by Larry Eder
Carolina Kluft, 2006 European Championships, photo by PhotoRun.net
Carolina Kluft, from 2002 to 2007, owned the heptathlon in European, World and Olympic competitions. Indoors, Kluft competed in the pentathlon and long jump. Kluft’s victory in Osaka, Japan, where she scored 7,032 points in the scorching heat, gave her the second best score EVER behind only JJK, yes, Jackie Joyner Kersee.
Kluft has dealt with her share of injuries. On Sunday, Carolina ran the third leg of the Swedish 4 x 400m relay, which won and ran 3:26.20. The meet was the Finland vs Sweden meet, a 100 plus year old track meet that is taken quite seriously by athletes from Finland and Sweden.
I remember an interview given at the Reebok centre by Carolina Kluft in Osaka, Japan, after her win there. ” I always want kids to think that sport is fun. For me, sports has always been fun.”
TRACK RESULTS
GOTEBORG (SWE, Sep 2): Swedish men (220:187) and Finland women (223:187) won the traditional Sweden-Finland match. As expected the highlight of second day was men javelin with Tero Pitkamaki winning with 86.86 over olympic medlist Antti Ruuskanen 85.67 and Ari Mannio 81.28. Fourth best home thrower Kim Amb 80.97. Solid also 200 m won by Nil de Oliveira 20.65 (+1.1) and 800 m 1:47.92 by Johan Svensson 1:47.92. Best female result the 70.21 of Tracey Andersson in hammer. Carolina Kluft competed for last time in the 4×400 m relay on the third leg of winning home team (3:36.29).
BUHL (GER, Sep 2): Czech record holder Jaroslav Baba won on count-back the High Jump meeting in Buhl with 228 over Russian Sergey Mudrov. St. Lucia record holder Levern Spencer with 190 was the top woman.
PRAHA (CZE, Sep 2): Pavel Maslak won two gold medals also during second day (after 100 m and 4×100 m on day 1) of Czech U23 Championships with 46.82 at 400 m and anchor leg in the winning Dukla Praha 4×400 m team (3:10.25). But fifth gold was denied as he false started the 200 m final. Vaclav Barak won the 400 m hurdles in 50.76 and Ladislav Prasil the shot put with 19.92.
ROAD RESULTS
MEXICO (MEX, Sep 2): Kenyan runners dominated the 30th edition of Maratón Internacional de la Ciudad de México. Peter Lemayian clocked 2:15:53 to win ahead of Elisha Korir 2:16:47 and Hillary Kipchirchir 2:17:12. In the women category Ethiopian win for Amare Shewarge Alene in 2:39:50 beating Kenyan Truphena Jemeli Tarus 2:41:32 and home runner Maritza Arenas 2:43:44.
TILBURG (NED, Sep 2): Fast times at Brabants Dagblad Tilburg Ten Miles. Pius Kirop after last km in 2:38 won the men category in 45:38. Second John Mwangangi in 45:40 ahead of marathon world record holder Patrick Makau 45:41. Fourth Philip Langat 45:47. Best European was Belgian Abdelkadi El Hachimi 47:41 as 13th and best Dutch Michel Butter 47:52 as 15th. Elite women were competing at 10 km and the winner Gladys Cherono clocked 30:57 in sprint over Emily Chebet 30:58 and Joyce Chepkirui 31:10. Best Dutch runner Mirana Boonstra was 11th in 33:40. Strong wind was against even faster time.
DUSSELDORF (GER, Sep 2): Frederick Ngeny of Kenya won the 10 km road race Ko-Lauf in Dusseldorf in 28:13 ahead of Kadengoi Loitareng 28:23. In women 10 km Mary Maina 32:34 over Lucy Macharia 32:490 and Lucy Liavoga 32:41.
GLASGOW (GBR, Sep 2): Kenyan Joseph Birech won the Great Scottish Run in 1:03:14 at the half-marathon distance. Second Sohta Hoshi of Japan 1:03:49. Bezunesh Bekele from Ethiopia was the best woman in 1:09:09 with again Japanese runner second Aya Nagata 1:12:02 and third Commonwealth gold medalist from 2010 Grace Momanyi 1:12:41. More than 24 000 runners competed in all races, new participation record.
PONTE DI LEGNO (ITA, Sep 2): At 28th World Mountain Running Championships Eritrean men dominated. Petro Mamo won the main race in 1:01:34 (this year 1:04:58 HM in China) ahead of team-mate Azeria Teklay (last year 2:21:47 marathon in Italy) 1:02:47 and bronze for Russian Andrey Safronov (this year Russian 5000 m track champion) 1:03:06. Austrian Andrea Mayr was the best woman in 46:35, second Italian Valentina Belotti 47:04 and third US Morgan Aritola 47:26. Junior winners Michael Cherop of Uganda 42:33 and Turkish Sevilay Eytemis 20:14.
TAIYUAN (CHN, Sep 2): Possosports facebook informs that Ethiopian Berhanu Shiferaw won the 2012 edition of International marathon here in 2:08:58 course record. In solid conditions (16 degrees at the start and 18 at the finish) second Kenyan Eliud Cheptai 2:11:50 and third Jacob Kitu 2:12:20. Moses Kangogo and Joseph Maregu were non-finishers due to hamstring and calf muscle problems. Jiang Xiaoli won the women race for China in 2:34:56 beating Jacqueline Nyetipei of Kenya 2:35:19.
