by Larry EderLast night’s blog on Kara Goucher did not remind our readers that the ING New York women’s field is fairly intimidating–Catherine Nederiba and Gete Wami among them. And do not forget Kim Smith, the other major debut marathoner in the race on the women’s side ( watch for upcoming blog on Kim).
Gete Wami is making it very clear-she wants a win at ING New York City this year…
Takahashi retired
TOKIO (JPN): 2000 Olympic marathon Champion, Naoko Takahashi has decided to retire. She confirmed that at a press conference today. “I’ve reached the point where I’m no longer able to stand confidently and run in front of my fans as a professional marathon runner,” she explained as Japan Today informs. She did not make the Beijing Olympics after placing 27th at the Nagoya International Women’s Marathon in March this year (2:44:18). The 36-year-old has struggled to maintain fitness both mentally and physically since traveling to Boulder, Colorado, for high-altitude training in late May. In 2001 she clocked her best 2:19:46 what was a Berlin Marathon win. Her last sub 2:30 was in November 2005 when winning Tokyo in 2:24:39.
No Indoor for Gomes
LISBON (POR): World Indoor Long Jump champion Naide Gomes who missed Olympic final in Beijing after 629 cm in qualification will not jump this coming indoor season. After Russian World Champion Tatyana Lebedeva another major name in this event who will not compete in winter 2009. For Gomes the main reason is the recent operation to correct an abdominal hernia. She was operated in Munich last week. She is also double European indoor champion 2005 and 2007 and world leader 2008 with 712 cm.
Wami determined
NEW YORK (USA): World Marathon Majors champion Gete Wami is determined to return to winning ways over the distance when competing in New York next Sunday. Informs David Martin. Wami is adamant despite the presence of defending champion Paula Radcliffe and Olympic silver medallist Catherine Ndereba, she can atone for her recent lapse in form over the distance.
The 33-year-old Ethiopian lost a thriller in the Big Apple to Radcliffe 12 months ago and a heavy fall in her next outing in London last April, saw her finish third. She then failed to finish the Olympic marathon in Beijing troubled with stomach problems and dropping out at around 18 miles. However Wami is no quitter and bolstered with a solid success at the Bupa Great North Run at the beginning of the month where she set a lifetime half marathon personal best 1:08:51, she feels she is ready to challenge seriously the New York crown.
Otto fully healthy
DORMAGEN (GER): World Champs fifth placer in Pole Vault German Bjorn Otto (31, 590 in 2007) is since last eight weeks back in training. As leichtathletik.de informs he injured himself (Achilles) at German Nationals in July and stopped the season since then. “I needed to start with the training earlier than the others, ” he said from the training camp in Monte Gordo, Portugal. “My main motivation specially after not beeing able to be in Beijing is the world championships in my own country,” he added. His girl-friend is elite German sprinter Cathleen Tschirch with 11.42 and 22.97 bests. He plans to compete at European Indoor Championships also, in 2007 in Birmingham he won a bronze medal.
Changes within Athletics Australia
MELBOURNE (AUS): Athletics Australia’s high performance manager Max Binnington has announced his intention to step down from the role at the conclusion of his current contract. Binnington, who joined Athletics Australia post the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, has overseen Athletics Australia’s high performance program during a significant period of challenge and change. During this time, athletics in Australia has seen its most successful Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and the most successful Olympic Games in 40 years in Beijing. Athletics Australia’s Medical Director Dr Tim Barbour has also stepped down from his position after six years in the role. For the upcoming domestic season, Dr Adam Castricum will serve as Medical Director. Castricum has been a key member of the management team for Athletic Australia’s national junior program. Informs Athletics Australia.
Vlasic honoured
ZAGREB (CRO): World High Jumper Blanka Vlasic and boxing star Mate Parlov have been recent additions to the Croatian Avenue of Glory in the city of Opatija. They were nominated in category Sports. Both this sports personalities made large impact for promoting Croatia abroad. The Avenue has so far 30 most famous Croatian personalities included.
Fyodorova attacked
MOSCOW (RUS): Relay Olympic medalist from 2004 Olga Fyodorova who is in last years competing in bob-sleigh was last week attacked in Moscow and is currently in hospital. She was shot into her leg. She was found by her teammate, former 400m Hurdler runner, now a bob-sleigh competitor Yelena Doronina. First outlook was not very positive, but now it looks better for her to return to the training base in Sigulda, Latvia and be in preparation for Winter Olympics 2010 on time.
Thorkildsen believes in Spotakova
OSLO (NOR): European Athlete of the Year 2008 Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway believes his counterpart Barbora Å potáková of Czech Republic can send the women’s javelin over 75 metres. Like Thorkildsen, Å potáková won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in August and then provided the individual highlight of the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart last month when she launched her implement out to a world record of 72.28m. Informs European Athletics. “She’s got 75 metres potential. I guess she just need to improve a few small things but of all the top javelin women at the moment, she’s going to be the one that will break the 75 metres barrier, I think,” commented Thorkildsen. The Norwegian has now recovered from the slight groin problems which hindered his final two appearances of the season at the Ã…F Golden League meeting in Brussels and the IAAF World Athletics Final in Stuttgart – where he had to settle for third and second respectively – and this coming Saturday marks an important date in his diary. “I’ve been doing a little bit of training although I’ve been running around Europe attending all sorts of different functions but I start full scale, full-time, training on November 1.
