KEITANY IN PORTUGAL

LISBON (POR): Top names are
announced for Sunday´s 11th Half-marathon in Lisbon. In women field current HM
world champion Mary Keitany will run against Chinese marathon olympic games 4th
placer Zhu Xiaolin. Other top Kenyans entered are Alice Timbilili, Lydia
Cheromei, Jane Kiptoo and Agnes Kiprop. Ethiopian representation is headed by
Yimer Wude. Home runners will be represented by Analia Rosa and Ana Dias. In
the men field European champion Viktor Rothlin as Arons Carvalho informs runs
against World silver medalist in marathon from Berlin Emmanuel Mutai and other
Kenyans Francis Kiprop with Titus Masai. Interesting to see Josphat Kiprono
Menjo who improved in second part of the track season to excellent times in the
5000 m
and 10 000 m
and can be the „dark horse” of the competition. Ethiopian challenge has Tadese
Tola and Eritreans Yonas Kifle with Teklemariam Mehdin should not be
underestimated. Home leaders are Rui Silva and Rui Pedro Silva etc. The aim is
to clock a sub one hour time, last year winner Silas Sang clocked course
record 1:00:20. The course was tougher than the fast March one where Zersenay
Tadese achieved new world record but for this year a new flat one was
prepared.

MAKAU WITH AMBITIONS

BERLIN (GER): World leader
Patrick Makau reckons with a litle cooperation from his fellow Kenyan
rivals he can attack Haile Gebrselassie’s world record at the real,-Berlin
Marathon on Sunday. Makau after his 2:04:48 winning time at the Rotterdam
Marathon in April, is under no illusions it will be an awesome task to lower
the current figure of 2:03:59 belonging to legendary Ethiopian. Gebrselassie.
But the 25-year-old like Gebrselassie who twice in four appearances set world
records in the German capital, knows the flat and fast circuit offers the
perfect opportunity to emulate the current two-year-old figure. The world’s
fourth fastest ever marathoner was referring in particular to fellow countrymen
Geoffrey Mutai who finished just seven seconds behind him in their Rotterdam
encounter and this year’s Prague champion Eliud Kiptanui. The trio are now
hoping selected pacemakers will take them initially through the halfway point in 62 minutes and others then
prolong the world record schedule until the 30km. Writes David Martin. And Pat
Butcher adds that the modern era of marathon running began here in 1998, when
the little known Ronaldo da Costa of Brazil broke the decade old world record
of Ethiopian Delayneh Dinsamo, with 2:06:05. The weather looks as if it may
help out. The bright sunshine and mid-20s celsius temperatures which have
reigned over northern Europe this week are due to disappear in the next two
days, with showers and 12-15C
projected for Sunday morning. More on www.globerunner.org.

BOLT NOT COMPENSATED

MEXICO CITY (MEX): Jamaican
world record holder and olympic winner Usain Bolt will not visit Mexico this
autumn because the organizers of the congress are owing money for
a lecture he gave last year at the World Congress of the Sport, according
to the press. The newspaper El Universal issued a statement of Ricky
Simms, Bolt’s agent, whereby the organizer of the World Sports Congress, held
in Mexico City last November, owes a large sum of money to the fastest
sprinter of the history. Bolt was invited to take part in the this years
celebrations for the bicentenary of Mexico’s independence and the centenary of
the Revolution. „When this money is paid entirely, we can consider going to
another event in your city,” Simms told the Mexican newspaper.

BRAUNSCHWEIG IS THE CANDIDATE

FRANKFURT (GER): German
Athletics Federation DLV will bid to stage European Team Championships highest
category in 2013 with the city of Braunschweig. The other interested city was
Erfurt. The European Athletics decision is expected in spring next year. The
2011 edition will be held in Stockholm and in 2012 this event will not be held
due to European Championships in Helsinki.

