by Larry Eder
IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE NEWS
DOHA (QAT): Doha 2013 Diamond League is announcing the 100 m Olympic and World Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, just few hours after the bad news about the injury of Yohan Blake. Unfortunately, reigning world 100m champion Yohan Blake had to withdraw for the Doha 2013 Diamond League. MRI scans revealed that the injury he sustained at an athletics meeting in Jamaica last week will keep him on the side-lines for a few weeks. “I have always wanted to run in Doha, when I got the opportunity I was over the moon. Unfortunately I have to withdraw because of a slight injury, but these things do happen. I was looking forward to running in Doha because I have never been there and also because I wanted the people to see what a beast I am on the track. I guess there is always next year. I am sorry for not coming but I will be there next time for sure if God allows it” said Yohan Blake, quite frustrated after misfortune halted his plans. With Fraser-Pryce the women 200 m will be special in Doha.
ROMA (ITA): A very special edition of the Golden Gala will be the one to be staged on 6 June in the Olympic Stadium of Rome, as the meeting will be entitled to the memory of Pietro Mennea. The new logo of the IAAF Diamond League Rome’s meet will integrate the name of the Italian spint star. The 2013 Promotional campaign presents Usain Bolt, playing the role of “his majesty” in a “Athletics Royal Family” shot including three Italian stars: Alessia Trost, Fabrizio Donato and Daniele Greco Meet Director Luigi D’Onofrio, while announcing that Rome will host this year “Ten reigning Olympic champions”, confirmed the participation of some more athletes to the night of 6 June: US sprinter Justin Gatlin will be the main rival of Usain Bolt at 100m; in the women’s High Jump, Olympic champion Anna Chicherova of Russia will be competing on the same track where the current world record (209) was established, in 1987, by Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova; in the men’s pole vault, Olympic and world champion Renaud Lavillenie will face Germany’s Bjorn Otto and Raphael Holzedeppe; finally Olympic champion Sally Pearson will run the 100 m hurdles.
LONDON (GBR): The IAAF Diamond League meeting which will be staged in London’s Olympic stadium on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July will play out to capacity crowds of spectators on both days. British Athletics have confirmed that tickets for the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games sold out in 75 minutes on Friday morning when they were released to fans who had pre-registered via the British Athletics website. “This ticket sell-out is a furher vindication of the IAAF’s firm backing for the successful campaign to retain the track in London’s Olympic stadium, a venue which we are delighted will host the 2017 IAAF World Championships. This is truly Athletics legacy in action,” confirmed President Lamine Diack.
STOCKHOLM (SWE): The 47th DN Galan in Stockholm on August 22 will be the 12th meet of the Diamond League. Sweden´s European indoor medalists already confirmed their participation. Abeba Aregawi, Moa Hjelmer, Ebba Jungmark, Emma Green Tregaro, Michel Torneus and Erica Jarder. It was announced at a press conference. Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel is the new hotel of the meet.
MARATHON NEWS
LONDON (GBR): London Marathon could improve on Sunday its top ten performances average of 2:05:15. It is fourth place among marathons, Berlin has 2:04:37, Dubai 2:04:48 and Rotterdam 2:04:54 average. In the women rankings London is the leader with 2:18:59 average ahead of Chicago 2:19:59 and Berlin 2:20:20. Fastest losing time in London Marathon is 2:05:20 by Tsegaye Kebede from 2009, is likely to be broken. Fastest marathon by 31 years old, 2:04:56 by Sammy Korir, is likely to be broken by Wilson Kipsang or Geoffrey Mutai. From Ken Nakamura.
WORLD LEADS: Boston Marathon winner Lelisa Desisa has the 2013 world lead from Dubai in January 2:04:45. Should be under threat this weekend, specially in London. The same for 2:21:06 of Ethiopian Feysa Tadese on the women side from Paris Marathon.
ENSCHEDE (NED): Organizers of the Enschede marathon this Sunday are hoping to match the performances set at last weekend’s ABN AMRO Rotterdam Marathon. With the likes of Kenyan athletes Julius Korir, Isaac Kosgei, Kiplimo Kimutai and Patric Cheruiyot as well as Ethiopian runners Dese Endris, Gelgelo Tona Outoya and Teshome Girma the winning time in Enschede could be close to the 2:05.38 from Rotterdam. Olympic winner and 2011 Enschede marathon winner with 2:07:20 course record Stephen Kiprotich is this weekend in London. Women course record is 2:29:23 by Russian Lidiya Vasilevskaya from 2002. Enschede is the oldest marathon in Netherlands, first edition was held in 1947.
BEOGRAD (SRB): The 26th Beograd Marathon on Sunday expects record participation of 2300 runners for marathon and half marathon. Special star guest of the event will be US star Carl Lewis.
LONDON (GBR): Latest weather forecast for London Marathon: Sunday’s looking dry most of the day. Starting cold at 2c and rising to approx 13c by afternoon. 3-8mph S-SW winds.
