PITKAMAKI 85.89, PARS 79.83

TURKU (FIN, Jun 25): Great javelin at 52nd Paavo Nurmi Games (EA Premium) as World medalist Tero Pitkamaki improved his season best to 85.89, the same for second Antti Ruuskanen 85.28. Back in good throwing after ankle problems is World leader Ihab Abdelrahman 84.45 as third. Also over 80 fourth German Thomas Rohler 82.86, fifth Ari Mannio 82.09 and sixth Zigismunds Sirmais 81.09. In IAAF Hammer Challenge Krisztian Pars won with 79.83 from 3rd round and improved his lead in the series. Second Dilshod Nazarov 77.93. Debuting in European Kenyan Trials medalist Elijah Manangoi won the 1500 m in 3:38.99, Italian Patrick Nasti got the steeple 8:29.10. Cuban Yoandys Lescay was the best in the 400 m 46.34, Poland´s European U23 Champion Karol Zalewski 20.68 (+0.5) in the 200 m. Romanian Mihai Donisan cleared in third attempt 226 and won the high jump. In the long jump Godfrey Mokoena with 802 (+1.9) beat improved Latvian Elvijs Misans 790 (+1.9). In women events surprise in pole vault as World Indoor champion Yarisley Silva no-heighted at 441, win went to Russian Angelina Zhuk-Krasnova 461. Still Cuban wins were registered, Mabel Gay in triple 14.07 (+2.6), Denia Caballero in discus 63.48. Finland´s steeple specialist Sandra Eriksson won the flat 3000 m in 8:55.13 PB. US Vashti Thomas got the hurdles in 13.08 (+1.1) over Karolina Koleczek from Poland 13.14 (but PB 13.11 +1.9 in heats). South African Wenda Nel got the 400 m hurdles in 56.77 and Ukrainian Natalya Pohrebnyak the 100 m in 11.27 (+1.3) over US Muna Lee 11.38.

TOP DUELS AT US NATIONALS

SACRAMENTO (USA): This weekend US Championships will offer some interesting duels in all men sprints. Mike Rodgers, Walter Dix, NCAA star Dedric Dukes also Charles Silmon or Isaiah Young. Despite Tyson Gay or Justin Gatlin not running this events are traditionally of high quality and for example LaShawn Merritt is scheduled for the 400 m. Duane Solomon is the star of 800 m, Galen Rupp should run 5000 m and 10 000 m. Evan Jager is entered in the steeple and Michael Tinsley at 400 m hurdles. Interesting to see new NCAA hurdles star Devon Allen against the likes of David Oliver or Jason Richardson in the 110 m hurdles. World record Aries Merritt is not entered. Trey Hardee should compete in decathlon. On the women side Tori Bowie plans a hattrick of events with 100 m, 200 m and long jump. Similar versatile Tianna Bartoletta is scheduled for 100 m and long jump. Sanya Richards- Ross is in the 400 m where Francena McCorory is the favorite with world leader Courtney Okolo not competing. Allyson Felix plans to run the 100 m. Olympic winner Jenn Suhr is in the pole vault, Chaunte Lowe and Brigetta Barrett will fight for high jump title, on the men side Erik Kynard is the favorite. In women races Brenda Martinez is the 800 m favorite, Jenny Simpson 1500 m, Molly Huddle 5000 m and Shalane Flanagan 10 000 m with Emma Coburn in steeple. Great field is entered in 100 m hurdles with World champion Brianna Rollins, Olympic winner Dawn Harper, also Queen Harrison, Lolo Jones and Nia Ali. Decathlon star Ashton Eaton is not competing. The missing names are due to the fact that this years US Championships are not incorporating trials for global championships.

OTHER NEWS

ULM (GER): Paralympic champion German Markus Rehm will compete in the long jump at the German Championships in Ulm during the weekendJuly 26–27. The responsible bodies agreed on his participation. It will still be considered whether his prosthetic legs are given any advantage in comparison to other jumpers, but he is allowed to compete.

WARSZAWA (POL): Hammer thrower Anita Wlodarczyk and walker Robert Korzeniowski were voted top Poland athletes in a poll organised by federation website pzla.pl as part of the 25th anniversary of free Poland. Wlodarczyk scored 35% ahead of late Kamila Skolimowska (32). Korzeniowski achieved 39% with Tomasz Majewski 25% of votes.

MOSCOW (RUS): After coming back from the European Team Championships head coach of Russian athletics team Valentin Maslakov observed very low results of Russian sprinters (both male and female) and men long-distance runners in Braunschweig. He also noted that the team management made radical decision that “in case of low results at nationals in Kazan, even champions in these events will not be included in the team for European championships in Zurich and short relays will not be completed as well.” Coach thinks such drastic measures should stimulate increase of results in this events for next year.

