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Almaz Ayana, photo by PhotoRun.net
HOW DID EME NEWS 2016 EXPECTATIONS ENDED?
TOP TEN TRACK EXPECTATIONS 2016
1. Will IAAF, EA and the whole athletics family find enough courage, will, power, effort, ideas, new people to change the picture of the sport? NOT YET BUT WORK IN PROGRESS
2. Will Russian Athletes be able to compete at Rio 2016? NO
3. Can Usain Bolt win the triple triple at the Olympic Games? YES
4. Will Genzebe Dibaba run the steeplechase? And, if so, how fast can she go? NO
5. The returns of Teddy Tamgho, Andreas Thorkildsen, Meseret Defar and Tirunesh Dibaba, Yohan Blake, Mahiedine Mekhissi, Robert Harting, Sally Pearson. NOT TOO SUCCESFUL.
6. Will Asafa Powell run 100 legal sub 10 second clockings over 100m? NOT YET
7. What can Aries Merritt achieve after his kidney transplant? SPECIAL RETURN AND NEARLY QUALIFIED TO RIO
8. Can Allyson Felix do the Olympic double (200m-400m)? NO
9. What about triple jump World record and Christian Taylor? NO
10. What will bring the second part of WADA commission report? NOT GOOD NEWS AT ALL
TOP TEN EXPECTATIONS 2017
1. Fight for clean sport, is it possible to win it or at least to move in that direction?
2. (repeating myself) Will Russian Athletes be able to compete in London 2017?
3. Will Usain Bolt really stay only with 100 m in his farewell year?
4. Enough and good quality innovations and changes within our sport to be competitive with others and refreshing for younger generation?
5. Is sub 2 hours marathon coming closer?
6. Will recent changes into IAAF Diamond League bring more excitement and interest?
7. Sandi Morris breaking Yelena´s World record in pole vault?
8. Championships in Africa (Kampala, Nairobi) beeing well attended and succesful ones?
9. Will Renaud Lavillenie win his 5th European Indoor gold in a row in Belgrade?
10. London Worlds to be named at the end as “Best Ever” ?
TOP TEN TRACK MEMORIES 2016
1. Bolt is a legend, following his year from Ostrava through Rio to Red Carpet I am Bolt.
2. Wayde Van Niekerk breaking MJ´s 400 m WR in lane 8 (forget agents discussions about lanes at meetings).
3. Unbeatable records going: Harrison-Donkova, Ayana-Wang Junxia.
4. Sara Kolak the top surprise in Rio. Also Braz 603 and Fajdek out in qualification.
5. Discussing doping and issues around it for most hours in one year with explaining not everything is bad.
6. Pavel Maslak defending his World Indoor Title in Portland on American soil.
7. Despite injuries in Ostrava doing well at Olympics: Eaton and Morris.
8. Tough beeing unbeaten and clear number ones and still not beeing elected in different polls on top (Perkovic, Wlodarczyk).
9. Positive changes towards modernisation in our sport like slow train, but moving.
10. 6th Olympics as TV commentator enjoying with all the ups and downs of athletes and within the organisation.
More personal: Announcing European Figure Skating Championships, Indoor high jumps in Italian mood, AirLavillenie star in Jablonec, Ostrava full house and good weather, return of PTS Meeting in Samorin, Anita World record at Kamila Memorial and commentating for first time (Im active in this since 1995) Olympic athletics gold for Slovakia (Toth).
