Usain Bolt Not to Double, and Haile G in 10k in Beijing, courtesy Alfons Juck

While I was over in Valencia, I sat with Alfons Juck, and worked out an agreement for our readers to get his updates a coupld of times a week. Big News is Haile G. not running marathon in Beijing and Usain Bolt focusing on one event in Beijing. Smart decisions in my mind…..

BOLT IS NOT GOING TO DOUBLE
SPANISH TOWN (JAM): Usain Bolt after his great 10.03 so early in the season confirmed he will not double at Olympic Games. „I will definitely not double at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, I will only run the 200m, as I need .to focus on the 200m versus doubling,” he was quoted.
2005 World Youth bronze girl Schillonie Calvert took the 100 m at GC Foster Classics in 11.27. Former hurdles World medalist Brigitte Foster Hylton turned up prepared to run, but pulled out.

HAILE CONFIRMED HIS OLYMPIC 10 000 m INTENTION
ADDIS ABABA (ETH): As expected Haile Gebrselassie confirmed he will not run the marathon at Olympic Games in Beijing due to pollution in Chinese town. But he wants to compete there on track at 10 000 m. He could chase his third gold there after 1996 and 2000. However he will face the last world and Olympic winner, his country mate Kenenisa Bekele. Their clash could be one of the highlights of the games. “Haile” wants to qualify at 10 000 m in Hengelo at his beloved Grand Prix fixture on May 24 in Netherlands.
THREE OSAKA MEDALLISTS IN SPLIT
SPLIT (CRO): Three medallists from last years IAAF World Championships in Osaka will compete during the weekend at 8th Winter Throwing European Cup in Split, Croatia. German hammer world champion Betty Heidler is coming with silver and bronze holder in discus Robert Harting (Germany) and Dutch Rutger Smith who is also entered in Shot Put where he was recently 5th at World Indoor Championships in Valencia. In women shot put even three Valencia finalists are entered – fifth Italian Chiara Rosa, sixth German Christina Schwanitz and eighth Russian Anna Omarova. Ukraine entered the super talented young thrower Mykyta Nesterenko who is the holder of discus world bests in categories 15, 16, 17, 18 years old. 249 athletes will represent 36 countries.
RESULTS
CHAPEL HILL (USA, Mar 8-9): Two time NCAA Champion Jake Arnold won the US indoor heptathlon title with final score of 5851 points. Second place for 2001 champion Stephen Moore (5794) as title defender Paul Terek scratched at the hurdles. Pickler twins dominated the pentathlon as Diana won with 4378 and Julie was second (4296). Favorite and title defender Hyleas Fountain was not competing.
TEL AVIV (ISR, Mar 9): Irina Lenskiy clocked solid 13.21 at 100 m Hurdles (-0.2).
NAIROBI (KEN, Mar 8): African Junior 5000 m champion Mercy Wacera (15:57.6 at 5000 m) and Osaka 1500 m fourth placer Asbel Kiprop (1:47.2 at 800 m) won at KCC Athletics Kenya first track meet. Best Kenyan sprinter Tom Musinde achieved 10.2 at 100 m. In the men 5000 m race Kenya Police’s Vincent Yator strong sprint dominated in 13:45.1.
YEVPATORIYA (UKR, Mar 6-7): 37 years old multiple national champion Vira Zozulya achieved another Ukrainian title during National Winter Walking Championships. She clocked at 20 km excellent 1:28:24 and missed her own national record from 2003 only by 5 seconds. Andriy Kovenko won the male race (1:24:04). Oleksiy Kazanin was the best at 30 km (2:13:56). Only 14 years old Ihor Lyaschenko (will be 15 in August) clocked excellent 44:18 at 10 km. World all-time best for 14 years is 42:55.1 by Russian Aleksandr Strokov in 1997.
