by Larry Eder
Czech Maslak is the Rising Star 2012
LAUSANNE (SUI): Czech national record holder at 200 m and 400 m and European Champion at 400 m Pavel Maslak is the 2012 winner of the men’s European Athletics Rising Star award. Informs European Athletics. He was the only European to be involved in the final over two laps of the track at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul Arena in March, after having set a Czech indoor 400m record in 46.14 seconds in the Belgian city of Gent in February. The decision to move up to 400m, never fully confirmed until the spring, was shown to be the right one when he made a big improvement to the long-standing Czech 400m record of 45.77, which had stood since 1978, when he ran 45.31 in his first outing over one lap of the track in Prague in early May. In his next 400m race, at the European Athletics Outdoor Premium Meeting in Torino on 8 June, he made a further improvement to 45.17. Maslák was then back in record-breaking form at the Olympic Games, running his third national record when he clocked 44.91 in his heat, the first Czech runner under the elite 45-second barrier, before finishing fifth in his semi-final in 45.15. Maslak will be presented with his European Athletics Rising Star award at the European Athletics Awards Night in St Julians, Malta, on Saturday 13 October alongside the women’s Rising Star winner Angelica Bengtsson and the European Athlete of the Year winners, to be announced in the coming days. Second is British World junior champion at 100 m Adam Gemili ahead of another sprinter French Jimmy Vicaut. Fourth place for sensational 1500 m Euro winner Henrik Ingebrigtsen from Norway and fifth Russian hurdler Sergey Shubenkov. Sixth place for long jump world junior record breaker Sergey Morgunov of Russia.
Historical subjects at the Exhibition
MONACO (MON): The IAAF Centenary Historic Exhibition in Barcelona, Spain from 13 October to 25 November, one of the major events in 2012 celebrating 100 years of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), highlights many of the legends of Athletics who globally have graced tracks, infields, roads and cross country during the last 100 years. The six continental Areas are well represented across the exhibition. The achievements of a modern African distance running great such as Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot, is highlighted by the loan of her competition singlet and two gold medals from Daegu 2011, while the achievements of South America’s two-time Olympic Triple Jump champion of the 1950’s Adhemar Ferreira Da Silva, are heralded by the display of his competition vests and gold medals from Helsinki 52 and Melbourne 56. While amongst the loans – sponsored by ‘Centro Checo Madrid’ – which have been made by the Prague National Museum, a pair of spikes and the 1954 European 10,000m gold medal of Czech legend Emil Zatopek allows the IAAF Centenary Historic Exhibition to honour another great. With the assistance of IAAF Centenary Supporting Partner adidas’ historic collection of shoes the careers of other all-time greats such as USA’s Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Al Oerter, Bob Beamon are also celebrated. More on IAAF website.
Mockenhaupt leads European runners at NYC
NEW YORK (USA): German runner Sabrina Mockenhaupt will compete in the ING NYC Marathon in November. She is part of strong European group there. Also included Russians Inga Abitova and Tatyana Arkhipova, Ana Dulce Felix of Portugal, Italian national record holder Valeria Straneo, former NYC winner Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia and Kenyan-born Dutch representative Hilda Kibet, all with sub 2:27 personal bests. Also to mention Swedish Charlotte Karlsson and Briton Susan Partridge.
Higher figures than 2010 and 2009
KAVARNA (BUL): Bulgarian media are informing about participation numbers for the Saturday´s IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. There will be 111 men from 46 countries competing and 68 women from 40 countries. It is higher than last edition in Nanning, China in 2010 with 55 women and 68 men. The 2009 edition in Birmingham had 59 women and 98 men competing.
Quinonez plans first indoor races
QUITO (ECU): Ecuador´s top athlete and olympic 200 m finalist Alex Quinonez (20.28 national record in olympic heat) will have full support from his country for the next olympic cycle 2013-16. The aim is to be succesfull at Rio Games 2016. “I have big projects for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. After my participation in the 2012 London Olympics the sport totally changed my life, as I have to attend events and invitations,” he was quoted by Ecuador sources. He recently underwent bright medical checks and his coaches Roberto Erazo and Jorge Casierra supervised the process. Quinonez is planning training camps in Pretoria and Bogota in November and December. Quinonez also plans his first ever indoor meetings next winter in Europe with the main aim for summer World Championships in Moscow and Bolivar Games in Peru in November. He will be supported by a team including psychologist, physio and nutritian among others.
OTHER NEWS
UTRECHT (NED): The Jaarbeurs Utrecht Marathon will not be organised in 2013 due to financial difficulties. Main sponsor Jaarbeurs is not continuing and the support of the municipality and the organisers itself is not enough.
ATHENS (GRE): Greek media are informing that 5000 m olympic winner Meseret Defar visited Greece and Athens. She likes the country since her first olympic gold in 2004 and is keen supporter of the Orthodox Church here. Defar even plans after ending her career to establish an Academy for the young runners to support talent from both countries Greece and Ethiopia.
LILONGWE (MAW): Former president of the Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM) Godfrey Phiri has bounced back in the hot seat after defeating Dr Richard Nyirongo by 48 to 45 votes. Nyirongo, a lecturer at Chancellor College has been leading the association for the past four years. Informs African Athletics facebook.
KYIV (UKR): Former world class decathlete Aleksandr Apaychev (8709 points national record in 1984) was fired from the post of Head coach of National team in athletics. He was dismissed due to discrepancies and fraud confirmations in financial operations concerning foreign training camps.