Ajunwa urges
LAGOS (NGR): Nigeria´s first-ever Olympic gold medallist Chioma Ajunwa warned that the country’s preparations must start immediately if they are to be successful at London 2012. Ajunwa, who won the long jump in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, urged the National Sports Commission (NCS) and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to begin identifying young talent now and begin grooming them for London. At the Beijing Games Nigeria won only four medals, one silver and three bronze. Ajunwa´s national record is 712 from Atlanta Games. Informs insidethegames.com.
Moorcroft with new role
LONDON (GBR): Former chief executive of UK Athletics David Moorcroft, has been appointed as the chairman of a new personal fitness training that is hoping to encourage people to get active in the build-up to London 2012. As insidethegames.com informs, the 55-year-old Moorcroft, the former world record holder for 5000 m is to head a company called iGlobalFitness, which provides a service to individuals, hotels, residential homes and companies.
Montes died
SAN JUAN (PUR): Cuba’s three-time Olympian and 1968 relay silver medallist Pablo Montes died on Sunday at the age of 62, victim of a heart attack. “It is a great loss for all of us in the world of athletics. We had the honour to award him alive and induct him into the Central American and Caribbean Athletics Hall of Fame,” said Central American and Caribbean Athletics Confederation president Victor Lopez. In 1968, Montes ran the third leg in the Cuban quartet who claimed the 4x100m silver medal at the Mexico Olympics, together with Enrique Figuerola, Juan Morales and Hermes RamÃrez. In the Mexican capital, he clocked 10.1 four times, including a personal best of 10.14, to become the second Cuban man after Figuerola to run an Olympic sprint final. He finished fourth. After he hanged up the spikes, he continued to contribute to the sport as a coach. He also led the veterans’ commission of the Cuban Athletics Federation until his death. He would have turned 63 on November 23. Informs IAAF.
Dobrynska with Total Sports
JOHNSON CITY (USA): Total Sports Management announced that the Olympic heptathlon Champion Nataliya Dobrynska from Ukraine will join the group. Dobrynska won the 2008 Beijing Olympics with a personal best of 6733 points. She has been one of the top multi-event athletes for the past five years picking up the silver medal at the 2004 World Indoor Championships and bronze medal at the 2005 European Indoor Championships. Also joining Total Sports is Reuben McCoy, the USA’s top young 400 meter hurdler who ran 48.37 in 2008, making him the fourth-fastest American in a year where the U.S. swept all three medals in Beijing. With other young additions such as Travis Padgett (USA), the fastest collegiate 100 meter runner in history; Billy Nelson (USA), the only American collegiate to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in the 3000 meter steeplechase; Erica Bartolina (USA) 2008 Olympian in the pole vault; and NCAA 5000 meter runner-up Stephen Pifer, Total Sports continues to grow. The group is headed by Mark Block and Chris Layne.
RESULTS
TAKAHATA (JPN, Oct 26): Yuki Yamazaki set a national record of 3:41:29 at 50 km walk. The 24-years old Olympic 7th placer improved his own Japanese mark from this April by 26 seconds. He was also 11th in Beijing at 20 km and eight placer at World Championships 2005.
TULSA (USA, Oct 25): Kenyan McDonald Ondara won the Tulsa Run at 15 km with 44:37. Rose Kosgei was the best woman in 51:24 beating Karolina Jarzynska of Poland (51:33).
BOSTON (USA, Oct 26): The 19th Cross Country Boston Mayor´s Cup in crisp and cool conditions as Race Results Weekly reports was won by Kenyan Jacob Korir who clocked 23:54 at 8 km. Ethiopian Aziza Aliyu’s (16:36) bid to win three Mayor’s Cups in a row in women section was thwarted by former Providence College star Mary Cullen of Ireland who dominated the women’s race and broke Kathy Franey’s course record with 16:08 (16:22 in 1992).
HONGKONG (HKG, Oct 25): At International meeting here the best result was Chinese 39.89 4×100 m relay time. World finalist Shi Dongpeng clocked 14.08 at 110 m Hurdles (+0.5).
KIROVOHRAD (UKR, Oct 25-26): Steeple specialist Vadym Slobodenyuk won the 4 km race at Ukrainian National Cross-Country championships clocking 11:29. Second marathon national record holder Dmytro Baranovskyy got 11:32. Yevhen Bozhko won the 10 km race in 29:16, four seconds ahead of Mykhaylo Iveruk (29:20). Women titles for 32-years old Svitlana Stanko (4 km, 13:49) and junior Lyudmyla Kovalenko (8 km, 27:43).
TOULOUSE (FRA, Oct 26): Second Toulouse marathon had 4600 participants and the win went to Kenya. Dominic Ruto clocked 2:19:01. Joanna Chmiel (40) of Poland was the best woman (2:48:35).
TORREON (MEX, Oct 26): Kenyan wins at 10 km road race for Anthony Korir (28:46) and Olga Kimaiyo (33:10).
EME News courtesy of Alfons Juck, Publisher.
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