by Larry Eder
Sanya Richards-Ross, 2012 Nike Pre, photo by PhotoRun.net
Deena Kastor, 2012 Payton Jordan, photo by PhotoRun.net
Sanya Richards has run 49.39 and 22.09, and she is ready for the Trials, she will decide on the 200 meters AFTER the 400 meters is done in Eugene.
And, one of our favorites, Deena Kastor, who took sixth in the marathon trials, and then ran 31:49 and 15:22 for the 10,000m and 5,000m after the Trials, is injured and has not been able to train for the Trials in Eugene. A gutty runner, and an Olympic medalist, Deena Kastor has put much into our sport.
VIVIAN GETS THE 10K
KASARANI (KEN, Jun 15): First part of the mission is completed. World champion Vivian Cheruiyot won the 10 000 m Olympic Trials during the Kenyan Championships in 32:24.51. Next week she wants to qualify in the 5000 m. The other two olympic places should go to Joyce Chepkirui (32:24.71) and world silver medallist Sally Kipyego, who was third in 32:26.82. Former world 10 000 m champion Linet Masai bowed out of the race contention after staying with the leading pack into the last kilometre of the 27-lap event. Kenyan media are informing. IAAF adds that fourth was Marathon runner Florence Kiplagat 32:26.82 and fifth former world medalist Priscah Jepleting 32:38.29. Daegu world marathon bronze winner Sharon Cherop was 9th (32:59.1) and Boston Marathon winner 2011 Caroline Kilel 10th (33:10.2). Olympic winner at 800 m Pamela Jelimo won the 400 m in 52.1. It is reported that Caleb Mwangangi triumphed in the 1500 m in a 3:32 time. EME NEWS expects more details later today.
SANYA WILL DECIDE AFTER 400 M
WACO (USA): Current world leader at 200 m and 400 m Sanya Richards-Ross will make her decision about doubling at the US Olympic Trials only after the 400 m race. That was confirmed by her management. She will be entered in both events, but the decision about the 200 m will be made only after the one lap races. She will have enough time as the 400 m finals are on June 24 and 200 m first round after four days (two rest days included) on June 28. Even more days will be available for female sprinters planning to double at 100 m and 200 m. The finals of the short dash are on June 23 and as said 200 m heats on June 28. That is after five days.
FIRST TOP NAMES FOR ATHLETISSIMA
LAUSANNE (SUI): The 37th Athletissima of Lausanne will be second Samsung Diamond League after the Olympic Games on August 23. First top names announced are World indoor champion and current world leader Renaud Lavillenie with olympic winner Steven Hooker of Australia. Jamaican olympic and world gold medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown is confirmed for the women 100 m, it will be her only second time in Lausanne. Women shot put will be held for first time after 21 years and the main name will be olympic and world winner Valerie Adams of New Zealand. “With all the offers I have been receiving, I could easily set up a mini Olympic Games. But I prefer to wait until after the U.S. and Jamaican trials and the other Games qualifying national championships to finalize contracts – I want to offer the best possible line-up,” said meet director Jacky Delapierre. Last but not least, Athletissima will once more feature the world’s best sprinters in both the 100 m and 200 m event. Like last year, a women’s 4x100m UBS Trophy relay race will take place, featuring the Swiss team, which beat the national record in last year’s competition.
TURKISH TEAM FOR HELSINKI
ISTANBUL (TUR): Turkey selected big team of 44 athletes for European Championships in Helsinki. Among 22 women and 20 men some medal hopes, like steeple European leader Gulcan Mingir (9:13.53 last weekend), long distance runner Polat Kemboi Arikan selected for 5000 m and 10 000 m, world indoor 1500 m medalist Ilham Tanui Ozbilen, javelin thrower and European U23 Champion Fatih Avan and improved 1500 m runner Gamze Bulut (4:03.42 this year). Also in the team is European Champion 2010 at 100 m hurdles Nevin Yanit. Despite no outdoor races also the World indoor medalist at 1500 m Asli Cakir is named. Sultan Haydar in the women 10 000 m without standard will wait on the decision of technical delegates. Three relays are named, men 4×100 m and 4×400 m and women 4×400 m. The team – men – 100 m: Safer, 200 m: Safer, 400 m: Guzel, Can, Kilic, 800 m: Tanui, 1500 m: Tanui, Koyuncu, 5000 m: Kemboi, Koyuncu, 10 000 m: Kemboi, Steeple: Langat, Akkas, Duvar, 400mH: Ors, SP: Atici, DT: Olgundeniz, JT: Avan, 4×100 m: Safer, Hekimoglu, Yildirim, Ay, Sen, 4×400 m: Guzel, Kilic, Can, Tamac, Kocabeyoglu. Women – 100 m and 200 m: Karakus, 400 m: Saka, Engin, Redif, 800 m: Aydin, 1500 m: Cakir, T. Karakaya, Bulut, 5000 m: D. Karakaya, Suna, Bulut, Steeple: Uslu, Mingir, Kaya, 100mH: Yanit, 400mH: Karadere, Apak, Yildirim, HJ: Ayhan, LJ: Mey, DT: Esmer, HT: Sahutoglu, 4×400 m: Saka, Engin, Redif, Aydin, Apak.
