by Larry Eder
THORKILDSEN ALREADY THROWING
OSLO (NOR):
Javelin World champion Andreas Thorkildsen informed about positive
improvements on his twitter: “Did my first throwingsesh today after the
injury i picked up in Shanghai. Looks like i still got it after one
month off.” He plans to compete first time after the injury in Kuortane
on June 25 against Tero Pitkamäki.
MAKUSHA GOES PRO
TALLAHASSEE
(USA): Sporting Net News informs that Florida State junior
sprinter/jumper Ngoni Makusha of Zimbabwe formally announced Wednesday
afternoon that he will forego his final year of eligibility and begin
competing professionally. Speaking at a prearranged press conference in
the Moore Center at Doak Campbell Stadium, Makusha told reporters and
others looking on that he is prepared to take the next step in his
career. “I am just really happy to be doing this right now,” Makusha
said. “It has been a real long journey for me here at Florida State. I
love it here and I still love it. I don’t think I will go anywhere; I
will still be a Seminoles. I love working with my coaches and my
teammates and I will always cherish that. I think it’s that time of my
life and my career that I go to another level.” He achieved a superb
double 9.89 and 840 at the NCAA Championships last weekend. In addition
to Makusha’s announcement, senior stars Kim Williams, Charles Clark and
Brandon Byram each spoke with the media and discussed their plans to
pursue professional track & field as well. It is not known yet which
management/agent will represent Makusha.
GAY, DIX, GATLIN ENTERED FOR BOTH
INDIANAPOLIS
(USA): USATF Championships entries are showing that Tyson Gay, Walter
Dix and also Justin Gatlin are entered into both 100 m and 200 m. Also
top collegians will compete (Demps, Mitchell, Salaam). Interestingly
Mike Rodgers is not yet entered but still has time until Sunday June 19.
Allyson Felix is entered in three events (100 m, 200 m, 400 m), Sanya
Richards-Ross into two (200 m, 400 m). In case Felix will run the 200 m
(but she has a wild card here) she will face the young world leader from
NCAA Kimberlyn Duncan. Hurdles world champ Kerron Clement plans to run
flat 400 m. Jumping top collegians Christian Taylor and Will Claye are
aiming to make the team for Daegu. Two entries are confirmed by Chaunte
Howard (high jump and long jump) after giving birth to a child in first
competition since then.
BEKELE EYES THE TITLE
ADDIS
ABEBA (ETH): Kenenisa Bekele has confirmed he will compete in the
10.000m at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu later this year. The
multiple Olympic and world gold medallist has not raced since January
2010 because of a ruptured muscle in his right calf but expects to run
two or three tune-up races next month before seeking his fifth
consecutive 10,000m world title in Daegu. Confirms his management group
Global Sports.
HELLEBAUT CONFIRMS 2ND COMEBACK
BRUSSELS
(BEL): Olympic high jump champion Tia Hellebaut has announced her
second comeback after giving birth to her second daughter Saartje.
Hellebaut admitted during a special pressconference she never stopped
thinking about the 2012 Olympic Games and is fully convinced she can
return to top shape in time to travel to London and defend her Olympic
title. Hellebaut has a full time nanny to watch over her two daughters
while she rests and trains. She is planning her first competitions
during the 2012 indoor season.
CHERNOVA EXCELLENT 3882 AFTER FIRST DAY
KLADNO
(CZE, Jun 15): Russian olympic medalist Tatyana Chernova is 174 points
ahead of her Gotzis result (6539) after first day of heptathlon at the
5th TNT-Fortuna meet in Kladno, Czech Republic (IAAF CE Challenge). She
started with personal best at 100 m hurdles (13.32, -0.5) followed by
13.22 in shot put, 183 in high jump and 23.32 (+2.5) would-be PB in the
200 m and has a 3882 overnight leading score. “I knew I had the shape
after Gotzis where not all events were as I expected. That is why I m
using Kladno to show my potential, second day is my strong part so I
hope for a big score,” said Chernova. She can attack meet record 6421
and her non windy best 6618 points. With 3823 points respectable second
place for Karolina Tyminska of Poland (13.35 PB-14.41-174-23.52+2.5).
