EME NEWS (MAY 15, 2010)

TOTH, THE BIG SURPRISE FROM SLOVAKIA
CHIHUAHUA (MEX, May 15): The first day of the 24th IAAF World Race Walking Cup
produced a big surprise with Slovakian Matej Toth (27) winning the 50 km race. Toth, who came in
after 3:53.30 and closed the last 5km in 21:44, won a first ever Slovakian
medal and was a big upset for hometown favorite Horacio Nava who got
second in 3:54.16. Nava had been out on a solo race for over 40km but was
caught by Toth in the last kilometer. Third was pre-race favorite 
Australian Jared Tallent in 3:54.55. Chinese Si Tianfeng was fourth (3:55:06)
and Spanish veteran Jesus Angel Garcia fifth (3:55:41). The team standings were
headed by China as three athletes were ranked in the top nine. Mexico had to be
content with second while Russia took the bronze. 13 walkers dipped sub four hours.
Another Slovak Jozef Pribilinec won in the past a World Cup but at that
time he represented Czecho-Slovakia (1983 in Bergen). Toth who was in Berlin twice
in the top ten (50 and 20 km)
said after the race: „Great feelings. I knew that after the high altitude
training camp here in Mexico that im in good shape. But I was not dreaming
about the gold at all. I was going slowly faster and faster but until the
38th km for this was still a training I was not thinking about
medals. From 44th km I was in a big euphory and did not had any
obstacles. Now I looking forward to see my family again after one month in
Mexico.”

BOLT
ARRIVED TO KOREA
SEOUL (KOR): Fastest man on earth Usain Bolt started his Asian journey and
arrived on Saturday in Korea. He will run on Wednesday at IAAF World Challenge
Meet in Daegu on May 19, then his Diamond League opener in Shanghai on Sunday
on May 23 will follow with 200
m and his trip will be ended in Ostrava, Czech Republic
on May 27 with a 300 m
debut. Yonhap news agency informed that Bolt said „it will be a very fast
time” and that he will run „as hard as always.” In the 100 m he will run against
four US sprinters Rodgers, Kimmons, Padgett and Rae Edwards and his team-mates
Frater and Forsythe. Other top races of the meet are women´s 100 m where Carmelita Jeter
will clash with Veronica Campbell-Brown and men´s 110 m hurdles with Dayron
Robles, Ryan Brathwaite and David Oliver.

HEIDLER BEATS
WLODARCZYK

HALLE (GER, May 15): Excellent results despite 7 degrees
and rain at 36th throwing meet in Halle, Germany. Special was the appearance of
Ralf Bartels who came from Doha hot weather to European cold and still won with
20.76 over Canadian Dylan Armstrong (20.70, the same route from Qatar) and
Poland´s Jakub Giza improved as third to 20.06. World champion Robert Harting
beat with 66.37 his main rival from Berlin Piotr Malachowski of Poland (65.15)
with German Martin Wierig improving to 64.52 as third. Another home win for
Markus Esser in hammer (78.87) with Sergej Litvinov second (78.47 personal
best) and world leader Slovak Libor Charfreitag third (77.11). Latvian Ainars
Kovals won the javelin (82.33) and Russian Ilya Korotkov was second (81.23).
Three German wins also in women competitions. Betty Heidler with excellent 75.24 in hammer over world
record holder Anita Wlodarczyk (74.00, Cuban Yipsi Moreno returned after baby
break with 69.63 as 6th). Nadine Kleiner was the best in close shot put battle
(19.08) over  Petra Lammert (19.05). Linda Stahl was the best in javelin
(61.16). World finalist Li Yanfeng won the discus (62.97) and was better than
world leader Nadine Muller (62.34).

