by Larry Eder
Tamgho: Non pour 2012 Indoor WC, photo by PhotoRun.net
Indoor Track & Field, on a global year, is truly in transition. Four major events in Europe have gone away and the US season is a Potemkin village. I have been approached by several parties asking if certain events in Manhattan will actually happen. I find that sad, however, I do understand the questions.
One has to look at it from a business perspective. I know of one quite successful sports magnate who only launches businesses in tough economic times. One gets more for one’s money, and if one can survive the bad times, then, one can survive in the good times.
Track & Field, on a global level, has to figure out what makes it unique and how to approach the local community. What currency does one have in the market? That is the essential question that we are not answering, dear readers. Remember that it is the essence of sports: running, jumping and throwing. Youth tie ins, family discounts, perhaps family packages. We will find posters, and magazines for meets anywhere, if you give us enough time. The bigger the pie for our sport, the better for all.
Teddy Tamgho, 2010 Euro Indoors, photo by PhotoRun.net
TAMGHO NO FOR INDOORS
PARIS
(FRA): World indoor triple jump record holder Teddy Tamgho is in
Gainesville, Florida for warm weather training. His Cuban coach Ivan
Pedroso has received his visa for the United States which allows the duo
to live and train in Florida. Tamgho made clear that he will not
compete indoors and will only compete in four to five competitions
before the London Olympic Games. For sure on his programme are the
French interclub championships and the French national championships
reports Athle.com. He also will most probably pass the European
Championships in Helsinki.
Jessica Ennis, photo by PhotoRun.net
ENNIS TO DEFEND HER TITLE FROM DOHA
LONDON
(GBR): British combined events star Jessica Ennis is planning for full
indoor season. As her coach Toni Minichiello recently confirmed for BBC
she will accept the IAAF invitation for World Indoor Championships in
Istanbul where she will defend her title from Doha. Also invited based
on 2011 results will be world champion Tatyana Chernova of Russia and
Jennifer Oeser from Germany. Other three will be selected based on 2012
results and two will be invited by IAAF. Before that she will be seen at
different events during the undercover season. Mainly UK Trials in her
hometown Sheffield and Birmingham Grand Prix IAAF meet. She also plans
to compete at the Austrian Hypo meeting of Gotzis end of May in the
heptathlon, also there she is the defending title holder.
GREEK FEDERATION SUSPENDS OPERATIONS
ATHENS
(GRE): Greek Athletics Federation board suspended operations as it
awaits government-imposed austerity budget. It was decided at the
extraordinary general meeting of the federation during the weekend. “We
want assurances from the state that our budget is sustainable. But I
think the last thing to break is our sport. We must support our athletes
who will participate, and would represent in the major events,”
Sevastis was quoted. There is also a problem with indoor training
because the Peania Indoor Hall is not in operation after thieves broke
in and destroyed power cables. The Greek federation is now looking for
the SEF, the Indoor Hall in Faliron (Piraeus).
ISTAF LOST THE TITLE SPONSOR
BERLIN
(GER): German media are informing that the top one day meeting in the
country ISTAF (had its 70th edition in 2011) lost its title sponsor
Vattenfall. The Energy company was connected with ISTAF in last two
years. But the 71st edition of the IAAF World Challenge meeting
(September 2) is in no danger situation. Vattenfall delivered about 20
percent of the nearly 2 millions Euro budget. Reports are saying it was
at level of 500 000 Eur in a year. Tickets sales will start on December 1
and the organisers are planning to show the spectators at Olympic
Stadium the stars of the Olympic Games in London.
CHICHEROVA WILL JUMP INDOORS
MOSCOW
(RUS): Good news for meet organisers in winter. High jump World
champion Anna Chicherova plans to compete during the indoor season.
Having in mind her results from end of the summer 2011 she could be well
in position to attack the world indoor record (208). She also said for
Russian media that she plans to retire in two years after the IAAF World
Championships on home soil in Moscow in 2013. “I want to finish my
career after the World championships in 2013, It seems to me the ideal
time, just after the Olympics and at home in Moscow” she was quoted on
European Athletics.
BIG INCREASE IN VEGAS
LAS
VEGAS (USA): Next Sunday’s Zappos.com Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon
& Half-Marathon shows explosive growth from last year, selling out
with a whopping 44,000 entries. The growth, in part, is driven by the
organizers’ decision to hold the race in the evening to take full
advantage of the glittering lights of Las Vegas’s famous Strip. Last
year’s races in Las Vegas had a traditional morning start, and the
marathon recorded 5,154 finishers while the accompanying half-marathon
had 19,169 finishers (24,323 total for both events out of approximately
28,000 entrants). Even with a 15% attrition rate –typical for large
road races– this year’s event should see 37,000+ finishers, making the
race the world’s largest nighttime running event (the marathon starts at
4:05 p.m. and the half-marathon begins at 5:30 p.m.). Informs Race
Results Weekly.
