by Larry EderA busy week in the world of athletics! With European U 23s, Kenyan Trials, and World Youth Championships! Where does one take a deep breath? Well, that won’t happen until 2014.
Kenyan Trials
NAIROBI (KEN): On Saturday the Kenyan Trials for Moscow will be held as one day event. As Kenyan federation officials said, top two should in principle gain the selection. All wild cards from last World Championships, Diamond League and also Olympic gold medals should give the respected athletes a bye. In the women 800 m Janet Jepkosgei, Winnie Chebet and Eunice Sum will be the favourites and in outsider position Nelly Chepkosgei. Men 800 m without David Rudisha (his health status towards Moscow is not yet confirmed) will have Timothy Kitum and Anthony Chemut as favorites. Also to mention for the 3 positions available Jeremiah Mutai and Job Kinyor. Faith Chepngetich and Hellen Obiri with sub 4 minutes this year are clear favorites in women 1500 m, for the third place on the team again fast 2008 Olympic winner Nancy Langat could be the choice. In men 1500 m Nickson Chepseba with Bethwell Birgen could be the favorites for remaining two places, Asbel Kiprop is the defending champion and Silas Kiplagat Diamond Race winner. With 11 runners with sub 15:20times the field is deep but the main names in women 5000 m are Viola Kibiwott, Mercy Cherono and Margareth Muriuki. But a surprise here is not impossible. Here the wild card of Vivian Cheruiyot will not be used. The most open race could be men 5000 m with 9 runners having sub13:10 times. Isiah Koech should be ok as Diamond Race winner, other names are Thomas Longosiwa with Edwin Soi as the most experienced in this event, but also runners like Augustine Choge, John Kipkoech, Caleb Ndiku and Sam Chelanga should be mentioned. Milka Chemos is the Diamond Race winner, Lydia Chepkurui is the favorite as world leader and for remaining two places Purity Kirui, Lydia Rotich and Fancy Cherotich could be mentioned. In men steeple the fight will be for two places (Ezekiel Kemboi is world champion, Paul Kipsiele Koech Diamond League winner), the favorite for one place is unbeaten World junior champion Conseslus Kipruto. For the remaing one possibly Jairus Kipchoge and Abel Mutai. Gladys Cherono could be an easy winner of women 10 000 m but there is a long list behind her with Florence Kiplagat, Sally Kipyego, Lineth Masai, Emily Chebet and NCAA double champion Betsy Saina. Men 10 000 m has 9 athletes having 27:10 and faster personal bests. All is open, in the top group Emmanuel Bett, Wilson Kiprop, Lucas Rotich, Leonard Komon, Vincent Kiprop and Kenneth Kipkemoi.
Ten to watch in Tampere
TAMPERE (FIN): The 9th European U23 Championships will start with first competition on Wednesday when walkers will have their events and colder weather is expected to come. European Athletics announced that it will stream live the action. Athletics fans around the world will be able to watch the event live in their entirety. And who are the top ten to watch? World junior champion 2012 Adam Gemili in the 100 m, European indoor champion Pavel Maslak will run the 200 m, European leader 2013 Pierre-Ambroise Bosse of France in the 800 m, Norwegian European Champion from Helsinki Henrik Ingebrigtsen will run both 1500 m and 5000 m and Russian world junior record holder in long jump Sergey Morgunov. Five women to watch are Dutch Dafne Schippers with 100 m (against Jodie Williams) and long jump, German Corinna Harrer in the 1500 m, Italian high jumper Alessia Trost, in the discus Anna Ruh from Germany and in heptathlon World junior champion Katharina Johnson-Thompson from Great Britain.
1010 for Rieti
LAUSANNE (SUI): European Athletics informs that a total of 1010 athletes from 46 European Athletics Member Federation countries have entered for the 22nd European Athletics Junior Championships to be held in Rieti, Italy, from 18-21 July. The final entries list includes 550 starters in the men’s events and 460 in the women’s events. At the 2011 European Athletics Junior Championships in Tallinn, 954 athletes from 47 member federations had participated.
Rollins to have 3 first races in Europe
LAPINLAHTI (FIN): The Savo Games of Lapinlahti in Finland on July 21will have a special hurdles guest. US record holder and world number one Brianna Rollins will run here her third European race after Herculis in Monte Carlo two days before and on July 17 Spitzenleichtathletik of Luzern in Switzerland. The Swiss meet (EA Classic) will be her pro debut.
OTHER NEWS
CARDIFF (GBR): Wales Media are informing that World champion Dai Greene will run in the Sainsbury’s British Championships in Birmingham this weekend. Greene was forced to miss last week’s Diamond League meeting in Lausanne after picking up a virus which was revealed following a blood test. Greene has an option of running the 400m hurdles or the flat race this weekend because he is the reigning world champion and does not need to qualify with the meeting also doubling up as the World Championship trials.
ADDIS ABABA (ETH): Agencies are informing that legendary long distance runner Haile Gebrselassie is entering politics and may now run for president of Ethiopia. He said for AP he wants to “reach more people” through politics, a topic most Ethiopians avoid in their restrictive, closely-watched society. Gebrselassie said he will run for a seat in parliament as an independent candidate in 2015, a big deal in Ethiopia where there is just one opposition member in parliament.
BRUSSELS (BEL): The last IAAF Diamond League meet of the season the Belgacom Memorial Van Damme will again have a special ending. The musical star of the evening will be Jamaican hip-hop and R and B singer Sean Paul. After the action in the stadium also the Jamaican Party will be held for second time with the star DJ Usain Bolt who will be helped by Sean Paul.
