Harting throws 66.50m, Heidler goes 77.53m, by Alfons Juck, note by Larry Eder

Robert Harting, 2011 Zurich DL, discus, photo by PhotoRun.net

Robert Harting is the 2009 and now, 2011 World Champion in the discus. I was lucky enough to observe Robert early in the season, around Roma and FBK Hengelo. Harting obviously has a great sense of humor, but his jovial nature post event hides an extremely competitive athlete, who, like most throws, is wanting for that perfect throw. Each time I would congratulate Robert on a throw, he would note that the throw was not ” far enough”. Robert knew that Daegu, his focus, would be difficult and as it should have been, the World Champs was the total focus of 2011.

When people ask me why it is that Usain Bolt is the only super star in our sport, I get frustrated. Usain has captured the excitement of the sport and the fun of the sport. However, I look at athletes like Harting, Cantwell, Farah, Robles, Vlasic and see stories and heroics that would capture the imaginations of many sports fans. The challenge is how do we capture their spirits? their competitive natures? their senses of humor? That is the opportunity with digital media and new media options available now for our sport.

Top German throws: Harting 66.50, Heidler 77.53–corrected version
ELSTAL (GER, Sep
9): German throwers prevailed at DKB Duels at historical Stadium of
Elstal. In special competition staged according to the “Best of Seven”
principle each winner got 3000 E. In hammer world record holder Betty
Heidler achieved excellent 77.53 (her second best of career) and was
straight better than Anita Wlodarczyk (her best was 75.33) in first four
throws. Javelin women followed with both athletes coming from Zurich,
Christine Obergfoll won 4:2 (her best throw 65.01) over world champion
Mariya Abakumova (63.99). Also javelin gold medalist Matthias de Zordo
beat Andreas Thorkildsen 5:1 (best results 79.00 and 78.17). Cuban
Yareli Barrios was this time better than Daegu silver medalist Nadine
Muller 5:0 (best results 64.48 vs. 61.72). And Robert Harting remains
still unbeaten this season. He won the discus over European champion
Piotr Malachowski 5:1 (66.50 against 62.47). Some 3000 spectators
watched the event.

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Four repeated
ZURICH (SUI): In only one event, the women shot put, all medalists
competing at Weltklasse were also top three at the meet. In other events
(most of the medalists competing) all three could not be in the top 3.
Each of the 32 overall event winners receives a spectacular Diamond
Race Trophy and a cash prize of US$40,000 ($1,280,000), which combined
with the US$480,000 ($6,720,000) available at each of the 14 meetings,
brings the total prize money distributed by Samsung Diamond League in
2011 to a total of US$8 Million. Four athletes repeated their DR wins
also in 2011 (Koech, Cheruiyot, Spencer and Reese). Interesting also to
note that all last year winners competed in the final also this year
except of two (Gay and Wariner). DR winners 2011 in Zurich events – 100
m: Powell (2010 Gay), 400 m: James (Wariner), 1500 m: Chepseba (Kiprop),
SC: Koech (Koech), 110mH: Robles (Oliver), HJ: Williams (Ukhov), LJ:
Watt (Phillips), DT: Alekna (Malachowski). Women – 200 m: Jeter (Felix),
800 m: Meadows (Jepkosgei), 5000 m: Cheruiyot (Cheruiyot), 400mH:
Spencer (Spencer), PV: Spiegelburg (Murer), LJ: Reese (Reese), SP: Adams
(Ostapchuk), JT: Obergfoll (Spotakova).

Pars 81.18 in the qualification
RIETI (ITA, Sep 9): World champion Tatyana Lysenko easily qualified to
the finals in Rieti hammer qualification with 72.62. Also Yipsi Moreno
of Cuba did not had too much difficulties 71.86. Third into Saturday
finals is German Kathrin Klaas (70.07) and fourth with last third throw
Zalina Marghieva of Moldova (69.97). Betty Heidler is not competing in
this last IAAF HT Challenge meet for women as she is a clear leader in
the standings. Higher quality mark in men competition by Hungarian
silver holder from Daegu Krisztian Pars who achieved 81.12, his second
best mark of the season. Second Dilshod Nazarov 77.86 and remaining
qualifiers third from Daegu Primoz Kozmus 77.68 and home star Nicola
Vizzoni 77.59 m. Men still have one more competition in IAAF HT
Challenge in Zagreb on Tuesday.