OTHER NEWS

LONDON (GBR): The IAAF
Evaluation Commission headed by Senior Vice President Sergey Bubka visited
London for a two-day visit at the start of this week to consider the
merits of the British capital’s bid to host the 2015 IAAF World Championships.
Informs IAAF. London, which is the venue for the 2012 Olympic Games, is one of
two candidates to be hosts for the 2015 IAAF World Championships, their rivals
being Beijing, China who staged the 2008 Olympic Games. The decision on the
venue will be taken at the IAAF Council meeting in Monte Carlo, Friday 19 and
Saturday 20 November. At a joint press conference, Bubka, who is Chairman
of the IAAF Evaluation Commission commented, „we are very satisfied with the
process so far. UKA has always been very strong. Britain has an excellent
tradition and history in athletics, and after 2012, of course, it’s important
to continue that legacy.” The IAAF Evaluation Commission will survey Beijing’s
bid next month, a visit which takes place in the week prior to the staging
of IAAF / Sinopec World Half Marathon Championships in the Chinese city of
Nanning (Sat 16). IAAF says in a release.

RALEIGH (USA): Gene Cherry of
Reuters writes that after a tumultuous two years under a chief
executive officer with a non-athletics background, USA Track & Field
officials are insisting their new leader be familiar with the sport. „It should
be someone who is either in or has had a long history of dealing with the
sport,” Steve Miller, chair of the search committee seeking a replacement
for fired CEO Doug Logan, told Reuters in a telephone interview from Las
Vegas. Miller, Stephanie Hightower and 1972 Olympic javelin medallist Bill
Schmidt have been mentioned as possible successors to Logan. Miller said he
would not be a candidate. Schmidt did not return phone calls. Hightower
said she would not place her name in the running, but added, „I never say never
anymore.”

AMSTERDAM (NED): Triple world
champion at the distance Dutch and Kenyan-born Lornah Kiplagat will not compete
at the World Half-Marathon championships in October in China. After competing
on Sunday at Dam to Damloop she suffered a pain in her left calf. Further
examinations showed she needs two weeks rest and that means she cannot be ready
in full strenght for the October 16 event.

BUDAPEST (HUN): The Decastar
combined events meeting in Talence last weekend is the second best special
meeting of that category in 2010 according to the All-Athletics.com rankings.
Decastar scored 9946 points, only Hypomeeting of Gotzis was better with 10 372.
Third is TNT-Fortuna Meeting in Kladno, Czech Republic with 9738 points.

PRAGUE (CZE): Czech Athletics
Federation confirmed two years ban for shot putter Remigius Machura jr. (20.00
personal best this year on July 7) after his positive out of competition test
on July 14 for growth hormone. He will be suspended from August 12 2010 for two
years and will miss so also Olympic Games in London. Machura will have so
cancelled his second place from national championships in Trinec and also his
result from European Championships in Barcelona (18.71 in qualification).

COLORADO SPRINGS (USA):
Agencies are informing that a drug that is similar to EPO as a way to
help patients with kidney problems is in the late stages of development, one in
an long list of new pharmaceuticals that anti-doping authorities are monitoring
as they struggle to keep sports clean. The drug, called Hematide, is in Stage 3
development, meaning it could be on the market by 2012. Anti-doping authorities
say there’s a chance some version of the blood-boosting drug could already
be available on the black market. Almost every drug on the World Anti-Doping
Agency’s banned list, including human growth hormone and steroids, have
legitimate medical purposes.

NAIROBI (KEN): Kenyan
government has asked its sports representatives not to panic over growing
security concerns in India ahead of Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.
Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka said governments of the two nations were working
closely to ensure the 240 participants from Kenya and the rest are safe during
the duration of the Games. Also before team captain and steeple world champion
Ezekiel Kemboi asked for the usual financial subsidies in a discussion
with the team leadership. The discrepancy was solved according to the Kenyan
media.

TORONTO (CAN): The Scotiabank
Toronto Waterfront Marathon has announced a strong Ethiopian contingent
for their event on Sunday ready to challenge Kenyan male supremacy in the
Canadian metropolis. Kenyan men have triumphed for the past 5 years in
a row on the flat, fast Toronto Waterfront course. Chala Lemi and Gashaw
Melese Asfaw, who were 2nd and 3rd in last year’s race, are both confirmed to
return. They were passed in the later stages by Kenneth Mungara, who had to run
the fastest marathon on Canadian soil to beat them [2:08:32]. They will be
joined by Teshome Gelana and Zembaba Yigeze who ran 1st and 2nd in Houston in
January. Organizers are writing on their website. To claim victory and the
special laurel wreath being brought from Marathon, Greece, as part of the
2,500th Anniversary celebrations of marathon, the Ethiopian pack will have to
get by title defender Mungara, Rono, Jafred Chirchir (2:09:15, 1st in Milan
this Spring), Nixon Machichim (2:09:08, 3rd in Rome in March), David Njagi
(2:09:44 1st in Valencia in February), and David Tarus (2:09:24 in Eindhoven
last Fall). Daniel Rono was the 2006 champion at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront,
then lost a thrilling sprint to the line in 2007 to John Kelai, as Kelai
broke the 31-year old, previous Canadian All-comers mark with his 2:09:30 win.
Disappointed, Rono went onto run 2:06:58 in Rotterdam, then place 3rd in New
York and 2nd at Boston ‚09.