OTHER NEWS
EUGENE (USA): Deena Kastor’s quest to make a fourth Olympic team came to an end when the 39 year-old Olympic Marathon bronze medalist decided that painful back spasms had caused her to miss so much training that being prepared for next Friday’s 10,000m Olympic Trials race in Eugene would be impossible. She admitted that she had been unable to run or even cross-train for the last two weeks. With Kastor out of contention for the team, her Mammoth Track Club training partner Amy Hastings (31:19.87 PB), road racer Janet Bawcom (31:33.50), and former NCAA 10,000m champion Lisa Uhl (31:18.07) look like the favorites to make the team. Uhl’s training partner Shalane Flanagan will also contest the 10,000m but has already qualified for the USA Olympic Team in the marathon and said on a conference call with reporters that she’s only training for the marathon at the Olympics. Informs Race Results Weekly.
LAUSANNE (SUI): European Athletics announced it has agreed a contract with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for the sale of media rights for the rest of the world (outside Europe) for the period 2012-2015. The new partnership means EBU will be the exclusive worldwide media partner for European Athletics, following the renewal in December 2010 of their long-running contract covering Europe through 2012-2015. That agreement extended a partnership that has been in place since 1981. The new commitment for television and internet media rights outside of Europe will cover all of European Athletics’ major events including the Helsinki 2012 and Zurich 2014 European Athletics Championships, and the Göteborg 2013 and Prague 2015 European Athletics Indoor Championships. The agreement also covers the 2013, 2014, 2015 European Athletics Team Championships and the yearly European Cross Country Championships taking place during the four-year contract period.
GATESHEAD (GBR): Double Olympic gold medal winner Haile Gebrselassie and Olympic bronze medal winner Brendan Foster CBE will be taking part in Saturday’s London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay in South Tyneside, North East England. Haile Gebrselassie, from Ethiopia, won his double Olympic gold medals over 10,000 metres and was also four-times World Champion over the same distance. Hebburn-born Brendan Foster won his bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1976 Summer Olympics Games in Canada. Gebrselassie will hand over the Olympic Torch to Foster at The Leas on the South Tyneside coastline, better known to race fans as the finishing line for The Great North Run, which Foster founded. The Olympic Flame arrives in South Tyneside at 7.45am as part of a vehicle convoy then at 7.53am the torch is handed over to the official torch bearers starting at South Shields Town Hall. The procession route works its way down Anderson Street, Ocean Road onto the Foreshore, then heads towards The Leas. Organisers of the great run series are informing.
LAGOS (NGR): Nigerian media are reporting that USATF has written to the Athletic Federation of Nigeria, asking for the release of 400m hurdler, Amaechi Morton. Amaechi, born of Barbadian father and Nigerian mother transferred allegiance from the US to Nigeria in 2009 following persuasions from ex-track and field international, Patience Itanyi. He made his first and only appearance for Nigeria at the Berlin 2009 IAAF World Championships where he failed to help the Nigeria 4x400m relay team to an appreciable finish. They finished last in Berlin. Last week Morton won the NCAA title in 48.79 personal best. Under IAAF Competition Rules, Amaechi does not need an official release by Nigeria because he has not competed for Nigeria for three years in compliance with on athletes with dual citizenships.
LONDON (GBR): Multiple Olympic
sprint medallist Frankie Fredericks of Namibia and Sally Gunnell, Britain’s Olympic 400 metres hurdles champion from Barcelona 1992, have helped to launch the new “Seiei” campaign from Japanese sports brand Mizuno at the London Eye. Seiei is Japanese for “elite” and the new campaign, which will be rolled out over the summer across all forms of media, will feature Brazilian football star Hulk and Italian swimmer Federica Pellegrini. Mizuno has historically acquired the services of some of the biggest names in sport, including tennis player Ivan Lendl, golfer Nick Faldo and footballer Rivaldo, while Fredericks and Gunnell also reached the pinnacle of their careers while competing in Mizuno products. The Seiei Collection will be showcased at Mizuno’s new Performance Centre during the London 2012 Olympic Games between July 24 and August 12 at the Centre Point Building in the capital.
