by Larry Eder
Phillips Idowu, by PhotoRun.net
As a former coach, and athlete, I can not help but think that anytime an athlete, days before a major competition, allows themselve to be involved in drama over coaches, federations, etc., then something is just wrong.
Obviously, big difference at times from what we hear and what is real. In the case of Phillips Idowu, Great Britain’s most gifted triple jumper, we are just not sure. Mr. Phillips is not speaking to his coach or his federation per reports.
We hope that Mr. Idowu has just isolated himself to focus on the upcoming triple jump, which should be an epic battle between Christian Taylor of the US, Will Claye of the US and Phillips Idowu of Great Britain. Only time will tell…..
PRELIMINARY ROUND
LONDON (GBR): As in Daegu at the World Championships men and women 100 m events will have preliminary rounds in which the sprinters with worst results will compete.
Top ones from this races will advance into the heats. That also means the top
sprinters will have one race less than at previous Games. Usain Bolt clocked in
2008 10.20 in heats, 9.92 in quarter-finals, 9.85 in the semifinals and the
world record 9.69 in the finals. In London his schedule reads on Saturday
August 4 heats at 12.30, on August 5 semifinals (3 heats) 18.45 and finals
at 21.50 hrs. In women situation it is already known that 32 sprinters will
take part in the preliminary round and 10 will advance into the heats.
Fastest time this year from this group 11.49 by Toea Wisil of Papua New
Guinea.
GREENE IN LANE ONE
LONDON (GBR): Qualifying standards for first day of athletics are higher than
four years ago in Beijing in men shot put 20.65 (20.40 in 2008) and women discus
63.00 (61.50). Men´s hammer is the same 78 meters and less than in Beijing men
long jump 810 (815) and women triple jump 14.40 (14.45). Women heptathlon has
39 athletes in total what is 4 less than in Beijing (43). Jessica Ennis will
run in last fifth heat in lane 8 with US Hyleas Fountain on the side on lane 9.
In sprints on the straight organisers will use lane 9 instead of lane 1. In 400 m
hurdles David Greene runs in lane 1 in heat 3. More favorable lane 4 for Javier
Culson in heat number 5. Women 10 000 m will have in total 22 runners.
IAAF IN GOOD FINANCIAL SITUATION
LONDON (GBR): Lamine Diack, the president of the IAAF, athletics’ international
governing body, informed that the organisation is in a strong financial position
as it prepares for the sport to take centre stage at the Olympic Games in London.
The reserves are at 55 millions USD level. Diack also informed that he is not
planning to find new marketing director after Luis Carulla left the position
earlier this year.
SHOT PUT RETURNS INTO THE STADIUM
STOCKHOLM (SWE): This year, DN Galan´s shot put competition for women and men
will take place within the grounds of 100-year-old Stockholm Olympic Stadium.
The Stadium is host to 83 world records, more than any other arena in the world.
Given the 100 year anniversary of the stadium, the shot putters will now come
back to the Stadium to compete at this year’s Big Shot event. World number
one Christian Cantwell is an athlete that is always treated with great
respect in the Scandinavian capital and is ready to compete. He’s
the reigning Big Shot winner and is looking forward to another start
at DN Galan. The Shot Put star from Poland, Tomasz Majewski, has been
the other main player at DN Galan Big Shot in recent years. Majewski
and Cantwell will yet again go head-to-head this year on 17 August.
The Women’s Shot Put competition has also attracted the best in the
world. New Zealand’s Valerie Adams and Nadine Kleinert from Germany
are both competing. Adams, the current World and Olympic champion,
has full focus on defending her title in London but sees no problem in
getting ready for DN Galan. Both Diamond League finals of shot put will
be held in Zurich at the main station.
BUNGEI IN LONDON
LONDON (GBR): Kenyan Beijing 800 m winner Wilfred Bungei is in London. But he is not
competing but working for the African sports channel Supersports with priority for
athletics commentary. He confirmed officialy that his career is over and last race
was in July 2010 in Pergine Valsugana in Italy with 1:52.66. “There were injury
difficulties and other problems, so I was not able to continue with athletics.
Now I want to work with television and possibly also building a camp for young
runners,” said Bungei.
OTHER NEWS
ADDIS ABABA (ETH): Elshadai Negash pointed out seven top Ethiopian athletes who are
not in London. They are legendary Haile Gebrselassie, 10 000 m world champion from
Daegu Ibrahim Jeylan, female world medalist 2009 Meselech Melkamu, marathon olympic
medalist 2008 Tsegaye Kebede, world indoor champion 2010 at 1500 m Kalkidan Gezahegne,
legendary husband of Tirunesh Dibaba Sileshi Sihine, top 1500 m runner Derese Mekonnen,
PARIS (FRA): The French athletics federation announced a first group of athletes
has arrived in the Olympic village. Among them sprinter Jimmy Vicaut and
heptathlete Antoinette Nana Djimou.
