by Larry Eder
EME NEWS (DEC 20, 2011)
Isinbayeva to open at home
VOLGOGRAD (RUS): Rusathletics.com informs about first indoor meet 2012
for multiple pole vault world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva. She is
scheduled to start her indoor season at home in Volgograd on January 21.
The Volgograd Cup meet is upgraded next month to international level.
Isinbayeva said that while in Moscow at a special evening to support
veterans and heroes of Russian Athletics. Isinbayeva last time competed
at home indoors in Volgograd ten years ago in 2002.
Superb 1500 m by juniors
DOHA (QAT, Dec 19-20): Morocco was the best country with 11-4-9 medals
in athletics at Arab Games. Second best home Qatar (6-3-4) ahead of
Saudi Arabia (6-0-1) and Egypt (5-12-5). During final day on Tuesday
fast 1500 m was registered with three juniors hugely improving.
Djibouti´s Hassan Ayanleh won in sensational meet record 3:34.32 (he did
not had sub 3:40 before) what is new national senior record and 16th
best junior performer of all-time. Second Qatari Hamza Driouch got new
Asian junior record 3:34.43. And third Mohamad Al-Garni of Qatar, the
former Asian junior record holder, clocked life-time best 3:34.61. More
meet records for Moroccan women at 4×100 m (46.16), Malika Akkaoui at
800 m (2:02.42, second gold after winning the 400 m) and Nisrin Dinar
(391 in pole vault). On the men side games records for Algerian triple
jump winner Issam Nima (16.59, +0.4) and Mohammed Al-Karee of Saudi
Arabia in decathlon (7677, also national record and beating favorite
Hamid Dhouibi of Tunisia with 7664). In other events Moroccan Aziz
Ouhadi won the 200 m (20.69, +0.3) beating home favorite Femi Ogunode
(21.01), double African Games winner Yasser Ibrahim of Egypt was the
best in shot put (19.44), another home win for steeple specialist Ali
Abubaker Kamal in the 5000 m (13:45.60 PB). Saudi Arabian Ahmad
Al-Mouled won the 110 m hurdles in new national record 13.60 (+0.4)
ahead of Algerian record holder Othman Hadj Lazib (13.74). Saudi Arabia
won both male relays in 39.67 (over Oman 39.84) and 3:07.22 (over Sudan
3:07.47). From women results to mention Baya Rahouli, the olympic and
world finalist from Algeria, winning the triple jump (14.01, +0.7) and
surprise win in the 5000 m for UAE´s Alia Saeed (16:11.54) over Bahraini
favorites.
Murer number one in Brazil
RIO DE JANEIRO (BRA): Pole vault world champion Fabiana Murer was
elected Brazilian Sportswoman of the Year 2011. She won the “Prêmio
Brasil OlÃmpico” during an evening at Municipal Theatre in Rio de
Janeiro. Also in selection of top three was long jumper and Pan Am Games
gold medalist Maurren Maggi. In male awards no athletics representation
in top three.
Bubka helping basketball
KYIV (UKR): IAAF Vice President Sergey Bubka was instrumental in helping
Ukraine to get another top sporting event. Last weekend in the Munich
Marriott hotel FIBA Europe President Mr Olafur Rafnsson has announced
that EuroBasket 2015 will be hosted by Ukraine. The announcement
followed the impressive presentation made by the bid team led by
Ukrainian Federation’s President Oleksandr Volkov and IOC Member Sergey
Bubka as the key speakers. Ukraine has accomplished its mission
triumphantly with Sergey Bubka making a final emotional speech. “I’m
happy and proud for my country and personally for my friend Sasha Volkov
whom I know for many years. This victory is very important for us as
FIBA Europe Eurobasket is one of the greatest European sport events
after the UEFA Euro which Ukraine will host next summer. Our bid has
full support inside the country as well as financial guarantees from the
President and Government. EuroBasket will help the popularity of the
game in my country involving thousands of kids into basketball. It will
also serve other sports as redesigned and constructed world class venues
will be able to host competitions in 50 sports and disciplines. I’ve
been lucky to be a part of the three winning bids for Ukraine in the
recent years including UEFA Euro 2012 bid, 2013 IAAF Youth World
Championships for Donetsk and now EuroBasket. I’m sure we are on the
right way getting valuable experience from every successful bid”, said
Sergey Bubka who is a President of Ukrainian National Olympic Committee
since 2005.
Tamgho banned
PARIS (FRA): World indoor triple jump record holder Teddy Tamgho will be
eligible to compete in London next year at the Olympic Games. He got
six months ban with further six suspended after an incident with a
female athlete which happened last October in France. It runs until May
18, he anyway did not plan to compete in the indoor season. He was also
fined with 1500 euros and 50 hours of community service and has been
given three years probation period. “He expressed his regrets and
acknowledges the verdict,” the spokesman of French Athletics Federation
said.
ATHLETES OF THE YEAR SECTION
PARIS (FRA): Fastest European Christophe Lemaître has been named Athlete
of the Year 2011 by French athletics magazine Athlé. Lemaître was a
clear winner (5505 points) over European indoor champion Renaud
Lavillenie (3545) and upcoming sprint star Jimmy Vicaut (3527) reports
athle.com. Fourth place for steeple star Mahiedine Mekhissi Benabbad
(2141) ahead of Teddy Tamgho (1199) and walker Yohan Diniz (879). Best
woman sprinter Myriam Soumare was 9th (868).