GEBREMARIAM
IN NYC

NEW YORK (USA, May 15): The 2009 IAAF World Cross Country
champion Gebre Gebremariam ran the fastest-ever 10-K in Central Park, winning
the 6th annual UAE Healthy Kidney 10-K in 27:42. Gebremariam, 25 from Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, ran aggressively with Kenyan Peter Kamais, the 2010 NYC
Half-Marathon champion, right from the gun. Kamais was second in 27:49 
just one second slower than Tadese Tola’s one year-old course record. Kenyan Julius Kogo finished third (28:19) and Briton Chris Thompson fourth (28:25). In
addition to his first place prize of $7500, Gebremariam also won a special
$20,000 bonus for breaking Tola’s record. Writes Race Results Weekly.

HOWE IS BACK

ROMA (ITA, May 15): Return of long jump European Champion
Andrew Howe. The Italian sprinted the 100 m at the Club Championships in 10.29, but
assisted by +3.7. Emanuele Di Gregorio won another race here with 10.30 (+3.0).
In Imperia Silvia Salis achieved 70.33 in hammer throw.

OTHER RESULTS

LISSE (NED, May 15):  Dutch junior heptathlete Dafne
Schippers ran 17.20 (+2.0) for the 150m during the first Spar Baancircuit meet
in The Netherlands. Her time is the best ever performance by a Dutch
athlete. Former European champion Bram Som won the 1000 m in world leading
2:17.01, with Arnaud Okken second in 2:17.30. American Fredrick Townsend won
the 110H in 13.85 with Marcel Van der Westen second in 13.96. Decathlete Ingmar
Vos has secured his ticket for the European Championships in Barcelona, with 14.74 in the 110H and 420 in the pole vault the
KNAU believes he has shown enough competitiveness to defend his 2009 qualifying
performance. Erik Cadee managed 61.54 in the discus, Melissa Boekelmans 17.66 in the shot put.
Corinne Nugter got 15.36 in
the shot put to qualify for the World Junior Championships.  The Dutch
junior 4x100m team ran a new national record of 45.14, good to qualify for
the World Junior Championships as well.

PRAHA (CZE, May 14): At open meet in Slavia Stadium in 9 degrees and bad
weather excellent shape by world indoor semifinalist Denisa Rosolova who
clocked 17.34 in
the 150 m
and 37.09 in
the 300 m.
Josef Prorok posted Czech all-time best in the 500 m in 1:01.09 and won also
the 300 m
hurdles in 36.31. Junior Pavel Maslak was the fastest in the flat 300 m in 33.57 and decathlon
great Roman Sebrle clocked in his race 35.96. Zuzana Bergrova achieved 40.8 in the 300 m hurdles. Both Bergrova
and Rosolova in the wake of Jamaican possible doping situation from Doha (not
officially confirmed) might be promoted for a bronze medal in the 4×400 m
relay. 

MOSCOW (RUS, May 14): Second day of Russian Open
Competition. Former world record holder Tatyana Lysenko achieved 74.49 in hammer. In men
competition Igor Vinichenko got 77.40. In the 2000 m steeple races Ildar
Minshin won in 5:29.15 and Lyubov Kharlamova clocked 6:24.42. 22 years old
Yekaterina Vukolova improved to 23.12 (+1.5) in the 200 m.

BUDAPEST (HUN, May 14): In a local meeting in
Budapest Zoltán Kovago threw 68.94
in discus throw. That is the third best mark of the
year.
 
RADENCI (SLO, May 15): Kenyan Joshua Kipruto Kurui won the jubilee 30th
Marathon of Three Hearts in Slovenia. His winning times was 2:19:38. Home win
in women category by Daneja Grandovec who got 2:47:10. Slovenian prime minister
Borut Pahor was running the half-marathon.

KREUZTAL (GER, May 15): Solid marks by German combined eventers at
a special
meet. World medalist Jennifer Oeser clocked 18.17 in the 150 m, 13.60
in the 100 m hurdles, 624 in long jump and 13.44 in shot put. Pascal
Behrenbruch achieved 15.97 in shot put.

