KRIVELYOVA, KUZENKOVA, CHURAKOVA BANNED

MOSCOW (RUS): Anti-doping commission of All-Russian athletics federations (ARAF) confirmed two-year bans for three athletes. Two of them are already retired and the bans are from retesting process. Shot put Olympic champion 1992 Svetlava Krivelyova (43) is banned from April 2 this year. All her results from August 18, 2004 until August 17 2006 are canceled including bronze medal at Athens Olympics and 4th place at World championships in Helsinki 2005. Hammer throw Olympic gold medalist Olga Kuzenkova is banned from March 27, 2013. All her results from August 12, 2005 until August 11, 2007 were canceled. That means Kuzenkova (42) will lost her gold medal from World championships 2005 and third place from World Athletics Final in 2005. Cuban Yipsi Moreno will so be new Helsinki world champion. Russian Tatyana Lysenko and French Manuela Montebrun will be silver and bronze medalists. Both Krivelyova (43) and Kuzenkova (42) already finished their careers. ARAF also banned for two years 400 m hurdler Helsinki and Daegu finalist Yelena Churakova (26). Banned substances metandione and testosterone were detected in her samples collected on January 26, 2013 during the training camp in Portugal. Her ban starts on February 28, 2013 until February 27, 2015. Her best is 54.78 at European Championships in Helsinki 2012 (5th place).

SPEARMON REPLACES POWELL

MELBOURNE (AUS): As EME NEWS already reported fresh World CC Champion Japhet Korir of Kenya will run the 5000 m this Saturday at the Qantas Melbourne World Challenge meet (opener for 4th IAAF World Challenge edition). Latest addition into the start list is one of the top US sprinters Wallace Spearmon, three-time World medalist. The addition of Spearmon follows the unfortunate withdrawal of Asafa Powell from the men’s 100m as a consequence of a hamstring injury. Korir will compete against in-shape Australian 1500m record holder Ryan Gregson. Spearmon will provide the ideal challenge for Australian men’s 4x100m relay record holders Tim Leathart, Josh Ross, Andrew McCabe and Anthony Alozie, as well as international starters Jamaican Rushane Scott and NZ Champion Joseph Millar. Spearmon clocked last weekend at Texas Relays windy 9.92. Powell, despite withdrawing from the men’s 100m, will remain in Melbourne to uphold his commitment to the John Landy Lunch this Friday and to greet track and field fans at the Qantas Melbourne World Challenge on Saturday afternoon. In another development around the meet the Victorian Government has approved a funding grant of 40 000 AUD for 2013 to Athletics Australia under the program, which helps sporting, community and event organisations to deliver significant sporting events in Victoria.

HAMMER CHALLENGE ENLARGED

MONACO (MON): The 4th edition of IAAF Hammer Challenge will be enlarged by meetings from other levels of one day circuit. For example by Samsung Diamond League event in Eugene or European Athletics sanctioned meets in Szczeczin, Budapest, Karlstad, Dubnica and Linz. Current calendar gives to men and women each 10 opportunities to score. Four meetings are offering men and women competitions (Szczeczin, Ostrava, Karlstad and Dubnica). Women will have the first event in Beijing on May 21 and last in Berlin on September 1 and men will start in Tokyo on May 15 and end in Rieti on September 8. Information from IAAF website. The women calendar: Beijing, Eugene, Moscow, Dakar, Szczeczin, Ostrava, Karlstad, Dubnica, Linz, Berlin. Men: Tokyo, Belem, Ponce, Szczeczin, Ostrava, Budapest, Madrid, Karlstad, Dubnica, Rieti.

TOP ETHIOPIANS FOR CARLSBAD 5K

CARLSBAD (USA): Race Results Weekly informs that the organizers of the Carlsbad 5000 announced that Olympic silver medalist Dejen Gebremeskel seeks to win his third straight title at the „World’s Fastest 5-K” on Sunday, April 7. Joining Gebremeskel in the stellar field are Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist Tariku Bekele and IAAF World Junior Cross Country champion Hagos Gebrehiwet, both of Ethiopia, as well as American Leo Manzano, the Olympic 1500m silver medalist (debut at 5km on the road). Australia’s Collis Birmingham, who earned a top-ten finish at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, will also be competing. Yenew Alamirew, an Olympian who has a 12:48.77 personal best, and Ibrahim Jeilan, the 2011 world 10,000m champion, will join Gebremeskel, Bekele, and Gebrehiwet on the starting line making for a very strong Ethiopian squad. The world record of 13:00 (12:59.5) was set here in 2000 by Kenyan Sammy Kipketer.

