by Larry Eder
The races in Oslo are over. Usain Bolt ran 9.79 for the 100 meters and Asafa Powell ran 9.85, an improvement on his Rome race.
On Saturday, Yohan Blake and Tyson Gay will be running the 100 meters, except, in different races. For Tyson Gay, it is a test of his body, to see if the rigors of the sprint wars will allow him to race well this year. For Yohan Blake, it is a time to see where he is with a 9.84 and 19.91 this year, for the 100 meters and 200 meters.
Looking forward to seeing the adidas Grand Prix NYC this weekend! Just arrived in New York, and will be working on a few pieces. It is all about the competition.
Stay tuned.
Santos for Barcelona and London
NEW YORK (USA): There is a dilemma for some top juniors about Barcelona
and London Games. The current best junior in the world at 400 m Luguelin
Santos of Dominican Republic has it clear. His agent Kris Mychasiw
confirms that he plans to compete both at World Junior Championships in
Spain and at the Olympic Games. Santos improved this season to 44.45
what is not only national senior record but also third fastest ever by a
junior. His next race is Saturday at adidas Grand Prix in New York
against Jeremy Wariner, Bahamian rival Demetrius Pinder and Jamaican
recor holder Jermaine Gonzales.
Kenyan dates and no wild cards
NAIROBI (KEN): The season is climaxing for Kenyan athletes at the
national qualification level. World junior trials are beeing held on
June 8 and 9, National Championships on June 14-16 including women 10
000 m olympic trials. The Olympic Trials itself will be a one day meet
with only finals on June 23. There are no wild card for world champions
from Daegu, all must compete. The teams for marathon and men´s 10 000 m
have been already named.
Sprint wars
NEW YORK (USA): In Oslo Usain Bolt is facing Asafa Powell, the sprints
wars are continuing with other stars in New York on June 9. Yohan Blake
and Tyson Gay will run the 100 m, but in separate races. “It was the
coolest sporting event that I had ever attended,” says one media
executive, in an interview about the 2007 version of the meet on
Randall’s Island. That’s the year Tyson Gay ran a windy 9.76 to give a
preview of the brilliance to come later that year, when he won three
World Championships gold medals. Larry Eder conducted the interview on
RunBlogRun. But to observe also young Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade who was
cooking at the Prefontaine Classic last week, where he set a personal
best of 9.93 in the 100 meters. Turns out he loves to cook, period. With
a chef for a father, Ashmeade was in the kitchen at a young age, and
knows his way around a skillet almost as well as he knows his way around
the curve. Also Yohan Blake doesn’t rest. Or at least he doesn’t like
to, because there is work to be done. Hard work, like trying to beat
training partner Usain Bolt. And when the World’s Fastest Man nicknames
you “The Beast,” you must have done something to impress him. With the
help from the organizers.
Spotakova for NYC
PRAGUE (CZE): Late entry for adidas Grand Prix in New York on Saturday
is the javelin world record holder Barbora Spotakova. After winning in
Rome with a world leading result she feels the right shape and plans to
use it also at Icahn Stadium. Her rival will be South African world
medalist Sunette Viljoen, also in decent shape Briton Goldie Sayers and
US Kara Patterson.
Saladino opens in Venezuela
BARQUISIMETO (VEN): Olympic long jump winner Irving Saladino of Panama
will open his season at 15th Iberoamerican Championships in Venezuela.
The event starts on Friday and will last until Sunday. Long jump final
is already Friday afternoon local time. He last time competed at World
Championships in Daegu where he did not qualify for the finals due to
his injuries.
Fast sprints: Adams 9.96 and McQuay 44.67
DES MOINES (USA, Jun 6): NCAA championships first day saw fast sprint
heats and good long jump win for Marquise Goodwin with 823 (+0.5)
personal best over Jamaican Damar Forbes 809 (+2.4) and Bahamian Ray
Higgs 805 (+0.7). Canadian Cam Levins won the 10 000 m in 28:07.14 and
Jamaican Chad Wright the discus 62.79 PB. Fast 4×100 m relays for Auburn
38.53 over LSU 38.77 and Florida State 38.81 and on the women side LSU
42.68 ahead of Texas State 42.90. Greek Ekaterini Stefanidi cleared 445
to win the pole vault. In 100 m heats fast personal best for Harry Adams
9.96 (+1.4) behind him second Jamaican hurdler Andrew Riley 10.02 PB
and Charles Silmon 10.05 PB. In other heat Maurice Mitchell 10.03 (+1.3)
over Kemar Hyman 10.04 new national record for Cayman Islands. The
10.09 of Isiah Young was the fastest non-qualifier. Tony McQuay won his
400m heat not only in personal best but also third fastest in the world
this year 44.67. Behind him more life-time bests for Josh Mance 44.83
and Gil Roberts 44.84. Fastest in heats Erik Solinski in the 800 m
1:46.09 and Nigerian Amaechi Morton at 400 m hurdles 49.37. In women
heats fastest times for English Gardner in the 100 m (11.10, +1.8),
Phylis Francis in the 400 m (51.22) and Turquiose Thompson in 400 m
hurdles (55.59).
