BERLIN FOR EURO 2018

FRANKFURT
(GER): German Athletics Federation DLV decided that it will support Berlin´s
bid to organize the European Championships in 2018. Olympic Stadium staged
succesfull 2009 World Championships and would be a big favorite in that bidding
process. German Federation president Clemens Prokop also said after the
weekend´s meeting that DLV is still trying to find solutions with the broadcast
of World Championships in Daegu which is not secured for the moment for Germany.

KIPCHOGE
FIRST TOP NAME

EDINBURGH (GBR): In a press
release from Nova International the start of former world champion and olympic
silver winner Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya
was confirmed for his fifth appearance at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country
on 8 January, the fourth meeting of the IAAF Cross Country Permit series
2010/11. The men’s 9km international race, which Kipchoge won in 2005 and has
finished third on a further two occasions, has been reduced to four km as the
Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country adopts a new format for 2011. The Bupa Great
Edinburgh Cross Country includes three cross country events; the men’s 4 km and women’s 6 km invitation-only events –
which will be contested by the world’s best male and female athletes
respectively – and the Men’s International Team Challenge which is 8 km. The Men’s International
Team Challenge will see Great Britain
and Northern Ireland Senior Men and Great Britain
and Northern Ireland U23 & U20 Men take on the United States and a European Select
team over 8 kilometres.
Each country competing in the International Team Challenge will enter nine
athletes per team and the first six athletes to complete the course will
receive a score based on their position. The team with the lowest overall score
wins.

BARCELONA AHEAD OF GOTZIS AND TALENCE

GOTZIS (AUT): In the
traditional combined events rankings by Gotzis organizers (top 8 scores from
decathlon and heptathlon) the leading position in the 2010 goes to European
Championships in Barcelona
with final score of 51 605. Second is HYPO-Meeting of Gotzis (49 940), third
Decastar in Talence (49 209), fourth TNT-Fortuna in Kladno (47 929) and top
five is rounded by European Cup Super League in Tallinn (47 653). Only 6th US Championships (47 278).

WARINER
PLANS ONE INDOOR RACE

MONTE CARLO (MON): Former world and olympic
winner Jeremy Wariner plans to run one fast race during the indoor season 2011.
Speaking to the Sunday Observer in Monte Carlo
at the recent IAAF World Athletics Gala he recalled seeing Jamaican Jermaine
Gonzales as a teenager winning bronze at the 2002 IAAF World Junior
Championships in Kingston.
“I’ve seen him (Gonzales) mature throughout the years,” Wariner said. “He has,
unfortunately, been injured a lot through his career and last year he was
finally able to stay healthy and move up and start running consistently and
anyone who runs consistent 44 like he was doing last season is a competitor.”
About his plans Wariner said: “I want to go out there and make sure I get my
strength in early in the season and I’m slowly getting my strength back early,
so that’s going to help come March, April, when I start running. After that, my
first objective is to go to the US Championships and make the team and after
that go to the World Championships and reclaim the number one in the world and
hopefully get back to the 43s at least twice next season,” the Texan added.

STAMBOLOVA
PLANS INDOORS

SOFIA (BUL): Bulgarian best
athlete Vania Stambolova, medalist in Doha (400 m) and Barcelona (400 m hurdles) will compete
in the indoor season and aiming for success at European Indoor Championships.
As Bulgarian media are informing, she will run the flat 400 m in winter. In summer
World Championships in Daegu are the main goal, but she did not specify in
which event she plans to be there. In winter the only hall for athletics is
Festivalna in Sofia,
but she is worried about cold temperatures there and possible risk of an
injury. “But there is not other way, that is the only indoor running facility
we have,” she was quoted.

OTHER NEWS

ZURICH (SUI): Swiss Athletics plans to send 8
to 12 athletes to IAAF World Championships in Daegu next year. The standard was
already fulfilled by 4×100 m relay team with their national record 38.69 in Barcelona at European Championships. The team
must deliver in the 2011 season only a confirmation of the shape. The time
period for standards set by Swiss Athletics is from May 1 until August 14.

