by Larry Eder
David Torrence, Mary Wittenberg, Bernard Lagat, 2011 Fifth Avenue Mile
Mary Wittenberg made it quite clear, in an interview Universal Sports that the New York Road Runners want to host the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. She followed that with a very well done interview for ESPN: http://espn.go.com/espnw/more-
I. KOECH BACK IN
TRAINING
NAIROBI
(KEN): Kenyan running talent Isiah Koech is back to full training after his
calf injury. Informs his management company Golazo. The young Kenyan clocked in
winter the fastest ever 5000 m indoors by a junior 12:53.29 in Dusseldorf.
He also won Kenyan World Trials but could not manage better than fourth in
Daegu. Because of his injury he could not compete after the World
Championships. His next plans include again indoor competitions in winter 2012.
FRANCE
IS DOMINATING EUROPEAN PERMIT MEETINGS
LAUSANNE
(SUI): The 2012 European Athletics calendar has an increased number of European
Athletics Outdoor Premium Meetings. There will be 11 European Athletics Outdoor
Premium Meetings next year, an increase of two from 2011, and no less than six
of the events will be staged in France. The season starts on 2 June with both
the 12th European Athletics Festival in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz and also
the Stanislas meeting in Nancy, France, and ends on 4 September with the 47th
Palio Citta della Quercia meeting in Rovereto. In total 5 French meetings are
new in this category (Nancy, Montreuil, Reims, Strasbourg and Sotteville) and
Lille is returning after one year break (due to World Youth Championships). In
comparison to 2011 out is Rethymno from Greece and Szczecin of Poland
(Kusocinski Memorial) and Barcelona will not stage a meet due to World
Junior Championships. In the second level EA Classic 12 meetings are included.
New meetings here are Italian fixtures in Milano and Terra Sarda, returning
after some years is Gugl Meet of Linz in Austria. Downgraded from EA Premium is
Kusocinski Memorial, Znamensky Memorial is now having also this status (Moscow
Challenge will have IAAF World Challenge status). Special status for Eberstadt
High Jump meeting. No longer listed in this category German meetings Cuxhaven,
Biberach and Kassel and also Swiss meet in Luzern. With the difficult economic
situation in Greece leading to uncertainty about the situation in that country
next year, but with the Greek athletics federation and the local organisers
showing admirable determination to still stage the three meetings that had
European Athletics Outdoor Premium Meeting and European Athletics Outdoor
Classic Meeting status last year, the events in Kalamata, Chania and Rethymno
have been given special Pending Permit status. The current calendar for 2012,
EA Premium: Jun 2 Bydgoszcz and Nancy, Jun 5 Montreuil, Jun 8 Torino, Jun 9
Lille, Jun 11 Prague, Jul 3 Reims, Jul 7 Heusden, Jul 8 Strasbourg, Jul 10
Sotteville, Sep 4 Rovereto. EA Classic: May 25 Dessau, Jun 7 Huelva, Jun 9
Istanbul, Jun 14 Velenje, Jun 17 Zhukovskiy, Jul 21 Szczecin, Aug 20 Linz, Aug
26 Dubnica, Sep 1 Terra Sarda, Sep 2 Padova, Sep 5 Milano, Sep 7-9 Eberstadt.
COACH
MILLS ABOUT OLYMPIC YEAR
KINGSTON
(JAM): Top coach and President of Racers TC Glenn Mills spoke for Trackalerts
in an interview. “Starting is a feature of execution and it is fair to say
they have started well in races, I have seen them start well and what they
really need to do is develop more consistency in their starting. Starting like
any other part of the programme is something we address thoroughly,” he said
about the starts of his top sprinters Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake. He also added
about the Olympic Year 2012 coming: “Olympic year is always a special year
because the Olympics comes once every four years and we would certainly like to
have like anybody else, an injury free year if possible. Its also up to the
athletes to apply themselves as is required, in order to develop themselves and
to get of their best. From the Club’s point of view, we will be going all out,
doing what we have to do in their preparation, paying attention to the details
and making sure they get the best opportunity to compete and so on.”
BUBKA
ACTIVE ALSO IN PEACE AND SPORT MOVEMENT
MONACO
(MON): IAAF Vice President Sergey Bubka is active also in the Peace and Sport
movement. „Sport gave me opportunities and made me who I am. It’s my turn
to give back,” he said during his presentation at the Peace and Sport
International Forum. Bubka who was designated UNESCO Champion for Sport in 2003
is also one of the determined believers of the Olympic Truce. „For 16 days,
thanks to the Olympic Games, we engage the whole world to put down their
weapons and stop conflicts. If we – the sportspeople – can make it for 16 days,
maybe we can make it forever”. Bubka has stepped down from the Parliament of
Ukraine to become a President of the National Olympic Committee. He needed
to be neutral to unite all people and realized that sports, in a way, had
much more influence and power across the globe than politics. At the same
period he has also become very active as an IOC member and IAAF Vice-President
administrating global sport events and promoting Olympic values all over the
world.
OTHER NEWS
SOPOT
(POL): IAAF delegation headed by General Secretary Pierre Weiss visited last
week Sopot who remained the only candidate for World Indoor Championships 2014
after Zagreb withdrew its bid. The IAAF Council vote on November 11 might be so
only a formal thing. But it was also mentioned that if criteria not
fulfilled IAAF would be ready to open a new bid. The total budget of the
event is planned at 20 millions of Zloty level (up to 5 millions EUR) with a removable
track to be installed in the new and modern Ergo Arena. The bid is fully
supported by the city and Polish Athletics Federation PZLA. Informs PZLA
website.
