5,000m/10,000m, has decided to focus on the 10,000 meters in Deagu for the 2011 World Championships. He noted that he needs to focus his energy on one event.

1976 Olympian from the U.S., Jim Bolding, has died from cancer. Bolding was WR holder at 440y hurdles.

RBR is now off to London for the AVIVA London GP. Special thanks to the team at DN. Galan Stockholm for making our visit so enjoyable. Thanks to all of the new friends we have met in Stockholm as well!

SPRINTERS NEWS

BUDAPEST (HUN): Asafa Powell clocked his sub 10 marks
number 72 and 73, the highest ever figures by a single sprinter in a career. On
Sunday he was a special guest in Budapest
at the Formula One World Championships and met with Hungarian President Pal
Schmitt who is former top IOC official and fencing olympic winner. Powell will
have his last races on Friday in London
at the Aviva Grand Prix (heats and finals). His main rivals should be Nesta
Carter, Yohan Blake, Daniel Bailey and Mike Rodgers. From other top sprinters
Walter Dix is scheduled for a 200
m in London, Usain Bolt
will no more compete before Daegu and the same goes for Steve Mullings who is
already back in USA
for training. Ngoni Makusha runs Karlstad
on Tuesday and Christophe Lemaitre will not also concentrate on preparation for
World Championships.

SEBRLE FOR 8TH, BUT RECORD GOES
TO GARCIA

DAEGU (KOR): Roman Sebrle qualified last week for his 8th World
Championships. But he is not the top man in this ranking for men is Spanish
walker Jesus Angel Garcia he will be competing in Daegu in his 10th worlds. For
ninth time Virgijilus Alekna with Kim Collins. Together with Sebrle for 8th
worlds Marlon Devonish, Sergey Makarov, Eriks Rags and Nicola Vizzoni. Some more
could be added, the selection and entry procedures are ending on August 15. In women rankings Portugal
walker Susana Feitor is the top competitor going for the 11th World
Championships.

FARAH ONLY 10K

LONDON (GBR): Mo Farah the World’s fastest 5000 meters and 10000
runner this year has decided to compete only over the longer distance when the
World Championships take place in Daegu from 27 August – 4 September. The
reigning European gold medallist announced his decision after winning the 5000
at the UK Trials and Championships in Birmingham
on Sunday. “I’m definitely going to concentrate on one event and put all my
eggs in one basket and that is the 10k,” Farah said after his easy victory at
the Alexander Stadium. Informs David Martin. Phillips Idowu who will defend his
triple jump title in south
Korea was an absentee at the meeting
informing the organisers on Saturday night he would be a non-starter. “It’s a
shame but I’ve had a tough couple of weeks training and competing,” said Idowu
the current leader in the Samsung Diamond League standings. “I think people
will prefer me to go out and jump well in Korea than to come here and jump
poorly,” said Idowu.

CHERUYIOT THINKS WORLD RECORD

STOCKHOLM (SWE): Less than two hours after Vivian
Cheruiyot impressively improved at the 5000 m at Olympic Stadium she made the ears of
those listening in the Nordic Light Hotel’s restaurant eagerly grasp what was a
ground breaking announcement, reports the IAAF website. Cheruiyot, after her
exertions and having satisfied her hunger with a late night meal after romping
around the track in 14:20.87, insisted that a sub-14 minute performance by a
woman athlete is definitely on the cards. “Next year and it will be me – I’m
serious,” said the smiling, totally enthusiastic reigning World 5000m champion
about the task, who believes after having thrashed her talented rivals and
winning by around 120
meters, is genuinely convinced the milestone figure will
be broken sooner rather than later. Cheruiyot, the World Championships on her mind,
added: “I wanted the pace to be faster and I wanted to try and push it by
myself. Now I’m going to train for Daegu. I don’t have another race until
getting there.” She warned the opposition: “I’m in good shape and I think I’m
going to do something special there.” She is planning to double there at 5000 m and 10 000 m.

NOT SO TOUGH AS IN THE PAST

NAIROBI (KEN): Kenyan media are writing that having previously stamped
their foot hard on selected athletes racing abroad in the run-up to major
events, the class of Daegu 2011 World Championships have found Athletics Kenya
(AK) in a more charitable mood. With just under a month to go before the World
Championships athletes were allowed to run in Stockholm
and another group will compete in London
this week.

OTHER NEWS

GATESHEAD (GBR): Kenyan marathon stars Emmanuel Mutai
and John Kelai have been announced as early contenders for the 2011 Bupa Great
North Run title. Mutai, winner of the Virgin London Marathon in April, and
Kelai, who scored a runaway victory in the final stages of last year’s
Commonwealth Games, will both swap to the half marathon distance for the
showcase event on 18 September.

UTRECHT (NED) : The ABN AMRO Singelloop in Utrecht is welcoming 2009 winner Italian Nadia Ejjafini
and 2010 winner Rkia El Moukim from Morocco for it’s 61st edition on
September 25th. Additionally, The Netherlands best female athletes such as
Helen Hofstede, Jill Holterman and Ilse Pol will also be present. In 2012 and
2013 The Singelloop is also named the course for the Dutch 10K championships.

BECKUM (GER): Following her victory Beckum where she jumped 470 German
Martina Strutz hopes to break the German national pole vault record when
competing at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu. Strutz is confident she can
jump more than 478 in
Daegu she confirmed with leichtathletik.de.

LONDON (GBR): The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) chief of sport
performance Alan Ashley has admitted that America could struggle to maintain
their top two position on the medal table at London 2012 due to the growing
investment from other nation’s into elite sport writes Insidethegames.

