by Larry Eder
POWELL THINKS FAST FOR 2013
KINGSTON (JAM) : Jamaican sprint star Asafa Powell is excited about his latest projects, which were unveiled at the end of last year. His new clothing line and 2014 calendar are just a few things he has up, reports The Voice. Since the debut of the clothing line on his new website, www.iamasafa.com, Powell said it was something that he was always thinking about but was not ready because he did not have the right team to do the work. “We are currently focusing on T-shirts now, but the ladies wanted to be included and wanted something a bit sexier, so we went with the booty shorts,” Powell said. “The babies couldn’t be left out so there are items such as onesies and even maternity wear,” he added. For sportsgazette.co.uk he also said. “I know that my best race is yet to come. When I ran the world record, I wasn’t training much. When I don’t train much, I stay healthy, and this year I was training a lot, that’s why I got hurt.” Powell will not be racing indoors this year. He remains a big draw for IAAF Diamond League promoters and believes to be in the shape of his life at next year’s World Championship in Moscow. “I don’t know what the future for track holds, at the moment I’m taking it day by day,” he added about his future.
ROBLES NO INDOORS
HAVANA (CUB): Former world record holder Dayron Robles will not compete this indoor season. Instead he will try to be ready for the summer season with World Championships in Moscow. He never medalled at the World Championships, despite competing at four editions.
MORE TOP NAMES FOR EDINBURGH
EDINBURGH (GBR): Former World Championship 1500 m silver medallist, Lisa Dobriskey, is relishing her clash against the outstanding overseas line up she will face when competing at the Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry on Saturday Dobriskey, who missed out on winning the world metric mile title in Berlin by just 0.01sec in 2009, is injury free for the first winter since that memorable occasion and is eager to get a hard race under her belt to blow away the holiday cobwebs and start the New Year in style. „Yes, I have just seen the other entries for Edinburgh – I must admit I thought it was going to be a lot lower key than it is, but it’s always a pleasure to line up against such pedigree,” said Dobriskey. Organisers are informing. To Meseret Defar, Vivian Cheruiyot and Linet Masai also two other Ethiopian’s were announced: Genzebe Dibaba, the reigning World Indoor 1500 m title holder and Olympic steeplechase bronze medallist and Sofia Assefa. The men’s 8km field sees the return of Spain’s Ayad Lamdassem, last year’s individual champion. Although the two-time silver medallist had a „one-off” bad placing in last month’s European Cross Country Championships, he bounced back to finish second at the high profile Madrid Sylvestre 10km road race on New Year’s Eve. Also in the Team Europe line up and captaining the side will be Sergiy Lebid, a nine-time European Cross Country gold medallist and a regular visitor to Edinburgh in the past, who also on New Year was a very impressive third at the BOClassic 10km in Bozen/Bolzano.
LOADED FIELDS FOR HOUSTON MARATHON
HOUSTON (USA): The 41st edition of the Chevron Houston Marathon Race Weekend features stacked fields in both the Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. Adding an element of excitement to the weekend will be a 50 000 USD bonus that will be awarded should the world record fall in the men’s half marathon. The gun is set to go off at 7:00 am on Sunday, January 13. Organizers are informing. Ethiopian Bazu Worku, who set a personal best 2:05:25 when he finished third at the 2010 Paris Marathon, leads the men field. Out to challenge him on race day will be 2012 Chevron Houston Marathon runner-up Debebe Tolossa. Teferi Balcha, who ran six marathons in 2012 – three of which were sub-2:10 – is also entered. Americans Andrew Carlson and Fernando Cabada will return to Houston for the first time since they finished sixth and seventh at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. The runner-up at the 2011 ING NYC Marathon, Buzunesh Deba was originally set to run in New York in 2012, but will run the 2013 Chevron Houston Marathon after the cancellation of that race. Merima Mohammed is the fastest woman in the field with a personal best of 2:23:06 from her third-place finish at the 2010 Toronto Marathon. Tera Moody returns to Houston for the first time since finishing fifth at 2011 U.S. Half Marathon Championships. It will be Moody’s first marathon since her 17th-place at the 2011 World Championships. Atsedu Tsegay who ran the fourth-fastest time in history when he won the 2012 Prague Half Marathon in 58:47, is the man to beat in the Aramco Houston Half Marathon and will be chasing the $50,000 bonus for setting a world record. The current world record of 58:23 was set by Zersenay Tadese in 2010. Also chasing the world record bonus will be Wilson Erupe, who recently won the 2012 Seoul Marathon in 2:05:37, and 2012 Aramco Houston Half Marathon champion Feyisa Lilesa. From Europeans Olena Burkovska of Ukraine runs the women marathon with her team-mate Kateryna Stetsenko. Briton Claire Hallissey is entered in women half.
OTHER NEWS
LONDON (GBR): UK Anti-Doping has confirmed that Ian Burns (69.57 best per Tilastopaja) has been banned from all competition for four years under the UK Athletics anti-doping rules. Burns, a javelin thrower and coach, was found to have committed multiple anti-doping rule violations as a result of information being passed on to UK Anti-Doping’s Intelligence Unit by Durham police.
RIO DE JANAIRO (BRA): Rio 2016 are to start a major recruitment drive and plan to hire up to 250 people this year writes Insidethegames. In the coming year, a 60 per cent headcount increase is expected until the end of July, an increase of 224, coinciding with a move to new offices in the centre of the city. It is estimated that 4,000 people will be working for Rio 2016 by the time the Games open.
LEVERKUSEN (GER): Over 110 pole vaulters are set to compete at the Pole Vault gala in Leverkusen on Saturday. In the men’s senior event Dutch former world champion Rens Blom will take on Greek Kostas Fillipidis. World class athlete Steffi Nerius and Danny Ecker are conducting a clinic on Friday evening reports leichtathletik.de. Blom after ending his career in 2008 started in 2012 his comeback with 531 cm and will continue also this year.