TOKYO (JPN): Hammer olympic gold medallist Koji Murofushi has been officially appointed as sports director of Tokyo 2020 as the Japanese capital prepares to host its first meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission. „I am delighted and flattered to have been chosen as the Tokyo 2020 sports director,” Murofushi was quoted as saying, informs insidethegames. At London 2012 the role was carried out by Debbie Jevans, a former British junior tennis champion, while at Rio 2016 it is filled by Agberto Guimarăes, the 1983 Pan American 800 and 1500 metres gold medallist.

EUGENE (USA): World Youth double medallist Matthew Denny qualified for the World Juniors in 3 events, the shot, hammer and discus, but he has chosen to focus on the hammer and discus in Eugene, inform oregon14.com. The 18 year old Australian won the World Youth discus title as well as the bronze medal in the hammer in 2013, earning him the Australian Athletics junior athlete of the year award. Now he will try and move up an age category and achieve the same feat, in winning medals in both events. He is ranked 2nd in the discus and 7th in the hammer on the 2014 World Junior lists less than one month before the championships begin.

SACRAMENTO (USA): US sprinter Ryan Bailey, who placed 5th in the London Olympic final, has not broken 10 seconds since 2012, as surgery on a fractured heel bone, the flu and hamstring issues have hampered his physical preparation, report NBC. He also hasn’t competed in a Diamond League meeting since 2012 but will hope to get back on the circuit with a good performance at this week’s USA Outdoors.

CHICAGO (USA): After successfully defending her Boston Marathon title, Kenya’s Rita Jeptoo will now attempt to defend her Chicago Marathon title on October 12, report chicagotribune.com. The 33 year old improved her PB to 2:18:57 in winning the Boston Marathon in April.

SACRAMENTO (USA): 2013 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor 800m champion Elijah Greer fractured his wrist on a camping trip last year and while he was getting back in shape this January he sprained his ankle, reportoregonlive.com. Nevertheless he feels that he is in shape to challenge for the win at the USA outdoors, but admits that he may need to break his PB (1:45.04) to do so in a field that includes 1:42 runner Duane Solomon.

KYIV (UKR): IAAF Vice President and pole vault great Sergey Bubka has said that members of the IAAF Race Walking Committee have raised strong concern to the IAAF about the high number of positive drug tests coming from athletes coached by Russia’s Viktor Chegin, report sbs.com.au. Bubka was responding to a campaign led by Australian race walker Jared Tallent who voiced his concerns about the coach. Bubka explained that as Chairman of the IOC Entourage Commission, he has always advocated sanctioning not only athletes for doping offenses but also the relevant entourage. He added that he will raise this issue to ensure it is discussed during the upcoming IAAF Council meeting in Eugene next month.

PALENCIA (ESP): Juan Carlos Higuero, a five time Spanish 1500m champion, will return to the track on Sunday after fifteen months away from racing due to injuries, inform Reuters. The 35 year old has been back training for 2 months and he says that his preparation has gone well. He is also set to race in Manchester on July 12; he will then compete at the Spanish championships if he can run under under 3:40.

BAD LANGENSALZA (GER): Christian Reif and Sosthene Moguenara are the top German athletes competing at the 21st long jump competition in Bad Langensalza that will take place on Saturday, report focus.de. The men’s field also includes on form Frenchman Salim Sdiri, World Indoor silver medallist Jinzhe Li, defending champion Godfrey Mokoena Khotso and his South African compatriot Zarck Visser, Henry Frayne of Australia, Ignisious Gaisah of the Netherlands and Sebastian Bayer of Germany.

HAMBURG (GER): 2013 Paris Marathon winner Peter Some (60:21) will run the 20th Hamburg Half Marathon on Sunday, report zeit.de. Kennedy Kipyego and Daniel Rotich (61:45) of Uganda are also in the field. The leading female is Kenya’s Agnes Mutune (70:05, 2009). The winners will each receive 750 euro, with 350 euro for a course record (1:01:52 / 1:13:27).

TURKU (FIN): The Paavo Nurmi Games organisers aim for the meet to be included on the Diamond League by 2017, report yle.fi. “We live in a tough economy, but also the economy looks better all the time so I see no reasons why we would not reach our goal for 2017,” said communications officer Jari Nikkola.

LIEGE (BEL): Belgium’s Nafi Thiam, the European Junior heptathlon champion, wants to improve her long jump personal best as it was the only event in which she didn’t manage to improve her PB during the Gotzis heptathlon, report rtbf.be. The 19 year old, who has a best of 6.37, will compete in the long jump in Liege on July 16. She will then compete in the high jump in Heusden on July 19 and has not yet decided what she will do at the Belgian nationals.