OTHER NEWS
BRUSSELS (BEL) : European cross country champion Atelaw Bekele will not
compete at the European championships in Helsinki due to a Achilles
injury. Bekele has to take rest for another 3 to 4 weeks before
returning to training reports sport.be.
AMSTERDAM (NED): Dutch heptathlete Remona Fransen announced on her
twitter she is withdrawing from the IAAF Combined events challenge
meeting in Ratingen due to a small injury. Fransen already withdrew from
competing in Gotzis earlier this month with a calf injury and now
misses out on possible qualification for the European championships and
the London Olympic Games.
RATINGEN (GER): The Erdgas Mehrkampfmeeting in Ratingen (IAAF Combined
events challenge) is promising to become a very interesting showdown
between Germany’s best decathletes. In Ratingen the last ticket for
German Olympic selection is on the line and Jan Felix Knobel, Michael
Schraden and André Niklaus are all aiming to get it. Cubans Leonel
Suarez and Yordanis Garcia are also confirmed to compete. In the women’s
heptathlon Maren Schwerdtner and Julia Mächtig are leading the lists
confirms leichtathletik.de.
KINGSTON (JAM): Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) has announced its
continued support of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association
(JAAA) National Junior and Senior Championships, during a joint press
conference held in Kingston. The Go for Gold Raffle executed in April
through May, has allowed SVL to sponsor the JAAA/SVL National
Championships to the tune of 10.72 million Jamaican dollar, of which
1.72 million Jamaican dollar will go towards athletes preparation for
the London Olympics Games.
RIO DE JANEIRO (BRA): Brazil’s athletics confederation is in talks with
the IAAF to host a stage of the elite Diamond League in 2014. Brazil’s
athletics confederation’s new chief Jose Antonio Martins Fernandes
revealed he spoke with organisers of the competition during last
weekend’s stage in the US city of Eugene, Xinhua reports. ‘It would be
too soon to try for 2013 but we are going to make a bid to bring a round
of the Diamond League to Brazil in 2014,’
LOS ANGELES (USA): Carmelita Jeter confirmed she will compete in the
100m at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene later this month. Whether she
will also compete in the 200m she will decided after the 100m final is
over as she doesn’t want to risk anything just ahead of the London
Olympic Games according to ESPN.
HAVANA (CUB): Olympic champion hurdler Dayron Robles has a mild
inflammation in his leg that will keep him out of Saturday’s New York
Grand Prix but should not jeopardise his London Games participation, his
coach told Reuters. Cuban Robles suffered a slight swelling in his left
leg during training and the 110 metres hurdles world record holder
would need a week of specialised medical treatment, his coach Santiago
Antunez said while also confirming Robles will be back in action in
Europe in late June.
DUBLIN (IRE): Sebastian Coe, the chairman of London 2012, has praised
the Irish public after thousands of people lined the streets as 41
Torchbearers made the historic journey round Dublin following an early
morning cross border handover to Olympic medalist Michael Carruth. The
Flame was then transported to Dublin where it was carried round the city
by former athletes such as Ronnie Delany, the 1956 Olympic 1500 metres
champion reports Insidethegames.
LONDON (GBR): More tickets for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the
Olympic Games are to go on sale this week, with prices starting at £995
, London 2012 have announced today. The tickets for the Ceremonies,
along with those for six other sports, go on sale Friday (June 8) at
11am on a first come, first served basis from
www.tickets.london2012.com.
JOHANNESBURG (RSA): South African federation website informs that the
national 400m hurdles record holder and 2011 World Championships bronze
medallist LJ van Zyl pulled out of the Oslo Diamond League due to a
lingering knee irritation. Van Zyl’s coach, Hennie Kotze, has
restructured his competition planning and training program to ensure
rest for a few days. He will then resume training on Monday 11 June in
conjunction with the SASCOC medical team as a precautionary measure. If
everything goes according to plan, Van Zyl will attempt to defend his
title at the African Championships in Benin taking place from 27 June to
1 July.
RESULTS
BARCELONA (ESP, Jun 6): Concepcion Montaner leaped here to good 660 (+1.1) in the long jump.
