by Larry Eder
Usain Bolt, 2011 World 100 meters, photo by PhotoRun.netVLASIC
TO PLAN INDOORS
ZAGREB
(CRO): Croatian high jump star Blanka Vlasic plans to compete during the indoor
season including the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul. She said that for
Croatian media. But details are not yet known. In the beginning of January
Vlasic will travel to training camp in Stellenbosch, South Africa for a 20
days period.
DEVONISH
TO RETIRE AFTER 2012
LONDON
(GBR): Olympic gold medallist Marlon Devonish (35) has told insidethegames that
Britain’s hopes of success in the 4×100 meters at London 2012 will not be lost
on a failed changeover, as happened in Daegu at the World Championships
earlier this year. Going into the final
leg of the 4x100m final, Devonish was unable to transfer the baton to Harry
Aikines-Aryeetey as he collided with the United States’ Darvis Patton. Devonish
was left clutching the baton as his team mate set off too quickly, and threw it
to the ground in disappointment, but feels Britain’s medal hopes next summer
are strong. „In the relay we have a serious chance of a medal I think,”
he told insidethegames. „For the relay team the slowest athlete in the Jamaican
team run 9.8s, and the Americans are in that ilk so their flat speed is
superior to ours,” he said. „After 2012 I’ll probably call it a day – I’ve
had a great innings in sport and I’ve pretty much done everything I’ve
wanted to,” he said.
OSTAPCHUK
AND MIKHNEVIC IN BELARUS
MINSK
(BLR): Athletes of the Year in Belarus are shot putters and world medalists
Nadezhda Ostapchuk and Andrey Mikhnevich. They were announced during a press
conference before Christmas. Best in the U23 category hurdler Alina Talay and
decathlete Eduard Mikhan and among juniors 400 m runner Yuliya Yurenya and
javelin thrower Pavel Meleshko. All are medalists from Ostrava and Tallinn in
the summer. Team of the year was women 4×400 m relay, sixth in Daegu and on the
men side the decathlon team third in the European Cup Super League. In the
biggest improvement category the win for long jumper Anastasiya
Mironchik-Ivanova, coaches of the year are the shot put experts Aleksandr
Yefimov (Ostapchuk) and Vladimir Sivtsov (Mikhnevich).
SANYA
RR TO RUN 400 M INDOORS AFTER 6 YEARS
NEW YORK
(USA): Armory Foundation president Dr. Norb Sander announced that multi-World
Champion and Olympic Gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross will compete in the
105th Millrose Games. Richards-Ross is expected to face stiff competition on
February 11 at the 400 m mainly from Natasha Hastings, Mary Wineberg and Alian
Pompey. „Running at the Armory is very special to me,” said Richards-Ross, who
attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. „I broke both
the high school 200m and 400m records there as a junior and I’m looking
forward to more great performances on my favorite indoor track at the historic
Millrose Games.” During the 2002 National Scholastic Indoor Championships at
the Armory, she won the 200 and 400 setting National High School records in
both — 23.22 and 52.10. Since then both marks have been broken nationally, but
remain Armory records. She last time competed in the indoor 400 m at World
Indoor Championships 2006 in Moscow.
OTHER NEWS
AUCKLAND
(NZL): Kiwi athletes and teams who have performed well this year, and those
likely to do well at the London Olympics and Paralympics, are the big winners
in the 2012 investment announcement by High Performance Sport New Zealand
(HPSNZ). Top athletes will be allocated more money for their Olympic
preparation according to Insidethegames.
BRUSSEL
(BEL): Talented high jumper Hannelore Desmet is confident she can qualify for
the European championships in Helsinki. Desmet holds a personal best of
189 but was slowed down in the last two years by several injuries. Now injury
free the former world junior bronze medalist is confident she can further
improve writes Het Nieuwsblad.