OTHER NEWS

LAUSANNE (SUI): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that
six cities have been put forward by their respective National Olympic
Committees (NOCs) to apply to host the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in
2020. The cities, in alphabetical order, are: Baku (Azerbaijan), Doha
(Qatar), Istanbul (Turkey), Madrid (Spain), Rome (Italy) and Tokyo
(Japan). The six Applicant Cities will now proceed to Phase 1 of the
IOC’s two-step procedure, which will lead to the election of the 2020
host city in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 7 September 2013. Phase 1,
known as the Candidature Acceptance Procedure, focuses on a technical
review and the cities’ ability to host the Olympic Games in 2020. Cities
are required to answer a questionnaire, and their answers are studied
by the IOC. At the end of this first phase, the IOC EB selects the
cities that will become Candidate Cities and therefore move on to Phase
2. Informs IOC in a release.

MADRID (ESP): Alejandro Blanco, the widely-respected President of the
Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), is to lead Madrid’s bid to host the
2020 Olympics and Paralympics, the city’s Mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon
announced. Gallardon had headed the two most recent attempts by the
Spanish capital to host the Games. Madrid finished behind London and
Paris in the vote for the host city for the 2012 Games and lost out to
Rio de Janeiro in the decision for 2016. They had also bid
unsuccessfully for the 1973 Olympics, which were awarded to Munich.

SHEFFIELD (GBR): After their epic battle in the Bupa Great Yorkshire
run last year, Craig Mottram and Chris Thompson will return for another
thrilling head-to-head clash at 10 km in Sheffield on 9 October.
Mottram, one of the world’s top 5,000m runners, confirmed his
participation in the Yorkshire race at the IAAF World Championships in
Daegu, where he recently competed. Thompson, the European 10,000m track
silver medallist, has also jumped at the opportunity to have another
crack at winning the title at Bupa Great Yorkshire Run.

KINGSTON (JAM): Former 100m hurdles world champion Brigitte
Foster-Hylton is ready to do whatever it takes to be fully ready for
next year’s Olympic Games. Foster-Hylton was pleased with her outing in
Daegu, despite not making it to the final. After winning world
championships’ gold, silver and bronze medals, the Jamaican now has her
eyes set at an Olympic medal reports Trackalerts.

LONDON (GBR): London Olympic organising committee chairman Sebastian Coe
predicted that all two million tickets for the Paralympic Games from
next year will be sold. “I do think we will, I think we have a really
good chance,” Coe told reporters during an International Paralympic Day
staged in Trafalgar Square to publicise the Games. The tickets for the
Paralympic Games will go on sale on Friday reports eurosport.co.uk.

PREVIEWS

BERLIN (GER): 11 world champions from Daegu are expected on Sunday at
ISTAF Meet (IAAF World Challenge) in Olympic Stadium of Berlin. Among
them German winners Robert Harting and David Storl. Silver medalist
Betty Heidler will face world champion Tatyana Lysenko in women hammer.
53 000 spectators are expected to see also the last 100 m of the year
by the world champion Yohan Blake. In women javelin Christina Obergfoll
will have another chance for the revenge after Zurich with all three
medalists from Korea (Abakumova, Spotakova, Viljoen). Another German
medalist Martina Strutz is jumping against Svetlana Feofanova and 2009
winner here Anna Rogowska. Other world champions competing are Dwight
Phillips in long jump, Jesse Williams in high jump and Kirani James in
the 400 m. In the women 400 m Sanya Richards-Ross is running against
Antonina Krivoshapka of Russia. Diamond Race winners are favorites in
distances, Nixon Chepseba at 1500 m and Paul Kipsiele Koech in steeple.
In the women 800 m Caster Semenya returns to place where she won the
world title two years ago (with Janet Jepkosgei). Daegu bronze winners
are the hurdles top names, Dawn Harper (100 m Hurdles) and LJ Van Zyl
(400 m Hurdles), relay silver winner Kerron Stewart is the top name in
women 100 m.

