BONDARENKO IN RAIN 230

EBERSTADT (GER, Aug 24): World champion Bohdan Bondarenko won the 35th edition of the Eberstadt high jump meet (EA Special Permit) in strong rain with 230 cm. Second Daniil Tsyplakov 227 and third Ivan Ukhov both Russians with Ukrainian Andriy Protsenko in a tie 227. Fifth Robbie Grabarz 227 and sixth World bronze winner Derek Drouin 224. Despite the rain some 1500 spectators came. On Friday legendary Carlo Thranhardt improved Masters World Record in 55+ category with 190 and in women U23 Briton Isobel Pooley won with 190. Women will jump on Sunday.

FRANCE WINS AT BRANDENBURG GATE

BERLIN (GER, Aug 24): France won the Berlin Flyes match at the Brandenburg Gate with 31 points. Second Germany 26 and third Russia 19 ahead of USA 17. In the special scoring of the each round the top results of the day were delivered by Eloyse Lesueur in long jump 644 (-2.1) ahead of Brittney Reese 638 and Darya Klishina 629. In men long jump Christian Reif 783 over Kafetien Gomis 778. In the pole vault World champion Raphael Holzdeppe as the only one in difficult conditions cleared 553 cm.

GATLIN WANTS FASTER THAN 9.92 IN LINZ

LINZ (AUT): 150 athletes from 29 countries will compete at the Gugl Games (EA Classic) on August 26th, informs kurier.at. The event will feature 31 Olympic medallists and 76 World Championships medallists. The top athletes on show will be Sally Pearson (AUS, 100mH), Aries Merrit (USA, 110mH), Dayron Robles (CUB, 110mH), Felix Sanchez (DOM, 400mH), Virgilijus Alekna (LTU, DT), Renaud Lavillenie (FRA, PV) and Justin Gatlin (USA, 100m). Austrian media are informing that Gatlin wants to break the meet record of 9.92. Another top US sprinter Mike Rodgers runs the 200 m. Organisers were also reportedly trying to get Usain Bolt to compete but could not put together the necessary economical background, Austrian media are informing. Sanchez will have a special 400 m hurdles race against mountain-biker Tom Ohler. Good fields with African top runners are assembled in men 1000 m and 3000 m. World champion Aleksandr Menkov is in the long jump. Natasha Hastings runs the 400 m against Jamaicans Novlene Williams-Mills and Rosemarie Whyte, Barbara Pierre against Alexandra Anderson the 100 m. In the women 1000 m Hannah England of Great Britain is facing US Morgan Uceny and Ethiopian talent Fantu Magiso. In the women 400 m hurdles Russian Irina Davydova is facing Czech Denisa Rosolova and US Dalilah Muhammad.

TOKYO FAVORED

LONDON (GBR): London bookmakers William Hill have installed Germany’s long-serving International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president Thomas Bach as clear favourite to succeed Jacques Rogge as the new leader of the organisation ahead of the election in Buenos Aires on September 10. The Ukrainian pole vault legend Sergey Bubka, 49, a late runner, is a their 10-1 outsider with Swiss Denis Oswald, 65, and 66-year-old International Boxing Association (AIBA) President C K Wu, from Taiwan, jointly priced at 6-1. Tokyo 2020 have been the bookmakers favourites to win its Olympics and Paralympics bid for more than two years now, a position they will retain going into the decision in Buenos Aires on September 7, ahead of rivals Istanbul and Madrid.

OTHER NEWS

ATHENS (USA): American Shot Putter Reese Hoffa is out of the rest of the season due to a quad injury, informs Hoffa on his official Twitter.

MOSCOW (RUS): Russian athletes Denis Alekseyev (400 m), Anastasiya Korshunova (55.12 improvement this year at 400 m hurdles) and Viktoriya Dolgache
va (14.41 triple jump PB this indoor season) have been banned for two years following doping violations, informs rusada.ru.