MONTE CARLO
(MON): IAAF Council agreed that the Ethiopian athlete Madina Kedir Mohammed
became a UAE citizen on 17 March 2010 and this athlete would normally be
eligible to represent the United
Arab Emirates in international competition
on 17 March 2013. UAE submitted a request to reduce the waiting period, which
was accepted by the Ethiopian federation, but has also approached the Council
to allow her to compete with immediate effect. This was accepted by the
Council, on the basis that it would help to promote the cause of women’s
athletics in the Gulf region.

BARCELONA (ESP): Former four
time European indoor champion at 60
m hurdles Igors Kazanovs of Latvia lives currently in
Spain in Loret de Mar where he owns a construction company.

HALLE (GER): Triple discus world champion
Franka Dietzsch will at the end not be involved in politics. She said she
changed her mind because of her job orientation. She was expected to bid for a
position on behalf of CDU party in the regional parliament.

BRIGHTON
(GBR) : Michelle Ross-Cope and Sarah Gee have signed up to run the second
edition of the Brighton Marathon on April 10th. Gee (2 :38.14) won the Edinburg
Marathon and is enjoying her best season of her career while Ross-Cope (2
:36.02) was an important player in securing UK’s
bronze medal at last year’s European Championships in Barcelona. Race director Tim Hutchings is
expecting fast times as the race course is very flat and fast.

DUBLIN
(IRE) : Renowned Irish physio therapist Gerard Hartmann will expand his
business in Kenya
even further on the request of Lornah Kiplagat. Hartmann usually spends about
12 weeks a year in the Rift Valley but is planning to work at least 4 months a
year in Lornah Kiplagat’s international high altitude training center in Iten.

SYDNEY (AUS):Athletics Australia has
announced the election of long serving nationals selector and coach Pam Turney
as a life governor, an honour given to individuals who have displayed
outstanding service to Athletics Australia in the sport. Turney has been
involved with athletics on both a club and elite level and has been a pioneer
for the involvement of women in athletics administration.

WARSAW (POL): Pole vaulter Monika Pyrek has
won the Polish version of ‘Dancing with the stars’ along with her partner
Robert Rowinski. The couple performed the cha-cha, the tango and did a
freestyle dance before snatching the victory and winning a Mercedes Car. Pyrek
was is a former dancer in her youth. Athletes have a history of performing well
in there type of shows as Danish Olympic Medalist Joachim Olsen won the Danish
version of the show and former world long jump champion Fiona May triumphed in
the Italian version.

ABUJA (NIG) : Blessing Okagbare has been
nominated for The Future Awards in the Young Person of the Year category. The
award is giving to a young Nigerian that managed to be a role model for
Nigerian youth vanguardngr.com writes.

KINGSTON (JAM): TrackAlerts
informs about the initiative in order to prevent what happened at last year’s
World Championships in Berlin, Germany the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association
(JAAA), has sent a message to its’ country’s athletes regarding relays. In a
recent technical advisory, the JAAA decided to make amends that would prevent a
recurrence of what happened in Berlin and Beijing. On their
website, they posted the following message, “Athletes who are desirous of
representing Jamaica
on Relay Teams, should make themselves efficient with baton changing, (as giver
and receiver) during their training and preparation period. This is to improve Jamaica’s
baton passing and relay performances.”

LONDON (GBR) : Insidethegames reports that
the Indian Commonwealth Games organizing committee has failed to pay millions
of dollars to foreign firms involved in organising and promoting the event. Ric
Birch, the executive producer at the Opening Ceremony claimed India should not be allowed to bid
for the Olympic and Paralympic Games as large sums of money have not been paid
out.

COLOMBO (SRI): Local media are reporting that
Sri Lankan sprint queen and Olympic silver medalist Susanthika Jayasinghe
announced that she would re-enter competition. The 35-year-old athlete said
that she would commence practicing next month. Jayasinghe announced her
retirement from sports on February 5, 2009 in order to focus on raising a family. She
contested the April 2010 parliamentary elections from the ruling party but did
not win a seat.

GUANGZHOU (CHN): With Asian Games over also
the IAAF Combined Events Challenge 2010 is officially closed. Winners are as
already before known French Romain Barras with 25 603 points and Russian
Tatyana Chernova with 19 537 points.

