by Larry EderPaula Radcliffe is the world record holder in the women’s marathon. She is also one of the toughest athletes I have ever had the pleasure to watch. Running at her level, from world cross country, to 10,000 meters on the track, to the marathon has taken its toll. Her run in Beijing, in my mind, was as important as her world record runs. In that twenty-third place in Beijing, she gave honor to the Olympic oath, and while she competed in much discomfort, she remembered that the most important part of the Olympic experience is to compete as well as one can on that day. Radcliffe did not win an Olympic medal, but she lived the Olympic oath, and that is what truly counts.
Can Paula Radcliffe break 2:20 in New York? Well, of course, but not with this crowd on her back. This race is going to be tactical. Paula knows the course is tough and she has several athletes aiming for her-Catherine Nderiba, Rita Jiptoo, Gete Wami,
Kara Goucher, Katie Macgregor and Kim Smith.
If anyone is a scene stealer, that is Kim Smith. Watch my next blog and I will tell you why….
32 000 PLACES SOLD OUT FOR GER
ADDIS ABABA (ETH): The 2008 Toyota Great Ethiopian Run closed registration with all 32,000 places sold out for the race which this year takes place on Sunday 23rd November. Unlike other races in Africa which boast high registration figures, Ethiopia’s annual international 10 km attracts at least as many participants as registrants ensuring that the race remains Africa’s biggest by participant numbers. Just short of 29,000 finished the race last year which was won by 20-year-old Tsegaye Kebede who was the surprise bronze medalist in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Marathon. Among the guests attending this year’s race is Sweden’s 2004 Olympic Heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft and Fast Track Managing Director Jon Ridgeon. Britain’s Mo Farah is currently training in Addis Ababa and is likely to participate in the race alongside a number of Kenyan athletes who regularly come to the race. In addition around 3000 youngsters aged 11 and under will take part in the 2008 AIMS Children Series, the third leg of a series of races promoting running for children in the developing world. These races have a special resonance with the event’s fundraising campaign for orphans and vulnerable children which is being jointly promoted by Great Ethiopian Run and UNICEF Ethiopia. Organizers are informing in a release.
RADCLIFFE HOPES FOR SUB 2:20
NEW YORK (USA): Defending ING New York City Marathon Champion Paula Radcliffe says it’s possible to break 2:20 on the marathon course, and with the right conditions, Sunday’s race could well be her eighth marathon win. After a disappointing 23rd-place finish at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Marathon, Radcliffe told reporters she’s properly trained and “as fit as can be.” Radcliffe says that her strategy for Sunday’s marathon includes knowing the course. The women’s marathon world record-holder joins a highly competitive field, including Catherine Ndereba, Rita Jeptoo, Katie McGregor, and Kim Smith. If Radcliffe wins on Sunday, she will be the first woman to accomplish three wins in New York since the legendary Grete Waitz. With her 21-month-old daughter Isla standing nearby at a news conference on Friday, Radcliffe said she believes that she has another shot at the London Olympics in 2012, when she will be 38 years old. Event website reports. Website let´s run thinks that Radcliffe will win ahead of Wami, Ndereba, Jeptoo and Goucher. In the men event www.let´s run.com predicts Abderrahim Goumri to win over Paul Tergat, Marilson Gomes dos Santos, Abel Kirui and Daniel Rono.
ANOTHER COACHING CHANGE IN RUSSIA
MOSCOW (RUS): Russian head-coach Valentin Maslakov announced another change in coaching team. New national head for throws will be Valeriy Rabochev who will replace Aleksey Malyukov. Rabochev himself was a national coach for multi events. Maslakov also thinks to appoint a general manager for the national team.
LYSENKO WANTS TO COMPETE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
MOSCOW (RUS): Russian hammer throw world record holder Tatyana Lysenko who is currently serving a doping ban said for All-Sport that she is planning her return to competitions for Russian national championships in July next year. „I m currently living in Zhukovskiy, I m in regular training and never stopped,” she said. Her ban ends on July 15 and on July 16 the nationals are starting. She plans to qualify for World Championships in Berlin.
OKKEN TO MISS INDOORS
AMSTERDAM (NED): Dutch 800 m runner Arnaud Okken will not defend his title from Birmingham 2007 in Torino 2009. He will pass the indoor season because of his Achilles injury. He wants to be ready for summer, this year he did not qualify for Olympic Games.
FRANCIS DOUBTFUL ABOUT SIMPSON
KINGSTON (JAM): Stephen Francis, coach of Olympic 100-metre silver medalist Sherone Simpson, said his athlete will resume training within a month but she remains doubtful for next summer’s World Championships in Berlin, Germany. Informs The Star. On a radio programme last month, Francis confirmed that Simpson injured her knee while training in Tianjin, China, prior to the start of the 100-metre heats at the Beijing Games in mid-August. She still went on and ran 10.98 for second at Olympics and subsequently competed in Europe before surgery was carried out on her injured left knee. She will begin light training shortly. „Probably it’s likely that she will be out, certainly for the Jamaican trials, but hopefully she will be able to resume sprinting at the international level in August,” Francis was quoted.
