by Larry EderIn the past week, we have had the US Masters Championships, the European U23 Championships, the IAAF World Youth Championships, and the World University Games.
IAAF: Anti-doping programme enhanced
MONACO (MON): Supersport.com informs that the IAAF says the credibility of its anti-doping programme has been “enhanced, not diminished” after high-profile sprinters Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay returned positive tests for banned substances. IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said the governing body for track and field does not comment on pending cases, but added that the fight against doping “is enhanced, not diminished, each time we are able to uncover a new case.”
Female discus thrower is the fifth
MONTEGO BAY (JAM): Jamaica Observer informs about the fifth name in Jamaican group of positive cases. It is national discus record holder Allison Randal who has reacted with “confusion and shock” at the news that she failed a drugs test at the JAAA National Senior Trials in June. Randal is among five Jamaicans, including sprinters Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson, who have returned positive results for banned substances. The other should be according to Jamaica Gleaner male discus thrower Travis Smikle and high jumper Demar Robinson. Some sources are mentioning sprinter Nesta Carter in this group, but looks highly unlikely as he was running in Madrid on Saturday and Sherone Simpson was also suppose to compete there but withdrew because was notified about her positive test. If Carter would be positive he would be notified in the same time.
Rollins pro debut in Switzerland
LUZERN (SUI): The Spitzenleichtathletik meet of Luzern (EA Classic) offers some top names. In women shot put olympic and world winner Valerie Adams, at 100 m hurdles pro debut for world leader and US Champion Brianna Rollins (against Queen Harrison). In the pole vault another world leader Yarisley Silva from Cuba will compete. She will face Swiss record holder Nicole Buchler, German Silke Spiegelburg, European champion Jirina Svobodova and US Mary Saxer and Kylie Hutson. In men hurdles also top fields. Jason Richardson against Ryam Brathwaite and Trinidad´s Mikel Thomas with Jamaican champion Andrew Riley. The 400 m hurdles is having Bershawn Jackson, Johnny Dutch, Justin Gaymon, Reggie Wyatt all from USA against South African Cornel Fredericks. In javelin last two European champions will meet, Linda Stahl with Vira Rebryk. In the men 100 m Jamaicans Nesta Carter and Jason Young are the headliners. Women shot put is having world champion Valerie Adams in first this years meet against German European Indoor champion Christine Schwanitz. Eurosport 2 will broadcast the event.
Coach Braumann speaks
AMSTERDAM (NED): USA Today informs that information about positive test was recieved on Friday by Tyson Gay while he was training at his team’s summer camp base in Amsterdam, his coach Lance Brauman told USA TODAY Sports. The coach said in a telephone interview from Amsterdam on Sunday that neither has slept much since then. “He trusted somebody and it proved to be a mistake,” Brauman said. The coach, who said he could not name this person, added that “this person or people that he put his trust into had no affiliation with me or anyone else in my training group.” Brauman is training 13 other athletes in Amsterdam and won’t likely be going with Gay to meet with officials at USADA. “I take him at his word when he says he will be open and honest and he will support and cooperate with USADA in this process,” Brauman said. “The news has shaken me and my entire group that I train. It needs to be clear that we do not support or encourage or tolerate the use of performance-enhancing drugs whether it was on purpose or not.” Writes USA Today.
OTHER NEWS
HAVANA (CUB): Cuba will send 18 athletes to Moscow for the World Championships in August. The team hopes to be in top ten in the medal rankings. Cuba’s national athletics commissioner, Jorge Luis Sanchez, said so far 18 top-ranked Cuban athletes, all A-listers in keeping with the rules of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), have been included to form part of the Cuban delegation, but the number could reach 22, reports Xinhua. in the team two world leaders Yarisley Silva and Pedro Pichardo. Also competing is Yarelis Barrios, ranked third in the discus throw with a distance of 67.36, Guillermo Martinez, ranked fifth in the javelin throw with a mark of 85.59, and triple jumper Ernesto Reve (fifth, with a mark of 17.46).
ZURICH (SUI): New Zealand´s Valerie Adams is taking no chances as she homes in on a fourth straight world title, writes Andrew Alderson for NZ Herald. She fears her drinks or food could be spiked with banned drugs when she heads to Moscow next month for the track and field world championships. Vigilance has become the watchword for the 28-year-old shot putter who has a clean record in a discipline regularly tainted by the use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Adams remains at short odds to win an unprecedented four consecutive world title, despite her performances ranking 23rd on the all-time list with a best of 21.24m at the Daegu world championships in 2011. She continued her world shot put dominance with 20.62 to win the Diamond League meet in Paris last weekend. Her season best 20.88 was set in Ostrava, it is 64cm further than any other 2013 mark. She next competes in Luzern on Wednesday.
