SEMENYA
GOES SUB 2

PRETORIA
(RSA, Apr 20): Caster Semenya confirmed solid early shape when clocking olympic
qualifier and world leading 1:59.58 at the 800 m during third Yellow Pages
meeting. Observers described it as an easy run. Her next meet will be Ostrava
Golden Spike on May 25 against olympic winner Pamela Jelimo. Second only 17
years old Monique Stander improved to 2:02.57. Another world lead was produced
by 2008 World Indoor Champion Khotso Mokoena with 829 (0.0) in the long jump.
Mbulaeni Mulaudzi did not succeed with olympic standard and won in 1:46.12. He
is also set for Ostrava in a race with world record holder David Rudisha.
Roscoe Engel scored a sprint double 10.30 (-0.5) and 20.79 (-1.1). Willem
de Beer won the 400 m in 45.95 and Tjipekapora Herunga of Namibia came close to
her national record 51.84 in women 400 m with 51.90 result. Latvian guest Lauma
Griva won the women long jump (645, -0.2).

FOUR
WORLD LEADS

WALNUT
(USA, Apr 20): Second day of MtSAC Relays in California registered four world
leading marks and some olympic qualifiers in distance races. French Jamel
Ahrass won his second race in USA with fastest mile of 2012 3:52.21 PB (and had
great 3:35.70 split at the 1500 m), Second Canadian Taylor Milne 3:54.29 ahead
of his country-mate Nate Brennan 3:54.81 and New Zealand´s Zane Robertson
3:56.13. Another world lead in women mile by Canadian Hillary Stellingwerff
4:31.04 beating Serbian Marina Muncan 4:31.52 PB and Delilah DiCrescenzo
4:32.11 PB. US record holder Molly Huddle achieved the fastest of 2012 in women
5000 m with 15:15.91 ahead of Australian Eloise Welling 15:20.67. Third Abbey
D´ Agostino 15:23.35 PB beating New Zealand´s Lucy Van Dalen 15:23.54 lifetime
best. Briton Julia Bleasdale won the other race in career fastest 15:25.62.
British European U23 Champion and UK record holder Lawrence Okoye won the
discus in world leading 66.67 (second best of his career) ahead the Croatian
world leader from Thursday Martin Maric 65.15, Hungarian Robert Fazekas 64.70
and India´s record holder Vikas Gowda 63.04. Fast men´s 5000 m was won by
Canadian Cameron Levins in life-time best 13:18.47, second Kenyan Lawi Lalang
13:18.88 and third Australian David McNeill 13:19.31. Briton Andy Vernon was
fourth 13:23.20 over Kenyan Aaron Rono 13:23.52 and Italian Stefano La Rosa
13:23.58, for all from 1 to 6 personal bests. In other events Briton Andy
Baddeley won the men´s 1500 m 3:40.33 and Chinese Yang Yanbo the women discus
61.56.

US RESULTS
FROM FRIDAY (Apr 20)

LAWRENCE:
Canadian record holder and Beijing finalist Scott Russell started his season
well with 80.60 javelin win at Kansas Relays.

CHARLOTTESVILLE:
At ACC Championships fast 100 m times in heats by Cayman Islands record holder
Kemar Hyman 10.15 (-0.7) and Maurice Mitchell 10.17 (+1.2) in another race. Bridgette
Owens posted windy 12.83 (+2.5) in her 100 m hurdles heat. Chilean Gonzalo
Barroilhet for first time in his career achieved 8+ mark and improved his own
national record to 8065 in the decathlon. His only 5th South American going
over 8000 points ever.

HAMMOND:
Chelsea Hayes leaped at the Southeastern Lion Invitational 663 in the long
jump, her personal best.

EUGENE:
Kenyan 10 000 m world medalist from Daegu Sally Kipyego clocked during first
day of Oregon Relays world leading 4:08.59 in the 1500 m. Second 28 years old
Julia Lucas improved by 5 seconds to 4:10.75.

AZUSA:
2001 relay world champion Mickey Grimes is still fast despite 35 years of age.
At Bryan Clay Invitational he clocked his fastest since 2007 with 10.17 (+1.9)
over Canadian Bryan Barnett 10.29 (he then won the 200 m in 20.70, +2.0).
British 400 m runner Shana Cox won the 200 m in 23.38 (+2.0) over Canadian
heptathlon record holder Jessica Zelinka (23.45).