PARIS (FRA): L´Équipe writes that the Daegu Marathon winner Abraham Kiprotich (in European leading time 2013 2:08:33) cannot be sure with his selection for the World Championships in Moscow. French Athletics Federation President Bernard Amsalem and Technical director Ghani Yalouz said before the Senate inquiry on the effectiveness of the fight against doping that the French marathon winner in Daegu recently “had left running Korea while he was under a temporary suspension of fifteen days following the administrative failures relating to medical surveillance of high-level athletes.”
WARSZAWA (POL): For first Orlen Warsaw Maraton on Sunday not only Moroccan Jaouad Gharib is confirmed but also strong group of Kenyans with Nicholas Manza 2:06:34 and Elias Kemboi, Felix Keny, Jairus Chanchima, Evans Ruto and John Kiprotich all having personal best between 2:07:04 and 2:07:44. Ethiopians will be represented by Sisay Lemma with 2:09:08.
HAMBURG (GER): Kenyan favorite Wilson Kiprop should chase the 28th Haspa Marathon hamburg course record of 2:05:58, set last year Ethiopia’s Shami Dawit. There is also a highly anticipated debut of 2003 track world champion at 5000 m Eliud Kipchoge. Ethiopia’s Limenih Getachew could challenge the two better-known Kenyans with 2:07:39, also included in the field are Ethiopia’s Chele Dechasa, a former runner-up in Amsterdam and Dubai with a best of 2:06:33; and the Kenyan pair of Joseph Gitau, last year’s Fukuoka Marathon winner who has a best of 2:06:58, and Lawrence Kimaiyo, the winner in Kosice last year with a personal best of 2:07:01. The fastest runner in the women’s race is Ukraine’s Kateryna Stetsenko, who set her 2:27:51 personal best when finishing second in Dublin in 2010. In total 29 200 entries were accepted, 15 200 from them for marathon, rest for relays and 10 km.
LINZ (GER): Top name for the 12th Borealis Linz Marathon is German marathon star Irina Mikitenko with 2:19:19 best. She will run the half marathon where the course record has the value 1:12:47. For the full marathon another German Julia Viellehner is mentioned, also Natalia Cerches from Moldova and Kenyan Emily Jelagat with 2:30:45 best. Among the men top Austrian Gunther Weidlinger is the main favorite. His aim is the Moscow standard of 2:15.
OTHER NEWS
AYVALIK (TUR): Balkan Walking Championships will be held on Saturday in Turkey (Ayvalik Balikesir) with participants from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Serbia and home walkers. In the 14th edition of the event youth, junior and senior races will be staged with around 70 competitiors together.
LONDON (GBR): International Rugby Board (IRB)
chairman Bernard Lapasset has announced he is standing to be the next President of SportAccord, meaning he will challenge International Judo Federation (IJF) head Marius Vizer for the position. The 65-year-old from Tarbes in France is the second candidate to declare himself for the SportAccord Presidency after Vizer revealed last month that he will be standing for the role at the SportAccord Convention in St Petersburg next month. The pair will be battling to replace Dutchman Hein Verbruggen, the controversial former President of the International Cycling Union (UCI) who has held the position since 2004. Informs insidethegames. SportAccord is the umbrella organisation for all Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations as well as organisers of multi-sports games and sport-related international associations.
BEOGRAD (SRB): Veselin Jevrosimovic was last week re-elected as President of Serbian Athletics Federation for another four years term. Also continuing is general secretary Slobodan Brankovic, former top 400 m runner. The main project of the Serbian Athletics is currently the building of a indoor hall specially for athletics which is a joint task with ministry of defence and youth and sports.
TALLAHASSEE (USA): Local media are informing that Florida State sprinter and Olympian Josh Mance was cleared of all charges pertaining to a gunplay incident last month that allegedly involved he and another FSU athlete. Mance was running in the silver winning team at Olympic Games in London at the 4×400 m. He already clocked 45.43 last weekend.
INDIANAPOLIS (USA): USATF has selected the coaching and medical staff to lead the world youth team at the IAAF World Youth Championships July 10-14 in Donetsk, Ukraine. The staff will be led by head coach Lee Webb of Fremont, Calif.. Webb has served as the head boys and girls coach at James Logan High School for 21 years where he has led 16 athletes to individual state titles and two state team titles. Webb served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Lille.
LJUBLJANA (SLO): Top Slovenian athlete, the hammer olympic winner from Beijing Primoz Kozmus wants to start his season at local meets end of May and early June in Slovenska Bistrica and Velenje. “This year I want to compete more than in last year. My goal is to win a medal at World Championships and get a 80 meters mark,” he said. Slovenian Athletics Federation also approved financial support for top athletes worht in total of 200 000 Euro. Kozmus is one of the top supported athletes with 15 000 Euro for the year 2013. In the so-called Rio Team are 12 athletes with the biggest support.
