by Larry Eder
What a difference 19.58 seconds make. Tyson Gay is playing his cards very close to his vest, as Lance Braumann, his coach, brings Gay into shape for the sprint battle in Berlin! Gay is fit, and so is Usain Bolt–should mean some great matchups this next couple of months!
GAY AT 100 m ONLY
EUGENE (USA): From Thursday to Sunday Hayward Field will see the USA Championships, the qualifying meet for World Championships with usual „top three of the day“ selection process. Only Osaka winners from 2007 have it safe, they must only compete. So Tyson Gay said he will run only the 100 m (and possibly only in heats), Jeremy Wariner competes at 200 m, Kerron Clement at 400 m, Bernard Lagat will have interesting combination 800 m with 5000 m. Allyson Felix decided at the end of the day for 100 m and 200 m and scratched from the 400 m where she was initially also listed. Only Brad Walker (pole vault), Reese Hoffa (shot put) and Michelle Perry (100 m hurdles) from current world champions will compete in their events.
In other interesting notes marathon runner Kara Goucher (already selected for Berlin) will not compete in the 10, 000 m and also Jenny Barringer will stay with her special event the 3000 m steeple as safe bet and cancelled her participation in the 1500 metres.
The USA Junior Championships, held in conjunction with the senior event, will serve as the selection meet for the 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships, July 31-August 2 in Port-of-Spain.
DEFAR FOR OSLO
OSLO (NOR): Bislett Games website informs that apart of centrally contracted top athletes for the Golden League series (Isinbayeva, Bekele, Vlasic, Thorkildsen, Pitkamäki, Richards) the other top names for this years edition on July 3 will be Asafa Powell competing at the 100 m and Meseret Defar running the 5000 m. Powell who still before must go through Jamaican Championships this weekend will compete against Norway´s fastest Jaisuma Saidy Ndure, US Mike Rodgers (winner in NY and Eugene) and Olympic finalist Churandy Martina of Netherland Antilles. Defar will be coming with the aim to repeat 2007 when she at the famous Bislett stadium broke the world record (and in the mean-time taken by her rival Tirunesh Dibaba also in Oslo in 2008). Sudan´s Abubaker Kaki returns for 800 m, last year he set there the world junior record and in the dream-mile Kenyans Augustine Choge and Haron Keitany will fight for the first place.
BOLT vs. GAY BEFORE BERLIN?
EUGENE (USA): Agencies are speculating about possible duel Usain Bolt vs. Tyson Gay before Berlin World Championships. Bolt´s plan is set (Lausanne, Paris, London), whereas Gay´s is not known yet. Gay‘s manager Mark Wetmore was quoted as saying „there are still discussions involving the two meeting in Europe before Berlin“. He said if their meet calendar matches, there will be no dodging. „He certainly is not avoiding Usain and Usain is not avoiding him,“ Gay‘s manager Wetmore said. „It is just a question of whether their schedules match up.“ It is unlikely they can clash in Lausanne at 200 m, that means the options are really Paris and London where Bolt is going to run the 100 metres.
SIMPSON ACCEPTED
KINGSTON (JAM): Olympic silver medalist Sherone Simpson´s late application for National Championships has been accepted by the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA). She is entered in both 100 m and 200 m. Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell heads a list of 63 men entered for the 100m dash, whilst Shelly-Ann Fraser and Kerron Stewart heads a list of twenty women. In other development the offices of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) were broken into and robbed over the weekend. Informs Trackalerts.com. The most important item missing from the office is a laptop computer, which the JAAA uses for the reaction times and the links system. Also JAAA decided to have the pre-Berlin camp in Herzogenaurach.
