by Larry Eder
GREAT TV COVERAGE FOR THE WEEKEND
LAUSANNE (SUI): European Athletics informs that the Gateshead 2013 European Athletics Team Championships this weekend are set to receive 100 hours of television coverage across the continent. National broadcasters from 15 European countries (Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, Great Britain) have confirmed their plans for coverage of the 22-23 June event. In addition, pan-European channel Eurosport plans to show the majority of the championships live across its 59 territories. The intentions are a big improvement on those received for the previous edition of the event in 2011, when 11 broadcasters planned on 58 hours of coverage. The entire event will also be streamed live with English-language commentary at link in the bottom. This service will not be available in France, Germany and Spain. Six international broadcasters (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, covering two leagues, Ireland, Portugal, Switzerland) will be televising the European Athletics Team Championships 1st League in Dublin – making a total of 20 countries broadcasting the top two leagues. (http://eurovision.digotel.
ASAFA IS READY
KINGSTON (JAM): Former 100 m world record holder Asafa Powell has already suffered two injury setbacks this season, but his coach Stephen Francis said his charge is raring to go for this week’s Jamaica Trials at the National Stadium. Powell, who was unable to compete at the last World Championships in Daegu, South Korea because of injury, started this season in similar vein, crashing out of the Stawell Gift Festival over the Easter weekend in Australia and pulling up during a low-key local development meet on May 18. However, the 30 year-old, who looked fit, if not smooth, while bouncing up and down the Stadium East track during training yesterday morning, has taken a new approach and Francis expects it to pay dividends over the weekend and beyond.
LOWE, A. TAYLOR, CANTWELL NOT COMPETING
DES MOINES (USA): From top names interesting to see not in the start lists Diamond Race wild card holder Chaunte Lowe in the high jump, also not competing is former olympic winner at 400 m hurdles Angelo Taylor. Injured in Shanghai Carmelita Jeter is in the 100 m start list as is Terrence Trammell at 110 m hurdles from the older guard. Allyson Felix opted only for 200 m and Christian Taylor who is a wild card will not compete in the triple but long jump. Also not competing is former shot put world champion Christian Cantwell. Galen Rupp is entered into both 5000 m and 10 000 m, both events staged as direct finals. For doubles entered in men sprints Tyson Gay, Justin Gatlin and Walter Dix.
LESSER OFFENSE POSSIBLE
KINGSTON (JAM): Agencies are writing that the doping case involving Jamaican sprint star Veronica Campbell-Brown appears to involve a „lesser” offense of unintentional use of a banned substance, the sport’s world governing body said on Wednesday. „It is up to our member federations to enforce our rules,” IAAF spokesman Nick Davies told The Associated Press in a text message. „Although we would not normally comment on active cases (we) would simply remind media to keep (a) sense of perspective – all evidence seems to point to this offense being a lesser one.” The sanction for a lesser offense can be a reduced penalty – a suspension of a few months to a year or a public warning – rather than a standard two-year ban.
BLAKE NOT AT THE TRIALS
KINGSTON (JAM): World 100 m champion Yohan Blake has withdrawn from this weekend’s Jamaican Championships. Blake wanted to run the 200m at the trials as he had gotten wild card as the defending 100m champion. A statement from Blake’s manager Cubie Seegobin, stated “Yohan’s coach (Glen Mills) is not satisfied with the progress of his injury and hence his level of fitness will not allow him to compete at this time.”
