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Athletics News - 02.03. |
Crawford speeds to 20.32, Australian record in women mile
MELBOURNE: The IAAF World Athletics Tour 2007 started today in Australia at the Melbourne Grand Prix, the top one day event on the continent. In all events athletes got points for top 8 positions which will be important for the end of September finals in Stuttgart. Australian mile record was the highlight as Lisa Corrigan achieved 4:22.66 and second placed Sarah Jamieson with 4:23.40 was also inside the former record. Olympic Champion Shawn Crawford won the Peter Norman 200 m memorial race in very solid 20.32 after a nice duel with LaShawn Merritt who was just 0.06 s behind (20.38). After that Merritt was able to win the 400 m. World champion Michelle Perry got two wins in duels with local star Sally McLellan. First she won her speciality the hurdles in 12.82 and then the flat race with 11.34. Craig Mottram got the expected 5000 m win (also Australian Championships and as Australian federation website informs he did the last 1000 m in amazing 2:20) as did the World Indoor Champion 2004 Christian Cantwell from USA in shot put. The fresh US indoor champion and VISA series winner this time did not went over 21 metres. Expected pole vault drama was dominated by Steven Hooker who jumped 581 cm a new meet record, Australians were this time better than the Americans. Next WAT meet is end of April in Dakar, Senegal.
Top results
Men
100 m (-1.1): 1. Ross 10.22
200 m (-0.4): 1. Crawford,USA 20.32, 2. L. Merritt, USA 20.38, 3. Ross 20.78, 4. Steffensen 20.79
400 m: 1: L. Merritt,USA 45.31, 2. Wroe 45.56
1500 m: 1. S. Korir, KEN 3:37.37, 2. Baddeley,GBR 3:38.13
5000 m: 1. Mottram 13:32.67, 2. B. Songok,KEN 13:36.77
400mH: 1. Cole 50.67, 2. L. Garrett,USA 51.03
PV: 1. Hooker 581, 2. Walker,USA 571, 3. Burgess 550, 4. Stevenson,USA 535, 5. Markov,AUS 535 (last competition)
LJ: 1. Crowther 785,...4. Moffitt,USA 767
SP: 1. Cantwell,USA 20.79, 2. Martin 20.19
Wom
100m: 1. Perry,USA 11.34, 2. McLellan 11.50
400 m: 1. T.Lewis 51.72
Mile: 1. Corrigan 4:22.66, 2. Jamieson 4:23.40
5000 m: 1. Fleshman,USA 15:27.61, 2. B. Johnson 15:36.45, 3. S. O´Sullivan 16:04.39
100mH (-0.7): 1. Perry,USA 12.82, 2. McLellan 13.04
LJ: 1. Thompson 644
DT: 1. Faumuina,NZL 60.40
Sotherton leads over Kluft, but only by 2 points
BIRMINGHAM: The morning session of the first day of European Indoor Championships was dominated by great duel of British star Kelly Sotherton with title defender and world champion Carolina Kluft from Sweden in pentathlon. Kluft was the best in the hurdles (8.20) and had also very solid high jump (188). But Sotherton was also strong with 8.23 and 188 as was the younger Brit Jessica Ennis (8.22 and 191). In shot put Sotherton bettered her best to 14.57 and leads before Kluft by 2 points before long jump and the last event the 800 m. Kluft is better jumper, but Sotherton is better at 800 m. It looks like very dramatic outcome will come. But Ukrainian Natalya Dobrynska is not far away, just 17 points behind Sotherton. Top six are over 2900 points. „It is more than I expected at this stage,“ said Sotherton.
Joachim Olsen from Denmark confirmed his favourite role with first toss in shot put qualification 20.93 m. Only slovak Mikulas Konopka was able to go over the standard of 20.00 as the next with 20.35. The others fighted for centimetres and 19.58 was at the end enough for the finals. World championships medallist Rutger Smith from Netherlands is the major player who did not advanced (only 19.19 m).
In Triple jump qualification only one went over the standard 16.90 and that was local hero Nathan Douglas with 16.96, 16.56 was enough for the spot in last eighth. Heats at 60mHurdles did not registered any major sensation, fastest were Spanish Jackson Quinonez (born in Ecuador) and UK hurdler Andy Turner with 7.60. The same goes for men´s 400 m where German Bastian Swillims showed very good display of shape running easy the fastest time 46.08. Dramatic 3000 m heats for men saw only one Spanish runner to advance. European Champion Jesus Espana won the first heat (7:52.50), but Jose Antonio Redolat did not finished the first after a collision and Alberto Garcia was only 6th in relatively slower second heat. Also Irish hope Mark Carroll did not advanced.