RIETI (ITA): Rieti meeting (IAAF World Challenge) is promising something
special from 800 m world champion David Rudisha on Saturday. He is
returning to the track where he achieved his current world record (main
rivals Lewandowski and Kszczot of Poland, young Aman of Ethiopia). MenÂ´s
100 m will see Nesta Carter vs. Walter Dix, in the 1500 m world
champion Asbel Kiprop, in the 200 m the one lap specialist LaShawn
Merritt, Bernard Lagat runs the 3000 m and US Joel Brown and Jeff Porter
are favorites at 110 m hurdles. Cuban Lazaro Borges against Mateusz
Didenkow of Poland, that is the pole vault headline. Top field is in the
women 1500 m headed by Daegu winner Jenny Simpson of USA, home star
Antonietta Di Martino is the top name in high jump. Hurdles star Sally
Pearson runs flat 100 m with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. The 400 m hurdles
are having two world medalists (Walker, Antyukh) and Diamond winner
(Spencer). Jamaican Shericka Williams is the favorite in the 400 m and
Daegu medalist Ineta Radevica in long jump.

RESULTS

ISLE OF MAN (GBR, Sep 9): At Youth Commonwealth Games Tahir Walsh of
Antigua won the 100 m in 10.50 (+2.9). Kenyan world youth champion from
Lille Norah Tanui won the girls 2000 m steeple in 6:28.10.

KONIGS-WUSTERHAUSEN (GER, Sep 9): Superb menÂ´s 800 m race at 18th
International meet here. PolandÂ´s Artur Ostrowski improved to 1:44.82
(meet record, his previous best 1:46.66) and second German Soren Ludolph
clocked also big personal best 1:45.04, third Ilham Tanui representing
Turkey got 1:45.48. Another meet record for Kenyan world youth champion
Conseslus Kipruto who debuted at 3000 m steeple with 8:27.30. Czech
world finalist Jirina Ptacnikova added another meet record with 451 pole
vault clearance. Mohamed Al-Zankawi of Kuweit won the hammer with solid
77.69 over Markus Esser 76.49. Willi Mathiszik was the best at 110 m
hurdles (13.70, 0.0) and Czech Katerina Cechova at 100 m (11.65, 0.0)
over British Ashlee Nelson (11.73) and former French star Christine
Arron (11.75).

HELSINKI (FIN, Sep 9): Swedish women (101:82) and FinlandÂ´s men
(119:102) are overninght leaders at Finnkampen. Best result by Finnish
javelin throwers as Antti Ruuskanen got 82.02 over Ari Mannio 81.69.
Carolina Kluft coming from Zurich won the 100 m (11.67, +1.1). MenÂ´s 100
m winner was home Jonathan Astrand 10.40 (-0.6). Oli-Pekka Karjalainen
was the best in hammer (75.52) and another home win for Eemeli Salomaki
in pole vault (550). Marathon 7th placer from Daegu Isabellah Andersson
won the 10 000 m (34:12.84). Sweden won both relays, women in 44.86 and
men 40.03 (when Finland was disqualified). Solid 10 000 m walk as Jarkko
Kinnunen clocked 39:55.2 and Heikki Kukkonen 39:56.5.

HEFEI (CHN, Sep 9): Discus World champion Li Yanfeng won her event
during second day of national championships (63.01). Lu Minja got the
long jump (650, +0.1) and Xue Fei the 1500 m (4:10.49). In men events Li
Zhilong improved to 49.47 at 400 m hurdles. World finalist Zang Guowei
won the high jump (228). To note from first day, world hammer medalist
Zhang Wenxiu was 8th (59.47), informs Tilastopaja.

SARANSK (RUS, Sep 9): Elmira Alembekova won a special 3000 m race
walking event with 11:35. Silver winner from Daegu Vladimir Kanaykin was
the best in menÂ´s race with 10:41. The event was held in connection of
International Forum called “Russia Sporting Nation.”

INTERLAKEN (SUI, Sep 9): At Post Cup road mile Kenyan Patrick Mugur won
in 4:02, overall 18th marathon European champion Viktor Rothlin (4:18).
Monica Jepkoech was the best woman in 4:41.

UDINE (ITA, Sep 7): Solid throws by Lorenzo Povegliano in hammer (74.69) and Chiara Rosa in shot put (18.10).

SAD NEWS

LONDON (GBR): Seraphino Antao, the first Kenyan to win a medal for Kenya
at the Commonwealth Games, has died. He was living in London where he
emigrated to in 1964. Antao won double gold – 100 and 200 yards – at the
1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia. To many athletics fans,
his name is engraved in nostalgic memory.

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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