2+1 WILL REMAIN IN RUSSIA

MOSCOW (RUS): All-Russia Athletics Federation president Valentin Balakhnichev confirmed for Russian media that all olympic winners and medalists from London will recieve byes for the World Championships in Moscow and will be selected without being forced to qualify through the national championships. „They would need to confirm their shape. In case they would will, this medalists will be also able to compete at the Universiade in Kazan age permitting,” said Balakhnichev. Another group of confirmed entries for the Worlds will be Daegu winners who have also the IAAF Wild Card entry (Borchin, Bakulin, Savinova, Zaripova, Chicherova, Lysenko, Abakumova, Chernova, Kaniskina). Samsung Diamond League winners long jumpers Aleksandr Menkov and Yelena Sokolova are also awarded with wild cards for the World Championships. Balakhnichev also said there is no need to change the qualification formula with top two qualifying for the championships from the national championships and third athlete added based on the opinion of the coaches. From Olympic medalist not being in Daegu or Diamond League wild cards system automatic qualification should go to another 9 athletes (Ukhov, Kirdyapkin, Poistogova, Arkhipova, Antyukh, Shkolina, Isinbayeva, Kolodko, Lashmanova). Unclear is the situation of discus thrower Darya Pishchalnikova.

TAHRI AND BURKA ADDED

NIJMEGEN (NED): The 29th Seven Hills 15 km road race (Zevenheuvelenloop) will have more interesting entries after Leonard Komon vs Abel Kirui and Tirunesh Dibaba vs Tiki Gelana. In men´s competition on November 18 also French steeple specialist Boubdallah Tahri is entered. For European and world medalist from France this will be his longest race of the career so far. He could attack the unofficial European best at the distance 42:39 by Jon Brown (at that time representing Great Britain) from 1994. European Athletics is not listing an official record at the distance, despite the fact that this is an official IAAF Road record event. French best is 43:02 by El Arbi Zeroual from 1998. New entry in women field is Ethiopian Gelete Burka, former 1500 m world indoor champion who finished 5th at the London Games in the 5000 m. Also for her debut at the 15 km.

OTHER NEWS

ELDORET (KEN): Elite foreign runners are expected to steal the show when the sixth Kass Marathon run gets underway on Sunday next week. Ethiopians Abay Girma and Argachew Tadesse will face a stellar Kenyan line up in the men’s marathon contest. Athletes from neighbours Uganda and Rwanda as well as Europe and America are expected to register before Thursday deadline. The Kass Marathon showpiece, which has been twinned with St Pauls Minneapolis marathon, will be spiced up with a tongue-wagging five-kilometer fans race dubbed — Run for a peaceful election in Kenya. Kenyan media are informing, Standard Group is the media sponsor and the event will be streamed live on Kenya Television Network (KTN).

DUBAI (UAE): Dubai is ready to host a major international sporting event such as the Asian Games despite deciding against bidding for the 2019 event. That is the belief of Mohammed Al Kamali, Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) executive board member and secretary general of the UAE National Olympic Committee and IAAF Council member. Al Kamali admitted there had been some confusion over whether the Emirates were planning to bid, with delegates from other countries at 62nd OCA Executive Board Meeting under the impression they were still in the running. Olympic Committee of Asia (OCA) president Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah later has urged Dubai to bid for the 2023 Asian Games and Lord Sebastian Coe supported the future olympic bid by Dubai. From various media reports.

AGRA (IND): Runnersworld.com says that Agra, site of the historical and legendary Taj Mahal, will stage first world-class half-marathon in February, FirstPost reports. „The race will feature elite Kenyans and Ethiopians, and „is being organized by an international event management company with a huge budget,” according to FirstPost. The BBC will televise the event. Recently Jos Hermen´s Global Sports informed they will help to organise events in India, but the mentioned Agra race is not part of the cooperation. „We will help with the Delhi half marathon, Mumbai marathon, Bangalore 10k and Hyderabad 10k,” said Rosemarie Smit of Global Sports.