BEKELE, ISINBAYEVA, PEARSON
OSTRAVA (CZE): The 52nd Ostrava Golden Spike mee
ting (next week on June 27 as IAAF World Challenge) announced last wave of top stars. Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele will return after 2004 10 000 m world record for first time to Ostrava for the Emil Zatopek Memorial 5000 m. He will try for a fast time. Another star returning to Ostrava for first time since 2007 is legendary Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva for her European 2013 debut. She won here in 2007 with 466 and hopes for a good mark. Meet record of US Stacy Dragila (coming from 2004) is 483 what was at that time the best outdoor mark ever. „I´am happy to have a competition in Ostrava. Hope there will be a wonderful weather so it will help me to make my best result,” she said in a statement for the organisers. Third top star announced is reigning world and olympic gold medalist Australian Sally Pearson in the 100 m hurdles. Organisers are hoping she will be able to break the old meet record 12.65 of Grazyna Rabsztyn achieved in 1980 (and equaled by Brigitte Foster-Hylton in 2003 and last year by Tiffany Porter who will return also this year). “Ever since I started coming to Europe , I had heard about this meet in a place called Ostrava. The meet had a catchy name Golden Spike. So every year I was hearing about it but not really sure where it was. Then Dayron Robles ran the world record there and I became more intrigued after watching the meet on television , this must be a decent track and is a very good meet. I know that Usain is a regular there , so I am now very excited to be coming to Ostrava for the first time. I have recovered from a slight injury earlier this year and am now well rested after an exhausting Olympic season. Training has been going well and I could think of a no better place to start my European season than in Ostrava.”
OTHER NEWS
BOSTON (USA): Returning to Boston for Sunday‘s B.A.A. 10-K, Ethiopian Mamitu Daska is confident that she has what it takes to win the 5000 USD first-place prize at the third annual race through Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. Coming off of a personal best performance and having experienced the city roads before, the 29-year-old is prepared for a fast race through the Massachusetts capital. The last time Daska raced in Boston was at the 117th Boston Marathon onApril 15, when she finished a disappointing 12th in 2:33:31. Informs RRW.
ATHENS (GRE): Greek Athletics federation SEGAS announced the team for the Mediterranean Games in Mersin. In total 36 athletes were selected. Among the top names Konstantinos Douvalidis, Periklis Iakovakis, Konstantinos Baniotis, Antonis Mastoras, Luis Tsatoumas, Giorgos Tsakonas and Spyros Lebesis. On the women side Stella-Iro Ledaki, Niki Panetta and Athanasia Perra.
AMSTERDAM (NED): Dutch talented athletes Inge Drost, Sybren Blok and Loek Van Zevenbergen are selected for the IAAF World Youth championships in Donetsk. It is the first time The Netherlands is sending a team to the championships and for now the team will only consist of combined event athletes.
BRUSSELS (BEL): Kevin Borlée has suffered from an allergic reaction and will not be able to compete at the European team championships in Dublin later this week. The Belgian athlete also canceled his participation for Ostrava on June 27threports sporza.be.
INGOLSTADT (GER): Interesting pole vault competition this friday in Ingolstadt where Raphael Holzdeppe takes on Malte Mohr, Alexander Straub and Tobias Scherbarth confirms leichtathletik.de.
OLOMOUC (CZE): The 4th edition of the Mattoni Olomouc Half Marathon will have on Saturday in the elite start list runners from 11 countries. The majority will be African runners, particularly from Kenya and Ethiopia, who would lead the start field. The start list also includes participants from Great Britai
n, Japan, Morocco, Ukraine, Poland and Romania. The fastest man is Kenyan John Kiprotich (59:23) who already knows how to complete a half marathon under one hour. Just one second behind the magical barrier is Henry Kiplagat (1:00:01), already well-know from other RunCzech Running League races. Japan will have a strong team in Olomouc, number one runner should be Fumihiro Maruyama (1:01:15) among men and Yuka Tokuda (1:10:40) among women. Weldu Negash from Norway, but Eritrean origin can achieve very nice result as well with marathon PB 2:12:29. The main candidate for win in women category is Ethiopian Yebrqual Melese (1:09:02). Her biggest rivals will be Susan Partridge (1:10:31) from Great Britain and already mentioned Japanese Yuka Tokuda. Ethiopian runner Betelehm Moges (1:11:51) and Jane Kiptoo (1:09:07) from Kenya also have ambitions for award podium. The capacity of 3500 participants was filled two months before the race.
MANNHEIM (GER): German European indoor champion over the hurdles Carolin Nytra ended the season because a spur was removed on her left heel.
