by Larry EderIt was about 2:50 PM today, give or take a minute, that our sport was brutalized. Two explosions, which were clearly heard by my ears, from the Fairmont Copley, changed our sport. The first bomb went off in front of Marathon sports store, about twenty meters in front of the Boston finish line. The second went off in front of Lord & Taylor about 300 meters up the road.
Shocker from Boston: Bombing
BOSTON (USA): Just before 3:00 p.m. two explosions went off on Bolyston Street near the finish of 117th Boston Marathon. The first appeared to come from a running store, Marathon Sports, and the other came from another location nearby just a few seconds later. There are serious injuries, according to to live television reports. Local news reporters and producers on the scene say injuries are very serious, including head wounds and lost limbs. Race officials, police, and other emergency responders are tending to the injured now. The race’s medical tent is being used for the injured, and other emergency equipment have been brought into the area; a line of ambulances has been staged. The official race hotel, the Fairmont Copley Plaza, has been locked down, and some mobile phone service in the area is out. Runners who were still on the course are being diverted away from the finish line. It is not yet known if any runners were amongst the injured. Informs Race Results Weekly.
London statement
LONDON (GBR): Virgin London Marathon provided statement on the explosions at the Boston Marathon. Nick Bitel, London Marathon Chief Executive, said: “We are deeply saddened and shocked by the news from Boston. Our immediate thoughts are with the people there and their families. It is a very sad day for athletics and for our friends and colleagues in marathon running. Our security plan is developed jointly with the Metropolitan Police and we were in contact with them as soon as we heard the news.” Met Police Chief Superintendent Julia Pendry said: “A security plan is in place for the London Marathon. We will be reviewing our security arrangements in partnership with London Marathon.”
Desisa and R. Jeptoo
BOSTON (USA, Apr 15): Elite runners were already back in hotel when terrible issues happened at Boston Marathon finish line (at 4:09-4:10 hrs level of the race). Two hourse before that the 117th edition registered Ethiopian male and Kenyan women win. Lelisa Desisa clocked 2:10:22 as the winner in his second marathon ever ahead of Kenyan 2008 Olympic 10 000 m medalist Micah Kogo who debuted at the distance in 2:10:27. Third NYC winner Gebre Gebremariam 2:10:28. Fourth top US runner Jason Hartmann ahead of defending champion Wesley Korir 2:12:30 and Markos Geneti 2:12:44. Rita Jeptoo won after 2006 for second time in 2:26:25 after fast final mile. Second Ethiopian Hailu Meseret 2:26:58 and third 2012 winner Sharon Cherop 2:27:01. Top US runner Shalane Flanagan was fourth 2:27:08 with Tirfi Tsegaye from Ethiopia fifth 2:28:09. Under 2:30 also Kara Goucher as 6th 2:28:11, Mexican Madai Perez 2:28:59 and for Burundi running Diane Nukuri-Johnson 2:29:54. Top European Ana Dulce Felix of Portugal was 9th 2:30:05 just ahead of German Sabrina Mockenhaupt 2:30:09. The race happened in good conditions, sunny, cool and small wind. Later after the start it started to be warmer. Also in the women’s race, 1984 Olympic gold medallist Joan Benoit Samuelson, a former two-time winner here and now 55, ran 2:50:29 to set a new world age-group best, taking almost two minutes off the previous mark, adds the IAAF.
The field is the best possible
EUGENE (USA): As he already said for Kenyan media 800 m Olympic winner and World record holder David Rudisha will run on June 1 at Prefontaine Classic, the 800 m and will have other seven finalists in the field. For Rudisha this will be a debut at Hayward Field. “I’ve heard about the great crowd at Eugene. Bernard Lagat tells me it’s where they have a special interest in middle distances,” says the 24-year-old, whose appearance in Eugene will be just his second ever race in the US, following his victory in New York last year. “So I’m excited to go and run there for the first time. I hope to run well and give the crowd something to enjoy.” Nijel Amos, Timothy Kitum, Mohamed Aman, Duane Solomon, Nick Symmonds, Andrew Osagie with Abubaker Kaki, Adam Kszczot and Job Kinyor along with more Kenyan youngsters Leonard Kosencha and Abraham Rotich is the top field. Actually the best possible. Informs the IAAF.
