by Larry EderIn the British Trials, our friends across the pond were treated to the fetethat the US had in 92, and nearly in 2008-a athlete allowed to run in the Trials who was involved in a positive or a claimed postive drug test. In 1992, it was Butch Reynolds and in 2008, for a bit, it looked like Justin Gatlin.
In each case, there will always be sympathy for the athlete. I am not sure how it is considered in London regarding Dwain Chambers. Mr. Chambers obviously is in shape with his 10.00, but we shall have to wait and see how the legal outcome of this case is received.
EME NEWS (JULY 12, 2008) UPDATE
HOLZDEPPE GETS THE GOLD
BYDGOSZCZ (POL, July 12): Germany’s pole vaulter Raphael Holzdeppe won the expected pole vault gold medal. He started his competition at 5,40m and cleared also the 5,50m in the first attempt. After that he tried 5,72m in vain. Polands Pawel Wojciechowski got the silver medal with 5,40m, Karsten Dilla from Germany the bronze medal with 5,30m. After the decathlon gold medal, the heptathlon gold medal was also won by a German athlete: Carolin Schaefer. The 16-year-old established five new personal bests in the single events plus her total of 5833 points. Yana Maksimava from Belarus won the silver medal with 5766 points, only one tiny point ahead of Estonia’s Grit Sadeiko. Ivana Spanovic won the long jump gold medal for Serbia with 6,61m 15 centimeters ahead of Nastassia Mironchyk from Belarus and 20 centimeters ahead of Cuba’s triple jump gold medallist Dailenys Alcantara who thus established a new personal best. Teona Rodgers clocked 13,40s in the 100m hurdles final in front of Shermaine Williams from Jamaica (13,48s) and Cuba’s Belkis Milanes in 13,49s. Walter Henning from the USA made the situation in the hammer final clear with his first attempt of 76,14m. In his last throw he improved to 76,29m establishing a new area junior record. Teammate Conor McCullough won the silver medal (75,88m) in front of Aleh Dubitski from Belarus with 75,42m. Both relay medals were won by the USA. The boys crossed the finish line in 38,98s in front of Jamaica (39,25s) and South Africa (39,70s) whereas the girls (43,66s) beat Jamaica (43,98s) and Brasil (44,61s). The 3000 m final was decided in the final sprint where Kenyan Mercy Cherono had more power left (8:58,70min) than Ethiopia’s Bizunesh Urgesa (8:58,90min) and Frethiwat Goshu (9:03,76min). The 110m semifinal saw Russia’s Konstantin Shabanov as fastest qualifier with 13,41s.
WIND DIFFICULTIES
CUXHAVEN (GER, July 12): A lot of wind – which is quite normal at the coast – made the conditions at the meeting in Cuxhaven (European Athletics Permit) at the German North Sea quite difficult, especially for the pole vaulters. Winner Lars Boergeling (5,50m) said the competition was like a ‚wind lottery’. Malte Mohr and Richard Spiegelburg came second and third with also 5,50m. The changing wind was also an enemy for US Tony Almond who won the long jump with 7,71m and for Michael Moellenbeck (61,35m) in the discus competition. Matt Scherer (USA) clocked 1:47,74min in the 800m competition where Rene Herms and Nils Schumann were missing due to foot problems. Petr Stehlik from the Czech Republic won the shot put (20,03m) with an absent Peter Sack. German hurdler Carolin Nytra crossed the finish line in 12,97s in front of Olympic medalist Olena Krasovska from the Ukraine (13,04s). Willi Mathiszik from Germany was the fastest in the 110m hurdles event with 13,59s. Alexander Kosenkow from Germany clocked 20,77s in the 200m competition – his counterpart was Vida Anim from Ghana who won the women’s 200m (23,41s) and also the 100m (11,42s). Leva Zunda from Latvia is the name of the winner in the 400m hurdles race – 57,01s. Franek Haschke crossed the finish line after 1500m in 3:42,15min thanks also to his rabbit named Carsten Schlangen.
