by Larry Eder
NYC Marathon will be held
NEW YORK (USA): The New York City Marathon will be run as scheduled on Sunday after city and race officials determined it would be safe to hold the event as the region recovers from Hurricane Sandy. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference that the race was an important part of the city’s economy and people who died in the storm would want the event to go on. The race was expected to attract about 47,000 runners this year, including about 20,000 international participants. New York Road Runners officials said race registration hours will be extended to accommodate late arrivals.
Slesarenko after surgery
MUNICH (GER): High Jump Olympic champion 2004 Yelena Slesarenko was successfully operated on her knee in Munich clinic. “I’m doing well despite I feel my leg heavy-weight and getting about on crutches” 30-years old Russian informed. Slesarenko had meniscus ligament’s break and have made the same surgery in 2010 in Moscow. “Even after my first surgery I could train almost as earlier but I wanted to solve the problem once and forever. Certainly I needed a lot of free time for that. As for me the time after delivery is the best one. Moreover I had bright example from Anna Chicherova how she came back after giving the birth to a child. I must have irreproachable health for new work, usual loadings and high jumps. I have to be ready for my comeback,” she said. Now she is moving with her sister help but aiming to return home on November 2 and after 8 weeks rehabilitation period go to the training camp in Sochi. “Evgeniy Zagorulko (her coach) said that he would happy to see me there if even I come on the crutches,” Slesarenko added.
Helsinki 2012 with top viewing figures
LAUSANNE (SUI): Helsinki 2012, the inaugural European Athletics Championships in an Olympic year, attracted a total television audience of 156 million (excluding news audiences) when it was broadcast earlier this year. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed in its report to European Athletics that its flagship championships posted strong live and delayed TV coverage, with more than 35 international broadcasters showing over 1400 hours of action (1115 live) during the five days of competition. More than 269,000 spectators also watched the action live at the Olympic Stadium in the Finnish capital between 27 June and 1 July. In between Helsinki 2012 and Amsterdam 2016 will be the traditional non-Olympic year European Athletics Championships in 2014 in Zurich, which takes place 12-17 August. Informs European Athletics.
Zelezny to Finland
KUORTANE (FIN): Javelin legend and a coach par-excellence Jan Zelezny will be among the top speakers offering their knowledge and experience at the 2nd World Javelin Conference to be organised at the Kuortane High Performance Training Centre in Kuortane, Finland, from the 7th to 9th November 2012. Zelezny, a recepient of 2012 European Athletics Coaching Awards, will also give a coaching demonstration with his ward and former world champion Tero Pitkämäki of Finland. “Yes I can confirm we will do it, looking forward to it,” says Zelezny who will need to return on time for the Czech Athlete of the Year Gala evening which will be held on November 10 in Praha and where he is the top favorite for the Coach of the Year award. The conference, a part of the 2012 European Athletics Coaching Summit Series, will also feature Finnish javelin head coach Kari Ihalainen, renowned American coach Vern Gambetta, and Frans Bosch of the Netherlands as an expert in motor control. Informs European Athletics.
OTHER NEWS
VOSENDORF (AUT): Olympic hurdles finalist Beate Schrott was seen well at the Austrian Sports Gala on Wednesday. She was awarded the trophy Improvement of the Year and was also second in the overall vote for the female Sports Personality of the Year in Austria. The win went to Alpine Skier Marlies Schild.
MONACO (MON): The IAAF unveiled its new image on the internet with the launch of our new website. The IAAF Website, whose home page was last redesigned in 2007, offers the visitor a brighter, more visual, less cluttered visit. The new platform is transparently searchable giving users easier access to the existing statistical information such as results, records and lists, and our editorial content including over 25,000 news articles and 10,000 photographs. To coincide with the launch the video content of the Multimedia is powered by the IAAF’s YouTube channels, which along with the well-established IAAF World Athletics Club on Facebook and IAAF Twitter, plugs social media into every page. The new IAAF website has been designed to be mobile compatible, and IAAF apps are planned for 2013, along with further new sections such as a Fan Zone and a Shop.
ATLANTA (USA): Veronica Campbell-Brown confirmed in her latest IAAF diary that: “I have resumed training in anticipation of the 2013 athletic season and presently, I am focused on just background work. I pray for a healthy 2013 season.” Her management added she is not anticipating to compete indoors next season.
LOS ANGELES (USA): American Olympic 200 m champion Allyson Felix, while not knowing for a fact, has some suspicions that she has run against drug cheats during her career. Writes Trackalerts. Felix, who after three tries won her first Olympic 200m title in London, described it as ‘frustrating’ when someone who has worked hard, had to go up against drugs cheats.
PORTLAND (JAM): Hurricane Sandy victims in Fruitful Vale and Norwich in Portland, Jamaica, were relieved when a caravan of containers and trucks maneuvered past downed power lines and debris to bring them emergency relief assistance last Sunday. YB Afraid Foundation and Food For The Poor partnered to bring the critically needed supplies to approximately 700 people in urgent need of assistance. YB Afraid, Yohan Blake’s foundation, made a monetary donation that was matched by Food For The Poor, and assisted in the delivery of food, WATA brand water bottles, mattresses, blankets, and shoes to soaked Hurricane Sandy victims. In November, Blake will lead Food For The Poor’s 5K Walk/Run For Hunger in Deerfield Beach, Fla. Writes Trackalerts.
