by Larry Eder
Blanka Vlasic, photo by PhotoRun.net
Vlasic no indoors
SPLIT (CRO): Croatian high jump star Blanka Vlasic will not defend her
world indoor title from Doha 2010. After returning from training camp in
South Africa she decided not to jump during the indoor season. “The
reason is that I have been advised to remove a small piece of cartilage
in my foot. It has disturbed me off and on the last year and now it is
time to fix it. It is a small operation done with arthroscopy so I will
be able to walk out from the clinic the same day. The rehab is also
short and I feel very positive about this. I have a very strong and
solid training behind me so this will make me look very positive for the
summer season and the Olympic Games in London as my highest goal,”
Vlasic said in a statement prepared by her management company. It will
be her second indoor season in a row after 2011 without jumping.
Samsung continues with DL
MONACO (MON): The IAAF, which has the rights to commercialise the title
sponsorship of the Samsung Diamond League, confirmed that Samsung have
triggered a contractual option to continue as Title Sponsor for the 2012
season. Samsung, which first signed as the Title Sponsor of the then
‘IAAF Diamond League’ in July 2010 for a two year contract through 2011
with an option for 2012, has gained strong exposure across the 12
markets and 14 meetings of the series, and has enjoyed worldwide
exposure thanks to growing TV coverage. The Samsung Diamond League in
2011 came close to a cumulative total of 290 Million viewers and
attracted a rising spectator attendance approaching 400,000 spectators
across all 14 meetings. In addition to its series title sponsorship,
Samsung has also directly supported some individual meetings by
acquiring local sponsorship packages in Stockholm, Brussels, Lausanne,
Monaco and Doha. Informs IAAF.
Lel feeling good
DUBAI (UAE): “I hope it will be a great day for me on Friday,” race
favorite Martin Lel said at Wednesday’s press conference before Friday
Dubai Marathon. “It’s great to have such a strong race to help me try
for Olympic selection. I’ve seen how Haile has performed well here, and
if the group is strong, I hope to produce a good race”. Except top
Kenyans and Ethiopians to note the participation of veteran Hendrick
Ramaala of South Africa will be 40 years old next week; and hopes to
celebrate that by qualifying for his fifth Olympic Games, with a
performance close to 2.10. “This is very important for me. I’ve done
some great sessions at home, and am looking to make the (Olympic) team.
For me, 40 is the new 21. I’ve watched Dubai on TV, and seen Haile and
the Kenyans go for world records here. If the wind drops I think we’ll
get some wonderful times”. Reports Pat Butcher, also on his blog
(globerunner.org).
Meadows out
GLASGOW (GBR): Aviva Great Britain & Northern Ireland athletes will
return to competition at the Aviva International Match in Glasgow this
Saturday 28 January looking to launch their 2012 seasons in style. 5000m
World Champion Mo Farah (1500 m) and World Championships medallists
Hannah England and Andy Turner will all don the Aviva GB & NI vest
as athletes step up preparations for this summer’s Olympic Games in the
first meet of the Aviva Series 2012. Also set to star is high jumper
Robbie Grabarz, who rose to the top of the 2012 world rankings with his
astonishing leap of 2.34m in Germany at the weekend. Aviva International
Match regulars Helen Clitheroe (3000 m) and Mark Lewis-Francis will
return to Glasgow to defend their 2011 titles in the 3000m and 60m
respectively. But reigning 800m champion Jenny Meadows will miss the
chance to defend her title after withdrawing from the meet with a minor
injury. The 17-strong team welcomes two new caps, with Margaret Adeoye
competing in the 200m and Claire Gibson replacing Meadows in the 800m. Organizers are informing.
Fast 1500 m expected
CHEMNITZ (GER): Erdgas Hallenmeeting of Chemnitz will start the European
international meets indoor season on Friday. The fans will see another
version of shot put duel World Champion 2011 David Storl against World
Champion 2007 Reese Hoffa after Nordhausen last Friday. Top field in
men´s 1500 m with World indoor silver medalist from Doha and Daegu fifth
placer Abdelaati Iguider of Morocco. With him young Ethiopians
Alemayehu Zebene and last year African Champs bronze medalist Soresa
Fida with outdoor best 3:34.72. Fida is still a junior and in fast race
could attack the world junior indoor record 3:36.28 of Belal Mansoor in
2007. Nigerian Peter Emelieze is 60 m favorite and home Alexander John
after fast time last weekend at 60 m hurdles (against US Ty Akins).