TOP NAMES FOR FLORIDA RELAYS, RETURN OF MAKUSHA

GAINESVILLE (USA): The University of Florida will play host to the 69th Pepsi Florida Relays April 4-6, 2013 at Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium. Since its inception, the Florida Relays has grown in both stature and size. Previously regarded nationally as the first major event of the collegiate outdoor track and field season, the Relays once swelled from a one-day inaugural event featuring slightly more than 200 athletes to a four-day extravaganza that attracted more than 3,000 athletes from the high school, collegiate and international ranks. Starting with the 2012 Florida Relays, athletes have the benefit running on a completely renovated Mondo track. The event website writes. For this year edition entered in men 110 m hurdles David Oliver and Jeff Porter. In women hurdles Nia Ali with Yvette Lewis. In women 400 m Francena McCorory, another top one lap runner Natasha Hastings is set for a 200 m. That is the same for top male 400 m ru
nners Tony McQuay and Trinidad olympic medalist Lalonde Gordon as both are scheduled for the 200 m. Jumping global medalist Will Claye is listed in men 100 m, his main triple rival Christian Taylor is again in the 200 m start list. Olympic medalist Derek Drouin from Canada should be the top name in the high jump, former world champion Reese Hoffa in the shot put, sensational world leader Sam Kendricks is in the pole vault start list. Interesting field in the long jump headed by NCAA Champion Marquis Dendy and after injury Zimbabwean record holder and world medalist Ngoni Makusha is set for return, his last long jump competition is dated to March last year.

OTHER NEWS

LONDON (GBR): Mike Miller, former head of the International Rugby Board (IRB), has been appointed by the World Olympians Association (WOA) as its the first chief executive. The Briton, whose appointment has been rubber-stamped by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge, officially started his role with the organisation established to help support Olympians around the world and promote Oympism in the community. „I am looking forward to working with WOA President Joel Bouzou, secretary general Tony Ledgard, teasurer Patrick Singleton and the WOA Executive Committee to deliver our new programme of development that will raise awareness of the WOA and improve the services we can offer to all Olympians,” said Miller. Informs insidethegames.

VIENNA (AUT): Italian women have played significant roles in the history of the Vienna City Marathon, which will celebrate its 30th edition on 14th April. They have won the race three times and the course record still belongs to Maura Viceconte, who had run 2:23:47 back in 2000. So it is no surprise that there is an Italian name on the list of the elite women, which were announced by the organisers. Rosaria Console is one of four athletes with personal bests of sub 2:27. The 33 year-old returns to the scene where she triumphed nine years ago. Two Ethiopians have superior times than Console: Kebebush Haile won in Shanghai in 2011 with 2:24:09. Meskerem Assefa had a fine debut more recently: she was third in Houston this January with 2:25:17 despite poor weather conditions. The fourth runner with a personal best of sub 2:27 comes from Kenya: Emily Samoei won the Barcelona Marathon a year ago with 2:26:52, improving by almost eight minutes. Elite runners for the men’s events had been announced earlier and Haile Gebrselassie will return for the half marathon, which will be staged parallel to the marathon race.

BRUSSELS (BEL): Belgian sprinter Olivia Borlée is almost fully healed from Achilles problems. The sister of twin brothers Kevin and Jonathan Borlée has not been able to compete since last year’s KBC Night of athletics in Heusden where she ran the 200m in 23.35. Since the problems kept her from training on the track she did not want to compete during the indoor season. However, she hopes to be fit and in top shape before the start of the summer season writes Het Nieuwsblad.

ROTTERDAM (NED): Dutch Hilda Kibet, who is set to run the ABN AMRO Rotterdam Marathon on April 14th, told losseveter.nl she hopes to break her personal best in this year’s event. Kibet previously ran in Rotterdam and set her PB of 2:24:27 there in 2011. When talking about Lornah Kiplagat’s Dutch national marathon record of 2:23.43 Kibet said she does not want to add any pressure by thinking about breaking the record.