CELJE (SLO, May 15): At Club competition solid 10.48 (+1.0) at 100 m by Matis Osovnikar.
Jolanda Batagelj (formerly Ceplak) won the 1500 m in 4:34.58.

KUNSHAN (CHN, May 15): During first day of National Grand Prix meeting Berlin
finalist Liu Xiangrong achieved in women shot put 18.48. Lao Yi sprinted the 100 m in 10.39 (-0.4). Writes
Tilastopaja.

ATLANTA (USA, May 14): Kelly-Ann Baptiste clocked fast 11.15 100 m (0.0) in the heats
during Georgia Tech Invitational. Second Shalonda Solomon also fast (11.16).
Maurice Mitchell was the best in men heats (10.25, +0.6) and Ty Akins clocked
13.44 (-0.9) in the 110 m
hurdles heats. Olympic heptathlon medalist Hyleas Fountain won the long jump
(649, 0.0). Supervet Briton Roald Bradstock won the javelin with excellent
71.07 for 48 years of age.

MEADVILLE (USA, May 14): Jeremy Scott cleared at Gator Invitational 570 in pole vault.

ALBUQUERQUE (USA, May 14): At Mountain West Conference good long jump. Winner
Mindy McClurkin leaped to windy 663 (+2.5) and second 19-years old Whitney
Gipson improved to 660 (+0.9). 18-years old junior sprinter Charles Silmon
bettered his best in 100 m
heats to 10.25 (+1.9).

OTHER NEWS

BARCELONA (ESP): IOC President Jacques Rogge, IAAF President Lamine Diack and a total
of 15 members of the International Olympic Committee will visit Barcelona
during the European Athletics Championships Barcelona 2010. For example: 
Prince Albert from Monaco (President of the International Athletics
Foundation), Arne Ljungqvist (IOC Medical Commission President), former
athletes Valery Borzov, Sergey Bubka, Guy Drut, Hicham El Guerrouj, Nawal El
Moutawakil, Frank Fredericks, Kipchoge Keino, Irena Szewinska and Jan Zelezny
(also as a coach), Stefka Kostadinova (president of national Olympic
committee In Bulgary), Robert Emmian (president Armenian Athletics Federation),
Lord Sebastian Coe (president of the London Organising Committee of the 2012
Summer Olympics). Also Jacques Rogge has been elected honorary president of the
World Congress on Science in Athletics, to be held ahead of the Championships
in Barcelona’s Sport Science Institute (INEF).

DOHA (QAT): IAAF President Lamine Diack is planning to make USD 8 million worth
of cuts to help the International Association of Athletics Federations
(IAAF) overcome its finanical difficulties, he said in Doha. Writes insidethegames.biz.

HOUSTON (USA): As www.myfoxhouston.com
informs former 100 m
sprinter Trindon Holliday has reached a contract agreement with Houston
Texans. NFL sources told FOX 26 Sports Holliday agrees to a four-year
contract worth $1.88 million. He becomes the first player from the Texans 2010
draft to reach a contract agreement with the club. His best in the 100 m is 10.00 from last
year.

NEW YORK (USA): Former miler Rich Kenah, Marketing Director of Global Athletics
& Marketing (GA&M), organizers of the adidas Grand Prix in New York,
has accepted an invitation to be a panelist at the inaugural CLM TV Sports
Symposium, at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, New
York, May 27. Informs TrackAlerts.

NAIROBI (KEN): Kenya Airways, a sponsor of the African championships, has
announced a 20 per cent discount on all air tickets for all the officials
and athletes flying in from all over Africa for the event. Informs Carole Fuchs
African Athletics Facebook.

STAT

Last week in Sendai half marathon Martin Mathathi became the 65th runner to
crack 60 minutes for the half marathon. He is only 7th runner in the history
having sub 27 in
the 10 000 m
and sub 60 for half-marathon. Writes Ken Nakamura.

CORRECTION

The daughter of Zhanna and Mark Block was born in Miami
Beach, not Johnson City.