OTHER NEWS
MOSCOW (RUS): Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree stating that: “In order to facilitate the organization of the IAAF World Championships Moscow 2013 Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to issue the entry visas for the foreign accredited participants and guests without collecting the visa fees”. Writes Rusathletics.com.
KISLOVODSK (RUS): The 2004 800 m Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy informed rusathletics.com that he’s continuing his training at midlands in Kislovodsk under direction of his coach Vyacheslav Yevstratov. “It’s time to increase the mileage. I used to train here and I consider Kislovodsk as my second home. I’m doing great and even can run some work distances quicker than 10-15 years ago. But to be honest I need much more time for recovering now,” said the Russian star who turned 32 years on April 12. “Hope I’ll gain an optimal shape before Word championships and be able for medal fight in Moscow. The main thing for now is to remain injury free. Last summer I have got injury 10 days before Olympics all my preparation was for nothing. This summer my wife and both sons will support me from Luzhniki tribunes so I’ll do my utmost to make them happy.”
VOLGOGRAD (RUS): Triple jump European indoor champion 2009 Anastasiya Taranova-Potapova gave birth to son Mikhail. Mother and baby (3.460 kg and 55cm) are doing well.
SOCHI (RUS): Olympic city Sochi opened on Monday its doors to delegates from 113 countries for the 76thAIPS congress, a different form of test for the 2014 Winter Olympics host city, but a fitting pre-games experience for the sports journalists after the 1979 AIPS meeting held in Moscow in the Soviet Union. The Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation will headline the opening ceremony that will officially mark the start of the elective congress that has attracted key sports stakeholders and delegations.
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): British Athletics has confirmed Sainsbury’s as the title sponsor of the Sainsbury’s Summer Series – three world class athletics events in the UK this summer, culminating in the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games at The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford from Friday 26 July to Sunday 28 July. This partnership, which includes long-term support for British Athletics’ Paralympic programme, follows the retailer’s successful sponsorship of the 2012 Paralympic Games. Sainsbury’s legacy programme has already seen 2 million GBP of funding for schools, clubs and organisations to ensure that the next generation of Paralympic athletes get the support and coaching they need. Unique on the world stage, the Sainsbury’s Summer Series features two IAAF Diamond League events, the final of the IPC Grand Prix Series, and a one-off IPC International Challenge and some of the world’s biggest athletics stars have already been confirmed to compete. Official names of the Diamond League meetings are Sainsbury´s Grand Prix in Birmingham and Sainsbury´s Anniversary Games in London. UK Athletics informs.
VIENNA (AUT): Triple Vienna Marathon winner Henry Sugut will now target an autumn marathon. “In the future it is my goal to lower my personal best.” And then there may well be another Vienna Marathon. Henry Sugut could make history in Austria by becoming the first runner to win the race four times. “That would be great if I could achieve that!” The next Vienna City Marathon will take place on 13th April 2014. Henry Sugut will probably have made a note in his diary already. “Before I travelled to Vienna last year my younger brother Dominik told me: This is your rac
e,” recalls Henry Sugut. “Now he said the same again.” Henry Sugut is the eldest of nine children and he has a family himself with two girls of the age of five and one. They live in Eldoret. But Henry Sugut does a lot of his training in Kapsabet. His manager Jos Hermens has a training camp there which is run by Patrick Sang, the former world-class steeplechaser. One of his training partners is his 21 year-old brother Dominik. “He is the only one of my brothers and sisters who is also running. He ran around 14 minutes in a 5,000 metre race in high altitude,” says Henry Sugut. Asked if he intends to bring him to Europe in the future for races he answers: “Dominik will probably run a half marathon in Uganda next month. Afterwards we will see.” Vienna Marathon release informs.
SKOPJE (MKD): European Athletics and 37 of its Member Federations have reaffirmed their commitment to gender equality by signing the Brighton Declaration on Women and Sport. The endorsement of the Declaration and its 10 principles came on the occasion of the 23rd European Athletics Congress in Skopje. The Declaration is meant to complement all sporting, local, national and international charters, laws, codes, rules and regulations relating to women or sport.
CORK (IRL): Former world champion Ireland´s running star Sonia O’Sullivan (43) savoured a major accolade in her home county. Irish media are informing. The Cobh born Olympic silver medallist admitted she was “very humbled” after a Cork track she competed on as a teenager was officially renamed in her honour. University College Cork’s old Mardyke athletics track was destroyed by the River Lee floods in November 2009. The facility was refurbished at a cost of 650 000 E and will now be known as the Sonia O’Sullivan athletics track.