NAMUR (BEL): The EAP one day meetings (Europe Athletisme Promotion) will held its 22nd congress from November 2 to 4 in Namur, Belgium. In 2012 15 one day meetings were part of the series. It started on May 6 in Pavia, Italy and ended on July 21 in Amsterdam. In All-Athletics.com meeting rankings the best is Geneve as number 45th in 2012.
KINGSTON (JAM): Jamaica Gleaner informs that two Jamaican athletes have been tested positive for banned substances. Quarter miler Dominique Blake was 6th at the National Championships at the 400 m (51.72 PB in semis) and national 800 m champion Ricardo Cunningham (PB 1:47.98). Cunningham was tested positive for the substance pseudoephedrine. It was not immediately clear for what substance Blake tested positive. Blake went to the Olympics as part of the 4x400m relay team but did not run.
BOSTON (USA): The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced that a field of world class runners will compete in the 12th B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, on Sunday, October 7. The race will
start and finish in Boston’s Franklin Park. Among the B.A.A. Distance Medley entrants to compete at the B.A.A. Half Marathon are 2011 B.A.A. Half Marathon champion Ali Abdosh, of Ethiopia; 14-time NCAA All-American Sam Chelanga, of Kenya; 2012 Bolder Boulder 10K and Bellin Run (Green Bay, WI) champion Allan Kiprono, of Kenya; and 2012 B.A.A. 5K third place finisher Lani Rutto, of Kenya. Also to note Irishman Alistair Cragg.
DUBLIN (IRL): The Crowne Plaza in Santry played host to a successful meeting of the European Athletics Competition Committee last weekend. The 14 member commission, including Irish representative Pierce O’Callaghan, discussed a wide range of topics including many relating to the European Team Championships which will take place in Dublin in June 2013. The Committee agreed that Luis Saladie from Spain will be the Technical Delegate for the event in Dublin which was warmly welcomed by coordinator of the event Liam Hennessy. Informs Athletics Ireland website.
RIO DE JANEIRO (BRA): Ricardo Prado, the former Brazilian swimmer and Olympic silver medallist, has been named President of the Sports Advisory Committee for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The 47-year-old from São Paulo, who won silver in the 400 metres individual medley in Los Angeles in 1984 two years after becoming world champion in the event in Ecuador, will lead the 17-person committee which is made up of athletes, coaches and experts of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.
REHLINGEN (GER): 2010 European long jump champion Christian Reif is changing the club. The 847 cm jumper is switching from ABC Ludwigshafen after 11 years to LC Rehlingen. Already in Rehlingen jumping group one of the top females in Germany Bianca Kappler.
TORONTO (CAN): “I would love to be the man who brings the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon title to Ethiopia,” says Siraj Gena upon learning that no Ethiopian man has ever won this IAAF Silver Label race. Writes the IAAF. “I want to win in a fast time. Yes, the bonuses are very nice for a fast time but the money is not what really motivates me. I really want to run much faster than my personal best as I am capable of doing and I want to really show my talent this year.” The 27-year-old sports a personal best time of 2:08:31 set in Frankfurt a year ago.
CHICAGO (USA): Runnersworld.com writes that things feel different this year about Russian title defender Liliya Shobukhova. In the spring she skipped some planned shorter road races. Then, while representing Russia, she dropped out of August 5’s Olympic Marathon. The official story is that she had stomach cramps at the Olympics. The more cynical view, of course, is that she realized she wasn’t going to medal and made a strategic decision to save herself for Chicago, writes Runnersworld. That second interpretation isn’t necessarily negated by Shobukhova. As she tells the Chicago Sun-Times, she has many reasons to prefer Chicago, including “let’s call it, opportunity-wise,” she says. “The Chicago Marathon is one of the five Major Marathons with a great history and huge media attention. It goes without saying that Chicago Marathon is one of my most favorite events I’ve ever competed in.”
MOSCOW (RUS): Sprint marriage. Olympic 4×100 m gold medalist from 2008 Aleksandra Fedoriva married Russian 60 m champion 2011 Aleksandr Shpaer.
LONDON (GBR): Britain’s Queen Elizabeth is to stage a reception for Team GB athletes. The monarch and her husband Prince Philip will host a garden party at Buckingham Palace on October 23 in honour of London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic stars, with all medallists such Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah among the 350 invited guests reports Female First.
TOKYO (JAP): Sprinter Shingo Suetsugu, the Japan record holder and Olympic medalist, is aiming for a full-scale comeback, continuing the return he began last fall following a three-year hiatus. Suetsugu, who holds the Japanese record over 200m, is scheduled to compete again on October 9th confirms The Asahi Shimbun.
LONDON (GBR): One of the most enduring sponsorships in British sport is set to end when Aviva’s deal with UK Athletics expires in December. The insurance and finance giant, which is the title sponsor of the British athletics team as well as the six domestic televised meetings, has been the sport’s principal backer since 1999, but, according to The Telegraph it is very unlikely that the company will be continuing its relationship because of a change in the way UK Athletics is selling its sponsorship rights from 2013 onwards. Its current contract began five years ago at a cost of almost £50million, making it the biggest sports sponsorship deal in Britain outside football.
AMSTERDAM (NED): Yvonne Hak has decided to stop working with her coach Honoré Hoet and will from now on be coached by Frans Thuijs. Thuijs previously coached Ellen Van Langen to an Olympic Title in 1992 and is making his return to professional coaching. Hak also announced she wants to end her medicine studies by 2014 and will therefore be a full time student next school year.
RESULTS
SANTIAGO (CHI, Sep 30): New South American junior record in shot put (6 kg) by home athlete Joaquin Jose Ballivian 19.75 m.