KOCHI (IND, Mar 7-8): Sri Lankan 400 m runner Prasanna Amarasekera clocked 46.47 at 400 m during South Asian Championships what was the best male result of the event. Former world medallist Anju Bobby George produced 650 cm in Long Jump what was the best female result. Excellent also the double by other Indian Sinimole Paulose at 800 m (2:03:16) and 1500 m (4:16.40). Information from IAAF.
SAO PAULO (BRA, Mar 9): Kenyan Kiprono Mutai won the Sao Paulo Half-Marathon achieving 1:04:02. Just 8 seconds behind was the Athens 2004 hero Vanderlei de Lima (1:04:10) who is in preparation for Torino Marathon (Apr 13). Female winner was another Kenyan Eunice Kirwa (1:15:08).
CANBERRA (AUS, Mar 9): At Australian World Cross Country Trials Lisa-Jane Weightman scored a surprise win over tough field at 8 km clocking 27:17. Behind her Melissa Rollison (27:41), Victoria Mitchell (27:42), Melinda Vernon (27:47) and former world champion Benita Johnson (27:49). Weightman plans to debut in marathon on April 13 in London. National 10 000 m track champion Collis Birmingham won the 12 km race (36:25) and talented 17 years old Ryan Gregson dominated juniors 8 km (24:42).
PERTH (AUS, Mar 9): World Youth Champion 2007 Vicky Parnov improved her seasonal Pole Vault best to 430 at State Championships. Her Area junior record from last year is 440 cm.
TOULOUSE (FRA, Mar 8): The best result at French Winter Throwing Championships was achieved by Stephanie Falzon in hammer throw with 68.05 m.
OHRDRUF (GER, Mar 8): Sabrina Mockenhaupt won the National Cross Country title at 4.9 km clocking 15:59 beating Susanne Hahn who had 16:10. European marathon champion Ulrike Maisch was fourth (16:50). Mockenhaupt plans to run a fast 10 000 m track race early May in Stanford, California. Male titles for Franek Haschke (3.6 km, 10:45) and Stefan Hohl (9.9 km, 29:41).
OOSTENDE (BEL, Mar 9): Ethiopian Mimi Belete competing for Belgian club won the 6.675 km women race at Belgican Cross Country Championships (22:10). Nevertheless the title went to second placed Elle Van Hoeymissen (22:27). Male title for the fourth time already for Tom Van Hooste who clocked 30:48 at 10.481 km.
LUGANO (SUI, Mar 9): At European Athletics Permit walking meet Czech 20 km women winner Zuzana Schindlerova improved to 1:33:15 and secured Olympic participation. Greek Evaggelia Xinou as second clocked 1:33:36 (her career second best) and third Swiss Marie Polli achieved national record 1:34:50. Italian Daniele Paris won the men 20 km (1:24:32) beating Czech veteran Milos Holusa (1:25:45) and Briton Daniel King (1:26:14). Twelve countries were represented at Gran Premio Citta di Lugano event.

VALENCIA FLASH-BACK
KENYA: The Nation writes that, the fitness levels of Kenyan athletes came into sharp focus during the IAAF World Indoor Championships. Kenya, former giants in athletics, finished 18th with a paltry two medals, both of them silver. Ethiopian runners dominated the African medal haul with three gold medals as Kenyans failed to offer any real challenge to their northern neighbours, who seem to be growing from strength to strength in middle and long distance races. Other African countries with gold medals included South Africa and Nigeria, with Sudan also coming into the picture and grabbing the men’s 800 meters gold.
GERMANY: In the German Press the results of the team which returned without a single medal were considered as not very good. It happened first time after 23 years. The titles were for example “Catastrophy in Valencia”, “Bad start into the Olympic Year” or “Warning for Germany in Valencia.”
GERMANY: Pole Vaulter Anna Battke (23) was forced to wash the words on her body written: “Stop Doping”. In the qualification there was no word against it, but before the finals she was told not to have it. The option was to wash it in the call-room. EME NEWS is considering rule 8 of IAAF Rules (Advertising and Displays during International Competitions) the one which could be applied in this case.
