BLAKE
TO RUN HIS FIRST 100 M

MONTEGO
BAY
(JAM): Jamaica Observer informs that World Champion Yohan Blake will be
running his first 100 m of the year at the 5th UTech Classic at the
National
Stadium on Saturday. Blake also said for the Observer that Usain Bolt
should
run the 4×100 m relay. „The 4x100m should be some fun for us, Usain will
be
running and we just want to go out and give the crowd some thing to
enjoy and
we hope it will be pretty good,” Blake said. His agent Cubie Seegobin
also confirmed that Blake will run the 100 m and relay on Saturday.
Trackalerts are adding that MVP should run with Asafa Powell, Michael
Frater, Nestra Carter and anchor British guest Dwain Chambers or Andrew
Hinds of Barbados. Racers should go with Mario Forsythe to Blake to
Warren Weir and anchor Bolt. 

SEMENYA
AND PISTORIUS

JOHANNESBURG
(RSA): 2009 World champion at 800 m Caster Semenya and Blade Runner Oscar
Pistorius are the stars of this weeks South African Championships in
low-altitude of Port Elizabeth (Friday and Saturday). They will run their
special events 800 m women and 400 m for men. Pistorius will likely compete at
one more meet in South Africa in early May, his agent Peet van Zyl said, before
kicking off his international season at the BT Paralympic Cup in Manchester,
England, at the end of next month. Pistorius also plans to run at IAAF events
in Ostrava and Hengelo, and Diamond League meetings in Eugene and New York as
he chases a place in the South African team and a shot at Olympic
history.

WARINER
NOT TOO SATISFIED

SAN
MARCOS (USA): Former olympic and world championships gold medalist Jeremy
Wariner said after his 400 m opener during the weekend: „I was a little
disappointed with today’s race. It wasn’t what I was expecting.” Informs www.star-telegram.com. The three-time
Olympic gold medalist said he was pleased with the first 300 meters but couldn’t
find his stride on the final 100. Wariner will run in the Mt. SAC Relays in
Walnut in another tuneup for the 2012 London Summer Olympics. He’s taken on a heavier
schedule this year in advance of the Olympic trials in an effort to regain
strength lost after a toe injury forced him out of the 2011 world
championships. Wariner will also run in the Prefontaine Classic on June 2 in
Eugene.

AYEDOU
POSITIVE

PORT
LOUIS (MRI): Le Mauricien newspaper informs that Benin’s best female athlete
Bimbo Miel Ayedou failed a drug test for nandrolone at the Istanbul World
Indoor Championships, where she had reached the semi-finals of the 400 m. Her
best 54.26 will so not count. With 56.66 on the 400 m hurdles last year, the
athlete who had been training at the Mauritius High Performance Training Centre
since 2011, was only 0.01 short of the Olympic qualification. It also means
that Benin is likely to lose their top female athlete this year when the
country is hosting the 2012 African Championships.

OTHER NEWS

NAIROBI (KEN): The pre-trials for the Kenyan national 10 000 m men’s team for
the London Olympic Games due for Tuesday next week at the Nyayo National
Stadium will only feature 31 athletes with A Standard qualifying times
Athletics Kenya has said. Even though 46 athletes with A and B Standard
qualifying times had been short-listed for the national camp that has
been going on in Eldoret, those with A Standard times of 27:45.00 have
received the green light to battle it out at the pre-trials.
Consequently, 15 athletes with B Standard times of 28:05.00 have been
excluded from the pre-trials where 15 athletes will be picked for the
final trials that will be held during Diamond League’s Prefontaine
Classic on June 1 in Eugene. Informs The Nation. 

BRUSSELS
(BEL): World indoor 800m finalist Jan Van den Broeck is the latest Belgian
athlete to have signed with WAFEL Sports Management. Van den Broeck finished a strong
indoor season with a 1:47.01 new personal best and a fifth place in
Istanbul. His main goals for 2012 are the European Championships in Helsinki
and qualification for the London Olympic Games.