NEW YORK
(USA): Heading into 2012, Morgan Uceny is confident she could get an Olympic
medal in London. For teamusa.org her
coach, Terrence Mahon, said the goal is well within reach and was quoted “since
I believe that Morgan was the best 1500 runner in the world in 2011, then
I don’t really think too much needs to change to be a podium athlete
in London.”
PARIS
(FRA): World indoor record holder Teddy Tamgho reacted in a special way to
his recent suspension by French Athletics Federation. He posted a video on
youtube where he as rapper explains his position to the whole story. „They’re
trying to shoot me as if I was a terrorist, I have done nothing
serious, just set a small story,” he sings but also admits that he accepts
the decision of the federation.
GENT
(BEL) : Former European indoor 60m hurdles champion Eline Berings has returned
to competition after injuries slowed her down in the last 2 seasons. Berings
opened up in a local race over 60m and clocked 7.56. The athlete commented
that it is great to be back in competition and is expecting great performances
over the next months.
MANILA
(PHI): After a record breaking performance at the SEA Games, Philippine
athlete Marestella Torres has set her eyes at the IAAF World indoor
championships in Istanbul. Torres won the SEA Games with a leap of 671 and
believes she could do well in Istanbul according to manilatimes.net. Torres
competed at World Indoors 2010 in Doha, but remained in the qualification.
LONDON
(GBR): Olympic bosses are planning to auction off naming rights for some of the
stadiums that have been built to host the games in a deal that could be
worth up to 10 million pounds a year. It is believed major corporate
sponsors of the games such as Coca-Cola and McDonalds have already been
approached as potential sponsors once the Olympics comes to a close
according to The Independent.
SHIPPENSBURG
(USA): Neely Spence, the reigning NCAA Division II 5000m and cross country
champion, has decided to turn professional, according to the athletics
department at Shippensburg University where she competed. „Today, Shippensburg
University senior Neely Spence began her dream to become an Olympian by signing
a contract with an agent to begin her career as a professional
runner,” read the release, dated Dec. 26. Spence, 21, who has a 5000m
personal best of 15:27.72, finished seventh in that event at the USA Outdoor
Championships in Eugene, Ore., last June and went on to represent the United
States at the Pan Am Games, where she finished eighth. She has signed with
Flynn Sports Management. Informs Race Results Weekly.
DAKAR
(SEN): African Athletics United facebook informs that 2001 400m world champion
Amy Mbacke Thiam has filed a complaint to the police after 4 men in arms
turned up at her house at 1 am in the night of the 24th to 25th December, but
were unable to find her thanks to the self-control of her security guard.
Murder attempt or bullying, local media are asking and thinking the aggression
could be a retribution to the athlete’s support for political leader Macky
Sall.
MOSCOW
(RUS): Among top ten Russian Sports Persons of the Year 2011 are two track athletes.
In the vote of Russian Sports Journalists high jump world champion Anna
Chicherova and 800 m gold medalist from Daegu Mariya Savinova. All top ten
persons (without a ranking) will get the Silver Deer Award. Walking expert
Viktor Chegin was voted Coach of the Year. The awards evening will be held
early next year.
MOSCOW
(RUS): Double olympic middle distance winner Svetlana Masterkova was elected as
Chairman of Moscow Athletics Federation. She is replacing Oleg Kurbatov.
ALGERS
(ALG): African Athletics facebook informs that the 2003 800m world champion
Djabir Said Guerni from Algeria has signed a contract with Iran’s
federation to coach three 800m specialists from Iran in Algiers.
LONDON
(GBR): Reigning European 3000m indoor champion Helen Clitheroe will look to
build on a superb 2011 by commencing her Olympic year at the Aviva
International Match in Glasgow on 28 January. The former 1500m and steeplechase
athlete, is aiming for a hat trick of wins at Kelvin Hall following her
victories in 2010 and 2011. Just three weeks after her appearance in Glasgow
Clitheroe will test herself against a world class field at the Aviva Grand
Prix in Birmingham, where she will contest the 3000m announces UK Athletics.