KEITANY PLANS FAST 1500 m IN ROME
NAIROBI (KEN): Kenyan miler Haron Keitany who started with the running in 2005 is thinking about fast 1500 m at Rome Golden Gala meet on July 10. „I‘ m hoping in Rome to run under 3:30, or even under 3:29. Because I‘m feeling strong and I‘ll be with guys like Asbel,“ he was quoted by Track Profile. But more important on his radar are the Kenyan trials in Nairobi next month for the world championships. „At the Kenyan trials anything can happen. Everybody is strong. So you have to really focus on it, really prepare.“
WANJIRU IN SAPPORO
SAPPORO (JPN): Olympic marathon winner Samuel Wanjiru was among the announced top runners for Sapport Half-marathon on July 5. The winner of London Marathon will so run his third half race of the year after Granollers and Lisboa. Wanjiru is not planning to compete at World Championships and wants to run a fall marathon in USA. The logical choices are either Chicago or New York. Women star in Sapport will be this year Osaka marathon winner Yoko Shibui.
HOOKER PRE-BERLIN PLAN
COLOGNE (GER): Like he already did in winter, pole vault Olympic champion Steve Hooker from Australia will stay in Cologne for the summer together with his colleague Paul Burgess, coach Alex Parnov and physiotherapist Shane Kelly. They will train in Leverkusen. His competitions plan before World Championships is clear with Lausanne (July 7th), Reims (July 14th), London (July 25th) and Stockholm (July 31st). IAAF informs.
OHURUOGU vs. RICHARDS TWICE BEFORE BERLIN?
LONDON (GBR): Olympic 400 metres champion Christine Ohuruogu is expecting to clash with arch rival Sanya Richards at least two times before the World Championships. Ohuruogu may have declined the opportunity to compete in all six moneyspinning IAAF Golden League meetings this summer which would have seen her go head-to-head with her great US opponent. Ohuruogu because of a fixtures clash with the three day Aviva UK World trials which start on July 10 is unable to chase the GL jackpot where the winner must compete in all six competitions. She said: „I would have loved to have chased the $1 million jackpot this year but unfortunately it was not possible. The Golden League organisers asked me to compete in all the meets but the trials clash with Rome which made it difficult.“ Ohuruogu not shying away from a pre-Berlin contest, said: „We are still working on it but I am likely to have four 400m races and I believe Sanya will be in two of them.“ The two venues given the Oslo GL meeting on July 3 is cash strapped, are likely to appear together at the fourth leg in Paris a fortnight later and the Aviva London Grand Prix taking place on July 24-25. Writes David Martin.
GER WITH NEW SPONSOR
ADDIS ABABA (ETH): Ethiopian journalist Elshadai Negash wrote an interesting story for Addis Fortune about impact of economical crisis. This year alone, athletics competitions that were scheduled to be held in Yaounde (Cameroon), Abuja (Nigeria), Brazzaville (Congo), Kampala (Uganda), Addis Abeba, and Nairobi (Kenya) have either been cancelled or postponed. The Dakar meeting is the only African, one-day competition, held under the umbrella of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). It too had to be rescued at the last minute by the Senegalese Federation before it was held in a smaller 5,000-seat stadium instead of its usual venue, the Leopold Seghor Stadium in downtown Dakar, which carries 50,000 spectators at full capacity. Aminata Gueye is head of marketing and communications of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) – the governing body for athletics in Africa. They have attributed the reasons to elections in many federations in Africa as opposed to global economic woes. „Elections within federations played an important part in the planning of competitions,“ Gueye said. „This is not due to the world economic climate. It is worth noting that it is not the first year some events have been cancelled.“ Ethiopia‘s Great Run, one of Africa‘s largest 10Km road race is one example. The crisis is so bad that the Great Ethiopian Run lost the sponsorship of Toyota, who had been the title sponsor during the previous five years. Though the Run eventually found a replacement, it was very challenging. The Great Ethiopian Run, with its record 33,000 entry slots and Ethiopian Airlines as the new title sponsor, will be held in November this year. Other events of the Haile Gebrselassie-Run initiative have not been so lucky. The half marathon race scheduled to be held in Adama, Nazareth located 100Km east of Addis Abeba, was cancelled. Writes Negash.