MELBOURNE
(AUS): Olympic nominees Benn Harradine, Kim Mickle and Dani Samuels headline
the field start lists at the 90th Australian Athletics Championships this
weekend. The trio of throwers will compete one last time domestically before
turning their attention to the international circuit as their preparations for
London continue. The jump events feature returning Australian champions
Charmaine Lucock in the pole vault, long jumper Kerrie Perkins and triple
jumper Emma Knight. Perkins will be joined on the runway by Australian under 20
record holder Brooke Stratton who is preparing for the IAAF World junior
championships while Lucock will face off with former world youth champion Vicky
Parnov. The best Australian pole vaulters Alana Boyd and Steven Hooker are not
competing. The 90th Australian Athletics Championships will be held at Lakeside
Stadium in Melbourne on April 13-15. Informs Athletics Australia.

AUCKLAND
(NZL): New Zealand’s media are upset with the plans of shot put sensation Jacko
Gill to not compete in the London Olympic Games even though he has the
B-standard. Gill decided to focus on the IAAF World junior championships in
Barcelona in July after the New Zealand athletics association could not confirm
Gill’s Olympic nomination after he threw the B-standard.

DES
MOINES (USA): Adam Nelson, who is the defending Drake Relays champion in the
shot put, has confirmed he will be back for this years event end of the month.
Highly ranked American throwers such as World indoor champion Ryan Whiting and
former world champion Christian Cantwell are also set to compete in Des Moines.
Home girl Lolo Jones is yet to confirm her presence at the Drake Relays
confirms Meet director Brian Brown. But in the 400 m hurdles races world
medalist Javier Culson is going to run against four time Drake Champion Justin
Gaymon and Jamaican Isa Phillips. Women´s 400 m hurdles will see Queen
Harrison.

LONDON
(GBR) : Mid-June a new British film called ‘Fast Girls’ will be released
featuring a story about the British 4x100m relay team. The trailer has
just been released and shows an approachable movie by the producers of
adulthood and The Iron Lady.

PARIS
(FRA): After a year of struggling with an Achilles injury French sprinter
Martial Mbandjock will return to competition in May at the French interclub
championships. Mbandjock is planning a training camp in Los Angeles where
he will continue to train under the guidance of Maurice Greene. With his injury
troubles now behind him Mbanjock is now focused on competing well at the
European Championships in Helsinki and the London Olympic Games he told
athle.com.

BERLIN
(GER): Following a meeting with the top of the German Athletics
Association, German hammer thrower Kathrin Klaas has received support for her
work on promoting the hammer throw. Klaas wants to promote her event into the
Samsung Diamond League and hopes to see more hammer throw contests at some of
the world biggest competitions reports leichtathletik.de.

LAUSANNE
(SUI): Bulgaria’s Ivet Lalova told European Athletics she is out for revenge at
this year’s European Championships in Helsinki. Since returning from a freak
accident that happened in 2005 Lalova is now back in top shape and believes she
is among the top favourites in both the 100m and 200m in Helsinki. She will
also lead Bulgaria’s 4x100m relay team.

LONDON
(GBR): Britain’s former European champion Kris Akabusi has been announced as
the first ever patron of the British Masters Basketball Association (BMBA). Not
just a fine track and field athlete during his career, Akabusi has also
been a lifelong basketball player and fan, turning out briefly for the
Worthing Bears since his retirement. Akabusi, who won 400 meters hurdles gold
in the 1990 European Championships, was delighted to become the organisation’s
first patron writes Insidethegames.

INDIANAPOLIS
(USA): Tracy Sundlun, candidate for the position of the new USATF CEO, has
received glowing endorsements from Jim Spier of the National Scholastic Sports
Foundation and preeminent road racing announcer Toni Reavis. Both cite
Sundlun’s 40 years of experience in the sport as race director, announcer,
coach and businessman as critical to understanding all aspects of USATF duties.
Sundlun, is currently the Senior Vice President of Competitor Group, Inc., was
executive director of the Metropolitan Athletics Congress (the New York City
branch of USATF) and co-founded the National Scholastic Indoor Track and Field
Championship and Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series.