LYON (FRA): European champion Christophe Lemaitre still sees a possibility that he will compete at the European Indoor Championships in Goteborg. During the opening of new indoor arena in Lyon „Halle Stephane Diagana” he confirmed that: „We will do as in previous years, with two or three more competitions, including the French Indoor Championships. And perhaps the European Championships, but we do not know yet.” Lemaitre confirmed after strained ankle he should start with training early ne
xt week.

LONDON (GBR): Athletics Weekly published its list of 20 most powerful persons in British Athletics. Leading the ranking is double olympic winner Mo Farah ahead of London boss and IAAF Vice President Sebastian Coe and Jamaican sprinting star Usain Bolt. Further in top ten Nils De Vos, Jessica Ennis, Neil Black, Brendan Foster, Hugh Brasher, Lamine Diack and Ed Warner. In the positions 11-20 are Steve Cram, Peter Eriksson, Ian Stewart, Ricky Simms, Geoff Wightman, Dave Bedford, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Kelly Holmes, Peter King and Cherry Alexander.

PORTSMOUTH (GBR): They are a fact of life for many Olympians, but a new study has cast doubt on the effectiveness of ice-baths in aiding the recovery of athletes after exercise. Scientists at the University of Portsmouth, on England’s south coast, found that cold water immersion was no more, and no less, effective than light cool-down exercise in helping athletes to recover after sport. Published in the European Journal of Sport Science, the study involved testing a total of 40 male athletes after 90 minutes of intermittent shuttle running. Informs insidethegames.

LOS ANGELES (USA): Triple London gold medalist Allyson Felix said in an interview with www.courier-journal.com that she plans to extend her career until 2016 Rio Games. „I’m already looking forward to it. I would love to run for four more years. Take it year by year, but I’m still really enjoying it and passionate about it and plan to stay involved,” she said.

KINGSTON (JAM): Jevon Claxton (22, best 48.13 at 400 m) of the Gladiators Track Club of Nevis left the island to train with the Racers Track Club. His nine months training stint in Jamaica will see him being coached by the renowned Glen Mills, arguably the best sprint coach on the planet, and he will train with the likes of Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake. Informs Trackalerts. „We are confident that his training stint with the Racers track club will bode well for his development as a senior athlete and will assist greatly in his quest to participate in the 2013 IAAF World Championship in Moscow,” the statement concluded.

RESULTS

LYON (FRA, Nov 9): During the opening of the new indoor hall also a competition was held. Olympic winner Renaud Lavillenie cleared 570 cm in the pole vault (with 14 steps), heptathlon Euro winner Antoinette Nana Djimou competed in the shot put (13.55) ahead if discus thrower Melina Robert-Michon (12.52). In the 55 yards Veroniqe Mang clocked 6.45 and Emmanuel Biron 5.93. Adrien Clemencau achieved 51.53 in the 400 m hurdles, an event which is very popular in France indoors.

MACHAKOS (KEN, Nov 10): Second KCB/AK CC circuit race ended with a win for Geoffrey Kirui who is world junior 10 000 m medalist from Barcelona. He clocked 32:52 at the 12 km ahead of Silas Kimutai 33:05 and Caleb Mwangangi 33:22. Former World champion in the cross country Emily Chebet won the women 8 km in 25:01 ahead of Jemimah Chelagat (2:28 marathon runner) 25:03. Third way back Joyce Jelagat 25:56. Junior winners were Mercy Chepkwogen (18:53 at 6 km, 16 years old) and Peter Namuria (21:51 at 8 km). With help from Alberto Stretti.

DUBAI (UAE, Nov 9): Ethiopian Tsehay Gebre won the 3rd Dubai Women´s Run with 34:28 at the 10 km ahead of Russian Natalya Puchkova 34:33 and Hungarian Zsofia Erdelyi 35:20. In interesting Balkan presence Bulgarian Silvia Danekova was 7th (35:56), Croatian Matea Matosevic 8th (36:25) and Biljana Cvijanovic of Bosnia 9th (36:42). Ethiopian Bethlem Belayneh won the 5 km in 16:50.