STOCKHOLM (SWE): Men’s Discus World Champion, Robert Harting of Germany boycotted the DN Galan in protest at the lack of promotion of field events, informs throwholics.com. Robert Harting wrote, “Dear Organizer, I would have liked to throw discus at your competition. Unfortunately, throwers are often pushed away. Discus throwing is being tolerated, but not really supported. You have not taken my arguments in consideration. Dopers are always invited, they are also being paid higher fees. I apologize for the fans, I don´t stand the current situation.”

AGADIR (MAR): Morrocan 1500m runner Abdelaati Iguider was critical of the Royal Morrocan Federation of Athletics (FRMA) after his poor performance at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, reports lematin.ma. Iguider said that the federation had not kept their promises to him and this was a reason for his poor showing. The FRMA have responded with a statement on their website in which they deny that any promises were broken and reveal that Iguider has already received 1.08 million Moroccan Dirham (approx. 96.500 euro) and a luxury car.

STOCKHOLM (SWE): Kirani James reportedly suffered from an upset stomach before his 400m final in Moscow, reportsgrenadasports.gd. American LaShawn Merrit who won the men’s 400m title says that he knows Kirani James will be back running strong soon, “He’s a great guy, a great competitor and I know he will come back running strong”. Merrit explains that he was very confident before the Moscow final as his training had gone very well, “a lot of hard work I put in and I let that be my confidence, so I was very confident going in”. They should meet again in a direct clash at Zurich Weltklasse Meet on August 29.

VALENCE (FRA): The 8th DécaNation will take place in Valence, France on Saturday August 31st. The competition features 10 disciplines and 8 teams. 6 of these teams are national teams (France, United States, Russia, Germany, Italy and Cuba) while 2 are multinational teams (the Balkans and the Nordic Countries). The men’s Long Jump will feature men’s World Triple Jump Champion Teddy Tamgho of France who will take on Triple Jump Olympic Champion Christian Taylor of the United States. The men’s 110m hurdles matches three Moscow finalists against each other; silver medallist Ryan Wilson of the USA, bronze medallist Sergey Shubenkov of Russia and 7th placer Thomas Martinot-Lagarde of France. The women’s 100m features 29 year old Ivet Lalova of the Balkans, who is European Champion and Stella Akakpo of France who won the European Junior crown this year in Rieti. The women’s High Jump features USA’s Brigetta Barrett, who won the silver medal in Moscow, and 20 year old Mariya Kuchina of Russia who has a personal best of 1.98 and was 3rd at last year’s World Juniors. Also competing at the event are French Pole Vaulting brothers Renaud and Valentin Lavillenie as well as French steeplechaser Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad who will run the 1500m.

PRAGUE (CZE): The 19th Prague Grand Prix 10k race will feature a women’s elite field for the first time in its history, informs iaaf.org. The IAAF Silver Label Road Race will take place on September 7thand will feature equal prize money for both sexes. The women’s race will feature Gemma Steel and Susan Partridge of Great Britain. Steel has been on great form on the US Road Racing circuit while Partridge finished in 10th place at the IAAF World Championships Marathon in Moscow. The fastest runner in the field is Afera Godfay of Ethiopia who has a 31:08 best. She is joined in the race by Kenyan’s Esther Chemtai and Lucy Njeri. Also in the race is the very talented 18 year old Anezka Drahotova of the Czech Republic, who finished 7th in the World Championships 20km Race Walk in Moscow after winning the European Junior title in the 10000m Race Walk and making the final in the 3000m Steeplechase. Croatia’s Lisa Stublic will use the race as a tune-up before the ING New York City Marathon. The men’s race looks set to be a three person battle. Kenya’s Daniel Chebii and Ethiopia’s Mosinet Geremew have both run personal bests of 27:36 while the 20 year old Kenyan Kiprop Limo has won the Stramilano half marathon this year and has a best of 27:40.

KINGSTON (JAM): The president of the Jamaica Athletics Administration Association, Warren Blake has told Reuters that the anti-doping hearing for Veronica Campbell-Brown will take place in early September. The 31 year old former Olympic Champion tested positive for a banned diuretic in May.

