ROGOWSKA VS. MURER

MOSCOW (RUS): Two last world champions will compete in the pole vault at the Russian Winter IAAF Indoor Meet on February 3. The gold medalist from 2009 Anna Rogowska of Poland and last winner from Daegu Fabiana Murer from Brazil. The Polish jumper also confirmed she aims to compete at high level at European Indoor Championships in Goteborg.

PISTORIUS TO AUSTRALIA

MELBOURNE (AUS): In a massive coup for athletics in Australia, the Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius has been confirmed to race at the Sydney and Perth instalments of the 2013 Qantas Australian Athletics Tour. Excitingly, the signing of Pistorius coincides with confirmation that Qantas will remain as title sponsor and airline of the Australian Athletics Tour. Set to start alongside Australia’s formidable stable of one-lap charges, the six-time Paralympic champion and first ever amputee to compete at the Olympic Games Pistorius will run at the Sydney Track Classic on Saturday, 9 March and the Go for 2&5 Perth Track Classic on Saturday, 16 March. Pistorius said: „Having never competed in Australia before, I am very excited to line-up in Sydney and Perth as part of the Qantas Australian Athletics Tour. It is going to provide a fantastic boost to my preparation for my 2013 season.” The signing of Qantas will see Australia’s national airline continue their partnership as Athletics Australia’s official airline and their prominence as title sponsor of the Australian Athletics Tour and the IAAF World Challenge event in Melbourne on Saturday, 6 April.

POPE AGAINST DOPING

VATICAN CITY (VAT): Pope Benedict XVI told a delegation of medal-winning Olympic athletes on Monday not to be „tempted by drugs”. The pontiff held an audience with the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), Paralympic and Olympic team members congratulating them on the 28 medals they won at the 2012 London Games. „The pressure to win should never prompt you to take short-cuts,” the 85-year-old pope said. Informs ANSA agency.

PROSECUTOR ASKS FOR 2 YEARS FOR A. BEKELE

BRUSSELS (BEL): The Prosecutor of the Flemish Doping Tribunal (VDT) asks for two years doping ban for Belgian long distance runner Atelaw Bekele. According to the Attorney Geert Cheyns Bekele has deliberately avoid doping control. He is specially mentioning the control from February 8 this year in Addis Ababa when Bekele was not found at the place listed in his whereabouts system. Bekele´s lawyer explains that he changed the hotels because of the costs and informed by text message about this change. The final judgment is expected on December 27.

ENNIS SECOND

LONDON (GBR): Insidethegames informs that Bradley Wiggins scooped the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award to crown his annus mirabilis. The 32-year-old Londoner took the prestigious award at a glittering ceremony at ExCeL in London after a stunning few weeks that saw him become the first Briton to win the Tour de France before he took the gold medal in the time trial at the Olympic Games. London 2012 heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis was runner-up while US Open winner and Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray was third but it was the colourful Wiggins that the evening belonged to on what was the 59th edition of Britain’s most prestigious sports awards ceremony. British Cycling performance director and Team Sky general manager Dave Brailsford took coach of the year, Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic squads were named the team of the year and London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe took the Lifetime Achievement Award. The BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year again went to Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt after he won triple Olympic gold for the second successive Games.

HARTING NUMBER ONE

BADEN-BADEN (GER) : Robert Harting has been voted German Sportsman of the Year by over 1500 German journalists. Harting is the 22nd male track and field athlete to win the trophy and the first discus thrower. He is following in the footsteps of basketball star Dirk Nowitzki who won last year. Heptathlon olympic medalist Lilli Schwarzkopf ended in third place in the women’s section, while Betty Heidler and Christina Obergföll were voted on place seven and ten reports leichtahletik.de. In the men top ten also pole vaulter Bjorn Otto as 8th. After the party Schwarzkopf was asked by her friend Georg (a 7000 points decathlete) to become his wife and she said yes.

OTHER NEWS

SEATTLE (USA): The 78th Annual MTR Western Sports Star of the Year this year features Husky athlete Katie Flood. Distance runner Katie Flood is nominated for Female Amateur Sports Star of the Year. The 2012 NCAA 1500m outdoor Champion and 2011 Pac-12 cross-country champion shattered both cross-country and track records. Flood also anchored the NCAA title-winning distance medley relay last season for the program’s first women’s title.

PORT OF SPAIN (TRI): Olympic javelin gold medal winner Keshorn Walcott will not be occupying his Government-gifted $2.5 million house at upscale Federation Park reports The Trinidad Express. Housing Minister Dr Roodlal Moonilal said the single family unit which was given to Walcott was too small and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) was now working on a residential compound for the 19-year-old Olympic athlete.

LONDON (GBR): Disability events should become a major part of the IAAF multi-million dollar Samsung Diamond League series, Britain’s T44 100 metres Paralympic champion Jonnie Peacock has claimed. The Cambridgeshire teenager was one of the stars of London 2012 when he beat South African superstar Oscar Pistorius before 80,000 hysterical cheering fans. Now he wants the IAAF to try to ensure that the momentum of London 2012 is continued for Paralympic athletics by including events in their flagship series which includes 14 meetings in 11 countries writes Insidethegames.