PARIS (FRA): Raphael Piolanti, head coach of throwing events within the French athletics Federation, told athle.com he believes the upcoming French generation of throwers is among Europe’s best. Piolanti confirmed that athletes such as Quentin Bigot, Prescilla Lecurieux, Frédéric Dagée and Killian Durechou are transitioning well from junior athletes into the U23 and senior rankings and hopes no less than eight throwers will represent France at the World championships in Russia.

OTTAWA (CAN): The organisers of the Ottawa 10km, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, are hoping that Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai can continue here in winning when he lines up in the Canadian capital on 26 May. He set course records in winning both the Boston and New York marathons in 2011 and he then went on to win the 2012 Berlin Marathon in a personal best of 2:04:15 – the fourth fastest time in history. A year ago, he won the Ottawa 10km in 27:47 and hopes to challenge the course record 27:24 by Deriba Merga in 2009. He appears unconcerned with the amount of time he will have to recover from the Virgin London Marathon saying he tends to recover very quickly. Writes the IAAF.

AMSTERDAM (NED): Hurdler Sharona Bakker told losseveter.nl she is training well although she has to focus on alternative training due to ongo
ing Achilles problems. Bakker has been suffering from Achilles problems for some months and participated at the European indoor championships with limited training. Bakker however is confident she will also do well during the summer season and hopes to qualify for the World championships in Moscow.

OTTAWA (CAN): Athletics Canada announced that Perdita Felicien, Canada’s most decorated hurdler will take part in the 2013 edition of Hershey’s Track and Field Games Day in Canada (HTFG Day in Canada). The two-time world champion will attend the Central Hershey’s Track and Field Meet in Carman, Man., at Carman Collegiate. HTFG Day in Canada is a national celebration of athletics grassroots programming aimed at increasing awareness by having fun. HTFG Day in Canada 2013 is set for May 24.

NAGANO (JPN): Brett Larner writes that the Nagano Marathon announced top names for the 15th edition on April 21. It’s a field heavy on veterans, including 40+ runners William Kiplagat of Kenya, Chihiro Tanaka and Yoshimi Hoshino, imminently retiring former national record holder Atsushi Fujita and, freshly departed from the Kyudenko corporate team, top-ranked woman Mika Okunaga. Two of last year’s top four men return in the form of Silas Sang from Kenya and Russian Alexey Sokolov. The domestic favorite in his fourth marathon of 2013 is Yuki Kawauchi. Okunaga’s main competition in the women’s race comes from Kenyan Beatrice Jepkemboi with a 2:27:41 best from last year’s Hamburg Marathon. First-time marathoner Esther Nganga could prove another rival, along with 2:30:17 Russian Natalia Puchkova and, just 22, the up-and-coming Shoko Shimizu.

MOSCOW (RUS): Russian 2:35 marathon runner Kamila Shamsutdinova (formerly Khanipova) became a mother last month. The boy was named Erik (3.395 kg and 53 cm).

LAUSANNE (SUI): Many gold medallists at the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships were exceptionally included in the European Athlete of the Month nominations for February but there was still plenty to savour from a continental perspective during the rest of the month, not least at the European Cup Winter Throwing. European Athletics is consequently pleased to announce that athletes from 14 different countries have been nominated for the March award. The voting will close on 17 April.

JOHANNESBURG (RSA): The SA Senior Track and Field Championships, taking place on 12-13 April, will no longer be staged at the Greenpoint stadium in Cape Town as previously announced. The stadium will not be finished in time to host the championships. The new venue for the event is now Coetzenburg Stadium in Stellenbosch.

RESULTS

NASSAU (BAH, Apr 1): CARIFTA Games ended with Jamaica as top nation by medals (29-25-15) ahead of home team of Bahamas (8-10-13) and Trindad and Tobago (8-2-10), in total 19 countries had athletes on the podium. During last day former world junior and youth champion from the home team Shaunae Miller confirmed her special class with 22.77 (+1.7) 200 m win what is early world lead 2013. Second Jamaican Shericka Jackson also impressive 22.84 PB. In junior men 200 m home Teray Smith clocked 20.58 (+3.4) to win ahead of Jamaican Jevaughn Minzie 20.64 and Trinidad´s Jereem Richards 20.69 with 100 m winner Zharnel Hughes fourth for Anguilla 20.77. In the youth 200 m wins for Jamaicans Martin Manely 21.35 (+2.2) and Natalliah Whyte 23.65 (+2.1). French Wilhelm Belocian from Guadeloupe won the 110 m hurdles (99 cm) in 13.49 over Jamaican Omar McLeod 13.57. Janelle Scheper cleared St. Lucia junior record 187 in the girls high jump. Jamaica won three out of four gold medals in the 4×400 m. In junior category men 3:05.68 and women 3:34.36 and in youth section the girls 3:44.13. Only Bahamian youth boys won their race in 3:16.12.