INDIANAPOLIS
(USA): BMW has announced the completion of its first Olympic technology
project, developing a velocity measurement system for America’s athletes
in collaboration with sports scientists at the United States Olympic Committee
and USATF. The system was tested out by Beijing 2008 Olympic gold medal winning
decathlete Bryan Clay and will become a permanent fixture at the Olympic
Training Centre in Chula Vista for athletes looking to compete at London 2012
reports Insidethegames.

RESULTS

STAWELL
(AUS, Apr 9): Twenty-year-old business sports management student Matthew
Wiltshire from Ballarat has won the 2012 Australia Post Stawell Gift. Douglas
Greenough from East Bentleigh was second, with AFL boundary umpire Adam Coote
of Elwood third. Running from a mark of 8 meters, Wiltshire won by a tenth
of a second in 12.22 seconds, fulfilling his family’s dream of winning the
iconic 120m footrace. His grandfather, John, had been in the best form of his
life leading in to the 1958 Stawell Gift, but pulled his hamstring in the
heats. Doncaster’s Josh Tiu progressed through the heats with the fastest time
before being eliminated at the semi-final stage in dramatic fashion by
flamboyant sprinter John Steffensen. Steffensen, and then Tiu, false-started
and were penalised one meter from their handicap. Despite the penalty the 2006
Commonwealth Games 400m champion, was cool under pressure and ran to victory in
the fastest semi-final time or 12.14. A shattered Steffensen said he felt
his hamstring tighten and then cramp during the final and had no choice but to
pull up to protect it ahead of the London Olympics. Running from scratch, 2010
Australian 100m champion Melissa Breen collected her second sash of the weekend
in winning the State of Victoria Strickland Family Women’s 120m Gift in 13.95
seconds, having won the Driscoll, McIllree & Dickinson Fashions on the
Field on Saturday. Jamaican 4x100m relay world record holder Michael Frater
impressively took out the XXXX GOLD Backmarkers Invitation over 120m in 12.30
seconds. The 29-year-old narrowly missed a place in the final of the
Australia Post Stawell Gift in a desperately close photo-finish in semi
one with eventual second placegetter Douglas Greenough. Organizers are
informing in a release.

DEVONSHIRE
(BER, Apr 9): Jamaica closed off the 41st annual CARIFTA Games at the National
Sports Centre atop the medal tally yet again with a near record total of
78 medals (34 gold, 25 silver and 19 bronze), just one medal off the 79 best
haul achieved back in 2004 when the Games were last held in Bermuda. The 2013
hosts Bahamas also achieved their best haul in the last 10 years amassing 40
medals (14, 14, 12). Trinidad and Tobago was third on 22 (6, 9, 7). Informs
Trackalerts. Delano Williams of Turks and Caicos and with British passport won
the junior 200 m in 20.83 (+0.5). Even more impressive the 22.85 (-0.7) by
Anthonique Strachan of Bahamas in junior girls 200 m ahead of 400 m world
junior champion Shaunae Miller (23.18). Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad again
improved the area junior record in javelin to 77.59. Bahamas won both junior
men relay (40.42 and 3:09.23) and in girls section also the 4×100 m (45.02),
only the 4×400 m went to Jamaican girls 3:34.27.

VANCOUVER
(CAN, Apr 7): Michael Mason cleared 228 in the high jump here. He equaled so
his outdoor best.

DENTON
(USA, Apr 7): British sprinter Tyrone Edgar clocked 10.29 (+1.6) at Spring
Classic meet. Also solid 13.60 of Chris Thomas at 110 m hurdles (+2.9).

JYVASKYLA
(FIN, Apr 8): On Sunday ended the World Masters Indoor Championships. The best
country was the host Finland with 105-102-104 medals ahead of Germany 59-57-57
and Great Britain 40-43-35. In total 52 countries won medals.

GAINESVILLE
(USA, Apr 7): The shuttle hurdles relay saw in men´s race Star Athletics
clocking fast 54.30 with Dexter Faulk, 2009 World Champion Ryan Braithwaite,
Joel Brown and Johnny Dutch. Second Train Gang was well beaten 55.75 (David
Oliver, David Payne, Briton Andy Turner and Brendan Ames).