PALO ALTO (USA): Paloaltoonline.com informs that Stanford junior Kori Carter has big plans for the middle of August, no matter what happens at the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines. Carter, who won the NCAA title in the women’s 400-meter hurdles in a collegiate record and world leading 53.21 is supposed to be a bridesmaid at her older sister’s wedding in the mountains near Claremont in Southern California this August. Should Carter qualify for the World Championships in Moscow–also in August–her big plans as a member of the wedding party will turn into big plans of a possible world title as a member of the United States track and field team. Carter is entered for Des Moines only in the 400 m hurdles.
HEUSDEN (BEL): 2009 World champion Ryan Brathwaite confirmed his participation at the KBC Nacht meet (EA Premium) on July 13. Against him Jamaican Dwight Thomas along with Belgians Adrien Deghelt and Damine Broothaerts.
CORK (IRL): A strong international field has been assembled by the organizers of this year’s Cork City Sports which will see Ireland’s leading two lappers tackle some really world class opposition in the women 800 m. Kerry’s Laura Crowe, Kilkenny’s Ciara Everard and Kildare’s Rose-Anne Galligan have each reduced their best times over the past year and are edging ever closer to the magical two minute barrier for the distance and with the likes of Americans Phoebie Wright, Geena Gall, Heather Kampf and Ajee Wilson in great form at present the home athletes could achieve their objective.
GLASGOW (GBR): The Scotsman writes that Hampden Park in Glasgow is set to be offered the chance to stage a Diamond League meeting next summer with UK Athletics officials understood to be ready to hold their showpiece at the National Stadium. With London’s Olympic Stadium unavailable for up to two years – it is closed for refurbishment ahead of the arrival of new tenants West Ham United – a number of venues have been considered as a replacement for the two-day meeting in order to retain one of two British stops on the IAAF’s global calendar.
PORTLAND (USA): Less than a week after announcing her intentions to forgo her senior season and turn professional, the two-time NCAA 100 m champion English Gardner announced via Twitter that she has signed with HSInternational, a sports management company based in Irvine, Calif. She will run the 100 m at the US Championships this weekend.
REIMS (FRA): Cuban Olympic 2008 winner Dayron Robles will next compete at the International meet of Reims, France on June 28. After long break he competed in Torino on June 10 and clocked 13.82.
DES MOINES (USA): After winning the NCAA title in the women’s steeplechase, Emma Coburn appeared to be a lock for Team USA’s roster heading to Moscow for the IAAF World Championship. The latest addition to the New Balance team says she developed a lower back injury before racing in Eugene and paid the price. She posted the following message on her Facebook page: „Sadly, I won’t be able to compete at the 2013 USA Championships. Entering the NCAA, I had developed an injury in my lower back. After consultations with excellent doctors and my coaches, I decided to race. The two races further aggravated it and now for my safety and future, I have to stop for awhile.”
DES MOINES (USA): Completely fit for the first time since winning gold in the 100 and 200 metres and 4×100 relay at the 2007 worlds, US record holder Tyson Gay told Reuters he will run both sprints at next week’s US championships, then seek a spot on the relay team for Moscow. „I want to do the double for sure,” the 30-year-old Gay, American record holder in the short sprint, said in a telephone interview from his central Florida training base.
KINGSTON (JAM): London Olympics 110 m hurdles bronze medallist, Hansle Parchment, has expressed his delight after he was officially introduced as a brand ambassador for GraceKennedy at the company’s head office, Harbour Street, Kingston, last Friday. In his role as GraceKennedy brand ambassador, Parchment will be the face of the company’s Aloe Vera beverage. Parchment has now joined two-time Olympic 100m champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, as brand ambassadors for the company. Fraser-Pryce signed on in 2008.
FRANKURT (GER): Germany selected its teams for combined events and walking for the European U23 Championships in Tampere. In decathlon Kai Kazmirek, NCAA Champion Johannes Hock and Patrick Scherfose will compete. In heptathlon Kira Biesenbach, Carolin Schafer and Alina Biesenbach. In the men 20 km Hagen Pohle, Nils Brembach and Marcel Lehmberg.
SOFIA (BUL): Top Bulgarian runner Vania Stambolova has an inflammation of the tendon and muscle strain of the left leg and will not compete in at the European Team Championships. She hopes to be ready for the World Championships.