NASSAU (BAH): The Bahamas Athletics Federation has awarded high jumper
Trevor Barry the Charlie Major award for his performances at the IAAF
World Championships where he won the bronze medal. Barry also won the
High Jump at the Central American and Caribbean Sr. Championships in
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Anthonique Strachan was named junior athlete of
the year. Strachan finished second in the Central American and Caribbean
Sr. Championships with 22.90 and later improved her PB to 22.70 at the
Pan American Jr. Championships reports trackalerts.
LUCENEC (SVK): European indoor bronze medalist from Paris-Bercy triple
jumper Dana Veldakova was for first time elected Slovak Athlete of the
Year 2011. And it is only for second time that a woman got the first
place. The only previous female winner was Martina Hrasnova in 2009.
Veldakova got 510 points in the Slovak Athletics Federation poll ahead
of walker Matej Toth (464) and 800 m runner Lucia Klocova (410). Coach
of the year was Radoslav Dubovsky who is guiding the winner Dana and her
twin sister and long jumper Jana Veldakova. Junior/U23 athlete of the
year is high jumper Matus Bubenik (8th from European U23 Championships)
and newcomer of the year young triple jumper Tomas Veszelka (9th in
Lille at World Youth Championships). Coach of juniors of the year is
walking expert Roman Bencik. “It is nice ending of the year, but I must
admit I wanted achieve more in Daegu where I was 11th. In Korea I was
physically in top shape, but could not manage the technique. For next
year Olympics, Helsinki and Istanbul are top three events, in all I want
to be at least in top 8. And also to break my own Slovak records 14.51
outdoors and 14.40 indoors,” said Veldakova.
CARACAS (VEN): Venezuelan Athletes of the Year 2011 are the walker
Milangela Rosales on the women side and distance runners Jose Pena with
Eduard Villanueva on the men´s. Rosales was silver winner at South
American Championships in the 20 km walk and improved national records
on the track and on the road. Pena won Pan American Games in Mexico in
the steeple and Villanueva was a surprise World Championships 1500 m
finalist (8th).
ZURICH (SUI): Hurdler Lisa Urech and sprinter Reto Amaru Schenkel were
voted Swiss Athletes of the Year 2011. It was a result of a vote on
national federation website and experts decision.
OTHER NEWS
MONACO (MON): IAAF ratified the marathon world record of Patrik Makau,
the 2:03:38 achieved in Berlin on September 25. Also his 30 km split was
approved, 1:27:38.
LAUSANNE (SUI): Athletics expert Csaba Schulek, who is Head of Sports
rights Acquisitions, Sales and International Projects at Magyar
TelevÃzió in Hungary, was elected as one of the three vice-chairpersons
on the Sports Presidency of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The
40-year-old Schulek is the son of the late Agoston Schulek, a former
Vice-President of European Athletics and has extensive experience of
working on athletics events writes European Athletics.
PERTH (AUS): Olympic relay silver medallist John Steffensen says the 400
metres will be one of the standout events on the 2012 Australian
Athletics Tour due to the depth of domestic competition. Also because US
relay world champion Greg Nixon will be coming. The US runner is
scheduled to compete in Perth on 11 February and in Sydney on 18
February. The former world indoor champion can expect a battle on the
track against Ben Offereins and Steffensen as well as rising star Steve
Solomon. Informs Athletics Australia.
SYDNEY (AUS): Athletics Australia is excited to announce the Nine
Network, Fox Sports and Telstra Bigpond as its broadcast partners for
the 2012 Australian Athletics Tour. Providing unprecedented access to
track and field as the build up to the London 2012 Olympic Games and
Paralympic Games continues, the Nine Network will replay Tour action
from Perth, Sydney and Melbourne less than 24 hours after it happens
before ongoing highlights on Fox Sports across the summer.
LONDON (GBR) : British sprinter James Ellington has collected 40.000
euro with his stunt of selling his sponsorship on Ebay. Ellington had
lost all his funding after injuries slowed him down in the last four
years and decided to put himself on Ebay. In 10 days time about 45
people made 71 bids reports ANP.
SEOUL (ROK): Dong Hoo Moon, the former Vice President and Secretary
General of the Daegu 2011 Organising Committee that recently staged one
of the most successful IAAF World Championships in history, has been
awarded the prestigious ‘Korean Sports Figure of the Year Award’.
SportsForum 21, a leading organization composed of influential figures
in the fields of sport, media and academia, presented a plaque to Moon
in honor of his immense contributions to the IAAF World Championships
Daegu 2011 reports the IAAF.
DUBLIN (IRE): Athletics Ireland announces that Irish Throwers will
receive a welcome boost from a new sponsorship agreement with Polanik –
ProSportEurope.com. Ireland has had a rich history in throwing
particular in the Hammer from Olympic Gold Medallist, Pat O’Callaghan
right through to World Track and Field Finalist, Eileen O’Keeffe who
retired this year. The next generation of throwers such as Junior Record
Holders Killian Barry and Cara Kennedy will benefit from the new
sponsorship.
RESULTS
GEELONG (AUS, Dec 18): Australian discus thrower Julian Wruck improved
to 65.74 m at the Athletics Victoria Throwers meet. He is world junior
medalist 2010.
CORRECTION
MADRID (ESP): Maryam Jamal is not entered into the San Silvestre
Vallecana road race on December 31. Her management company corrected the
information from EME NEWS (DEC 19, 2011).