Very close also the pole vault qualification, 565 cm was enough. World champion Rens Blom and title defender Igor Pavlov went out with 555. But all three Germans and 2 Ukrainians advanced.
Women´s 400 m heats registered as the fastest time the season best of Ilona Usovich from Belarus 51.86. Solid results by all runner, even an Estonian record or season best for World junior Champion Grgic were not enough for the semifinals.
EAA joined by Euromeetings toughens antidoping measures
BIRMINGHAM: Europe is toughening the fight against doping. EAA announced day before the European Indoor Championships that they sent a formal proposal to IAAF that athletes after their two years suspension should not be allowed to compete at any World or Area Championships for next two years. Meeting directors are supporting this step and will consider invitations to such athletes too. According to valid rules invitiations to the meetings are totally at the discretion of the each meet director. IAAF Congress in August in Osaka will consider the latest proposal of EAA and later in November WADA General Assembly will be the place for the harmonisation of doping bans and rules by each sport.
Ivan Ukhov sidelined by foot injury
BIRMINGHAM: One of the gold medal hopes Russian High Jumper Ivan Ukhov will not compete for medals in Birmingham. He is sidelined by a heel injury. His agent Pavel Voronkov explained that it happened at his last meeting in Yekaterinburg. His world lead is 239 cm and his duel with sweden´s duo Holm-Thornblad supposed to be one of the highlights of the European Championships.
Noguchi not running in London
LONDON: Japan´s Olympic champion Mizuki Noguchi cancelled her participation in april´s London Marathon. The reason is an achilles tendon injury. Her participation was in question in last weeks.
Kipchoge included into the squad
BIRMINGHAM: Global Sports Management the company representing many top athletes confirmed that world champion at 5000 m in 2003 Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya will be included into the team for World Cross Country Championships. He collapsed during the last week trials and did not finished the race. The decision of Kenenisa Bekele from Ethiopia is still not known. On the other hand double world champion Tirunesh Dibaba confirmed her entry in the women race.
Gardener gets a new car
BIRMINGHAM: As David Martin writes title defender at 60 m UK sprinter Jason Gardener got a new car „Lexus“ as a sponsorship gift to allow him to be very mobile in these days. His wife Nancy is expecting a second child right on Saturday, when the heats and semifinals of 60 m are happening. He hopes to go home on Saturday and return for finals on Sunday.
Kluft gets gold after duel with Sotherton, expected win for Kallur, sensations by Konopka and Dutch hurdlers
BIRMINGHAM, Mar 2: Carolina Kluft remains undefeated in multivents since 2002 indoors and 2001 outdoors. She bravely contested the duel against local hero Kelly Sotherton who was supported by the whole hall. In long jump she made the ground jumping 8 centimetres more and went to the lead by 24 points. That meant she cannot lost by more than approximately 1.7 s at 800 m and she did it as she was only 0.5 behind the excellent UK athlete. New world lead with 4944 was there for the Swede and she succesfully defended her title from Madrid. It is third best mark ever, second Sotherton scored 4927 – new national record. It was the best pentathlon indoor competition ever – top 3 over 4800 and top 6 over 4700. Four national records were registered.
„It was very hard right after the beginning, Kelly pushed in every event. We are all getting better,“said Kluft.
Slovakian surprise has the name Mikulas Konopka. Former world junior champion from 1998 destroyed the competition. Every of his five valid throws would be enough for win. He came to the competition with best of 20.66 (outdoor) and 20.55 (indoor). He ended the event with massive improvement to 21.57. In each throw he was better than his previous best. „I was in hard training this winter and my training results showed that I am in shape of my life. I have 110 kg and that is very good for me and I am still fresh and quick enough with all this power. After first throw It was clear that I will win. That was my feeling. I was able to shock my opponents, they were not ready to respond. I still feel some space to improve. Now I want to be an athlete who is no more struggling in qualifications. That is the day of my shot put career. This win is for my daughter Karinka,“ said Konopka who lives in small town of Zeliezovce, south eastern part of Slovakia. It is the first ever gold medal for Slovakia, although it must be said that in the former Czechoslovak teams three Slovaks won four gold medals (Jozef Plachy, 800 m, 1972 – Eva Murkova, Long Jump, 1983 – Jozef Pribilinec, 5000 m walk – 1987 and 1988). Konopka achieved an european leading throw and i tis the fourth best mark in the history of european indoor champs. He is also on the third place of current world lists behind Cantwell and Hoffa and is joined by Dan Taylor, who has the same result.