LONDON
(GBR): A new initiative has been launched by officials leading London’s
bid to host the 2017 World Athletics Championships which they hope will provide
as successful as International Inspiration programme during the capital’s
successful campaign to stage the Olympics and Paralympics. LEAP 2017 is a global
athletics development programme aimed at engaging two million children in
athletics across 17 developing countries over four years, London 2017 officials
claimed. Based on the success of London 2012’s International Inspiration
project, which claims to be on target to engage over 12 million children and
young people in sport in 20 countries, LEAP 2017 is focused on strengthening
the foundations of athletics worldwide and contributing to an even more diverse
sport in the future.
NEW YORK
(USA): New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg gave an „unqualified
yes” when asked of her desire to host the 2016 Olympic Trials marathons.
Informs Universalsports.com. While Wittenberg and NYRR have thrown their
support behind Houston and the upcoming Trials, it is now officially clear that
they want them back. She said the likely scenario would be hosting the Trials
on the Saturday before the New York City Marathon, just like in 2007.
LONDON
(GBR): World record holder Michael Johnson has told insidethegames that the
World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
need to find a way of implementing a consistent rule to deter
athletes from cheating. „I’ve been asked should LaShawn Merritt be able to
compete but you know the rule is not about LaShawn Merritt – it’s about how we
keep athletes thinking of cheating from cheating. We have a better chance
of doing that when the IOC and WADA work together and we have a consistent
rule on the book. I don’t think WADA have a problem with the IOC rule
– it’s just not part of their code. That is the bigger issue and we have to get
to that. It’s not an issue of whether LaShawn should compete, it’s just a smaller
part of a much bigger picture. Consistency across the board is what we
should strive to get,” Johnson said. He also spoke of his admiration for triple
Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt, saying that he would go down as one of the
greats even if he did not race again. „I think if he never ran another race he’s
one of the best of all time,” Johnson told insidethegames during the Laureus
Global Summit here.
INDIANAPOLIS
(USA): Olympic and world champion Gail Devers (44) who was recently elected to
the USATF Hall of Fame was joking: „When I initially heard, I said, ‚Oh,
my goodness. I wonder if that means I can’t compete anymore since I’ve
never officially retired?” Her last registered race was during indoor season
2007 at international meet in Paris (fourth with 8.00 at 60 m Hurdles at age of
40).
IEPER
(BEL) : European 400m champion Kevin Borlée and his brother Jonathan were the
highlight of the day as they were present at the inauguration of a new
track in Ieper, Belgium. The track meets all international IAAF standards and
gives the opportunities for local athletes to train closer to home.
BERLIN
(GER): German former junior talent Anna-Katharina Weller is ending her
promising career. The 22-years old discus thrower managed fourth place at the
2008 World junior championships and 2007 European junior championships. Her
personal best remains 54.50 reports Leichtathletik.de.
EUGENE
(USA): Distance stand out Sam Chelanga will join his first professional track
& field club and will compete for the Nike-sponsored Oregon Track Club
(OTC) Elite, based in Eugene. OTC Elite’s roster boasts a wide array of
top-level athletes, highlighted by decathlete Ashton Eaton, high jumper Jesse
Williams and mid-distance stars Nick Symmonds and Andrew Weating. Chelanga’s
primary coaches with OTC Elite will be Mark Rowland and Vin Lananna according
to Libertyflames.com.
LONDON
(GBR): Kenyan running legend Kip Keino has claimed that the race between
Hambantota and the Gold Coast to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games will come
down to their final presentations in St Kitts and Nevis next week. As a member
of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), Keino will be one of those making
the decision on November 11 and he believes that the strength of the bids will
become apparent in the final moments of the respective campaigns. Informs
insidethegames.
RESULTS
ALMEIRIM
(POR, Oct 30): Maratona Clube de Portugal won the 25th edition of European
Champions Club in road race competition in Portugal. The team was the best in
both men and women categories. Second another Portugal team Conforlimpa ahead
of AK Kromeriz of Czech Republic and in women category second Sporting Clube de
Braga of Portugal and third Mayo AC from Ireland. Hermano Ferreira was the
individual half marathon winner in 1:02:55 ahead of another Portuguese runner
Yossef El Kalai (1:03:21). In women 15 km Dulce Felix got 51:01 beating Ana
Dias 51:14.
RANCHI
(IND, Nov 1): Best result during 1st day of 27th National Junior athletics
championships of India by youth high jumper Shashidhar Harshith who cleared 217
cm. New national youth record.
HONGKONG
(HKG, Oct 30): Best result at Hongkong Athletics League Final Meeting at 100 m
when Ng Ka Fung was timed with 10.32 (+2.3).
YOKOHAMA
(JPN, Oct 29-30): At Nittai University Distance meet two Kenyans dipped under
28 minutes in the 10 000 m. Alex Mwangi 27:55.62 and Duncan Muthee 27:58.26. In
the 5000 m races Japanese runners won. Yusuke Hasegawa 13:38.70 and Toshika
Tamura 15:42.18.
FUNCHAL
(POR, Oct 30): Carlos Freitas won the 7th road Grand Prix race in 17:31 ahead
of Joao Sa 17:49. Daniela Sousa was the best woman at 5 km in 22:08.
ALGER
(ALG, Nov 1): Fast 3rd International Alger Marathon won by Slimane Moulay in
new national record 2:09:11. Second El Houari Smara 2:10:45 ahead of Al Hachemi
Abed 2:13:44. Informs Trackinsun by Carles Baronet.
CORRECTION
DUBLIN
(IRL): Another correction of Helalia Johannes winning time, it was actually
2:30:35 (hopefully this time correct).
For more on this subject, please check out the following:
http://espn.go.com/espnw/more-
ASICSAmerica.com