TOKYO (JPN): Brett Larner writes on his blog that probable Moscow World Championships marathon team member Yuki Kawauchi won on Sunday the Honjo Waseda no Mori Half Marathon in 1:06:28. With the cancellation of last weekend’s Satte Sakura 10-Miler due to bad weather it had been three weeks since his last race, the March 24 Saitama City Half Marathon. The Honjo Waseda no Mori Half Marathon was Kawauchi’s tenth race of the year, coming on the heels of a minor hip injury after the Mar. 14 Seoul International Marathon. His next race is the Nagano Marathon this Sunday, his first full marathon since setting his 2:08:14 PB in Seoul.
ZURICH (SUI): Swiss Athletics informs that top sprinter Amaru Schenkel is training in Bradenton, Florida with coach Loren Seagrave. He changed also clubs from LC Zurich back to LV Winterthur where he started his career 12 years ago. Schenkel will concentrate on running the 100 m only this year and will be available for the Swiss relay again in 2014.
JOHANNESBURG (RSA): Athletics SA (ASA) has been placed under administration for the second time in less than four years, Sascoc said on Saturday. The SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) confirmed the athletics body would be led by administrator Zola Majavu indefinitely.
RESULTS
PYONGYANG (PRK, Apr 14): Despite tensions fast times at 26th 26th Mangyongdae Prize Marathon in North Korea. Female winner Kim Mi Kyong improved to 2:26:32. Also under 2:30 second Kim Hye Song 2:28:32 (also PB) and tghird Meseret Mengistu of Ethiopia clocked 2:29:22 life-time best. Best European Olha Kotovska from Ukraine 2:33:37 as 7th. Ethiopian Ketema Negussie topped the men field in 2:13:04. Second Ukrainian Oleksandr Matviychuk 2:13:15 and third Jean Pierre Mvuyekure from Rwanda 2:13:19. Fourth best home runner Pak Song Chol 2:13:24. Informs Tilastopaja.
NASSAU (BAH, Apr 13): Interesting to add that the sprints were staged at Chris Brown Invitational against head-wind. In the men 100 m -2.0, in the women 200 m -1.6 and in the women 100 m hurdles -0.1. Chantal Malone of British Virgin Islands won the long jump with 668, new national record and Moscow qualifier.
GNIEZNO (POL, Apr 13): Kenyan Wycliffe Kipkorir won the 11th edition of “European Race” at the 10 km in 28:51 ahead of Martin Mukele 29:38 and John Tanui 29:52. Best home runner Arkadiusz Gardzielewski was fourth in 29:58. Russian Nadezhda Trilinskaya won the women category 33:54 ahead of Dominika Nowakowska 33:56 and Kenyan Hellen Kimutai 33:57.
CZESTOCHOWA (POL, Apr 13): Kenyan wins at the 5th edition of the 10 km road race here. Samuel Rutto 30:13 and Susy Chebeit 35:13.
NEW YORK (USA, Apr 14): US Olympian Deena Kastor won the 10th-anniversary More® Magazine/Fitness® Magazine Women’s Half-Marathon in 1:13:26.
YOKOHAMA (JPN, Apr 14): Ethiopian Demma Daba achieved here 13:27.14 in the 5000 m. Japanese sub 2:20 marathon runner Yoko Shibui won the women 5000 m 16:00.54.
CLERMONT (USA, Apr 13): British long jumper JJ Jegede leaped here to 805 (+1.4). It is his second best career mark.
NOTES
DAEGU (KOR): As per her passport the winner of women category at Daegu Marathon is Margaret Agai from Kenya (not Akai).
FAYETTEVILLE (USA): The correct time of Aries Merritt on Saturday was 13.23 (+2.1) and not 13.21.
SAD NEWS
MAGDEBURG (GER): At age of 61 after short ilness died the long jump olympic winner from 1976 in Montreal German Angela Voigt. It happened last Thursday. She achieved in 1976 692 world record and also indoor all-time best 676. After a baby break she returned for European Championships 1978 in Praha and won a silver medal. In 1982 Voigt ended her career.
CORPUS CHRISTI (USA): Trackandfieldnews.com informs that Hal Bateman, an authority on world track and field for more than fifty years (writer, statistician, press officer) died April 10 in Corpus Christi, Texas, following a brief illness. He was 81.
