Jenny Simpson running NB Games mile, January 22, 2011 in 4:28.60 WL, photo by
PhotoRun.net.

Great to see Jenny Simpson running the USA Indoor this year in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Meet does not have a WC this year, so great to see it supported. What does have cache, however, is London 2012, and the folks in UK athletics may have a pr disaster on their hands, if the London stadium is torn down for soccer, and there is a 50/50 chance that it could, as of now.

The nightmare that just will not go away, or the athletics legacy for London 2012 was put off for about two months earlier today, as the powers that be soak in the stench of what might be the pr disaster of the London Games. It is obvious that football (soccer in U.S.) clubs could care a rat’s ear if athletics has a viable legacy. Look no farther than the destruction of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic stadium in this country.
That one club will consider using the London facility as a multi use center and the other will consider razing the London stadium, but upgrading the Crystal Palace facility is surprisingly unusual. PR wise, it would be great to keep the London stadium as a multi sport facility. Athletics is on the upswing once again in the UK, and the facility would be a shining beacon for the sport.
What does one say about the Crystal Palace upgrade? RBR loves the AVIVA London GP each year at Crystal Palace. It has tradition, and is a fine facility. It is not, however, a place to house a World Champs bid. But after the 2015 withdrawal, one might consider the chance of London hosting a World Champs about the same as the U.S. hosting one in the next decade: pretty dismal. Trash the stadium, and London would not even have a chance to host the world walleye fishing championships in future decades. (We use walleye for fish fries over here).

Lord Sebastian Coe is right. This is how he put it to BBC 5 after both proposals were discussed live on BBC 5 sportsweek. Coe noted;

“I remember delivering a vision about a generation of young people
being inspired to take up Olympic sports, I remember talking about young
people in a poor community in East London fashioning their future
through sport,” he said.

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“I’m prepared to revisit my words but I don’t recall a whole heap
about bulldozing down a publicly-funded community facility, replacing it
with a football club and inspiring a generation of Tottenham season
ticket holders, however many there may be on a waiting list.”

Runblogrun encourages its readers to put any and all pressure on the powers that be, and support the London 2012 legacy and back West Ham’s stadium plans. If the UK ever expects to be taken seriously in the global world of sport, the West Ham plan gives them future cache.

BOLT
PLANS

KINGSTON (JAM): Worlds fastest Usain Bolt
wrote on his twitter on Monday. “I am in training and I start running may.” He
reffered to main competitions season, he still might run some training
competitions in winter in Jamaica.
He will decide about it only some days before.

TULU
HEADING THE LIST

YOKOHAMA
(JPN): Former olympic winner Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia is the main international
invited runner for Yokohama WomenÂ´s Marathon on February 20. Included also
Ethiopian Azalech Masresha, Berlin top 10
placer Marisa Barros of Portugal,
Russian Alevtina Ivanova and PolandÂ´s Karolina Jarzynska. Top home runners are
Yoshimi Ozaki with Mayumi Fujita and Kaori Yoshida, all with sub 2:30 personal
bests. High quality pacemakers are Japanese Shoko Mori and Russians Silvia
Skvortsova with Albina Mayorova.

MENKOV 817 CM

OMSK
(RUS, Jan 23): Junior European Champion 2009 Aleksandr Menkov leaped to
excellent world leading 817 long jump during the regional championships
of Siberia. It is also his overall personal bests, in the
series he also had 810, 806 and 802. Olesya Syreva posted highly
impressive
4:08.93 in the 1500 m
and 8:52.90 in the 3000 m.
Menkov plans to jump at Russian Winter on February 6 in Moscow.

OTHER NEWS

AMSTERDAM (NED): Dutch runner’s website
losseveter.nl reports they have been able to look into the official police
files concerning ‘operation Galgo’. The website claims Dutch athlete Adrienne
Herzog and her coach Manuel Pascua were unsatisfied with the way they approached
Herzog’s drug abuse and wanted to see things more structured when preparing for
the 2011 season. Herzog is a witness in the case as using performance enhancing
drugs is not illegal in Spain,
drugs trafficking on the other hand is illegal.

