by Larry Eder
Beijing Opening Ceremonies, photo by PhotoRun.net
This is a fascinating column by Alfons Juck on Top Ten Moments from 2016 and reviewing 2015 as well.
EME NEWS (DEC 31, 2015) SPECIAL
TOP TEN TRACK EXPECTATIONS 2016
1. Will IAAF, EA and the whole athletics family find enough courage, will, power, effort, ideas, new people to change the picture of the sport?
2. Will Russian Athletes be able to compete at Rio 2016?
3. Can Usain Bolt win the triple triple at the Olympic Games?
4. Will Genzebe Dibaba run the steeplechase? And, if so, how fast can she go?
5. The returns of Teddy Tamgho, Andreas Thorkildsen, Meseret Defar and Tirunesh Dibaba, Yohan Blake, Mahiedine Mekhissi, Robert Harting, Sally Pearson.
6. Will Asafa Powell run 100 legal sub 10 second clockings over 100m?
7. What can Aries Merritt achieve after his kidney transplant?
8. Can Allyson Felix do the Olympic double (200m-400m)?
9. What about triple jump World record and Christian Taylor?
10. What will bring the second part of WADA commission report?
More personal: Ostrava with earliest ever date still offering DL level meet. Introduction of new indoor International High Jump Tour. Work on Ostrava Continental Cup 2018 and Samorin EuroCross 2017. Top results of all athletes represented by Top Athletics. Beeing helpful to the governing bodies with implementing necessary changes.
TOP TEN TRACK MEMORIES 2015
1. Unfortunately all the causes making our sport looking bad
2. Usain Bolt in Beijing at 100 m, making the finals after stumbling at the start and winning the final by very close margin.
3. Great activities of IAAF presidential candidates around the world, both visiting nearly all member federations.
4. Genzebe Dibaba and her 1500 m World record making possible what was impossible,to break the Chinese record from 90-ies.
5. Dafne Schippers improving Marita Koch and Heike Drechsler 200 m European record and winning gold at World Champs.
6. Seeing some events coming close to level of 80-90´s. Like Taylor, Kovacs, Fajdek, Nelvis,Stowers,Perkovic.
7. Julius Yego throwing further than the line markings in the javelin at the Birmingham Diamond League.
8. Ashton Eaton decathlon WR with special 400 m result, like from another planet.
9.The women’s world 100m hurdles final result that no-one predicted.
10. Svein Arne Hansen with change motto winning the European Athletics elections.
More personal: Ostrava Golden Spike went through on high level with all the stars despite rain and cold. Samorin getting European CC 2017. Pavel Maslak, Jakub Holusa and Richard Kilty winning Euroindoor gold with beeing able to announce them before packed 02 Arena.
CHECK BACK – TOP TEN EXPECTATIONS 2015
1) Who will be the new IAAF President. Seb Coe is the man to lead the sport, but is not having it easy at all.
2) Return in top shape by Usain Bolt. Yes it actually happened but it was close and right on time for Beijing.
3) Will Sotomayor´s World records go? (243 indoor and 245 outdoor) Not in 2015.
4) First 80 m in women hammer (again). Yes finally by Anita Wlodarczyk and at two competitions.
5) Who from javelin mothers will be the best (Spotakova, Abakumova, Obergfoll). At the end Spotakova in DL and Obergfoll in Beijing, but no one good enough for medal in Beijing.
6) Four year ban should bring less cases, but the past is still on our backs (what will bring re-testing from Osaka 2007?). It was not only that but much, much more in this department.
7) What will be the outcome of IAAF Ethics Commission investigation? Also here nothing positive. Too much cases within IAAF, Russian and Kenyan athletics mainly.
8)Will Kirani James come close to Michael Johnson´s 400 m WR? Not him, but Wayde Van Niekerk.
9)Asbel Kiprop and Jairus Birech still thinking about WR´s in their events. Kiprop came closer in Monaco, Birech not in 2015.
10) World Champs in Beijing a spectator success like Olympics in Birds nest. Yes it was, and with some spice with Chinese success (high jump and 4×100 m mainly).
More personal: One World record during Ostrava Golden Spike NO IT RAINED, One 240 at indoor High Jumps YES BARSHIM, Vesely winning gold in Beijing NO, Maslak and Kilty winning golds in Prague 02 Arena YES.
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EME NEWS is news service relating to the sport of athletics. It is published on daily basis with additional updates, as required. Copyright is held by Alfons Juck, TOP ATHLETICS, a.s., Krikova 10, 82107 Bratislava, Slovakia. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The redistribution and/or direct reproduction of material from EMENEWS is prohibited unless permission is given by c TOP ATHLETICS (such as being included in a subscription agreement).