Women´s 800 m will see fast Ukrainian Liliya Lobanova against former
world medalist Tatyana Andrianova of Russia. In the 60 m hurdles
European indoor champion Antoinette Nana Djimou will compete with strong
US duo Lori Smith and Yvette Lewis. Russian 15 meters jumper Nadezhda
Alekhina is the top triple jump name with Serbian record holder Biljana
Topic. Men´s pole vault should be also an event of big spectators
interest. Strong German class will be represented mainly by Bjorn Otto,
Raphael Holzdeppe and Malte Mohr. From international jumpers to mention
Czech Daegu finalist Jan Kudlicka, Russian Aleksandr Gripich and former
world champion Giuseppe Gibilisco.
Spank and Strutz
DRESDEN (GER): Dresden Jumping meet on Friday will have local star and
world medalist Raul Spank in men´s high jump as top name. In the 7th
edition of the event he will open after great marks in triple jump and
at 60 m hurdles his high jumping season. His main rivals African
Champion Kabelo Kgosiemang of Botswana, Russian former world indoor
medalist Andrey Tereshin and Bulgarian Viktor Ninov. Interesting entry
is the son of legendary father Viktor Brumel. In second event of the
evening, women pole vault World medalist Martina Strutz is the main
jumper. Against her Czech world finalist Jirina Ptacnikova (season
opener) with Anna Battke and Julia Hutter from the German elite.
Tereshin and Ptacnikova are title defenders, meet records are 230 and
460.
Hellebaut ahead of opener
BRUSSELS (BEL): Defending Olympic High jump champion Tia Hellebaut is
determined she can jump the qualifying standard for the London Olympic
Games in her first comeback competition. Hellebaut is celebrating her
comeback in front of a home crowd in Antwerp during a specially
organized high jump gala on Saturday. To Belgian media she said she
feels even stronger than in 2008 and should be able to easily jump 195.
In the field also world champion Anna Chicherova who will make her
comeback not easy at all. In the field strong Swedish duo Emma Green
Tregaro with Ebba Jungmark, St. Lucia´s and Estonian record holders
Levern Spencer with Anna Iljustsenko. Hellebaut´s schedule includes
after Antwerp next meeting in Arnstadt on February 4, Banska Bystrica on
February 8, Eaubonne on February 16, Stockholm on February 23 and World
Indoor Championships in Istanbul.
Radcliffe for Vienna HM
LONDON (GBR): After spending several weeks in Kenya at a high-altitude
training camp, marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe will put her
fitness to the test on April 15 when she lines up for the Vienna City
Half-Marathon. “I am still working out a schedule for her but this is
the only definite competition she has so far, although there will be
others before the London Olympics,” said Gary Lough, her husband and
manager, to Athletics Weekly. “I need a test before the Games,” she
said, “and when I was in Berlin I spoke to Haile and he told me how
fantastic the race was in Vienna and I should take part.” Radcliffe’s
immediate plans will see her return to her Monaco home on 4 February.
Then reunited with Lough and their two children a week later they will
travel to one of her favourite USA training bases in Albuqerque.
OTHER NEWS
PORT OF SPAIN (TRI): The third fastest Trinidad and Tobago sprinter in
history is facing serious financial challenges as he prepares for the
Olympic Games. Keston Bledman, who jumped to number three on the
all-time T&T men’s 100 metres performance list with a 9.93 seconds
scorcher last June, has not yet received his elite athlete funding
cheque. Florida-based athlete told the Express, yesterday, that in
addition to rent, he needs money to pay for massages and purchase
vitamins. But Ashwin Creed, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of
Sport, has promised that Bledman will receive a $200,000 cheque very
soon.