She is 10 points ahead of her Beijing personal best 6428 result. Latvian
Aiga Grabuste is third (3558) ahead of Jolanda Keizer of Netherlands
doing her first heptathlon since 2008 (3496) and Czech hope for U23
Championships in Ostrava Katerina Cachova (3421). In good weather
supported by solid crowd men´s results are a surprise. Lithuanian Darius
Draudvila leads with 4225 points (10.84-727-15.61-198-49.49). “Of
course I must be satisfied, maybe I expected more from the 400 m. But I
will fight till the end tommorrow,” said the Lithuanian. Brazilian
Carlos Chinin is second (4164) and first from the favorites Dmitry
Karpov third with 4143 (best in shot put 16.69). Best of Cubans Yordanis
Garcia is fifth (4104), European Champion Romain Barras 8th (4053) and
world medalist Leonel Suarez 9th (4047). World record holder Roman
Sebrle is struggling still not healthy enough from his injury as 19th
(3780) but is not giving up. “It is too early, I need 2-3 weeks more to
be in the right shape,” said Sebrle. Belarus Andrey Kravchenko did not
entered high jump after competing in first three events (also 751 long
jump).
EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS NEWS
FRANCE:
Triple jump World indoor record holder Teddy Tamgho will not take part
in the European Team Championships. He will be replaced by Karl
Taillepierre, the reason is not known. Interestingly his main rival
Philips Idowu of Great Britain also withdrew. But the British
replacement is not at 17+ level.
GREAT BRITAIN:
Last changes in British team. In men´s high jump Tom Parsons is
replaced by Samson Oni and Michael Rimmer at 800 by Gareth Warburton.
POLAND: Injured javelin thrower Igor Janik is unable to throw and his replacement will be Pawel Rakoczy.
ISRAEL:
There will also be a lot of interest in how Israel’s evergreen 100m
hurdler Irina Lensky fares at the SPAR European Team Championships Third
League meeting in Reykjavik. She turned 40 last Sunday and is gunning
for the world veteran’s best of 13.20, which France’s Patricia Girard
ran in 2008. She has already run under that mark three times this
season, with a best of 13.06, and also ran 13.20 last Saturday, one day
before her birthday. Her first race at age 40 was in Prague on Monday
and it was excellent 13.27.
RUSSIA:
Russian federation confirmed its team for Stockholm. Strong women are
having Mariya Abakumova in javelin, Tatyana Lysenko in hammer and
returning Darya Pishchalnikova in discus. Young talent Darya Klishina is
in long jump and Irina Gordeyeva in high jump. But the strongest are
distance runners European champion Mariya Savinova at 800 m, world
record holder Gulnara Galkina in steeple, Yelena Zadorozhnaya at 5000 m,
Olesya Syreva in the 3000 m and Yekaterina Martynova at 1500 m.
European gold medalist Natalya Antyukh runs the 400 m hurdles. On the
men side two current world leaders Aleksey Dmitrik in high jump and
Aleksey Zagorniy in hammer. European leader Aleksander Menkov is entered
into long jump. Former world champion Sergey Makarov is the javelin
representative.
is travelling to Izmir for First League without its top two women stars
and current world leaders Blanka Vlasic and Sandra Perkovic.
CZECH
REPUBLIC: World record holder Barbora Spotakova is the Czech team
leader for Stockholm. Also to note Jaroslav Baba in high jump and
European indoor champion Denisa Rosolova doubling at 200 m and 400 m.
Doha SDL winner Petr Frydrych is another high quality entry in the men´s
javelin. Oslo SDL winner Zuzana Hejnova is the 400 m hurdles favorite.
Middle distance runner Jakub Holusa plans also for a double at 800 m and
1500 m and thrower Jan Marcell will try to score in shot put and
discus.
PALANGA
(LTU): IAAF organised in this Lithuanian city a seminar for presidents
of around 50 athletics federation from Eastern Europe and Asia. Main
lecturers were IAAF President Lamine Diack, Senior Vice-President Sergey
Bubka and EA President Hansjorg Wirz. Informs Bulgarian media. The
theme was the role of regional and national federations towards the
development of world-wide athletics movement.
BRUSSELS
(BEL): Belgium’s 4x400m relay team is planning a team building trip to
Greenland at the end of October. The team, which includes the succesful
Borlée twin brothers and is under the lead of their father Jacques
Borlée, will ski up to 30 kilometers every day. A team of the BBC will
travel along with the team to shoot a documentary.