LA VALETTA (MLT): For the second year running, 25-year-old tennis ace Novak Djokovic and for the first time in her career British athlete Jessica Ennis are the winners in the 2012 Edition of the European Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards. It was the 30th annual poll conducted by AIPS Europe/UEPS. Since 2003, the annual poll has been named the Frank Taylor Trophy in honour of the former president of both AIPS and UEPS. Djokovic got 39 votes, ten more than Mo Farah. In third place with 28 Sebastian Vettel. The women’s award for the Evgen Bergant Trophy was won by Ennis with 62 votes ahead of Norwegian cross country skier, Marit Bjoergen who received 23 votes, and tennis player Viktoria Azarenka from Belarus with 17 votes. Last male winner from athletics was Tomas Dvorak in 1999. Women had more recent winners of this poll. Blanka Vlasic won in 2009 and 2010 and Yelena Isinbayeva in 2005 and 2008.
OTTAWA (CAN): Earlier this week the Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, announced 91 new appointments to the Order of Canada. Two of the appointees have strong ties to the athletics community; para jumper Arnold Boldt and top 400 m runner Charmaine Crooks.
BUDAPEST (HUN): All-Athletics.com announced the World Jumpers of the Year 2012 Europeans Renaud Lavillenie and Anna Chicherova. In Africa long jumpers Khotso Mokoena and Blessing Okagbare. In Asia high jumper Moutaz Barshim and triple jumper Olga Rypakova. Triple jumper Christian Taylor and long jumper Brittney Reese are the number ones in North and Central America. In Oceania long jumper Mitchell Watt and pole vaulter Alana Boyd. Top jumpers in South America are long jumper Mauro Vinicius and triple jumper Catarine Ibarguen.
FRANKFURT (GER): World record holder Betty Heidler has top goals for 2013. „I want in any case throw over 80 meters and get a medal at World Championships,” she said for Leichtathletik Magazine.
COTTBUS (GER): Olympic pole vault medalist Bjorn Otto confirmed his participation at jumping meeting in Cottbus on January 30. At the 11th edition of the event earlier the Russian olympic bronze medalist Svetlana Shkolina was confirmed for women high jump.
XIAMEN (CHN): IAAF informs that the 11th edition of the Xiamen International Marathon in China will be held on Sunday morning in the beautiful surroundings of a city boasting of almost two million inhabitants. The race started in 2003 and has quickly evolved into a strong international marathon and now has the status of an IAAF Gold Label Race. Last year’s winner, Kenya’s Peter Kamais, ran a course record and personal best of 2:07:37 in 2012 and he is back to defend his title. However, the role of pre-race favourite has to go to last year’s runner up, and Kamais’ compatriot, Dickson Chumba with 2:05:46 best. In the women’s race last year, Ethiopia’s Ashu Kasim got really close to the 2:22:38 course record set by Zhang Yingying in 2008 when she ran 2:23.09. Although she is not defending her title, there is enough quality in the field for the course record to be threatened again. The best time in the field belongs to Kenya’s Eunice Jepkirui, who clocked 2:21:41 in only her second career marathon for the second place in Amsterdam last October.
KOBE (JPN): European sprint champion Christophe Lemaitre will spend next week in Japan in Kobe, headquarters of his sponsor Asics. Also other members of French national team will travel to Japan as Asics will also support the national squad in future years. After that he will go to training camp in Monte Gordo, Portugal on January 20. Informs L´Équipe.
BUDAPEST (HUN): All-Athletics.com announced the Steeplechase Runners of the Year 2012 in the World as well as in the different Areas. Globally the number ones are Paul Kipsiele Koech and Yuliya Zaripova. Top female in Africa is Milcah Chemos and top male in Europe Mahiedine Mekhissi Benabbad. Number ones in other continents, Asia Artyom Kosinov and Li Zhenzhu, North and Central America Evan Jager and Emma Coburn, in Oceania Youcef Abdi and Genevieve LaCaze and in South America Jose Gregorio Pena and Sabine Heitling.
RESULTS
TOKYO (JPN, Jan 3): Brett Larner informs that riding the momentum of its Day One win, Nittai University ran unchallenged throughout the second day of the 2013 Hakone Ekiden to take its first overall Hakone title in 30 years, crossing the line in 11:13:26 with a lead of nearly five minutes over defending champion Toyo University 11:18:20.
TAURANGA (NZL, Jan 1): National sprint champion Joseph Millar clocked 10.38 (+2.0) in the 100 m here and also personal best 20.94 (+1.5) at the 200 m. In addition he also clocked 47.49 in the 400 m.
LUANDA (ANG, Jan 2): At international track meet two days after the 57th Corrida Sao Silvestre Edwin Kipyego of Kenya won the 5000 m in 13:43.89. Olympic marathon medalist and winner of the road race Priscah Jeptoo achieved 9:05.68 in the 3000 m. Victor Chumo was the best in the 1500 m in 3:47.7 and Ethiopian Buze Kiela 4:20.3 in the women 1500 m.
BARCELONA (ESP, Dec 31): Carles Castillejo won the 3rd edition of the Cursa dels Nassos end of the year race with 28:29 at 10 km. Second Moroccan Ilias Fifa 28:45 and third another Moroccan Ibrahim Ezzaydouin 29:26. Lidia Rodriguez was top woman clocked 33:20.
SAD NEWS
MOSCOW (RUS): At age of 82 died former Vice-President of Russian Olympic Committee and former Vice-President of Russian Athletics Federation Vladimir Rodichenko. He was coach, scientist and also editor in-chief of magazine Lyogkaja Atletika.