SAO PAULO (BRA): Former olympic and world winner Szymon Ziolkowski of Poland is to compete in men hammer at the Grande Prêmio Brasil Caixa/Governo do Pará de Atletismo-2013, the Brazilian IAAF World Challenge leg on May 12. Also confirmed are Bahamian relay olympic winner Michael Mathieu and former French hurdles world champion Ladji Doucoure.
MONACO (MON): IAAF ratified the World junior record of Hagos Gebrhiwet at 5000 m from last year AREVA Paris Diamond League meet 12:47.53. Also officialy ratified is the World indoor record by Olympic winner Jenn Suhr 502 from US Indoor Championshisp in Albuquerque on March 2.
MOSCOW (RUS): Long jump London Olympic silver medalist Yelena Sokolova told to All Sport news agency she is doing pretty good and continuing her preparation for summer season at home-town Stary Oskol. “I have a long rest after Olympic season as I definitely needed full and deep recovery. I started my training at the end of November only. I have missed indoor season for the first time in my career so I can’t wait for my first summer competitions which will be on May 10 at Doha’s Diamond League opener. Now I’m feeling better than last year and burning with a desire to know for what result I’m ready at the beginning of the season.” As a winner of last year Diamond League in women long jump Sokolova is already selected to Russian team for Moscow. “Successful performance at world championships is my main goal for this season and I plan to gain the greatest shape in August exactly.” Sokolova also informed she wants to set new personal best this summer. “I hope to be able to jump more than 707 cm. I don’t know yet whether I perform at National championships or no as well as at World University Games. We’ll make this decision during competition season.” For sure 26-year-old Russian confirmed her participation at two Diamond League events more: Rome and Oslo.
MOSCOW (RUS): Twice bronze Olympic medalist (2008 and 2012) in heptathlon Tatyana Chernova told in her quotes for Sport-Express newspaper that the most important part of her preparation for current season was long and full rest after difficult Olympic season. “I started to train in January only. Such long rest gave me much more motivation and desire for training. Many years I have been competed indoor and outdoor and I really had no time for recovering. So four-month break allowed me to treat old injuries and to become much stronger physically and mentally.” Reigning world champion also confirmed she’ll try to defend her title in Moscow. “I’m the kind of person that always wants be the best in everything. This is what my character is. And the fact that world athletics championships will be held this year in Moscow inspires me even more. I think Russian fans are the best in the world – the brightest and most dedicated ones. I hope their support in Moscow will help Russian team to show better results than at the previous world championships in Daegu” added 25-year-old Russian.
NIJMEGEN (NED): The 30th edition of the Seven hills run will be celebrated with a Seven Hills night on the night before the traditional run is held on November 17th. During the festivities a five and ten kilometer run will be staged as well as a closing party. Organizers are expecting a total of 50.000 runners to compete in the different races.
RESULTS
RALEIGH (USA, Apr 18): First day of ACC Championships top hurdler and NCAA Champion Brianna Rollins did not celebrate 200 m personal best as her heat time 23.02 was aided by +2.9. In men 200 m heats new PB for Darrell Wesh 20.80 (+2.0).
LAWRENCE (USA, Apr 18): The pre-programme of Kansas Relays continued with special women long jump which was staged again indoors (Douglas County Fairgrounds) and won by olympic medalist Janay DeLoach-Soukup 682. Second Torie Bowie 663 and third Funmi Jimoh 646. Amber Campbell won the hammer which was of course outside with 69.66 m.
AZUSA (USA, Apr 18): Sami Spenner improved to 5806 points when winning the Azusa Mt SAC Relay multis heptathlon. Canadian junior Nicole Oudenaarden again improved the Area junior record to 5774 points. Overnight leader in men decathlon Jeremy Taiwo no-heighted in the pole vault and the winner Andy Lillejord scored 7397 points.
WALNUT (USA, Apr 18): Venezuela´s national record holder Jose Gregorio Pena won the steeple at MtSAC Relays in 8:27.66. It is currently the fastest steeple race of the year. In women steeple Shalaya Kipp got 9:52.82 to win.
VESZPREM (HUN, Apr 18): Croatian record holder Andras Haklits achieved solid 75.14 at throwing meet here. Women winner Eva Orban got 69.43.
BELLE VUE (MRI, Apr 19): Lebogang Shange of South Africa won the African 20 km walk title in 1:28:31.
BAMBOUS (MRI, Apr 19): Belgian talent Naffisatou Thiam won the heptathlon at African CE Championships with new national junior record 6021 points. She achieved during second day 600 cm in the long jump, new javelin personal best 46.48 and 2:31.32 in the final 800 m. It means also Moscow qualifier. Belgian senior record is 6201 points and World junior record 6542. Decathlon winner was Guillaume Thierry from Mauritius with 7043 points, South African favoritre William Coertzen did not continue after four events.
DUBAI (UAE, Apr 19): Runner
s from Kenya and Ethiopia dominated at the second Fujairah Half Marathon. Vincent Cheruiyot from Kenya with 1:07:05 and Anani Asafa from Ethiopia 1:18:49.