PARIS (FRA): Nadir El Fassi
(5899) and Antoinette Nana Djimou Ida (4633) lead the French team for the
combined events match in Apeldoorn
on January 29th and 30th. France
will take on The Netherlands, Spain,
Great Britain
and The Czech Republic announces athle.com.

ERFURT (GER): Former top German hurdler
Thomas Blaschek is improving in bob-sleigh. In his first season he competed at
European Championships and is reserve for the World event. His main goal is
Winter Olympic Games 2014 in
Sochi.

DOHA
(QAT): Two more doping cases are announced from Asian Games in November in China.
Ahmed Dheeb of Qatar,
who won silver in the men’s discus, tested positive for exogenous testosterone
metabolites.Palestinian Awajna Abdalnasser took part in the men’s 800 metres and tested
positive for norandrosterone, another anabolic agent. Both were disqualified
from the competition and are facing two year bans.

LONDON (GBR): The decision on the future use
of the London Olympic Stadium has been postponed. West Ham United and Tottenham
Hotspur were expecting to hear on January 28th whether they were the preferred
bidder for the 2012 venue but the Olympic Park Legacy Company has decided to
postpone their decision. “Given the detailed nature of both bids received, we
need more time to seek further clarification with both bidders in order to
identify a preferred bidder” they claimed. The OPLC hopes to make a decision
before the end of March. At the same time Lord Sebastian Coe unequivocally
backed West Ham United’s campaign to take over the Olympic Stadium because he
claimed it is the only option that can deliver on the promises that he made
during the capital’s successful bid to host the Games. Coe claims he has a
‘moral obligation’ to ensure the Olympic track stays after the Olympic Games
and warned it would trash their international reputation if Tottenham was given
the Olympic stadium writes Insidethegames.

NEW YORK
(USA): Jenny Simpson
(formerly Barringer) confirmed she will compete at the USA national indoor championships
although she’s not yet sure whether she will run the mile or the 3000m. Simpson
also added she is keeping her options open for the outdoor season and hasn’t
made a decision yet about running the steeplechase, 1500m, mile or even the
5000m.

NICE (FRA): According to a
statement from hospital in Nice the health status of former 400 m hurdles world champion
Stephane Diagana is progressing well. There are no complications after his
injury following the bike crash. He is already out of the intensive care unit.

TOKYO (JPN): Brett Larner
informs that following her stage win at the Kita-Kyushu Invitational Women’s
Ekiden on Sunday, the 10
000 m national record holder and former marathon
national record holder Yoko Shibui announced that she will run the Feb. 27
Tokyo Marathon. It will be Shibui’s first full marathon since pulling out of
the 2009 World Championships marathon team with a stress fracture. “My teammate
Reiko Tosa is running, so I thought it would be fun to enter too,” Shibui said.
“I’m just going to run comfortably without setting any target time.” Despite
having top-class fields the Tokyo Marathon is not a World Championships
selection race for women.

DUSSELDORF
(GER): MenÂ´s pole vault is a must at 6th PSD Bank Meeting in Dusseldorf on February 11 (EA Indoor Permit).
Germany
is one of the top countries in this event and meet director Marc Osenberg
devoted most of his activities to pole vault. Alexander Straub wants to win for
third time, but Malte Mohr is in great shape. New additions into races are
former world champion Eliud Kipchoge at 5000 m and steeple olympic winner Brimin
Kipruto in the 1500 m.

RESULTS

CARLSBAD
(USA,
Jan 23): Kenyan Wesley Korir pulled away from country-mate Macdonald Ondara to
win the Carlsbad Half Marathon in 1:02:46. In women category also Kenyan win
for Jane Kibii 1:12:33. Mary Akor clocked 2:45:51 to win women marathon.

SANTA POLA (ESP, Jan 23): Fast
Half Marathon Vila de Santa Pola as Ethiopian Azmeraw Bekele achieved 1:00:32
ahead of Kenyan Joseph Birech 1:00:40. Moroccan Rika El Moukim won the women
race in 1:11:49 ahead of Kenyan Rita Jeptoo 1:12:02.

BREDA (NED, Jan 23): Young Ethiopian Bensa
Dereba won the 42nd Mastbocross here at 10.5 km (33:55). Second Dutch Khalid Choukoud
(34:02).