LONDON (GBR): Heptathlon world champion Jessica Ennis
will not be at the big British athletics event of the year, the Diamond League
meeting at Crystal
Palace this weekend, but
instead will be doing low-key practice at a minor meeting at Loughborough on
August 11.

LONDON (GBR): The British Olympic Association (BOA)
revealed that it will give approximately 5,000 London 2012 Olympic tickets to
promising British athletes and young people involved in Olympic sport
development across the UK
reports Insidethegames. The tickets are funded by way of a levy on London 2012
Prestige Ticketing hospitality tickets and will be offered at no cost to the
recipients.

BRUSSELS (BEL): Defending Olympic high jump champion
Tia Hellebaut is in full preparation for next year’s Olympic Games. Hellebaut
gave birth to her second daughter Saartje earlier this year and admitted to
Belgian media that Saartje is a very quiet baby allowing her to rest enough in
between practices. Hellebaut’s aim is to reach two meters again when competing
in London.
Although training is going well the Belgian athlete will not start competing
before the 2012 indoor season.

HONOLULU (USA): The German shoe and apparel
company adidas has partnered with the Honolulu Marathon as the race’s official
supporting sponsor for sportswear and shoes, Honolulu Marathon president Dr.
Jim Barahal announced. Although the financial terms of the deal were not
disclosed, race organizers said adidas will furnish all marathon finisher and
walk shirts, as well as all official race merchandise. Japan Airlines remains
the Honolulu Marathon’s primary sponsor. The 2011 Honolulu Marathon takes place
on Sunday, December 11. Informs RRW.

DAEGU NEWS

LISBON (POR): Former European champion from 2006 and
this years surprise European indoor champion Francis Obikwelu of Portugal will
miss the world championships in Daegu due to foot injury. His new aim is London
2012. Triple jump olympic winner Nelson Evora will compete first at World
University Games in Shenzhen and then in Daegu.

ROMA (ITA): Italian federation FIDAL announced the selection od 16 men
and 16 women for Daegu. Three are remaining with the provision to prove their
shape and results level (pole vaulter Gibilisco, Cusma for 800 m and Weissteiner for 5000 m). The team – men –
5000 and 10 000 m: Meucci, marathon: Pertile, HJ: Chesani, TJ: Donato, Schembri
(must confirm his health status), HT: Vizzoni, 20 km walk: Rubino, Schwazer,
50 km
walk: De Luca, Nkouloukidi, 4×100 m: Tumi, Cerutti, Collio, Di Gregorio,
Galvan, Riparelli. Women – 400 m: Milani, 100mH: Caravelli, 400mH: Gentili, HJ:
Di Martino, Lamera, PV: Bruno, TJ: La
Mantia, 20
km walk: Rigaudo, SP: Rosa, HT: Salis, JT: Bani, Hept:
Doveri, 4×400 m: Milani, Gentili, Bazzoni, Bonfanti, Grenot, Spacca.

RESULTS

PORT OF SPAIN (TRI, Jul 31): Former world junior record holder Darrel
Brown continued his comeback from injury with a scorching 10.04 (+2.9)
wind-assisted run that saw him win gold in the men’s 100 meters dash, on the
second and final day of the Morvant Jets/Mustangs Games, at the Hasely Crawford
Stadium. Informs Trinidad Express. Jamaican
Oral Thompson won the 400 m
in 45.42.

ALGER (ALG, Jul 27-28): At Algerian Championships Mahfoud Brahimi won
the 800 m
in 1:47.47 ahead of Nadjim Manseur 1:47.52 and Nabil Madi 1:47.65. Othmane Hadj
Lazib won the 110 m
hurdles in 13.51 (+1.7) and Hichem Bouchicha was the best in steeple (8:36.81).
Solid triple jump marks for Issam Nima 16.80 (+1.3) and Baya Rahouli 14.49 (no
wind info available).

LISBOA (POR, Jul 31): From second day of Portugal Championships to note
new national record by Patricia Mamona in triple jump 14.42 (+1.5). Ana Dulce
Felix won the 5000 m
(16:15.75) and Vera Barbosa clocked 56.77 at 400 m hurdles. In men events
Alberto Paulo clocked good 8:28.20 in the steeple and Nelson Evora leaped to
16.99 (+1.2) in the triple jump. Jorge Paula won the 400 m hurdles in good 49.88
and Joao Almeida windy 110 m
hurdles 13.49 (+3.3 and legal 13.87 +1.8 in heats). Yazaldes Nascimento completed
100/200 double with 20.87 (+1.3).

NIEDERSELTERS (GER, Jul 31): World champion Dani Samuels of Australia won
here the discus with 59.76 m.

DAVENPORT (USA,
Jul 30): Silas Kipruto ow Kenya
won the 37th Quad-City Times Vix 7 at the 7 miles in 32:36 ahead of
Allan Kiprono 32:47. Best US
runner Abdi Abdirahman was 6th (33:47). Caroline Rotich scored Kenyan women win
after 36:42.

SAD NEWS

STILLWATER (USA): Local media are informing
that former top hurdler Jim Bolding will be inducted into the Oklahoma Sports
Hall of Fame on Aug. 16. But now the honor will be posthumously. The
record-setting hurdler from Oklahoma State University
died Sunday morning in Stillwater
after a long bout with cancer. Bolding, a 1968 graduate of U.S. Grant High
School, set the world record in the 440-yard hurdles, an event no longer run.
Bolding made the 1976 U.S.
Olympic team, but an injury kept him from competing.  Bolding later was OSU’s track coach,
replacing Ralph Tate, who had been Bolding’s coach with the Cowboys. His best
time was 48.1 hand timed in 1974 and 48.55 in 1975.

CORRECTION

HOF (GER): The winning mark of Mateusz Didenkow
here was 560 and not 550.