LJUBLJANA (SLO): The 8th Sustersic and Cvetan Memorial on Saturday in Ljubljana will have top 100 m men field in the memorial event. European champion Francisu Obikwelu, US veteran Mickey Grimes will run with top talent Marvin Bracy, also Jeff Demps, Rae Edwards, Japanese Masashi Eriguchi and Jamaican Sheldon Mitchell. In women 100 m US sprinters Charonda Williams, Tiffany Townsend and Cleo Van Buren are the favorites. Good field in men high jump with national record holder Rozle Prezelj against US Dusty Jonas, Szymon Kiecana of Poland and Slovaks Peter Horak with Michal Kabelka. Last weekend improved (12.94) Marina Tomic will run against US Jackie Coward the hurdles.
MELBOURNE (AUS): Australian and Oceania long jump record holder Mitchell Watt has confirmed his intention to withdraw from the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow this August. Pre-selected to compete after winning silver at the 2012 London Olympic Games, Watt has across this season endured injury problems that have prevented a preparation appropriate for competition alongside his Australian Flame teammates. “I have been battling ankle and Achilles pain across my early season and this has caused continued trouble for me in practice and competition. I’m not someone that just wants to show up at an event and given these circumstances I will not be 100% competitive this season and need more time to overcome the issue,” he said. The Final Selectors Meeting, at which all additional Australian Flame selections will be determined, is scheduled for the week commencing 29 July 2013.
SOTTEVILLE (FRA): Dayron Robles is back. His 13.18 on Mondaynight in Sotteville brings him back to world elite. His coach Santiago Antunez says also sub 13 will be possible within some weeks but he needs to train hard. Due to his different arguments with Cuban federation he will not be able to run in Moscow, but will run this weekend at the French Championships in the red vest of AS Monaco. Writes L´Équipe.
PARIS (FRA): Improved French hurdler Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (13.12) will miss the weekend national championships at the Charlety Stadium. It is because of light inflammation of his pubis. Most probably he will not compete until the World Championships where he wants to be ready.
KAZAN (RUS): “I’ll perform at World championships only in case if everything will be OK with my health,” declared after 2nd place with 673 at World University Games long jump London Olympic silver medalist Yelena Sokolova. As last year Diamond League winner Sokolova can use wild card to World Championships but 26-year-old Russian noted that she has little injury problems with her hinges and noted that rainy and chilly weather in Kazan just aggravated the situation. “That had a bad influence on my technique. I don’t know yet is situation with my hinges too serious. But I’ll not perform at National championships for sure. I’m going back home from Kazan to continue in training. Then we’ll make decision about Moscow Worlds.”
KHARKIV (UKR): High jump world season’s leader and Ukrainian record holder Bohdan Bondarenko (241 at Lausanne Diamond League meeting) told to national media “…my dream is my own island. I really want it much more than something else. But it would be great to add to this dream world record jump – 2.46 or 2.50 maybe” said 23-year-old Ukrainian. Bondarenko has devoted his 241cm jump in Lausanne to mother’s Birthday that day. Bohdan also noted in his quotes that from time to time he still feels a little pain in the hip injured at training camp in April that is why he doesn’t work under the technique during the trainings. “This season I make my jumping practices at competitions only. But I train much more than previous years and don’t intend to make any changes in my preparation. I enjoy my jumps now and take a pleasure from all competitions and I want to keep these feelings as long as possible” Bondarenko added. I just chated to Bohdan. You can add to the news that he doesn’t plan to perform at national championships and still did not sure about London DL. He’ll go to London only if he’ll feel rested.
KAZAN (RUS): Long jump Universiade’s winner Darya Klishina informed All-Sport news agency she is absolutely satisfied with her victory and 690. “Rainy weather and wet track wasn’t conducive to very high result but I’m happy I was able to show my season best. I even wasn’t nervous when Yelena Sokolova became temporary leader in the field. It just made me furious and helped to concentrate, collect my thoughts and took heart.” Answering the question about All-Russian athletics federation decision that Universiade winners will be selected to Moscow Worlds automatically Klishina noted that she will discuss this point yet with her personal coach and head coach of national Russian team.
THESSALONIKI (GRE): A persistent pain in the heel forces former European Champion PeriklÃs Iakovákis to end the season prematurely. He claims the decision was taken after much deliberation, but he needs to take a rest, in order to give his body more time to heal, as he plans to start training earlier for next year. He hopes to be fit in time for the 2014 European Championships, where he wants to make his farewell appearance. His withdrawal means that he will miss the 2013 Greek Championships and thus the chance to notch his 16th consecutive victory in the 400m hurdles.
SOCHI (RUS): Twelve-time Olympic gymnastics medallist Alexei Nemov, triple Olympic synchronised swimming champion Maria Kiseleva and the first woman to have travelled to space, Valentina Tereshkova, are among the first named Sochi 2014 Olympic Torchbearers announced today. London 2012 Paralympic rowing bronze medallist Aleksey Chuvashev and Russian gymnastics coach Nadezhda Nabokova, as well as a popular blogger, a cardiovascular surgeon and a teacher, were also named among the 6000 people who will carry the Flame for next year’s Winter Games. Chosen from a list of 140,000 candidates, the Torchbearers were selected because of their commitment to a healthy lifestyle and sports, and the Olympic values of friendship, excellent and respect. The Sochi 2014 Torch Relay will be the longest in the history of the Winter Games. Informs insidethegames.
RESULTS
OSLO (NOR, Jul 8): Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal clocked 15:16.27 in the 5000 m at an open meet at Bislett Stadium and qualified for Moscow. It is her personal best and fifth all-time best in Norway.