ENNIS NO INDOORS
LONDON (GBR): Injured heptathlon prospect Jessica Ennis will most likely miss the indoor season 2009. The holder of European Rising Star Award 2008 said for e-inspire newsletter: „I’m back in training but not in full training, I’m winding everything back up gently, lifting weights and doing more conditioning, but I’m not able to jump just yet, that will come along in a few weeks. I’m due a scan next month and providing that says I have not had any problems with the training I have done so far. I will get the green light to up my game and begin sprinting. It’s the most sensible approach – but it means I’m likely to miss the indoors as I’m not able to jump just yet and I would struggle to get all my technical work done in time for the main events. Having said that you never know I may get to do a couple of individual events – it just depends on how the next 2 months goes.”
BOLT HOPES FINALLY TO GET A QUIET TIME
TRELAWNY (JAM): Current biggest star of the sport sprinter Usain Bolt is ready to get back to work on the track after several weeks of celebrating his and Jamaica’s success at the recent Beijing Olympic Games. Informs Jamaica Observer. Bolt, who along with Olympic teammate Marvin Anderson, was special guests at their Alma Mater William Knibb Memorial on Wednesday, said: „Yes, I am looking forward to getting back into training because the past few weeks have been kinda stressful.” 200 m Olympian Marvin Anderson said he was disappointed that an injury at the Olympic Games may have robbed him of a relay gold medal. He told the Observer on Wednesday, the injury was a „mild hamstring strain and I recovered a week after the Olympics and I have started working out again with coach Glen Mills”.
EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS DETAILS
LAUSANNE (SUI): European Athletics announced the final regulations for the inaugural European Team Championships, which will make their debut in June 2009 in four categories. After a summer spent conducting trials for this new Championships and following lengthy discussions with all key stakeholders including athletes, federations, media, sponsors and technical experts, European Athletics President Hansjörg Wirz is excited about the new championships. New is the fact that no false start will be allowed and immediate disqualification will follow. Other innovations were known already before. In the 3000m, 3000m steeplechase and 5000m three athletes will be eliminated in the course of the race. All field events, except vertical jumps, will be have maximum of four trials in each event. All participants will have two trials, best 6 will have third attempt and best 4 will compete in the last round. In the vertical jumps (High Jump & Pole Vault) each competitor shall be entitled to a maximum of 4 (four) fouls only throughout the whole field event. The lowest three teams in the Super League shall be relegated to the First League. The three first classified teams of the First League shall be promoted to the Super League. The lowest two teams of the First League and Second League shall be relegated to the Second and Third League. The two first classified teams of the Second League and Third League shall be promoted to the First League and Second League. The lowest two teams of the Second League shall be relegated to the Third League.
NEPORADNA ANOTHER SURGERY
VIENNA (AUT): Ukrainian 1500 m runner Nelya Neporadna who is World Junior Champion 2004 underwent another surgery. It was again conducted in Vienna, Austria by Prof. Alfred Engel, who is Austrian Olympic Team doctor. First surgery is dated back in November 2006 (heel injury and subsequent Achilles problems at left leg). The latest surgery was on right leg. She will leave the hospital next week and would need 12 weeks of rehabilitation programme. It is expected she should be back on track for summer season. She is also European Junior Champion 2003 and last time competed back in 2005.
HALKIA COULD GO TO JAIL
ATHENS (GRE): Greek hurdler and 2004 olympic winner Fani Halkia could face a two-year jail sentence after a Greek prosecutor charged the former Olympic champion with using banned steroids. Halkia’s coach, George Panagiotopoulos, was charged with supplying banned substances and, if convicted, faces up to three years in prison and a fine. The defendants deny any wrongdoing and will go on trial within a year. Agencies are informing.
BUBKA HELPS IN INDIA
PUNE (IND): Legendary pole vaulter and Senior IAAF Vice-President Sergey Bubka has launched the Bubka Podium Sports Foundation Scholarship to aid underprivileged families and children in India. The IOC Member dedicates much of his time to giving back to the sporting community and he also serves as chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for the inaugural Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010. The scholarship was created for the Community Aid and Sponsorship Program (CASP) and will be implemented in 2009. It is designed to aid young people showing outstanding talent and sporting spirit and will offer assistance for nutritional support, equipment, coaching and entry fees for sports events. Bubka was honored this year with the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to grassroots sport and launched the new scholarship with Ramesh Gorwadkar, the CASP Project Manager.
Used with permission of Alfons Juck, EME News publisher.
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