ROAD RESULTS

DAEGU
(KOR, Apr 8): Kenyan David Kiyeng won the 4th Daegu International Marathon in
new course record 2:07:57. But it is not the fastest in the city, last year
world champion Abel Kirui on another course got 2:07:38. Second Gilbert
Chepkwony improved to 2:08:16 and third Benson Barus completed Kenyan podium
sweep in 2:08:36. Fourth Moroccan Aziz El Idrissi 2:08:49. Best European was
Belarus Ilia Slavinski in 2:15:16 lifetime best. This year Houston winner
Alemitu Abera of Ethiopia improved the women course record to 2:24:57. This is
the fastest ever in the city as last year Worlds winner Edna Kiplagat achieved
2:28:43. Second Mulu Seboka also from Ethiopia 2:27:38 and third best home
runner Lim Kyung-Hee in 2:32:49 PB. From Tilastopaja.

PYONGYANG
(PRK, Apr 8): Ukrainian Oleksandr Matviychuk won the 25th Mangyongdae Marathon
in North Korea in personal best 2:12:54. Close second with the same time best
home runner Park Song Chol 2:12:54 and third Kenyan Morris Mwangi 2:13:29. Kim
Mi Gyong was the best woman after 2:30:41 (career best) ahead of junior Kim Hye
Gong who improved national junior record 2:31:29 and is the best junior in the
marathon so far in 2012. Informs Tilastopaja.

DONGIO
(SUI, Apr 9): Kenyan world indoor bronze winner at 3000 m Edwin Soi won for the
fourth time the Giro Media Blenio in Switzerland at 10 km in 28:31.6. Second
Thomas Longosiwa 28:34.0 and third Geoffrey Ngugi 28:47.3 ahead of James Kwalia
of Qatar 29:04.5 and Ukrainian CC star Sergiy Lebid 29:06.3.

NEW
ORLEANS (USA, Apr 7): RRW informs that Ethiopian teenager Solomon Deksisa got
his second victory of the USA road season when winning the 34th Crescent City
Classic in 28:14.0 at 10 km. He defeated Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile
champion Allan Kiprono (28:20.9) and Lani Kiplagat (28:37.1). Genoveva Jelagat
Kigen got her second women’s victory here (she also won in 2008) after 32:18.8
handily defeating Cherry Blossom winner Jelliah Tinega 32:53.6.

ZHENG-KAI
(CHN, Apr 8): Tilastopaja informs that Kenyan Mathew Sigei won the Zheng-Kai
International marathon in lifetime best 2:12:39. Just one second behind was
Ethiopian Ashebir Jote 2:12:40. Home women win for He Yinli 2:33:25 ahead of
Luvsanlkhundeg Otgonbayar from Mongolia (2:41:40).

STADSKANAAL
(NED, Apr 9): Kenyan Gadengoi Loitareng won the 22nd Klap tot Klap Loop with
28:45 at 10 km. Lucy Macharia was the best woman in 32:12.

UTRECHT
(NED, Apr 9): Ukrainian Aleksandr Babaryka won the 12th Utrecht Marathon in
2:19:10 beating home runner Olfert Molenhuis 2:19:53. Best woman was Sharon
Tavengwa of Zimbabwe in 2:35:26 ahead of Ukrainian Natalya Lehenkova 2:39:20
and Slovenian Zana Jereb with olympic qualifier 2:39:47.

AVILES
(ESP, Apr 8): Manuel Olmedo won the 25th road mile here in 4:20 ahead of Ivan
Fernandez 4:21 and Francisco Abad 4:22.

JYVASKYLA
(FIN, Apr 8): On Sunday ended the World Masters Indoor Championships. The best
country was the host Finland with 105-102-104 medals ahead of Germany 59-57-57
and Great Britain 40-43-35. In total 52 countries won medals.

GAINESVILLE
(USA, Apr 7): The shuttle hurdles relay saw in men´s race Star Athletics
clocking fast 54.30 with Dexter Faulk, 2009 World Champion Ryan Braithwaite,
Joel Brown and Johnny Dutch. Second Train Gang was well beaten 55.75 (David
Oliver, David Payne, Briton Andy Turner and Brendan Ames).