DONGIO (SUI, Apr 1): Easter Monday is always reserved for the „Giro del Media Bleino” 10 km road race in south Switzerland. The latest 29th edition was and Ethiopian affair when Junior World Champion 2012 Mukhtar Edris won in 28:11 over fresh silver winner from Bydgoszcz in senior race Imane Merga 28:24. Third Kenyan Stramilano winner Kiprop Limo 28:34. First race of 2013 and good impression by olympic bronze medalist Kenyan Thomas Longosiwa in 28:45 as fourth. Top European Ukrainian Sergiy Lebid 29:10 as 8th and best Italian Ahmed El Mazoury as 12th in 29:45.

AUCKLAND (NZL, Apr 1): Australian record holder Ryan Gregson won the Queen Street Golden Mile in 3:49 ahead of US Miles Batty 3:50 and Collis Birrmingham 3:51. It is a straight course on Queen Street from Mayoral Drive to Queens Wharf; mostly downhill. This is the first time this event has been held since 1983 when Mike Boit ran the fastest-ever measured mile
by a human, 3:28.36. Dutch Susan Kuijken won the women race in 4:18 ahead of Australian Zoe Buckman also 4:18 and best New Zealander Lucy Van Dalen 4:20. Informs RRW.

BERKANE (MAR, Mar 31): Olympic hero Hicham El Guerrouj organised in his hometown first edition of an International Half Marathon. Kenyan Kennedy Kimutai won in 1:01:58 over Najim El Qadi 1:02:01 and Khalid Sadden 1:02:04. Fourth 2007 marathon world champion Luke Kibet 1:02:10. Ethiopian Belaynesh Oljira topped the women field in 1:11:18 ahead of Betlehem Moges 1:11:21 and top home runner Malika Asahsah 1:12:34 with best Kenyan Alice Mogire fourth in 1:13:33. Informs Race Results Weekly.

TARSUS (TUR, Mar 31): Former European CC Champion Alemayehu Bezabeh who represents Spain debuted in the half marathon of Tarsus as 5th in 1:04:54. By RRW.

ZHENGZHOU (CHN, Mar 31): Kenyan John Kelai won the marathon here in 2:16.28. Top woman was home Yang Fengxia 2:30:38 life-time best beating Kenyan Winfridah Kwamboka 2:32:00. From RRW.

PRATO (ITA, Apr 1): Fresh Bydgoszcz participants from Rwanda dominated the 25th half marathon here. Jean Baptiste Simekuka won the men category in 1:03:37 over team-mate Eric Sebahire 1:03:38 PB. Women winner Claudette Mukasakundi got 1:15:21.

UDINE (ITA, Apr 1): Ruggero Pertile won the 1st UNESCO Cities Marathon in 2:16:20 and got also the title of Italian champion. Second Kenyan Benjamin Serem 2:19:27. In women race the Italian title for Elisa Stefani 2:40:53 over Ethiopian Debele Gemechu 2:43:41 and Kenyan Rebecca Talam 2:52:22.

VANCOUVER (CAN, Mar 30): At University meet Michael Mason cleared solid 225 cm in the high jump.

SAD NEWS

LOS ANGELES (USA): 1968 Olympic 4×100 m gold medalist Ronnie Ray Smith passed away Sunday at a hospice in Los Angeles at the age of 64, the Contra Costa Times is reporting. Smith teamed up with Mel Pender and National Track & Field Hall of Fame members Charlie Greene and Jim Hines to win gold at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games in a world-record time of 38.24. Smith tied the world record in the 100m along with Hines at the AAU meet in 1968 at 9.9 seconds before going on to finish fourth at the U.S. Olympic Trials.