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): The concluding day of the Sainsbury’s British Championships and World Trials produced a drama in the women’s 1500 m final which saw two leading contenders, London 2012 finalists Laura Weightman and Lisa Dobriskey, fail to finish. Weightman left the Alexander Stadium track in tears after being spiked and falling, and Dobriskey – a former world silver medallist – pulled up injured. Both athletes have already achieved the A qualifying standard for the World Athletics Championships, along with the 2011 world silver medallist Hannah England who won the race, but there will now be concerns about their fitness. Writes insidethegames.
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): After the Sainsbury British Championships and World Trials 18 athletes have guaranteed themselves a spot on the team for Moscow. Sprinters Dwain Chambers and James Ellington. Nigel Levine at 400 m and Michael Rimmer in the 800 m. Mo Farah at 5000 m and other World champion 2011 Dai Greene at 400 m hurdles. In this event also Rhys Williams is ok. In technical events only Robbie Grabarz and Brett Morse in discus. On the women side trials winners Asha Philip, Anyika Onuora, Christine Ohuruogu, Marilyn Okoro, Hannah England, Tiffany Porter, Perri Shakes-Drayton, Eilish McColgan and Shara Proctor.
DONETSK (UKR): IAAF Vice President Sergey Bubka has underlined the importance of junior sports events to engage young people at the conclusion of the IAAF World Youth Championships in Donetsk. The hugely successful five day event, which was supported by a number of former stars, included hundreds of young athletes and their families experiencing major championship competition for the first time. Donetsk native Bubka, who is also an
IOC Executive Board Member and the President of Ukrainian NOC, commented: “It is very important not only for athletics itself but for Olympic Movement in general to involve families in sport. I’d like to give my thanks to great champions Ato Boldon, Natalya Dobrynska, Olga Bryzgina, Nina Ziuskova, Konstantin Volkov, Iryna Lischynska and many others who share their experience with the young generation.” IAAF General Secretary Essar Gabriel said:”We have seen a lot enthusiasm and great efforts to create the best possible conditions for athletes, coaches, officials and the spectators here in Donetsk. Due to these efforts, the 2013 IAAF World Youth Championships had some fantastic statistics. The representatives of 52 countries reached the finals; 37 countries won medals; there were two new World Youth Best Performances; and 29 World Youth Leading results in 2013 were set in Donetsk. We had also 84 accredited mass media – a record figure for the World Youth Championships – and high quality TV coverage. It was one the best IAAF Youth World Championships in the history of the event – both in terms of the organization and the competitions. We had perfect conditions at the competition venue and training facilities, as well as great accommodation and a fantastic atmosphere, resulting in 746 personal best results established at the RSC ‘Olympiysky’. That means that almost half of the participants have broken their personal bests.”
WACO (USA): Olympic 400 m winner Sanya Richards-Ross will most probably run only at the end of the season. She posted on her twitter: “Found out I may have a “stress fracture” in my big toe from excessive trauma. Hoping I will b able 2 recover for the end of the season.”
NAIROBI (KEN): Previously announced Isabella Ochichi, silver medalist in 2004 Olympic Games in Athens (5000m), has decided not to start in 10 000m race at Kenyan Trials last Saturday. She is to focus on road racing for the remainder of 2013 season.
RESULTS
NIKITI (GRE, Jul 14): At the traditional throwing meet Ukrainian Yevhen Vynohradov won the hammer 77.68 m.
BRISBANE (AUS, Jul 14): Julian Wruck achieved at a winter meet 61.71 in discus.
HOBART (AUS, Jul 14): Hamish Peacock got here another good javelin mark 80.05 m.
HEUSDEN (BEL, Jul 13): Interesting to note huge 13:27.33 in the B race of 5000 m at KBC Nacht by Kenyan Meshick Letim who will be 16 only in November.
PORTLAND (USA, Jul 14): Jordan Hasay clocked B standard for Moscow at a meet here in a mixed race with 31:46.42. She just missed the A standard 31:45 and so allow Tara Erdmann to run in Moscow with a B standard. Now Erdmann needs the A to be able to run at Worlds.
TALLAHASSEE (USA, Jul 13): 2007 High jump world champion Donald Thomas cleared 231 season best at Sims Invitational meet.