BERLIN (GER): Also the German athletics federation DLV reports that a
first group of 17 athletes has arrived at the Olympic village in London.
Shot putters David Storl (wants to be first German to win the shot put since 1988)
and Ralf Bartels as well as heptathlete Jennifer Oeser and sprinter Verena Sailer
are among those first entering the village.
LONDON (GBR): Facing criticism for swaths of empty seats at venues, Olympic
organizers revealed that 2.1 million people attended events in the first
three full days of competition. They said 86 percent of ticket-holders showed
up Saturday, 92 percent Sunday and 88 percent Monday. Organizers say 856,000
attended events Saturday, including a “conservative” estimate of 500,000 on
the men’s cycling road race route. It was 900,000 on Sunday, with an estimated
300,000 along the women’s cycling route. Monday’s overall attendance was 370,000
writes sportsillustrated.
LONDON (GBR): IAAF President Lamine Diack confirmed that it will be the decision of the
South African team in which leg Oscar Pistorius will compete in the 4×400 m relay.
LONDON (GBR): Bahama’s golden girl Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie is set to compete in her
fifth Olympics and confirmed she will start in the 100m, 200m and will be part of the
4x100m relay. Ferguson-McKenzie is the only sprinter in history to make it into the
final of both the 100m and 200m at three consecutive Olympic Games reports The Nassau
Guardian.
LONDON (GBR): Quarter-miler Rondell Bartholomew has withdrawn from participation in the
London 2012 Olympic Games, according to the Grenada Olympic Committee (GOC). General
Secretary of the GOC, Veda Bruno-Victor said that upon medical advice a decision was
taken to withdraw Bartholomew from competition. Writes Trackalerts. He already had a
starting number 2003. That is reducing the number of entered athletes at 400 m to 53.
LONDON (GBR): British media are writing that Phillips Idowu has “turned his back”
on his coach, Aston Moore, and the sport’s governing body, UK Athletics, according
to Britain’s head coach, Charles van Commenee. Just two days before the start of the
athletics in the Olympic stadium, the Dutchman revealed
that all contact “has died”
that all contact “has died”
between the world and Olympic silver medallist triple jumper and Moore, following
a brief text message last week, and that he cannot even be sure whether the
33-year-old will turn up to the Olympic village to compete.
LAUSANNE (SUI): Spanish steeple runner Angel Mullera is in the London entry list and
he even might be able to run as CAS decided he should be allowed to compete at the
Olympic Games. The runner appealed the decision of Spanish Athletics federation and
Spanish olympic commitee to exclude him due to technical reasons.
ZURICH (SUI): Swiss women 4×100 m relay will be without one of the top runners
Jacqueline Gasser because of an injury. She will be replaced by Marisa Lavanchy.
In the team so also Ellen and Lea Sprunger, Mujinga Kambundji, Michelle Cueni
with Clélia Reuse.
LONDON (GBR): Great Britain’s Eilish McColgan will compete in the steeple at the Olympics
despite being hit by a car on her final training run. McColgan was training in Portugal
on Wednesday when she was struck by a glancing blow on her left hand side, causing
her to fall onto the bonnet. BBC informs.
LONDON (GBR): Maurice Westney, one of Jamaica’s track and field coaches at the Olympic
Games in London, says the Jamaican squad is anxiously awaiting its turn to dive into
action, having been spurred on by the brave efforts of swimmer Alia Atkinson.
Atkinson heartened the entire nation as she raced to a fourth-place finish in
the final of the 100m breaststroke at the Aquatics Centre writes The Jamaica Gleaner.
LONDON (GBR): Allyson Felix is defending her decision not to step aside and give training
partner Jeneba Tarmoh a spot in the 100 meters after their dead heat at the U.S. track
and field trials in June. “Everyone just expected me to give up this spot, because
I think lots of people … know me, and they know that I’m seen as this very nice
girl,” Felix said to AP. “But it’s not just about me. It’s about Bobby Kersee and
the time he invested in me. It’s about my parents and the sacrifices they made, my
brother and the agents that are working with me, and just everyone who’s
invested their time in me.”
PRAGUE (CZE): Prague International Marathon has opened up registrations for the
first four races in 2013. The organisation is expecting to see around 50 000
runners sign up.
All races organised by Prague International Marathon during the first half of
2012 were complete sell-outs. Right now it is possible to sign up for the spring
Hervis Prague 1/2Marathon, the Volkswagen Prague Marathon being held in May as
well as for two half-marathons taking place in June, hosted by the cities of
České Budějovice and Olomouc. Altogether organisers are banking on seeing
more than 30 000 runners from these events. Organizers are informing in a
release.
LONDON (GBR): Veteran track journalist is German Gustav Schwenk, he will arrive
to London to witness his 15th Olympic Games, in terms of summer games he has
the biggest number of participations. He was never at the Winter Games. He
started in 1952 in Helsinki and saw the excellent three gold medals of
Emil Zatopek.