MOSCOW (RUS): Women’s Olympic 800m Champion, Mariya Savinova of Russia has admitted that she underestimated the strength of Moscow’s 800m winner Eunice Sum of Kenya, informs European Athletics. “I never believed Sum could break her own lifetime best by a full two seconds. “It was clear that Montano could not keep that pace going all the way to the finish, but I certainly made a mistake with the Kenyan” says Savinova. She explained, “You need to turn it on with 150m to go because it is
hard for everyone at the finish. This is exactly what happened but I had allowed Sum to get slightly in front of me. I made a mistake. I admit it”.

ADDIS ABABA (ETH): The men’s 800m World Champion Mohammed Aman of Ethiopia says that he will move up to the 1500m distance next year, informs Reuters.

AUCKLAND (NZL): After breaking the World Junior Record in the Shot Put earlier this month, Jacko Gill says that he is now ready to move up to the senior ranks, reports stuff.co.nz. Gill decided to bypass this year’s IAAF World Championships in Moscow to focus on achieving the Junior record. He sees his record as a “stepping stone”. “My mindset was to finish my years with the 6kg. Now I’ve got nothing stopping me, so I can move on to that 7kg” the 18 year old Gill said.

RESULTS

MEDELLIN (COL, Aug 23): The 17th Pan American Junior Athletics Championships started with 600 competitors from 47 countries. Zharnell Hughes from Anguilla won the 100 m in 10.31 (+1.8), fastest in heats US Tevin Hester was only 8th 10.71 (but fastest 10.25 +1.9 in heats). Cuban Ariallis Martinez won the girls 100 m in 11.32 (+2.8). Brazilian Higor Alves leaped to top 795 (+2.9, legal 791 +1.2) in the long jump ahead of US Andre Jefferson 792 (+3.1). In the 400 m finals US Courtney Okolo with 52.19 was the best girl, in boys race Canadian Brandon McBride clocked 45.89 just over Cuban Yoadys Lescay 45.90. More US wins for Alexis Perry at 100 m hurdles 13.56 (-0.7) and Hayden Reed in boys discus (1.75) 62.49.

BEDFORD (GBR, Aug 24): At the British Inter Counties meet Greg Cackett won the 100 m in 10.27 (+1.2). Gianni Frankis clocked at 110 m hurdles 13.57 (+2.4) and 13.61 (1.9) in heats.

AMATRICE (ITA, Aug 24): On the hills of central Italy at 8.5 km World and Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi won the „Amatrice Configno Road Race” in a time of 24:41 in a close sprint with compatriot William Kibor 24:42. Third another Kenyan Paul Tiongik 24:49. Gabriele Carletti with 24:56 was first Italian in fourth place. In the women race the winning was 28:42 by Kenyan Zeddy Jerop Limo ahead of Ukrainian Viktorya Pohyrelska 28:58 while third was the Italian Giulia Francario 29:30.

CHIASSO (SUI, Aug 24): In rain and cold here Slovak twins won the jumping events. Jana Veldakova 624 in the long jump and Dana Veldakova 13.38 in the triple jump. Home record holder Irene Pusterla was second 623.

TALLINN (EST, Aug 24): Martin Kupper won the discus here with 61.72 (but achieved on Friday personal best in Paunkula with 65.03). Magnus Kirt won the javelin with 79.82 personal best ahead of Risto Matas 79.58. In women javelin Liina Laasma 59.88.

TONSBERG (NOR, Aug 23-24): During first two days of Norwegian Championships to note the 11.30 by Ezinne Okparaebo in the 100 m (+0.2). Double Olympic winner Andreas Thorkildsen won the javelin 80.91. Oyvind Kjerpeset won the 400 m hurdles in 50.38. Cathrina Larsasen cleared 430 in the pole vault, Erik Tysse achieved 18:59.17 in the 5000 m walk.

LAGE (GER, Aug 24): Overnight leaders at the German Combined Events Championships are Arthur Abele 4072 points and Carolin Schäfer 3448 points.

MERKSEM (BEL, Aug 24): At the 49th Gala Meeting here Ramon Gittens of Barbados sprinted to 10.30 (-0.4) 100 m win. In the women 800 m Canadian Karine Belleau-Beliveau clocked 2:02.71 over US Morgan Uceny 2:02.90.