OˇROURKE LOST
CORK (IRL, July 12) – The women’s 100m hurdles provided a thrilling finish but homestar Derval O’Rourke will have to wait more before to record victory on her home track. She conceded defeat to Jamaica’s Andrea Bliss, 13.00 against 12.96, but kept a tiny edge over Poland’s Aurelia Trywianska who finished third in 13.01. Laverne Jones-Ferrette of the US Virgin Islands recorded a sprint double winning the 100m in 11.35 and the 200m in 22.7 while Makelesi Batimala of the Fiji took the second place setting a new national record of 23.23. Irish Paul Hession claimed the men’s 200m meters in 20.67 and also the 100 m in 10.21 beating Jamaican Dwight Thomas (10.27). US Olympic fourth placer Jamie Nieto achieved the A-Olympic qualifier in High Jump 230 but too late for Beijing. Ukrainian world champion 2005 Yuri Krimarenko was fifth (215). Latvian Maris Urtans won the Shot Put (20.04) ahead of US Steve Manz (20.03). US Greg Nixon dominated the men’s 400m in 45.59 while Guyana’s Aliann Pompey also had an easy victory in the women’s race (51.52). Amy Mortimer, recently 5th at the US Trials in the 1500m, set a new personal best in the women’s 3000m (8:55.72) to finish ahead Australia’s Georgie Clarke (8:58.60). Kenyan runners Bernard Kiptum and Mike Kigen respectively won the 1500m (3:38.70) and the 3000m (7:49.50) as Ireland’s Alistair Cragg claimed second place in both races which were held just an hour apart (3:38.70 and 7:55.86).
CHAMBERS 10.00
BIRMINGHAM (GBR, July 12): Disgraced British sprinter Dwain Chambers clocked 10.00 (+1.6) European leading time to win the British Olympic Trials. He was also fast in heats with 10.14 and 10.21 in semis. Second Simeon Williamson improved to 10.03 and is qualified for Olympics. Third Craig Pickering 10.19 and fourth Tyrone Edgar 10.22. All remains open with Chambers initiatives to get the Olympic ban lifted. Greg Rutherford showed great shape with 820 (+2.0) in Long Jump. Andy Turner was the hurdles winner (13.58, +0.4) and Jeannette Kwakye at 100 m for women (11.26, +1.8). In tactical race Michael Rimmer beat Andy Baddeley at 800 m (1:49.13). Perri Shakes clocked new PB to win the 400 m Hurdles (56.09).
BRAZILIAN WINS
RIED (AUT, July 12): At third Austrian Top 4 meetings the German Markus Esser achieved Olympic qualifying 79.04 in hammer. Austrian Benjamin Siart as second improved to 71.50. Vicente de Lima of Brasil won the 100 m (10.35, +0.6) and his team was the best in 4×100 m (39.76). Czech record holder Lucie Skrobakova won the 100 m Hurdles in 13.29 (0.0).
TAHRI MISSING THE SPIKES
PARIS (FRA) – Osaka fifth place Bouabdellah Tahri didn’t take the start of the 3000m steeple at the Roma Golden League meet on Friday, because his luggage with his spikes was delayed. The athlete who had originally decided to skip the Saint-Denis Golden League to head to altitude training in Font-Romeu may now change his mind, L’Equipe informs.
SANCHEZ STILL WAITING
ATHENS (GRE): Reigning Olympic winner Felix Sanchez of Dominican Republic postponed his season begin. He was initially to run in Rome and Athens, but none of this will work. He will now see when he would be able to start competing.
OTHER RESULTS
PACOV (CZE, July 12): Slovak shot putter Milan Haborak qualified here for Olympics with A-standard 20.79 m. On the other hand Miloslav Konopka did not achieve the same with 77.37 (78.50 is needed).
NOVE MESTO NAD METUJI (CZE, July 12): Another Slovak shot putter Daniel Vanek improved to 19.56.
PLZEN (CZE, July 12): Jan Kudlicka again confirmed his Olympic qualification with 570 here in Pole Vault, this time Stepan Janacek came close with 560 cm. Lenka Ledvinova improved the Czech hammer record to 69.03. But the main issue at the meet was the return of Katerina Badurova in Pole Vault after surgery in winter. The world silver medalist from Osaka cleared 435 cm to qualify for Olympics. Romana Malacova as second improved to 430. Ondrej Danek clocked 50.30 at 400 m Hurdles and Petr Szetei 20.94 at 200 m.
Used with permission of Alfons Juck, Publisher of EME News.