OTHER NEWS
MADRID (SPA): For the IAAF Grand Prix Meeting in Madrid on July 4th, Rui Silva from Portugal for the 1500 m and triple jumper Yamile Aldama from Sudan have confirmed their participation.
ALICANTE (SPA): Cuban long jumper Ivan Pedroso has decided to come back to competition. He signed for the Club Atletismo Benacantil Puerto de Alicante for the rest of 2009 and 2010. The 36-year-old has not competed offically since 2008. He would like to achieve 8 metres or more. His PB is 8,71m from 1995.
REDUIT (MRI): AAC President Hamad Kalkaba Malboum confirmed that Kenya won‘t host the 2010 African championships. Botswana and Egypt are candidates. The decision about the new host is to be taken at the AAC General Assembly during the World Championships. „I‘d say that Kenya has withdrawn from the organization of the African championships next year, but we already have two countries who have rushed up to replace Kenya: Botswana and Egypt. We‘ll eventually announce which country will host the championships in 2010. It‘s an edition particularly important because it will be used to select the African team that we‘ll represent the Area at the 2010 World Cup“.
WIEN (AUT): US Coach Rana Reider will start to work for Austrian athletics. He will be coach of Olympic sports center in Hallein-Rif. Reider was also responsible as coach in Bryan Clay team in the past.
BIBERACH (GER): The third edition of the ‚Weltklasse in Biberach‘ meeting on June 23rd and 24th will have the shot putters open the event. Headliner is Polish Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski who will face German Ralf Bartels and Peter Sack. Nadine Kleinert will compete against her compatriotes Petra Lammert and Denise Hinrichs. On the next day, Wednesday, will follow 15 events with a promising male pole vault: Alexander Straub, Malte Mohr and Bjoern Otto who have already the Berlin standard, together with Danny Ecker and Raphael Holzdeppe who hope to clear the limit in Biberach. Other limit-chasers are hurdlers Thomas Blaschek, Jens Werrmann and Helge Schwarzer. Javelin world leader Christina Obergfoll competes against Steffi Nerius and Katharina Molitor.
WINDHOEK (NAM): Former sprint world champion and current IOC member Frankie Fredericks was elected President of Namibia Athletics Federation. This time he got all votes from the regions.
TOKYO (JAP): Japanese 400m hurdler Dai Tamesue will not participate at the World championships in Berlin. Because of pain in his knee he cannot compete at the national trials.
MAINZ (GER): German pole vault champion Carolin Hingst still has to pause to cure an injury at her calf and Achilles tendon. ‚Nothing is broken and I also do not need an operation. But I still feel pain and need some more days of rest‘, said the athlete from Mainz.
BRIXEN (ITA): The U18 World championships can begin. The renovation of the stadium was finished and inaugurated. The renovation works cost about 850.000 Euro. 1500 athletes from 178 nations will participate at the championships from July 8th to 12th.
DARMSTADT (GER): The German University Sport Federation announced its team for the Universiade Games which will take place in Belgrad, Serbia, from July 1st to 12th. High jumper Ariane Friedrich, who takes part for the third time at the Universiade, is the star of the team which consists of 18 athletes. Other top athletes are World hammer champion Betty Heidler and high jumper Raul Spank.
RESULTS
BILBAO (ESP, June 20): Cuban triple jump world champion Yargelis Savigne produced at 8th international meet here (EAP Circuit) two best results of the year, but both aided by too strong wind. She achieved 15.00 (+2.2) and 14.91 (+2.5), her best legal was 14.63 (+1.1). In the men competition Yoandri Betanzos leaped to 17.57 (+0.8) ahead of Alexis Copello (17.24, +2.5) and David Giralt (17.14, -0.2). Other strong Cuban marks came from olympic medalist Yarelis Barrios who equalled her season best 63.45 in discus. In long jump battle Wilfredo Martinez beat with 798 the olympic medalist Ibrahin Camejo (794). 800 m wins were registered for Yeimer Lopez (1:46.49) and Zulia Calatayud (2:01.82). Kenyan Peter Kirui won the 5000 m in good 13:24.78 and Briton Dwayne Grant achieved a sprint double (10.40, +2.1 and 20.93, +1.0).