MONACO (MON): Several national federations held elections in recent days and weeks. In Armenia the European long jump record holder Robert Emmiyan was re-elected as president. In United Arab Emirates the IAAF council member Ahmad Al Kamali was re-elected too, the same in Turkey with Mehmet Terzi, new president of Qatar Athletics Federation is the IAAF Vice President Dahlan Al Hamad (to replace Abdullah Al-Zaini), new general secretary Mohammed Jassim Al Kuwari.
MIAMI (USA): Popular sprinter Usain Bolt show up at Tuesday night’s NBA opener at AmericanAirlines Arena. “I came here because I’m a Boston Celtics fan,” said Bolt, the legendary Jamaican sprinter who sat courtside for the game between the Celtics and Miami. “I’m a big K.G. (Kevin Garnett) fan.” Nevertheless, Bolt said he’s also a fan of James, the Heat forward. The two each have been gold medalists at the past two Olympics. “I really like his game,” Bolt said of James, who scored 26 points in Miami’s 120-107 win before leaving for good early in the fourth quarter with a leg cramps. “I’ve met him before. I like him because he’s a dunker and I’m a dunker. No, I don’t think I could play basketball,” said Bolt, a six-time Olympic gold medalist. Bolt also ruled out playing in the NFL. So there was no need for Dolphins running back Reggie Bush, who also attended Tuesday’s game, to try to recruit him. “No, I don’t think that I could play football,” he said. “But soccer.” Informs Foxsportsflorida.com.
PORT OF SPAIN (TRI): Trinidad and Tobago will host the 24th
edition of the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Senior Track and Field Championships, set for July 12-14, 2013, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain. T&T local track and field body (NAAA) accepted the offer to stage the biennial regional event at the 2011 edition of the meet in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico but were awaiting final approval from the Ministry of Sports to support the event.
PARIS (FRA): Madrid winning the right to host the 2020 Olympic Summer Games would deliver just the boost that is needed as Spain battles against a grueling recession, the bid leader Alejandro Blanco said in an interview to AFP. The 62-year-old president of the Spanish National Olympic Committee, said in reply to those who query whether Madrid has the financial power to host the games that it was actually a very good reason to give Spain the games for the second time in its history.
ROME (ITA): Beijing Olympic 50 km walking gold medalist Alex Schwazer has been questioned for three hours by the Italian Olympic Committee after being excluded from the London Games for doping. Schwazer failed an out-of-competition test before arriving in London and was removed from Italy’s team before competing. He then admitted using the blood-boosting hormone EPO and said he was quitting the sport. “I said the same things I said three months ago, there’s nothing else,” he told waiting journalists after the hearing on Tuesday reports sbs.com.
AMSTERDAM (NED): Dutch decathlete Eelco Sintnicolaas and his coach Vince De Lange are leaving on a special training camp to Cuba to train with talented fellow decathlete Leonel Suarez and his coach. Sintnicolaas admitted in an interview with Atletiek Week that his disappointing performance in London caused him and his coach to stay away from athletics for several weeks.
PRAHA (CZE): Javelin world record holder and double olympic winner Barbora Spotakova was earlier in the week awarded with state award by the President Vaclav Klaus on the occasion of the creation of the republic. “It was a very powerful experience. I must admit that it took me. Everything with everything – atmosphere, dignity, moreover, on the anniversary of founding of the Republic to meet with people who fought for the Republic, with the heroes and outstanding personalities from various fields,” Å potáková added. In the past years the award went from athletics stars to Jan Zelezny in 2001, Roman Sebrle in 2004 and Emil Zatopek 1998 with Dana Zatopkova 2003.
BUCURESTI (ROU): Romanian Athletics Federation prepares for Friday a special Gala evening to celebrate the 100 years of athletics in the country. Among the guests IAAF Vice President Sergey Bubka, European Athletics President Hansjorg Wirz. A special book will be published and during the weekend also European Athletics Council will held its meeting in Bucuresti. Among the expected decisions will be the sites for European Team Championships in 2014 and 2015.
MINSK (BLR): Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko dismissed sports minister Oleg Kachan and advisor for physical culture, sport and tourism Igor Zaychkov. It was after evaluating the results of Belarus at the London Games.
RESULTS
LUCKNOW (IND, Oct 31): As many as seventeen national records were bettered besides 13 new meet records and one equalled during the five-day National Junior Athletics Championships which concluded at Guru Gobind Singh Sports College grounds. The day belonged to quarter-miler Anjana Thamke of Maharashtra when the 15-year-old clocked an impressive 54.57 in the 400 m.
TAIPEI (TPE, Oct 26-27): At Taipei national championships Pan Po-Yu clocked 10.39 (+1.1) in the 100 m and Chen Chieh 50.23 in the 400 m hurdles.