LONDON
(GBR): Sprint star Tyson Gay has backed training partner and double
Paralympic champion Jason Smyth to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics
next year. The 24-year-old visually-impaired sprinter from Northern
Ireland has improved dramatically since he joined up with top sprinting
stars, such as Gay, as part of the Lance Brauman’s training group who
are based in Florida. He broke his own Northern Ireland record for 100
metres last month with a time of 10.22sec to secure the B-standard for
London 2012 Olympics and this year’s World Championships in Daegu where
he will be hoping to compete for Ireland writes Insidethegames. Smyth is
scheduled to represent Ireland this weekend at European Team
Championships, First League in Izmir.
KINGSTON
(JAM): Kaliese Spencer, despite running a remarkable 50.98 over the
400m in the cold and windy conditions of New York, will solely focus on
the 400m hurdles at the Jamaican National Championships. Spencer ran
54.20 this season and will be among the favourites at the World
Championships in Daegu. The Jamaican athletes does hopes to be included
into the 4x400m relay she said for Carribeantracklife.com.
JOHANNESBURG
(RSA): South Africa’s sport minister said on he still wants the country
to bid for the 2020 Olympic Games despite a cabinet decision last month
to instead spend money on services for the poor. Fikile Mbalula said he
hopes to convince his colleagues in President Jacob Zuma’s cabinet to
revisit plans for an Olympic bid, which the government vetoed after
estimating it would cost $50 million reports news.yahoo.com.
LONDON
(GBR): Jessica Ennis’ coach Toni Minichiello claimed Ennis appearance
in New York has been not a good one in the rainy and windy conditions of
last weekend. Ennis is already qualified for the IAAF World
Championships but will still take part in the Great Britain Trials in
Birmingham and is also registered to take part at the North of England
Championships in Manchester this weekend where Ennis will do the javelin
and long jump.
GOLD
COAST (AUS): Olympic hurdles medalist Sally Pearson, who in April won a
rare treble of gold medals at the Australian Athletics Championships,
will this weekend compete at home on the Gold Coast as she continues her
build up to the 2011 IAAF world championships this August. Set to
depart Australia for Lausanne on June 26, Pearson will this Saturday
compete in both the 100m and 100m hurdles, before backing up the
following day for a 60m and 200m dash.
JOHNSON
CITY (USA): Total Sports US announced the addition of NCAA pole vault
Champion Scott Roth (University of Washington) to its roster. Roth
enjoyed a stellar high school career, earning multiple national titles
to go along with a World Youth silver and a World Junior berth. This
year he captured both the NCAA indoor and outdoor titles and owns an
indoor and outdoor personal best of 5.72 meters. Total Sports US, based
in Johnson City, Tennessee represents many of the world’s top track and
field athletes including Lisa Aguilera, Dylan Armstrong, Nataliya
Dobrynska, Carmelita Jeter, Lacy Janson, Sally Kipyego, David Payne,
Nick Symmonds, Dwight Thomas, Sheena Tosta, Novlene Williams-Mills, and
Megan Wright.
KINGSTON
(JAM): Last year co-fastest in the world Nesta Carter said he will not
be at his best for Jamaica’s National Championships set for June 23-26
here at the National Stadium. Carter, in a recent interview, said “I
suffered a hamstring injury at the Prefontaine Classic” and added “I
just return to full training,” while making it clear he would not be at
his best by next week. At the Prefontaine Classic, Carter, who looked
uncomfortable towards the end, ran 9.92 in what was his second 100m race
of the season. The sprinter, the fourth fastest man in history at 9.78,
pulled out of last weekend’s Adidas Grand Prix in New York. Informs
TrackAlerts.
KINGSTON
(JAM): World champion Brigitte Foster-Hylton is not too worried about
her New York appearance and also Jamaican trials later this month. She
is focusing on defending her title later in the season in Daegu. “My
national championships is not so much on my agenda, considering that I
have an automatic spot into the World Championships, it’s about getting
ready for August now, so my training is not geared to be sharp now. I’m
going to be sharp later on in the season,” Foster-Hylton said of the
upcoming senior nationals, in an interview that followed an unplaced
effort at the Icahn Stadium in New York. She added: “And as everyone
knows, I’m coming back from major surgery, so I have work to do and
that’s what I’m doing.” Informs Jamaica Gleaner.
