by Larry EderWell, in my travels, I missed two bits of news. NIke has signed up with the USOC to sponsor the apparel and footwear through 2012, including the medal award product. This allows Nike to protect itself from guerilla marketing. Watch for Nike and adidas to go head to head globally over this. adidas has been involved since the 1956 Olympics, but with apparel since 1972. Nike’s new Beijing Innovation Summit was showcased product for the various sports and federations earlier in the week for over 300 media.
It was also announced that the IOC has demanded that the medals for Marion Jones be returned and also taking away the relay teams that she had participated in. This is part of the denoument of the saga of one of the world’s greatest athletes, who now is spending time in a US jail for perjury. Not much more can be said.
Creative comments about my predicitions on Ryan Hall. A suggestion on a pharmaceutical that I might have smoked prior to the column was welcome, appreciated and warmly received, but wrong. I think Mr. Hall is for real and quite capable of a faster performance, so we shall see!
EME NEWS (APR 12, 2008)
New sponsors for African Championships
ADDIS ABABA (ETH): The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCO) and its Italian construction partner Salini Costruttori signed a joint agreement to sponsor the 16th CAA African Athletics Championships which will start end of this month. Informs the event website. Also Samsung, the world’s largest electronics and information technology company, is the latest in list of partners for the event. In a deal brokered by Nova Africa Events PLC, the official marketing agent for Addis 2008, Samsung joins a prestigious list of sponsors that have confirmed their association with one of Africa ‘s largest sporting competitions.
Top five to be tested
BEIJING (CHN): IOC announced tough anti-doping measures for coming Olympic Games. Informs IOC website. The number of tests will be increased from 3600 in Athens to 4500 in Beijing with general rule that top 5 finishers and two random will be tested. New is that all athletes participating at the games will be subject to control at any time or place without advance notice from July 27 until August 24. Also athletes who miss a test on two separate occasions during the Games or on one occasion during Games plus two in the 18 months prior, will be considered to have committed an anti-doping rule violation. Possession of any substance from the list of prohibited substances would constitute a violation (previously only a selection from the prohibited list would have applied). Over 1000 people will be involved in the anti-doping programme from laboratory staff to sample-collection personnel and chaperones. A total of 206 people will accompany athletes until their arrival at the anti-doping control station. Strict security will be in force throughout the entire process including overseeing the transportation of blood and urine samples. The increase in the number of tests is significant and will concern pre-competition controls, which have proven to be decisive. Of these 4500 tests around 700 to 800 are said to apply to urine EP0 detection and 900 will be blood tests.
Gaines wants to appeal
ATLANTA (USA): US sprinter Chryste Gaines (currently Georgia Tech athletic staff member) wants to challenge the IOC decision to strip her and other US relay team member medals from Sydney Olympic Games 2000. “I think the decision is wrong and we are going to appeal to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport if we can find the money to pay for the attorney fees,” Gaines said in a statement, informs The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Track athletes as Gladiators
GLASGOW (GBR): Interesting track athletes participation in new The 2008 Gladiators series. Olympic participant and 67.58 m hammer thrower Shirley Webb will be one of the stars of the new generation of Gladiators on the cult game show’s new series. Informs Daily Record. She was still silver holder last year at World Championships trials. She will be Battleaxe, the warrior queen and former 400 m European champion Duaine Ladejo will play the part of Predator. 5268 points former heptathlete Caroline Pearce will be Ice and Lucy Boggis who is also last year 5013 points scorer will be Tempest, Jenny Pacey as Enigma has also solid Long Jump best of 600 cm. On the other side of the ocean also US javelin record holder Breaux Greer is supposedly involved in American Gladiators next episodes.