MELBOURNE (AUS): On 1 July 2011 the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) approved Athletics Australia’s selection policy for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and that policy was subsequently made available to all athletes. The policy specified that the qualifying period for all events other than the marathon, walk events, 10,000m and combined events commenced on 1 May 2011 and concluded on 11 June 2012. The AOC requires Athletics Australia to submit its selection nominations by 22 June 2012. Athletics Australia has endeavoured to give athletes the largest possible window of opportunity for qualification, continuing post our Olympic Nomination Trials which were conducted in early March 2012. The qualifying period end date of 11 June 2012 was set in order to allow adequate time for selectors to consider the team and most importantly to give athletes the opportunity and time to appeal any selection decision if they elected to do so prior to 22 June. On Friday, the Athletics Australia Board has reiterated the position that the conditions set out in the nomination criteria must stand, and that specifically, no performances achieved outside the qualifying period can be considered for nomination. This decision has been reached because it was felt that to extend the qualifying period would unfairly discriminate against the many athletes who had planned their preparations to achieve their qualifying performances by the specified dates. We are therefore unable to consider Genevieve LaCaze’s (women steeple 9:41.15 on June 13 in Indianapolis) most recent performance for Olympic nomination and nor will we be able to consider performances from any other athlete after 11 June.
NEW YORK (USA): Unfortunately ESPN is closing its high school business unit, reports SportsBusiness Daily, which includes its ESPNHS.com website, two magazines and its event management service, which staged all-star events and high school games at Disney World. With the closing in mid-September, about 75 staffers will lose their jobs. ESPN channels will continue to air various high school games — about 30 high school football games are slated to air this fall — and espnW.com will pick up content about girls’ basketball while ESPNRecruitingNation.com will cover high school recruiting. This concerns also athletics coverage of the high school activities.
BERLIN (GER) : The German athletics association and Nike have launched the new collection in which German athletes will compete at this summer’s London Olympic Games. Ariane Friedrich, Verena Sailer and Robert Harting were the chosen athletes to show the new gear to over 200 invited guests reports leichtathletik.de.
BERLIN (GER): World javelin champion Matthias De Zordo has been able to fix some technical difficulties and believes he can throw the Olympic qualifying standard this weekend at the German national championships. De Zordo has not been at his best so far in the season but is not worried about the added pressure to throw the standard this weekend he told leichathletik.de.
MADRID (ESP): Madrid’s bid to host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics will not be affected by the worsening economic crisis in Spain, officials have claimed reports insidethegames. Madrid 2020 insist that Spain is still capable of successfully hosting the Olympics and Paralympics if they beat rivals Istanbul and Tokyo.
NEW YORK (USA): Nike unveiled the official uniforms that the USA track and field team will wear this summer at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. On hand for the announcement were past U.S. Olympians Carl Lewis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Michael Johnson. Based on the Nike Pro Turbo Speed suit the uniforms will be red, with blue USA lettering across the chest. There are white panels on the arms and legs, designed to create a “flicker” effect to better capture the attention of television viewers. Past uniforms have often been predominantly dark blue but are now changed to red as the base color reports Runnersworld.
RESULTS
YALTA (UKR, Jun 15): Ukrainian Championships ended with high quality women triple jump. Hanna Knyazeva improved to 14.71 (+2.0) over Hanna Demydova, the NCAA Champion, who improved to 14.50 (+1.9). Third Ruslana Tsihotska 14.36 (+2.1) ahead of long jump winner Viktoriya Rybalko 13.87 (+2.5). Mikola Savolainen won men´s triple with 16.74 (+3.0, legal 16.52) ahead of Evhen Semenenko 16.73 (0.0). Donetsk was the best region ahead of Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv.
BISHKEK (KGZ, Jun 9-10): At International Kolpakova Meet in Kirgizstan fast 200 m by Viktoriya Zyabkina of Kazakhstan 22.92 (+1.4) national senior and junior record. Surprisingly high quality 12.69 (+1.3) PB and Asian Leader 2012 at 100 m hurdles for Anastasiya Pilipenko also from Kazakhstan. Another top Kazakh marks in men competition. Sergey Zaykov 46.24 in the 400 m, Viktor Leptikov 49.79 at 400 m hurdles, Sergey Zasimovich 224 in the high jump and Roman Valiyev 16.81 (-0.3) in the triple jump.
GREENSBORO (USA, Jun 14): Ashley Erba highlighted day 1 of the 2012 New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet by setting a meet record in the Girls Championship 5000m, stopping the clock at 16:18.21. Less than a half hour later, Jake Leingang came up just short in his own attempt at a meet record, winning the Boys Championship 5000m in 14:27.16. Informs RRW.
PIHTIPUDAS (FIN, Jun 14): New Swedish junior and youth girls javelin record by Sofi Flink with 54.85 m. She will be 17 in July.
ARTASHAT (ARM, Jun 8): Late addition, but interesting. Arsen Sargsyan achieved in long jump new Armenian record 820 (+1.8).