PUERTOLLANO (ESP, Jan 23): Ayad Lamdassem won
the Cross del Chorizo here with 31:05 ahead of 1500 m Euro winner Arturo
Casado (31:15). Women winner Bouchra Chaabi of Morocco achieved 27:31.

ELDORET (KEN, Jan 23): Geoffrey
Kipsang earned a commanding victory over a field of 386 other competitors at
the 20th edition of the Discovery Kenya Cross Country. He clocked 36:15 ahead
of Ismael Rashid (36:36) and Albert Matebor (36:45). The women’s senior race
was much closer, as former world track medalist Priscah Jepleting hung on for a
1.5-second win in 27:48 over 8
km. Second Priscah Jeptoo (27:50) ahead of Viola
Kibiwott (27:56) and Mercy Cherono (28:02). Martin Lel, the two-time ING New
York City Marathon champion was 33rd in 38:15 and Asbel Kiprop, the reigning
Olympic 1,500-meter gold medalist dropped out. A total of 1917 runners
participated in the annual event sponsored by Nike and comprised of 10 races
including the men’s and women’s senior races. The junior races were won by
Abraham Kosongor in 24:15 over eight kilometers and by Purity Cherotich in
20:33 over six kilometers. Informs RRW.

KYUSHU
(JPN, Jan 23): Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance won the Kita Kyushu Women’s Ekiden at 32.8 km in 1:46:40. Second
Tenmaya 1:47:28 ahead of Kyudenko 1:47:48.

MONTEFORTE DÂ´ALPONA (ITA, Jan
23): Kenyan Paul Sugut won the 30th jubilee 10.6 km (uphill, descent,
uphill) in 31:27. He was followed by Wilson Busienei and Edward Too (both
31:28). A blowout in the women’s race where Moroccan Asmae Ghizlane beat her
nearest rival by 34 seconds (20:08, 6.05 km).

VERACRUZ (MEX, Jan 23): Top Mexican runner
Juan Luis Barrios won the 7th edition of the Half Marathon Puerto de Veracruz
in 1:02:48. Kenyans followed, Isaack Kimaiyo was close in 1:02:49 and third
Hillary Kimaiyo 1:04:07. Rose Jebet was the best in women category in 1:13:40.

CHRISTCHURCH
(NZL, Jan 24): Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius of South Africa stole the show in the
T44 200 m
for leg amputees at IPC World Championships blistering the straight to take
home his first gold medal in a time of 21.80 (+1.4).

AUBIERE (FRA, Jan 23): French
indoor junior record for Moncton
gold medalist Kevin Mayer in junior heptathlon 5872 points. In senior
competition Florian Geffraouis scored 5742 points.

EAUBONNE (FRA, Jan 23):
European Champion Myriam Soumare came close to her indoor 200 m PB with 23.36 win here.
Fast hurdles for Dimitri Bascou 7.64.

GERMAN ROUND UP (Jan 23): Malte
Mohr cleared 580 and Fabian Schulze 570 at regional championships in Sindelfingen. At the same
event Marco Schmidt confirmed 20+ shape with 20.32. In Berlin Thomas Schneider
got 46.86 at 400 m
and in Chemnitz Christina Schwanitz 18.68 in shot put and high jumper Raul Spank
solid 15.82 in
triple jump.

BERGEN (NOR, Jan 22): Son of former German HJ
world record holder Jonas Mogenburg improved the NorwayÂ´s indoor U23 record in
long jump to 748 cm.

SOFIA (BUL, Jan 23): Georgi
Georgiev improved here at 60 m
to 6.74 and missed the Paris
standard by 0.08 s.

ANN ARBOR
(USA,
Jan 22): At Simmons Harvey Invitational fast sprints for Michael Ray Garvin at 60 m (6.64) and Jeff Porter at
60 m
hurdles (7.70). Olympic medalist Nick Willis of New Zealand tested his shape with
3:58.92 over the mile. Tiffany Ofili who is able to represent Great Britain
achieved 8.07 at 60 m
hurdles.

CORRECTION

NORMAN
(USA):
The mark of Libor Charfreitag in weight throw was 24.51, not 24.71. But still a
huge world lead.

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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