by Larry Eder
EME NEWS (DEC 9, 2011)
Blake and VCB, coach is Mills
KINGSTON (JAM): Jamaican Athletes of the Year 2011 are as expected
sprinters. On the men side 100 m world champion Yohan Blake, on the
women 200 m gold medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown. Coach of the year is
Racers TC head Glen Mills. The Jamaica Athletics Administrative
Association (JAAA) hosted its annual Golden Cleats Awards, at the Terra
Nova Hotel of Kingston on Friday.
Five track athletes for IOC position
LAUSANNE (SUI): IOC informs about the candidatures of 21 sports persons
for the IOC Athletes’ Commission elections, which will be held during
the Olympic Games in London in 2012. Four places on the Commission are
up for grabs, with current members Hicham El Guerrouj, Rania Elwani,
Frank Fredericks and Jan Zelezny all finishing their terms of office
next summer. Only National Olympic Committees (NOCs) with an athletes’
commission were eligible to put forward a candidate. The candidates
themselves must have taken part in the Beijing 2008 Games or be taking
part in the London 2012 Games. Informs IOC. From the 21 names from
athletics are five persons. Walker from Portugal Susana Feitor, Swedish
high jumper Stefan Holm, Japanese hammer thrower Koji Murofushi,
Ecuador´s walker Jefferson Perez and Czech javelin thrower Barbora
Spotakova. From them still active are Feitor, Murofushi and Spotakova.
Edinburgh XCounty expands
EDINBURGH (GBR): The Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry after this year’s
highly successful three sided men’s match between Great Britain, the
United States and and a European Select squad, will expand the concept
for the 2012 meeting. A revised programme is forecast to build upon the
excitement of the men’s race last January where Mo Farah’s individual
win for the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland side was his first
major success of the year in a brilliant campaign which saw him clinch
the IAAF World Championships 5,000 metres gold medal in the summer. Now
organisers after the highly competitive inaugural International Men’s
Team Challenge encounter where the European contingent were winners
ahead of the host nation and the USA, have announced senior women and
both junior age groups will be included in the live BBC televised
programme on 7 January. The meeting a long standing participant in the
IAAF’s Cross Country Permit Series will also see a world class field
assembled for the men’s individual international race which will be held
over a distance of three kilometres. It has been welcomed by all
concerned and after the European Cross Country Championships on 11
December the British and European teams will be announced as quickly as
possible while the United States squad is currently being formulated by
their selectors, informed athletes coordinator Andy Caine.
Kszczot for 600 m
MOSCOW (RUS): Organisers of Russian Winter IAAF Indoor permit on
February 5 announced that European indoor champion Adam Kszczot will be
the star of the 600 m race. He plans to attack the world best. In the 60
m of women world indoor finalist Rudy Zang Milama of Gabon is entered.
VELENJE NEWS
VELENJE (SLO): Visitors to this weekend’s SPAR European Cross
Country Championships in Velenje, Slovenia, will have the chance to
enjoy three exhibitions of athletics-related artwork created by more
than 100 children. Teachers and volunteers collected paintings,
block prints, drawings and mosaics produced during art lessons at
ten of the city’s schools earlier this autumn. Two weeks ago, the
creations were selected and labelled for display in the city’s
Velejapark shopping mall and Vila Bianca art museum where they will
be in place for a total of three weeks in the run-up to the
championships. The third exhibition will be set up on race day in
the VIP area at the race venue. Informs European Athletics, crowds
between 5000 – 10 000 are expected on Sunday for the race.
MADRID (ESP): Unfortunately one of the favorites in women U23 race
will not compete. The last time silver winner in this category
Spain´s Cristina Jordan will not travel to Velenje due to muscle
fatigue. That will leave the team with 35 runners all together.
VELENJE (SLO): Fourteen countries across Europe will broadcast
action from the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in
Velenje, Slovenia, on Sunday. According to current intentions
received by the European Broadcasting Union, national broadcasters
in Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania,
Slovenia and Spain will show live coverage of the 18th edition of
the event. There will be at least 26 hours of live television
coverage of the premier continental cross country championships in
2011. National broadcasters in Belgium, Finland, Hungary,
Netherlands, Russia and Turkey will show delayed coverage. Informs
European Athletics.
VELENJE (SLO): European Athletics President Hansjörg Wirz has hailed
the annual SPAR European Cross Country Championships as being
instrumental in helping enhance the quality of distance running on
the continent. Speaking on the eve of the 18th edition of the
Championships in the Slovenian city of Velenje, Wirz said, “The idea
behind starting this annual pan-European competition in 1994 was to
address what we viewed as a decline in the interest in cross country
running on the continent and to help improve the standard of
distance running across Europe. It gave me great pleasure when fans
of athletics from around the world recently voted for a distance
runner, Great Britain’s Mo Farah, as our 2011 European Athlete of
the Year.” Farah, who won the men’s 5,000m gold and silver in the
10,000m at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu in August, first
came to international attention when he competed as a 16-year-old at
the 1999 SPAR European Cross Country Championships, the last time
Velenje staged the event. Informs European Athletics.
SHORT PREVIEWS
MEN: Again the same story? Lebid and his shape in right time.
Waiting behind another medalist Lamdassem, strong UK contingent
headed by Vernon, surprise from Belgian Ethiopian Atelaw Bekele?
WOMEN: New champion to be crowned. Many options available. Steeple
specialists French Duarte and Turkish Uslu, from marathon background
coming Mockenhaupt with Felix, UK team with Steel, Germany adds
Restle, Dutch Herzog and not to forget in-shape Moroccan born
Italian Ejaffini.