ALBUFEIRA
TEAMS

PARIS (FRA) : Athle.com has
announced the French team for the European Cross Country championships. France is
sending a full team in each category with the men’s senior team leading the
way. Main athletes are Driss El Himer and Abdellatif Meftah.

BRUSSELS (BEL) : The Belgian selection for
the European Cross Country Championships on December 12th has been named. Belgium’s main
medal chances are in the U23 men’s race where last year’s European junior
champion Jeroen D’Hoedt leads the team. Also eyeing a medal is Abdi Bashir. In
the men’s race Atelaw Bekele and Ayoub Touil are selected while three athletes
: Sigrid Vanden Bempt, Xenia Luxem and Sandra Schenkel complete the women’s
team.

AMSTERDAM (NED): The Dutch athletics federation
KNAU has announced its team for the European Cross Country Championships in
Albufeira. Khalid Choukoud and Gert-Jan Wassink lead the men’s team, however
the biggest medal chance will be on the women’s team with Adrienne Herzog.
Other medal favourite is Abdi Nageeye who aims at winning in the U23 race.
Michel Butter was named to the selection but will not compete.

ANKARA
(TUR): Turkey
is sending also strong teams to Albufeira with females Meryem Erdogan, Binnaz
Uslu and Sultan Haydar as head-liners.

LISBON
(POR): After Sunday´s Torres Vedras race the senior Portugal teams have been confirmed.
Both will be at home in Albufeira very strong. Six men running will be Yousef
El Kalai, Rui Pedro Silva, Licinio Pimentel, Eduardo Mbengani, Rui Silva and
Jose Rocha. For the olympic medalist and European indoor champion at 1500 m Rui Silva (33) this
will be his second Europan CC after 2007 in Toro beeing third. Women team is
favorite for the top place with Analia Rosa, Ana Dias, Sara Moreira, Jessica
Augusto, Ana Dulce Felix and Marisa Barros.

TALLINN
(EST): Estonia
will send for European CC Championships in Albufeira 6 runners, but not the
best one and national record holder Tiidrek Nurme who has other plans. The only
junior boy is Kaur Kivistik, in the U23 categories Laura Suur with Keio Kits
and Priit Aus as two male runners. Two seniors running will be Jekaterina
Patjuk and Sergei Tserepannikov.

RESULTS

LORCA (ESP, Nov 28): Kenyan
Joseph Kipkosgei achieved 1:02:25 to win the 23rd Half Marathon in Murcia region.
Best woman Fatima Ayachi was timed at 1:13:54.

CORDOBA (ESP, Nov 27): Erick Kibet as another
Kenyan posted similar winning time at 26th Half Marathon of Cordoba 1:02:47.
But women winner was faster than in Lorca. Joyce Chepkirui clocked new course
record 1:09:36.

MT. OBUDU
(NGR, Nov 28): Ethiopians Abebe Dinkesa (42:21) and Meselech Haileyesus (48:57)
claimed the win and the big 50 000 USD prizemoney at the 6th edition of the
Obudu International Mountain Race. Informs African Athletics Facebook.

LEON (MEX, Nov 28): Kenyan
winners at 10th 21km of Leon.
Isaac Kimaiyo achieved 1:03:08 and Hyvon Ngetich 1:11:00.

HYDERABAD
(IND, Nov 28): Ethiopian Milion Feyisa won the
Hyderabad 10km
in 28:28. Home runner Lalita Babar was the best woman in 34:14.

ST. PRIEST (FRA, Nov 28): Burundi
wins at Cross National des Myriades. Onesphore Nkunzimana at 9 km in 27:01 and Francine
Niyonizigie in 16:16 at 4.9
km over Helene Guet 16:22.

GUJAN MESTRAS (FRA, Nov 28):
Kenyan wins at 37th Sud Oest Cross (times not available). Mary Wangari beat
Martha Komu and Ejegayehu Dibaba in women race, with best French steeple
specialist Sophie Duarte 5th. In men´s 9.37 km win for Paul Melly over Mesfin Hunegaw
of Eritrea and Mohamed
Moustaoui of Morocco.
Best French Driss El Himer was fourth.

CORRECTION

LLODIO (ESP): Please correct,
winner Alessandra Aguilar was not title defender at the race.