AMSTERDAM (NED) : Dutch heptathlete Jolanda Keizer again is set back by
injury as she was diagnosed with a slight rupture in her Achilles
tendon. The injury should be healed in about 4 to 5 weeks but has forced
the athlete to withdraw from the Combined Events meeting in Tallinn
next week reports the KNAU.
LAUSANNE (SUI): Suisse sprinter Pascal Mancini has tested positive for
nandrolon twice in december but has defended his case by stated his
doctor made a crucial mistake when injecting him with Cortizone.
Mancini’s story is confirmed by Swiss Athletics and the athlete is
likely to sue the doctor responsible. It is the second time Mancini
breaks an anti-doping rule after he did not have a TUE from the IAAF
when competing at the IAAF World Championships last summer.
TOKYO (JPN): Former Olympic marathon champion Mizuki Noguchi, who is
trying to qualify for the London Games after missing Beijing due to
injury, has been forced to miss her first full race in more than four
years. Noguchi, who won gold in Athens, has a slight inflammation in her
left hamstring and has withdrawn from Sunday’s Osaka marathon, one of
Japan’s three Olympic trials, her coach Hisakazu Hirose told reporters.
She will instead run Nagoya Women’s Marathon in March, the last of
Olympic qualifying race.
LONDON (GBR): Jessica Ennis is the star of British Airways’s new
in-flight “wellbeing” movie, alongside gymnast Louis Smith and
Paralympian Shelly Woods. The video features Ennis clearing hurdles and
promoting new chairs that should enhance the well being of passengers
flying with British Airways writes The Telegraph.
TOKYO (JPN): Agencies are informing that Russian runner Tatyana Aryasova
(32) was disqualified as winner of Tokyo Marathon last February. She
topped the field in 2:27:49. The Tokyo Marathon Foundation informed that
Aryasova did not appeal the decision. She will be banned for two years
until April 29, 2013. Japan’s Noriko Higuchi, who finished second on
the day, was awarded the victory with a time of 2:28:49. HES is a
masking agent that hides endurance-boosting blood doping. It was the
first time it had been detected at a sporting event in Japan, according
to the Japan Anti-Doping Agency.
BERLIN (GER): Readers of the magazine Leichtathletik and the website
leichtathletik.de have voted David Storl and Betty Heidler German Athletes of the Year. Storl was a clear winner with 34,7% of the votes
while Betty Heidler (27%) took the victory over pole vaulter Martina
Strutz (23,3%). In total 15 000 votes came in. Second Robert Harting
(19.1 %) and third Matthias de Zordo (12.8 %). In women ranks third
Jennifer Oeser (14.5 %). Young AOY were voted hurdler Gregor Traber and
steeple runner Gesa Felicitas Krause.
LINZ (AUT): Top women hurdles race is expected at guglindoor meet on
February 2 in Linz. US Stars Lolo Jones and Kellie Wells will compete
against German Cindy Roleder, Dutch Sharona Bakker, and team-mates Lori
Smith with Yvette Lewis. In women 60 m former world indoor champion US
Angela Williams is competing and German Christian Blum is the top name
in men´s 60 m.
MOSCOW (RUS): Another top race at Russian Winter (IAAF Indoor
Permit) on February 5 will be men´s 600 m. Russian star and Daegu
medalist Yuriy Borzakovskiy will fight with Poland´s Daegu 6th placer
Adam Kszczot. Three top Kenyans will also compete Jackson Kivuna, Boaz
Lalang and Richard Kiplagat. Meet record is 1:15.69 (Kivuna as winner
here in 2011), Russian record 1:16.02 (Borzakovskiy at this meet in
2010) and world best 1:15.12 (Nico Motchebon, 1999). All under threat.
RESULTS
BALLARAT (AUS, Jan 21): Australian Commonwealth Games finalist Kathryn
Mitchell (29) improved to her first 60+ javelin throw with 62.51 m.
ALBUQUERQUE (USA, Jan 20): In first ever 400 m hurdles indoors in USA
Jay Hopkins clocked 52.27. Most races at this distance indoors are held
in France, first international this Saturday in Bordeaux including
all-time hero Felix Sanchez.