CROATIA: Blanka Vlasic is having after Valencia win the winning streak extended to 22 finals. Only steeple world record holder Saif Saeed Shaheen has longer one with 24 in his 3000 m SC event since 2002. The Croatian Star is having 22 since June 2007. In her third meet of the summer she can come on top in this ranking. Provisionally her plan is to start the season at Qatar Grand Prix in Doha early May. Interestingly Yelena Isinbayeva came close to Shaheen after her Donyetsk win with 23 competitions but was then stopped in Bydgoszcz when loosing to Feofanova.
OTHER NEWS
STUTTGART (GER): Stuttgarter Zeitung informs that a new plan to rebuild the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion into football-only arena is existing. City of Stuttgart through its special company with help of the VfB Stuttgart football club are willing to invest 70 millions EURO into it. This week will be this new project presented to city representatives, final decision is expected in April. If receiving green light this year IAAF World Athletics Final in September will be last big event at this for athletics historical stadium. Part of the project is also the renovation of other stadium in Stuttgart but for around 5000 spectators.
COEUR D’ALENE (USA): Track and Field News website informs that Bart Templeman, founder of Iron Wood Throwers, an Idaho-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of American athletes and coaches in the throwing events of track and field, announced the anticipated field of competitors for the 2008 Maui International Discus Challenge meet series (formerly known as the Maui “Big-Wind” Discus Challenge). Twelve international athletes representing seven different nations, featuring reigning World Champion Gerd Kanter of Estonia and past World Champion Beatrice Faumuina of New Zealand, will join five former United States Olympians and several elite American post-collegiate discus throwers for the highly anticipated event to be staged from Tuesday, May 13th through Friday, May 16th at the historic War Memorial Stadium Complex in Wailuku, Hawaii. With its ideal climate and strong prevailing winds, many of these athletes view the Maui event as their best opportunity to attack Olympic standards or personal bests. In Kanter´s case it could be also for more.
NEW YORK (USA): Saturday’s inaugural Central Park Challenge, which will host the U.S. Men’s 8-K Championship, lost two key athletes. Jen Rhines and Ian Dobson, both of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., would not be able to answer the starter’s gun. Rhines hasn’t fully recovered from an illness contracted after the AT&T U.S. Indoor Championships in Boston last month which hampered her performance at the IAAF World Indoor Championships last weekend in Valencia, Spain, where she ran the 3000m. Dobson cited a lingering hip injury. Alan Webb, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Jorge Torres headline the men’s race, and Shalane Flanagan, Carmen Douma-Hussar, Carrie Tollefson and Katie McGregor are the leading contenders in the women’s race. Both races will be contested over the 8 km, with a total prize-money purse of $70,000 on the line. Informs Race Results Weekly.
RATINGEN (GER): Former 800 m world champion Willi Wulbeck as marketing chief of IAAF Combined Events Challenge meeting of Ratingen thinks about moving the event to Dusseldorf. He has problems with the local club TV Ratingen who provisionally banned him from coaching activities in the club because of discrepancies concerning the marketing situation around the multi-events meeting. For the moment, as Wulbeck is saying, there is no action against him from any authority.
CORRECTION
Ames on Mar 8 was not Alex Wilson Invitational which was in South Bend but Iowa State Last Chance Meet.
Alfons Juck would like to thank all sources, listed and unlisted for their help with EME News. Published on runblogrun with permission of Alfons Juck, ajuck@rainside.sk
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EME NEWS is news service relating to the sport of athletics. It is published on daily basis with additional updates, as required. Copyright is held by Alfons Juck, Perinvest SK, a.s., Krikova 10, 82107 Bratislava, Slovakia. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The redistribution and/or direct reproduction of material from EME NEWS is prohibited unless permission is given by c Perinvest SK (such as being included in a subscription agreement).Email to respond: ajuck@rainside.sk