NAIROBI (KEN): Capitalfm.co.ke writes that double world champion and London Olympics silver and bronze winner, Vivian Cheruiyot, claims she is yet to be paid promised government rewards for her exploits in Daegu last year. Cheruiyot, who made history by becoming the first Kenyan woman to win the 5000m and 10000m gold medals, told Capital Sport that she and four other medallists from South Korea were yet to receive their dues. „We have made a number of trips to the Sports Ministry and up to now, I have not been paid and I’m wondering what is going on,” the Olympics 5000m silver winner and 10000m bronze medallist added. Cheruiyot is owed Sh600,000 (7059 USD) for her two gold medals from Daegu with women’s marathon champion, Edna Kiplagat and silver winner, Priscah Jeptoo, who also won the second medal in London among the elite runners yet to receive their pay-out.

PRAHA (CZE): The best scientist can run the marathon in 3:06, the best fire-fighter in 2:35. This is what the RunCzech Running League is all about – a unique ranking system classifying runners according to gender and age, however, above all, according to profession. “The rankings gather the results of 14 793 runners who are then divided into 68 professions,” reveals Race Ranking Manager, Václav Skrivánek. The rankings incorporate all competitive runs within the RunCzech running league – starting with the 5 km to the marathon distance.

BOSTON (USA): The New Balance Indoor Grand Prix meet in Boston on February 2 is promising more athlete confirmations soon. The event offers when buying tickets before January 1 to get 15% off the price. Previously announced 2011 World Champion Jenny Simpson has withdrawn from the event.

ZURICH (SUI): Marathon European champion Viktor Rothlin confirmed his next marathon on March 3 at Lake Biwa in Japan. Since January 2 he will prepare for that race in Kenya. „Of course I was also thinking about Tokyo Marathon where I still have the course record. But they are now part of World Marathon Majors and are planning a very fast race at 2:03 level that is not realistic for me, I need something around 2:07,” explained Rothlin. The course record at Lake Biwa is 2:06:13 by Wilson Kipsang since 2011.

RESULTS

TAIPEI (TPE, Dec 16): At 9th Fubon Taipei Marathon Kenyan wins for Josphat Kamzee 2:15:27 and Caroline Kilel 2:30:19. From RRW.

PORTO (POR, Dec 16): Rui Pedro Silva won the 19th Săo Silvestre do Porto road race at 10 km in 29:16 for the fourth consecutive time. Second Alberto Paulo 29:18. Catarina Ribeiro as best woman achieved 33:40 ahead of Ines Monteiro 33:57.

BEGLES (FRA, Dec 16): Michael Gras won the Begles CC race at 8.87 km in 27:13 ahead of Kenyan Patrick Kimani 27:32. Gras was recently 15th at the European CC event in the U23 category. Former European Mountain Running Champion Marie Laure Dumergues was the best woman at 5.66 km in 20:29.

LIEVIN (FRA, Dec 16): Stephen Ogari of Kenyan was the top runner at the 69th Jean Vilet Cross race in 30:05 at 9.85 km. Second Salim Saiti 30:08. Interesting to note the 9th position of Rwanda record holder Dieudonne Disi (32:09).

MARSEILLE (FRA, Dec 16): Kenyan Paul Melly won the Cross Marseille Mediterannee with 27:37 at 9.2 km. Young Betty Murungi in 14:14 at 4.2 km was better than Martha Komu 14:22.

DRONTEN (NED, Dec 15): Kenyan Edwin Tarus was the best at the 24th Houtwijk Kerstloop in 1:04:07 at the half marathon distance. Agnes Barsosio was clearly the top woman after 1:12:10. From RRW.

TELFORD (GBR, Dec 16): Olympic 1500m runner Andy Baddeley made a successful 10 km debut winning in 29:08. Olympic 5000 m representative Nick McCormick finished second in 29:21. Former European under 23 5000 m champion Laura Whittle won the women’s race in 34:14. Informs UK Athletics website.

DORNSTETTEN (GER, Dec 16): German steeple runner Benedikt Karus won the 17th edition of the Adventslauf in Dornstetten in a easy-looking style. He ran the 6,6 km in 19:31.

MUNCHEN (GER, Dec 15): German pole vaulter Malte Mohr cleared at Christmas Jumping high quality 573 what is 8 cm more than at the same event one year ago. Mohr also tried at 583 cm. Olympic medalist Raphael Holzdeppe was second with 552.

VIENTIANE (LAO, Dec 17): During third day of ASEAN University Games (not Asian) new Thailand javelin record for Peerathet Jantra 74.12 m. In women high jump Oham Thi Diem from Vietnam achieved 185 cm. From Heinrich Hubbeling.

DUBAI (UAE, Dec 13): Kuweit national record holder Mohamed Al-Zankawi won the hammer at West Asian Championships with 76.14 m.

DORNSTETTEN (GER, Dec 16): German steeple runner Benedikt Karus won the 17th edition of the Adventslauf in Dornstetten in a easy-looking style. He ran the 6,6 km in 19:31.

RIVERDALE (USA, Dec 15): At Brother Jasper Invitational Thomas Freeeman achieved 23.16 in weight throw and German Tom Bechert scored 5819 points in heptathlon, new life-time best (7.34; 2.01; 14.11; 6.98 – 7.9h; 5.00; 2:43.0h). Informs trackinsun.blogspot.com.