Dutch duo surprised everybody in the 60 m Hurdles, Gregory Sedoc and Marcel Van der Westen registered their career placings with gold and silver. Also the bronze medal belongs to a runner form generation which so far was not on the medal places – Jackson Quinonez representing Spain, but born in Ecuador. Last time there was a worse winning time was back in 1986 7.67 by Javier Moracho. But the crowds were delighted with a dramatic duel which made for the local favourite Andy Turner the most unloved place – 4th. It should be noted that summer European Champion Stanislav Olijars was feeling slightly ill and was not able to advance into the finals.
European Champion Susanna Kallur won the event clearly and confirmed her world leading status with 7.87 (this year she has already 7.84). „I can´t believe it after such a bad start,“ she was quoted by Birmingham Flash Quotes Team. New Russian name Aleksandra Antonova was second and Kirsten Bolm from Germany third both 0.07 and 0.10 behind the Swede. She is with Kluft the second winner who has also the gold from Madrid and Goteborg and was able to win in Birmingham.
From qualifications
In women high jump 193 was the height to qualify. Pity for German Julia Hartmann who went over 193 her new best but on count-back was overall 9th and did not advanced. Except of Swedens Helsinki bronze medallist Emma Green, all favourites advanced.
Romanian Adelina Gavrila was the best in women triple jump qualification with 14.24 but the round showed that it is wide open. Two achieved the standard 14.10 and 13.87 was enough to qualify at the end.
Heats at 1500 m for women had all favourites advancing. Slovenian Sonja Roman won the first heat and Poland´s favourite Lidia Chojecka the second. More drama happened in women´s 800 m heats. World indoor record holder Jolanda Ceplak was the fastest with 2:02.82. In the first heat which was slow Bulgarian record holder Teodora Kolarova and very good Polish runner Ewelina Setowska did not made into the finals. Second heat was the place of the drama. Three athletes felt and one was disqualified. Only top two who finished qualified (Petlyuk and Langerholc). President of Russian Athletics Federation Valentin Balakhnichev apologised to the runners for the upset caused by the unexperienced russian runner Mariya Shapayeva. British runner Karen Harewood heavily involved in the collision suffered a broken left leg. She was taken to the hospital. Third heat saw sub 2 minutes runner from Romania Michaela Neacsu not to advance and also Russian Mariya Dryakhlova. Last fourth race was the fastest and all runners from this race advanced.
Men´s 800 m heats did not had so many upsets. The only one by French Florent Lacasse who was in the medals favourite list as he was disqualified.
Nicola Sanders showed to the public that she is ready for gold with great 400 m time 51.06 while winning her semifinal race. Ilona Usovich from Belarus bettered her best to 51.23 to win the second race. Very good depth in this event showed that the we can expect great battle for medals.
German Bastian Swillims confirmed his great shape from the morning heats as he won his 400 m semifinal with new best of 45.92. I tis third best in the world lists 2007 and he missed the european lead of Gillick only by 0.01 s. He will be tough to beat. Tobin and Gillick are the next ones to be considered as they dominated the other semifinal (46.16 and 46.19).
Bets at www.athleticbet.com for Saturday in men Pole Vault and Triple Jump, women High jump and Long Jump. In Long jump the highest odds are for Naide Gomes at 1.65.
Elizna Naude great discus 64.87 m – new African record
STELLENBOSCH Mar 2 – Fifth meet of Yellow Pages Ultimate Series at sea level of Stellenbosch brough some great results. Elizna Naude won the discus in new African record with 64.87 m. Great shape also by javelin throwers. Justine Robbeson went for 62.12 and world junior champion Robert Oosthuizen registered 81.46 m.
Top results
Men
100 m(0.0) and 200 m (-1.0): 1. Morne Nagel 10.38 and 20.59, 3000mSC: 1. Ramolefi 8:20.18, 400mH: 1. Myburgh 49.20, 2. Cilliers 50.39, SP: 1. Robberts 19.31, JT: 1. Oosthuizen 81.46, HT: 1. Charfreitag,SVK 74.89
Wom
200 m: 1. Pillay 23.59, 1500 m: 1. Samaria,NAM 4:12.63, DT: 1. Naude 64.87, JT: 1. Robbeson 62.12
Other news
SAO PAULO: As IAAF informs Louis Tristan from Peru achieved a great 809 cm long jump in Brasil.
ROTTERDAM: The organisers of Rotterdam marathon (Apr 15) announced three new top Kenyan names for their event – Patrick Ivuti, Salim Kipsang and Daniel Yego.
PARIS: On the French federation website sprinter Christine Arron published her position towards an article published by L´Equipe. She is saying in the statement that she never refused or missed any doping control in her career.
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