PARIS (FRA): 2010 European decathlon champion Romain Barras will not be able to try and regain his title this year as he hurt his thigh ten days ago in Oyonnax, report lequipe.fr. The 34 year old Frenchman has not finished a decathlon since Daegu 2011. Barras has decided to try and prepare himself for the Decastar Talence which will take place on September 20 and 21.

SACRAMENTO (USA): The USA Track and Field Championships are predicted to have a large impact on the Sacramento economy, reportfox40.com. The Convention and Visitor’s Bureau expects 4.6 million USD to come in throughout the weekend.

STOCKHOLM (SWE): New South African 400m record holder Wayde van Niekerk is still not sure whether the 200m or 400m will be his best event, report supersport.com. The 21 year old has predominantly raced the 400m over the past two years, but he placed 4th in the World Junior 200m in 2010 and has a 20.21 best set this year at altitude. He will race over 200m at the Sollentuna Grand Prix on Thursday.

RESULTS

SACRAMENTO (USA, Jun 25): Michelle Carter was the best in the women shot put qualification at US Championships with 18.53 m. Kurt Roberts was the best in men prelim with 20.67, all favorites advanced. World leader Christian Cantwell was a no-show after his back injury at Oslo Diamond League meet. The event was held at the California State Capitol in the city.

MUNCHEN (GER, Jun 25): Tobias Scherbarth won with 560 the Munich Jump and Fly street meet. Raphael Holzdeppe did not compete and Malte Mohr no-heighted at 540. Second Spain´s Igor Bychkov 540 and third World indoor champion Kostas Filippidis also 540. Alina Rotaru of Romania won women long jump with 640. In men long jump win for Dutch Ignisious Gaisah 792 ahead of Cuban Wilfredo Martinez 790 and third Paralympian Markus Rehm 787.

KIMCHUN (KOR, Jun 25): During first day of 68th Korean Championships to note fast 10.34 (0.0) in the 100 m by Kim Kuk-Young. Park Bong-Ko won the 400 m 46.20 and was even faster in heats with 45.98. In hurdles duel Kim Byung-Jun beat with 13.73 by 0.01 Lee Jung-Joon 13.74. Jin Min-Sup cleared 550 in the pole vault.

KANGAR (MAS, Jun 25): Syrian high jump record holder Majid Eldein Ghazal cleared 226 during first day of 91st International Open Champs here. Malaysian Nauraj Singh Randhawa cleared 221 for second.

BREST (BLR, Jun 24-25): At Belarus junior championships Viktoriya Roshchupkina clocked at 10 000m race walk 46:08.68. Tomas Narushis was fastest in boys race 42:02.76. Yuriy Yeremich scored PB 7704 in decathlon. Andrei Skabeika cleared 224 in high jump over Dmitriy Nabokoi 221. Maksim Mitkov achieved 77.34 in hammer over Roman Zholudev 76.06.

KYIV (UKR, Jun 20): At the regional event Yuri Krimarenko cleared 226 and Valentina Lyashenko 190 in the high jump. Iryna Nikolayeva got 662 (+3.2, legal 643) and 13.97 (+3.2, legal 13.93) jumping double.

TBILISI (GEO, Jun 22): Finally the results of second day from European Team Championships Third League appeared on the event website. The best result was achieved in the women 1500 m by Albanian record holder Luiza Gega with 4:08.58, the best time from all the leagues. Second Iceland talent Anita Hinriksdottir 4:18.49. Hasdis Sigurdadottir leaped to Iceland national record in long jump 641 (0.0). Kevin Moore won the men 200 m in 21.06 (-1.2) and by 0.02 missed his own Malta national record. Nikandros Stylianou cleared 545 in the pole vault for Cyprus.

NAIROBI (KEN, Jun 24): More results from Kenyan World Junior Trials include Alfred Kipketer winning the 800 m in 1:45.67 ahead of Joshua Masikonde 1:45.85. Maximilla Emali won the women race in 2:04.20. In the duel of top steeple runners Rosefline Chepngetich beat in 9:43.25 Daisy Jepkemei 9:53.02. In the boys race Titus Kipyego fast 8:22.46 ahead of Barnabas Kipyegon 8:24.10. Moses Mukono won the 5000 m in 13:46.8.

HALLUIN (FRA, Jun 25): French Sofiane Selmouni won here the 800 m in 1:46.30 PB. Ethiopian Leul Gebrselassie achieved 7:53.58 in the 3000 m.

CORRECTION

LIEGE (BEL): To correct the report from June 24 Ashton Eaton will compete at the meeting in Liege on July 16 not in three events but only in the 110 m hurdles.