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): London 2012 Olympians Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Adam Gemili, Holly Bleasdale and Sophie Hitchon have been included in the first wave of selections for the European Under-23 Championships in Tampere taking place from July 10-14. Another athlete set to do the double is Zane Duquemin who has been named for both the shot and discus, while in the women’s team Jodie Williams is set to contest the 100m and 200m. Informs Athletics Weekly.
COLORADO SPRINGS (USA): AP informs that the US Olympic Committee is hiring 1984 Olympic gold medal hurdler Benita Fitzgerald Mosley to a new position, chief of organizational excellence. Fitzgerald Mosley, who won the gold in 100 meter hurdles at the Los Angeles Games, will move to the USOC after spending four years as chief of sport performance at USA Track and Field.
ADDIS ABABA (THE): The Telegraph writes that legendary long distance runner Haile Gebrselassie turns sights on Ethopian presidency.
MONACO (MON): The IAAF on Wednesday denied that it had any prior knowledge or evidence of Italian 2008 Olympic race walk champion Alex Schwazer’s doping practices before he was caught with a positive test last year. Schwazer, who was one of Italy’s big medal hopes, was excluded from last year’s London Olympics after testing positive for the banned blood-boosting substance EPO days before the start of the Games. He was banned for three-and-a-half years by Italian authorities earlier this year. Writes Reuters. The New York Times said the suggestion of the IAAF’s prior knowledge of the athlete’s use of banned substances had come from the Italian prosecutors’ investigation.
RESULTS
ALGER (ALG, Jun 18): The International meet here saw excellent distance races. Moroccans Mohamed Moustaoui won the 1500 m in 3:37.32 and Soufiyan Bouqantar the 5000 m in 13:25.00 over South African Elroy Gelant 13:25.70 and another Moroccan Hicham Bellani 13:26.31. In the 1500 m French Yoann Kowal 10th in 3:40.08. Steeple win for home Abdelmadjed Touil 8:23.58 ahead of Kenyan Elijah Chelimo 8:26.28. French elite hurdler Pascal Martinot-Lagarde clocked 13.51 to win the 110 m hurdles (+1.0) over his brother Thomas 13.58 and German Alexander John 13.61. Best women results at 100 m hurdles Italian Marzia Caravelli 13.06 (+2.3) over French Alice Decaux 13.15. In the triple French Nathalie Marie Nely 14.07 (+2.6) and in hammer Bianca Perie from Romania 69.07. Informs Carole Fuchs.
PLOCK (POL, Jun 19): First Orlen Cup as a square competition saw local hero Tomasz Majewski winning the men shot put 20.70 ahead of Canadian Dylan Armstrong 20.67. Third another Canadian Tim Nedow 20.12 and fourth Poland´s Rafal Kownatke with personal best 20.01. German olympic bronze medalist Raphael Holzdeppe cleared 580 to win the men competition and tried at 602. Second Cuban World medalist 2011 Lazaro Borges 570 and third Russian Sergey Kucheryanu 565.
ALMATY (KZK, Jun 15-16): More from Kosanov Memorial shows Konstantin Safronov 810 (-0.8) in the long jump and national record for Turkmenistan 74.01 in hammer by Mergen Mammedov. Top women marks 2:00.18 in the 800 m for Margarita Mukasheva, 195 in high for Maria Aitova, both Asian leading marks 2013. Irina Ektova achieved 14.05 (0.0) in the triple jump.
PRAHA (CZE, Jun 19): Czech champion Jan Kudlicka won the square Prague Pole Vault meet with personal best of 583 cm. Unfortunately it will not be ratified as national record (581 by Adam Ptacek in 2003) due to exhibition nature of the competition. Second Michal Balner 555. Third in a tie Latvian Mareks Arents and Japanese Hiroki Ogita, both 535 cm. Jirina Svobodova cleared 445 to win the women competition.
OBERTEURINGEN (GER, Jun 16): Swiss long jumper Yves Zellweger improved here to 803 cm (-0.4).