OTHER NEWS
BRUSSELS
(BEL) : European U23 decathlon champion Thomas Van der Plaetsen has
been nominated for the regional award “the Flemish Giant” along with
cyclists Sven Nys and Jelle Vanendert. The award is voted by Flemish
sports journalists and will award the best Flemish athlete of the year.
Van der Plaetsen is also shortlisted for the award of Belgium’s most
promising athlete. The 20-year old athlete is currently training in
South Africa in preparation for the indoor season.
BERLIN
(GER): Former German 400m hurdles champion Jonna Tilgner (27) is back
in training after ending her career in 2010 and taking a break for
maternity leave. Tilgren is currently living in Sweden with her Swedish
husband and her child and has decided to train with Krister Hultberg.
She is hoping to be back in top shape for the London Olympic Games
reports leichtathletik.de. Her PB is 55.71 from 2009.
LONDON
(GBR): Up to 50 cities are capable of hosting the proposed European
Games when it is possibly launched in 2015 reports Insidethegames. A
report on the event, which would bring Europe into line with the other
continents who already stage their own Games, has been undertaken by
Deloitte and was presented at the European Olympic Committees (EOC) at
its General Assembly in Sochi this week. On April 12th the NOC’s of
European countries will decide whether to proceed with the Games which
could be launched in 2015. In the plan are 15 or 16 sports.
RIYADH
(KSA): Saudi Arabia has agreed to let female athletes join their
all-male delegation to the 2012 Olympics in a bid to block threats to
bar them from the games if they didn’t let women participate. The move
came after a warning last year by Anita DeFrantz , who heads the
International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Women and Sports Commission,
that any country that didn’t allow female athletes to compete would be
barred from the global competition reports gantdaily.com.
STELLENBOSCH
(RSA): South Africa’s elite track and field athletes will begin their
build-up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London when the second Yellow
Pages Summer Series is held in December. The series will consist of four
meetings, Athletics SA (ASA) announced on Monday. The first event will
be held in Port Elizabeth on December 8, followed by meetings in
Oudtshoorn on December 12, Stellenbosch on December 15 and Parow on
December 17. The series, held for the first time in 2010, will again
focus on non-standard disciplines, including the 60 metres, 150m and
300m sprints, and the mile reports iol.co.za.
NEW
DELHI (IND): An Olympic boycott will not be on the agenda when the
Indian Olympic Association meets next week, despite continuing outrage
over Dow Chemical’s high-profile sponsorship of the London 2012 Games.
Dow finds itself in the firing line for its sponsorship of a temporary
decorative wrap over London’s Olympic Stadium writes Eurosport.
LAUSANNE
(SUI): European Athletics announced that Le Gruyère AOC, the well-known
cheese from Switzerland, has extended its commitment to athletics on
the continent for a further four years until the end of 2016. Le Gruyère
AOC has been an International Partner of European Athletics since 2008.
The new four-year contract begins in January 2013 and will incorporate
the European Athletics Championships, European Athletics Indoor
Championships, SPAR European Cross Country Championships, European
Athletics Team Championships, European Athletics Junior Championships
and European Athletics U23 Championships.
LONDON
(GBR): Guardian points out that with the return of IAAF events in
Europe to EBU also BBC will return with World Championships coverage in
2015 and 2017. Daegu this year was broadcast on Channel 4 for the first
time and the station has also the rights for Moscow 2013. BBC Sport
director Barbara Slater said: “We’re delighted that the World
Championships will be returning to the BBC. The 2017 Championships,
taking place at the Olympic Stadium will be a huge moment for UK
athletics, helping to deliver the Olympic legacy, and we’re thrilled to
be bringing the event to our audiences.”
SAO
PAULO (BRA): Brazilian Athletics Federation released its main dates for
2012. The Trofeu Brasil Caixa de Atletismo (national championships and
olympic trials) will be held from June 27 to July 1 with the place to be
confirmed. The Brazilian Athletics Tour 2012 of one day meetings will
be composed of five events. The main IAAF World Challenge will be staged
in Rio de Janeiro on May 13. Before that on May 6 Uberlandia, May 9 Sao
Paulo and afterwards Fortaleza on May 16 and Belem on May 20.
RESULTS
SLIGO
(IRL, Nov 27): Winners at Inter Counties CC Championships of Ireland
were Joseph Sweeney 32:07 at 10 km and U23 runner Sara Treacy (31:10 at 8
km).