MOSCOW (RUS): Moscow will have
new track facilities in the Luzhniki Area before the 2013 World Championships.
As national federation general secretary Mikhail Butov informed according to
Moscow Government and Luzhniki management decision the renovation of the
athletics track at the main stadium, warm-up track and one training track will
happen until 2012. After that test competitions will be staged before the
global meet.

SOFIA (BUL): Three top
personalities of Bulgarian athletics recieved special commemorative plaques for
their success in sports from ministry of sports and physical education Svilen
Neykov. They were still world record holder at 100 m hurdles Yordanka Donkova,
coach Georgi Dimitrov and recent European medalist Vanya Stambolova. Donkova´s
world record celebrated this year 22 years.

LONDON (GBR): John Coates, the
president of the Australian Olympic Committee and senior vice-president when
Sydney held the Olympic Games, claimed New Delhi should not have been awarded
the Commonwealth Games. Coates blames the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF)
for the current problems over the Athletes Village as they have failed to
monitor the constructions properly. „The problem is the Commonwealth Games
Federation is under-resourced. It doesn’t have the ability to monitor the
progress of cities in the way the Olympic Committee does” Coates was quoted on
Insidethegames.

LONDON (GBR): The English team
officials and athletes have unanimously agreed to compete at the Commonwealth
Games. The English team has 17 athletes competing but keeps pressure on the
Commonwealth Games organisation to improve on conditions at the Athletes
Village and security in and around the stadia.

MADRID (ESP): Spanish high
jumper Marta Mendia will retire from the sport. Mendia is one of the most
successful Spanish athletes in history winning 13 national titles and
representing Spain twice at the Olympic Games and five times at the World
championships.

RESULTS

CAIRNS (AUS, Sep 24):
Australian top athletes achieved best results during second day of Oceanian
Championships. Scott Martin got 19.55 in shot put (ahead of team-mate Dale
Stevenson 19.41) and Sean Wroe was the best at 400 m with 46.62 (here second
Nelson Stone of Papua New Guinea 47.06). Bronwyn Eagles was best in hammer
(62.99) and Josh Hall cleared 220
in high jump for more Australian wins. New Zealand´s win
for Andrea Miller at 100 m
hurdles (13.55, -0.4) and Salome Dell of Papua New Guinea was the best in the
women 800 m
(2:07.55). From first day to add 100
m winners. On women side Toea Wisil from Papau New
Guinea 11.85 (+1.0) and on the men side guest from Indonesia Suryo Wibowo
(10.52, -0.5) ahead of Australian Liam Gander (10.60). Interesting mark in the
junior category by 18 years old Ratu Banuve Tabakaucoro of Fiji who improved to
21.69 (-0.6) in the 200 m.

DONETSK (UKR, Sep 23-24): Home
jumper Viktor Kuznyetsov who was fourth in Barcelona achieved the best mark of
the 15th European Police Championships in athletics. His mark 17.04 (0.0) in
the triple jump was also new meet record. Kuznyetsov also won the long jump
(778, 0.0). Ukrainian athletes dominated the event. Relay European Champion
Natalya Pogrebnyak won both sprints (11.69 and 24.52), Anna Mishchenko achieved
800/1500 double (2:04.12 and 4:35.72). Oleksandr Nartov beat on count-back
German Martin Gunther in high jump (both 221). Hana Melnychenko scored 5200
points to win the heptathlon, her colleague olympic winner in heptathlon
Natalya Dobrynska was second in long jump (600). Vira Rebryk registered meet
record in javelin (57.51). Stine Kufaas of Norway won women´s high jump (185)
and Russian Yelena Migunova was the best in the 400 m (52.29). In that race
way back as 7th Bulgarian Tsvetelina Kirilova (61.92) who is olympic and world
semifinalist at 400 m
hurdles. She is in fourth month of pregnancy.