ST. MICHAEL (BAR, June 20-21): Olympian Andrew Hinds clocked personal best 10.03 (0.0) at 100 m to win the Barbados national championships. Ramon Gittens was second in 10.25. Later Hinds also improved his PB at 200 m with 20.38 (-0.4). He is coached by famous Jamaican Stephen Francis and will now be looking towards the Central American & Caribbean Senior Championships in Cuba as well as the World Championships. Another excellent mark at 110 m hurdles by Ryan Brathwaite. He set a new national championships record of 13.37 in the preliminaries, then came back to win the final in 13.39 seconds.
BASSETERRE (SKN, June 21): 2003 World Champion Kim Collins competed after many years at national championships of St. Kitts and Nevis. He was supported by good number of spectators and at the 100 m he improved his season best to 10.15. Earlier he also won the 200 m in 21.01.
TUNIS (TUN, June 21): French Dmitri Bascou clocked at international meet here 13.63 over the hurdles but was aided by +3.8 wind. The best result was the steeple by home olympic finalist Habiba Ghribi 9:31.24.
LATINA (ITA, June 20): At the regional championships Hannes Kirchler achieved 61,27m in the discus competition. Elisa Palmieri won the women title with 62,40m.
ST. WENDEL (GER, June 21): German hammer thrower Andrea Bunjes achieved on June 21st at the regional championships in St. Wendel the WCh-limit of 70m for the second time. In her fifth attempt she threw 70,38m and can now fully concentrate on the championships preparation.
MANNHEIM (GER, June 21): At the regional championships on June 21st in Mannheim Alexander Straub cleared 581 in pole vault. In the invitation competition Raphael Holzdeppe achieved 550 and came first in front of Fabian Schulze (550), Tobias Schwerbarth (550) and Tim Lobinger (540). The women‘s event was won by Anna Battke with 440. Peter Esenwein achieved 79,15m in the javelin throw.
KAMENZ (GER, June 21): Junior Shot putter David Storl achieved the B standard for the senior World Championships at the regional championships with 20.16 m. His former PB had been 18,93m. Now he can hope to get one of the three tickets to Berlin, together with Peter Sack and Ralf Bartels who both fulfilled the A-standard twice. Only one week ago the 18-year-old had established a new U20 World record of 22,34m. Storl came close to European junior best with senior implement which is 20.20 by Udo Beyer back from 1974.
SCHAPBACH (GER, June 21): European champion Ralf Bartels won the shot put competition here with 20.18 m.
GOLD COAST (AUS, June 20): 21years old Mitchell Watt continues in good shape as he achieved here 812 (0.0) in long jump. Quarter-miler Sean Wroe posted sprint double 10.54 (0.0) and 21.00 (+0.2). Hurdles olympic medalist Sally McLellan won three events (11.40, 23.30 and 12.92).
JAKARTA (INA, June 20): Kenyan John Cheruiyot Korir won here the 10 km road race in 29:47. Leah Malot coming from Ostrava 20k won the women race in 33:28.
MANCHESTER (GBR, June 21): Commonwealth heptathlon bronze medallist Jessica Ennis continued her brillaint form in her preparations for the World Championships at the Northern Championships.
The 23-year-old Sheffield star competing in Manchester set three personal bests in the 200m, shot put and javelin. Ennis got 23.39 into a headwind and then produced efforts of 13.72m and 46.47m in two of her weaker combined event disciplines.
PITREAVIE (GBR, June 21): South African Oscar Pistorius was third at the Scottish athletics championships with 22.20 at 200 m (-3.0). Pistorius hopes to run the 400m at the 2012 Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
CORRECTION
BERGEN (NOR): Martijn Nuijens 2.29 from Bergen is not a Netherland´s national record. Wilbert Pennings cleared 230 in 1999.
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