NEW
YORK (USA): World champion at 10 000 m Linet Masai disclosed for
Universal Sports that she plans to run the July 15-16 Kenyan national
trials for the World Championships next, even though she is
automatically entered in the Daegu 10,000 as the defending champion, and
wasn’t sure if her national federation would require her to contest the
trials. She would prefer to run the 5000 m at the trials but she is not
sure she will be allowed to do it. Preparing for Daegu’s 10,000m final
on August 27 will mean a limited race schedule for Masai after next
month’s trials. “We’ll do one grand prix after that before the world
championships, either Stockholm or London, in the 5000,” said her agent
Ricky Simms.
JOHANNESBURG
(RSA): South African 400m hurdles record holder and world leader LJ van
Zyl says he will use his prize money from the domestic athletics season
to buy cattle for his family. Van Zyl, the leading one-lap hurdler in
the world this year, received a R200 000 cheque from sponsors Yellow
Pages on Wednesday for setting a national record of 47.66 seconds in
Pretoria in February. “I plan on using the money to pay off my home bond
and to buy some cows for my father’s farm in Malteno [in the Eastern
Cape],” Van Zyl said. “I am pleased with my form and will be returning
to Europe in search of more fast times when I compete at the Diamond
League meetings in Lausanne, Switzerland, on June 30 and Birmingham,
England, on July 10,” he said. SA media are informing.
RESULTS
(FRA, Jun 14): World shot put champion Valerie Adams achieved good
20.19 at the National Meeting here. Ethiopian Neda Etenesh Diro clocked
9:49.18 in the women steeple. Lithuanian Inde Jakubaityte got 60.02 in
the javelin. On the men side solid 100 m by Ben Meite of Ivory Coast
10.29 (+0.9) ahead of Ronald Pognon who got his season fastest 10.34.
Lithuanian Raivydas Stanys improved in high jump to 228 cm. His previous
best was 225 from 2009.
HAVANA
(CUB, Jun 10): Moncton silver medalist Ernesto Reve from Cuba improved
hugely at a local meet in triple jump to 17.40 (+0.8) and equalled CAC
junior record of another Cuban Pedro Perez Duenas who achieved 17.40
back in 1971. At that time it was also a senior world record. Currently
17.40 is third best ever by a junior (better marks by Volker Mai 17.50
in 1985 and Khristo Markov 17.42 in 1984). In women triple jump Yarianna
Martinez got 14.40 m.
SIEGBURG
(GER, Jun 13): Sabrina Mockenhaupt tested herself before Stockholm with
8:57.35 at 3000 m. She will run 5000 m at the weekend.
MOSCOW
(RUS, Jun 14-15): World youth champion 2009 Yana Borodina improved in
the Moscow City U20 Championships to excellent 14.35 in the triple jump.
This mark belongs to all-time top ten junior list. Seniors competed
also out of competition, Anastasiya Kapachinskaya achieved 51.03 at 400 m
and Aleksandra Bulanova 2:00.14 in the 800 m.
NAIROBI
(KEN, Jun 14): Guest athletes dominated on the first day of this year’s
Administration Police athletics championships at Nyayo National
Stadium. Peter Kirui won the men’s 10,000m race, an event dominated by
guest runners. He clocked solid 28:29.2 taking the altitude into account
ahead of Bernard Kitur 28:44.7. After winning Tuesday’s race, Kirui
hopes he can make the Kenyan team to the World Championships in Daegu
after the national trials next month. Informs East Standard.
PILA
(POL, Jun 11): Lukasz Michalski won the International Pole Vault meet
with 552 clearance over Vladyslav Revenko 552 and Pawel Wojciechowski
542.
TASHKENT
(UZB, Jun 11-12): At Uzbekistan Cup good women jumping by Yuliya
Tarasova 668 (+1.4) in long jump and Aleksandra Kotlyarova 14.35 (+1.4)
ahead of Anastasiya Juravlyeva 14.32 (+0.4) and Valeriya Kanatova 14.28
(+0.9, national junior record) in the triple jump. Rifat Artikova scored
good quality 7975 points in decathlon. Informs Heinrich Hubbeling.
BREST (BLR, Jun 14-15): New national junior record by Yuliya Yurenya in the 400 m (53.17) at national junior championships.
DONETSK
(UKR, Jun 15): Oleksander Berbitskiy won the 10 000 m walk during first
day of Ukrainian Junior Championships with good 41:39.30. Top 800 m
runner Nastasiya Tkachuk won the 400 m in 54.04 and Mariya Shmidova
clocked 11.57 (0.0) to be the fastest in the 100 m.