OTHER NEWS

LONDON
(GBR): Tyson Gay still not sure when he will start the season spoke to
thisislondon.co.uk and said that he still hopes to have his peak and best shape
ever. !In fact, my doctor was pretty amazed I ran 9.79 seconds last season
in that shape. If I stay healthy, I can do some phenomenal things
and, if we’re both at our peak in London, which I think we will be, it’s
going to be electric.”

BIRMINGHAM
(GBR): Great Britain’s Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu will renew her
fierce rivalry with 2009 World champion Sanya Richards-Ross at both the Aviva
Birmingham Grand Prix and Aviva London Grand Prix this summer. In an epic
rematch of the most recent Olympic and World 400m finals, the pair will go head
to head first at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium on 10 July, before making their
way to the capital to match up at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre on
5-6 August. The decorated 400m duo first met at Crystal Palace back in 2005 and
have amassed a staggering nine major championship gold medals between
them.

LONDON
(GBR): Daily Mail writes that less than four years ago, the legendary Ethiopian
Haile Gebrselassie became the first man to run the marathon inside two hours
four minutes. This year, the 39-year-old has acknowledged he is not quick
enough to be selected for the Olympic Games. Could the two-hour barrier soon be
the marathon equivalent of Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile? Won’t be done:
Gebrselassie says it is unlikely the two hour marathon will be broken. London
race director David Bedford says it will happen. „I can see no physiological
reasons why it can’t happen,’ he said. ‘Once they get close and sniff it, it’ll
come.”

LAUSANNE
(SUI): European Athletics will be well represented at 2012 IAAF World Junior
Championships in the Spanish city of Barcelona, with nearly every single Member
Federation planning to send athletes. In total, a record 186 nations from
around the world have entered the Championships, which will be staged from 10
to 15 July in the city’s historic Montjuďc Olympic Stadium which was the venue
for the 2010 European Athletics Championships. Around 1800 athletes will be in
action, according to preliminary entries. Germany will send the biggest team to
the Championships with 77 athletes and 32 officials. Hosts Spain will have the
fourth largest delegation with 65 athletes and 18 officials. Other European
countries who currently expect to be sending contingents of 50 people or more
are: Italy (72), Great Britain and Northern Ireland (71), France (63), Ukraine
(62), Russia (61), Romania (51) and Sweden (50).

PRAHA
(CZE): Javelin world record holder Barbora Spotakova returned from two months
long training camp in Potchefstroom in good mood and says she might be in her
shape of the life. Coach Jan Zelezny was also satisfied: „I never saw her so
strong in the training,”he said. For the beginning of the season Spotakova
plans four meetings. First at Samsung Diamond League opener in Doha on May 11,
then Ostrava Golden Spike her home meet and where the coach is the meet
director, Rome Golden Gala and on June 11 Odlozil Memorial in Praha (EA
Premium). In first three meets she is scheduled to clash with her greatest
rival, Russian world champion Mariya Abakumova. „To the defend the olympic
title from Beijing is the main aim,” Spotakova said.

MANAUS
(BRA): Brazilian female walker Tania Regina Spindler was positive tested,
announced by Brazilian Athletics Federation. The 35 years old former national
record holder was positive (isometheptene) at Brazilian Walking Cup in Blumenau
in February (she was the winner in 1:49.02 at the 20 km). She recieved a warning
due to the nature of the prohibited substance.

MANAUS
(BRA): The doping case of Brazilian long distance runner and continental record
holder Simone Alves continues with extension of the temporary suspension. IAAF
decided to appeal to the CAS against the decision of the Brazilian Superior
Court of Sports. She was already banned for 3 months end of 2010 and this new
case could if approved cost her a lifetime ban as second offense.

LONDON (GBR):
The BBC and the Virgin London Marathon have announced a new contract that
sees their partnership extended through to 2018. Informs insidethegames. The
deal gives the BBC exclusive United Kingdom broadcast rights to the event,
across all platforms including television, radio, internet, mobile and through
the BBC iPlayer. The BBC has been the broadcast partner for the London Marathon
since its beginning in 1981. Sue Barker presents the television coverage on BBC
One and BBC One HD, along with triple jump world record holder Jonathan
Edwards. Colin Jackson, Denise Lewis, Phil Jones and Sonali Shah will be
reporting from the course and commentary comes from Steve Cram, Brendan Foster,
Paul Dickenson and Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson.

CORRECTION

AZUSA
(USA, Apr 19): Kurt Felix’s decathlon result in Azusa was 7972 (not 7792). It
is national record for Grenada along with his 430 in the pole vault.