Berlin hopes for record number of spectators
BERLIN (GER): The first this years AF Golden League Meeting in Berlin Olympic Stadium on June 1 announced first top German athletes who will compete. Discus Osaka silver holder Robert Harting is the first one along with High Jumper Ariane Friedrich who made her breakthrough to world class during last indoor season. She improved to 202 cm, but was only 8th at World Indoor Championships in Valencia. She had an succesfull training camp in Singapore recently. The DKB-ISTAF Meeting already sold 45 000 tickets and is hoping to breaking the last years figure of 75 000. The main german public TV station ARD confirmed two hours live transmission. Meeting director Gerhard Janetzky also confirmed he will not invite british sprinter Dwain Chambers to this years event but opened the door with stating that for 2009 the situation could be different.
US FRIDAY ACTION
WESTWOOD: World Long Jump champion 2005 Tianna Madison won the 100 m at Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner Kersee Invitational clocking solid 11.54 (0.0). She came close to her 2005 PB 11.41 and showed possible return to shape of that year. Her post 2005 outdoor long jump best is only 660 cm. US 800 m champion Khadevis Robinson checked his shape at 400 m with 46.87 time.
ATHENS: Patty Sylvester of Grenada who is former NCAA Champion and is now out of college improved her national triple jump record to 13.87 (+2.0) at Spec Towns Invitational. In the series she also had windy 14.33 (+2.7) and 14.12 (+2.5). She is in shape of her life, end of March she improved another Grenada record to 671 in Long Jump.
COLUMBIA: Sweden´s Leif Arrhenius (21) improved in discus to excellent 63.12 m in second attempt. It is his first 60+ mark and new stadium record at 12th Tom Botts Invitational.
KNOXVILLE: Friday programme at 42nd Sea Ray Relays was not finished due to rain storms. After nearly 3 hours of waiting 18 events were postponed for Saturday. In strange wind conditions NCAA indoor 200 m champion Rubin Williams clocked 9.96 at 100 m, but was aided by huge +7.7 m/s. It was difficult for 400 m runners as Mary Wineberg beat last year US Champion DeeDee Trotter (52.23-53.00). Miles Smith had more luck and was able to achieve good 45.84 to win men 400 m. Interesting improvement for junior aged Charlton Rolle at 110 m Hurdles with 13.68 (+2.0), if trying to qualify he could be a medal contender in Bydgoszcz at IAAF World Junior Championships. Last year top junior world mark was 13.61. World Champs 2005 participant Amber Campbell achieved in women hammer 68.48 m. Osaka 1500 m semifinalist Treniere Clement won slow 3000 m in 10:00.12.
OTHER RESULTS
NAKURU (KEN, Apr 11): Magdalina Syombua won the 10 000 m during first day of fourth New KCC/Athletics Kenya meeting in Nakuru clocking 34:55.84. World junior champion Veronica Nyarwai was second in her 1500 m heat (4:27.2) as she was beaten by Irene Jelagat (4:25.0). Margaret Wangari of Police won the other heat (4:31.1). Talented miler and last year world junior CC champion Asbel Kiprop tested his shape at 400 m and won his heat in 49.3.
YANGZHOU (CHN, Apr 11): Hammer world bronze holder Zhang Wenxiu achieved 72.22 during first day of Chinese National Grand Prix Meet. Second world juniors 2006 finalist Wang Zheng registered first time in her career 70+ mark with 70.07. Great Shot Put depth with fourt athletes over 18 metres. World indoors bronze holder from Valencia Li Meiju won (18.59), fourth placer from Osaka Li Ling (18.49) was next followed with Liu Xiangrong (18.45) and Asian junior record holder Gong Lijiao (18.27). 19-years old Zhu Yingying won the 5000 m (15:42.64) and best male result was produced by 60 m national indoor record holder Wen Yongyi at 100 m (10.40, 0.0).
ADDITION
LAS TUNAS (CUB): Only with delay information about world leading hammer 75.08 by Cuban Osaka silver holder Yipsi Moreno arrived. She never was early at small home meetings in such a good shape.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
MOSCOW (RUS): Reigning Olympic champion at 800 m Yuriy Borzakovskiy is today 27. Since 2000 he is competing at world level and his aim is successfully to defend his Athens title.
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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
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