MELBOURNE
(AUS): A spokesman for the Australian Olympic Committee has confirmed to
The Daily Telegraph that they are aware of an investigation conducted by the
Victorian Institute of Sport into Jarrod Bannister’s alleged actions. Bannister
is a member of the AOC’s elite shadow Olympic team after placing in the
top eight at this year’s world championships in Daegu in javelin. Bannister is
expected to be called before a committee comprising the London Olympic
team chef de mission Nick Green, deputy chef de mission Chris Fydler and the
AOC secretary-general Craig Phillips and could be suspended from going to the
London Olympic Games. The alleged actions by Bannister have not been specified.
NEW YORK
(USA): Sports Illustrated has called Usain Bolt’s false start at the IAAF World
Championships the Olympic story of 2011. The disqualification left fans in
shock but also gave rise to new world champion Yohan Blake. Also in the list of
best Olympic stories of 2011 is Geoffrey Mutai’s run at the Boston marathon in
April.
MADRID
(ESP): Madrid’s new mayor Ana Botella said the city’s bid to host the 2020
Summer Olympics is viable despite its high debt, since most of the necessary
investment has already been made. “Among our aims, Madrid’s effort to be an
Olympic city has an important place – a commitment that we are renewing
with our eyes on the 2020 Games,” Botella, said after being sworn in reports
iol.co.za.
RESULTS
OMSK
(RUS, Dec 23-24): At Bulatovs indoor Memorial Daegu finalist pole vaulter
Dmitriy Starodubtsev showed solid early shape with 570 cm clearance. In women
pole vault 21-years old Yekaterina Kazeka improved to 440 cm. In races Nadezhda
Paleyeva clocked 7.37 in the 60 m, Marina Chernova 38.49 in the 300 m and
Yelena Zadorozhnaya 5:56.90 in the 2000 m. In men´s 60 m Mikhail Idrisov posted
6.83, Roman Smirnov 34.14 in the 300 m and Stepan Poistogov 1:18.08 in the 600
m.
YAROSLAVL
(RUS, Dec 25): Marina Pospelova clocked here 2:03.34 in the 800 m.
BARCELONA
(ESP, Dec 26): Steeple runner Jose Luis Blanco won the San Silvestre de El
Masnou race in 14:19 at 5 km (course record). Second and third Moroccans Khalid
El Amri (14:20) and Ilias Fifa (14:20). Women winner Jacqueline Martin achieved
16:45 beating Latvian Jelena Abele (17:00).
MEEUWEN
(BEL, Dec 27): European CC Champion Atelaw Bekele lost a 5 km road race „Kerstcorrida”
to Ethiopian Dame Tasama. He clocked 13:50, the winner 13:41.
NORTH
SHORE (NZL, Dec 22): Jacko Gill still competed once before Christmas and
achieved with junior 6 kg 21.71. Tom Walsh was second with 20.19m.
ANKARA
(TUR, Dec 27): Turkish steeple record holder Binnaz Uslu won the 76th Ataturk
road race with 33:15 at 10.8 km course. European U23 record holder Meryem
Erdogan was 5th (35:10). Mert Girmalegesse was the best male in 29:02 clearly
over Bekir Karayel (30:01).
SAD NEWS
JOHANNESBURG
(RSA): Zithulele Sinqe, one of South Africa’s best distance runners during its
golden era of road running in the eighties and early nineties, was killed in an
automobile accident in Balfour near Johannesburg last Thursday. Sinqe, who at
the peak of his career held both the national marathon and half-marathon records,
was 48. After he retired from running Sinqe became well known as a television
commentator on the sport and developer of young athletes, while he was also
active in administration. He went to live in the village of Balfour in 2010 and
formed the Dipaleseng Athletics Club with help from Burnstone Mines. The club
focused on schools in the area. He leaves his wife and three children. Informs
RRW.