MEN 23: Summer track U23 medalists in one race, steeple Martos, 1500
m Carvalho, 5000 m Buraas, 10 000 m Moen. It should be one of them,
or surprise from another Spanish runner Merzougui.
WOMEN 23: This looks like Turkish event with Erdogan as title
defender and Mingir as track U23 steeple winner. Brits Twell and
Pallant attacking from behind.
JUNIOR BOYS: Russian Safiulin, Portugal´s Pinto, but could be
anybody´s race.
JUNIOR GIRLS: Serbian running miracle Terzic, German steepler
already at senior level Krause, Turkish Aydemir, also in the field
Brit Gorecka and Russian Fazlitdinova.
OTHER NEWS
LONDON (GBR): Charles van Commenee, the head coach of UK Athletics,
believes that Daley Thompson should be chosen to light the Olympic
flame at the London 2012 Games. Van Commenee said that Thompson
would be a better choice than Sir Steve Redgrave, the bookmakers’
favourite for the role, because rowing does not have enough global
recognition.
LAUSANNE (SUI): European Athletics is inviting scientists,
academics, students and others who have completed work contributing
to the development of one or more aspects of athletics to enter
their projects in the 8th edition of the European Athletics
Innovation Awards. The biennial competition, which was established
in 1998, offers awards in five categories and a CHF 20,000 prize
fund. The categories included are: coaching, promotion, technology,
sustainability and an open category. A CHF 10,000 first prize will
be presented to the overall winner at an awards ceremony during the
European Athletics Convention in Malta in October. The final date
for receipt of entries is 31 May 2012.
BERLIN (GER): As early as never before the BMW Berlin Marathon is sold
out. Registration for next year’s event (September 30th, 2012) closed
Thursday, December 8th, almost nine months ahead. The field is limited
to 40 000 participants. The last 1000 entries were connected with a
charitable donation for projects helping children (42,195 euros). There
are a few entries left in connection with travel arrangements at
classified travel agents. Registration had started October 20th. Last
time the BMW Berlin Marathon was sold out seven months in advance.
STOCKHOLM (SWE): Not only Berlin but also the ASICS Stockholm Marathon
(Saturday, June 2) is sold out with a record number of 21 122 entries
from 78 countries. With 9 653 entries to the Jubilee Marathon, July
14th, that commemorates the 1912 Olympic Marathon by coping its course
almost 31 000 marathon runners in the space of six weeks entered.
LAUSANNE (SUI): In other issues IOC Executive board was pleased to hear
the positive developments with regard to the NOC of Ghana, which has now
been deemed fully compliant with IOC rules. The participation at London
Games is so no longer in danger. World Championships place Daegu was
approved as the location of the Executive Board meeting on 26 August
2012. IOC informs.
NAIROBI (KEN): Kenyan media are informing that Kenya plans to bid for
the 2019 World Athletics Youth Championships to be hosted in the coastal
city of Mombasa. Athletics Kenya (AK) boss Isaiah Kiplagat said on
Thursday Kenya has the infrastructure and facilities required to stage
such an international event, after it received a thumbs-up feedback in
the 2010 Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Nairobi.
CLERMONT FERRAND (FRA): European pole vault champion Renaud Lavillenie
succesfully underwent surgery on his fractured hand. Lavillenie now will
have to let the hand rest until December 21st when doctors will
check-up on the healing process. In the meantime the pole vaulter will
dedicate his training to running and cardio workouts.
BERLIN (GER): The German athletics association DLV has not yet found an
organizer for the German combined events national championships. With
the lack of interest it is most likely that the championships will not
be organized in 2012. DLV will also not organize the combined events
youth championships, German mountain running championships and the
50km, 30km and 10km championships.
MONTE CARLO (MON): Bahamian talent Shaunae Miller is hoping to defend
her world junior 400m title in Barcelona next year. Miller managed the
win already two years ago at the world junior championships in Moncton
and confirmed her dominance last year in Lille at the world youth
championships. Miller also leaves options open to compete in the 400m at
the London Olympic Games. In an interview for the IAAF she also added
that she is looking forward to competing collegiately before going into a
professional career.
LAUSANNE (SUI): The Olympic flame will be going to Ireland for the first
time during the leadup to next year’s London Games.The IOC approved
London’s proposal for the torch relay to visit Dublin on June 6, 2012,
in a symbolic gesture of peace and political goodwill. After human
rights protests marred the international torch relay before the 2008
Beijing Games, the IOC ruled that future relays should take place only
within the host countries.
RESULTS
CANTIMPALOS (ESP, Dec 8): Argentinian Miguel Angel Barzola won the
CC race here at 10 km in 31:47 beating “Chema” Martinez 31:52. Women
6.5 km winner was Alessandra Aguilar clocking 22:26.
PORT ELIZABETH (RSA, Dec 8): Yellow Pages Summer Series started with
non-traditional events in Port Elizabeth. Sergio Mullins clocked
15.72 (0.0) at 150 m over Leigh Julius 15.79. In the 60 m Brent
Stevens was the fastest 6.79 (0.0) and Shaun de Jager achieved 33.43
in the 300 m. Shane Victor who is a 46 level 400 m runner won the
600 m in 1:17.6. From women events to note the 7.41 by Cindy Stewart
in the 60 m (0.0). Next meet of the series will be on Monday in
Ooudtshoorn.
PERTH (AUS, Dec 9): World relay medalist Ben Offereins clocked 46.25 at 400 m during a local meet.
BIRMINGHAM (USA, Dec 8): Relay world indoor champion Tavaris Tate
achieved at Ice Breaker indoor meet in Alabama solid double 20.99 at 200
m and 47.18 at 400 m. US indoor silver national medalist from last
winter D´Angelo Cherry started early with solid 6.69 at 60 m.
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