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Athletics News - 05.03. |
Bekele goes to Mombasa
AMSTERDAM: Agent Jos Hermens confirmed that Kenenisa Bekele will compete at World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenya later this month. Already after last year another double he said he has no more motivation to continue to compete at this championships. During the year his mind changed and after recent great indoor marks (including world best at 2000 m) he wants to get his 9th individual gold after historical four doubles. With only one race for him in the programme he will have it easier as in last four years. His most interesting opponents will be Kenyans at home soil headed by Eliud Kipchoge who was included into the team despite collapsing during the trials. Steeple record holder Said Saeef Shaheen of Qatar is unlikely to compete this year.
Some Birmingham Figures:
Participation: 570 athletes from 45 countries
Spectators: in total 18 000
Succesfull title defenders: 9 from 13 competing
Succesfull Goteborg winners: 6 from 9 competing
World leading marks 2007: 9
European leading marks 2007: 4
Championships bests: 3
National records: 29
Comparison of winning marks with 2005: 13:13
Medal rankings (20 countries, in 1996 record number 26 countries), first time ever first place for GBR.
Best results according to scoring tables:
Men 400 m Gillick 45.52 – 1221, TJ Idowu 17.56 – 1216, SP Konopka 21.57 – 1215
Wom Pent Kluft 4933 – 1276, Pent Sotherton 4927 – 1272, HJ Hellebaut 205 – 1248
Historical feats
4th gold in a row Gardener, 3rd golds in a row Gevaert and Sebrle, first ever 1500/3000 double Chojecka
Back in time:
5 golds in a row: Cooman, 60 m (1985-89)
4 golds in a row: Borzov, 60 m (1974-77),
3 golds in a row: Munkelt, 60mH (1977-79), Major,HJ (1971-73), Sanejev TJ twice (1970-72 and 75-77), Briesenick SP (1970-72), Stecher 60 m (1970-72), Gohr 60 m (77-79), Kratochvilova 400 m (81-83), van Hulst 3000 m (88-90), Ackermann HJ (74-76), Drechsler LJ (86-88), Chizhova SP (70-72), Fibingerova SP (83-85).
Fastest splits in relays (by Mark Butler)
Men: 45.81 Frolov, RUS (2nd leg), 45.83 Swillims, GER (anchor, dq)
Wom: 50.59 I. Usovich,BLR (anchor), 50.60 Sanders, GBR (2nd leg)
Other news
CHAPEL HILL (USA): Paul Terek won the US Indoor Multievents championships with total score of 5960 points, Chris Boyles was second 5702. Pentathlon title went to Fiona Aisgbee scoring 4098 points. Terek´s individual results: 7.08-715-15.10-196-8.51-532-2:44.39.
LOS ANGELES (USA): The 22nd Los Angeles Marathon winner is Fred Mogaka from Kenya 2:17:14. As Los Angeles Times are saying his bonus for win is 20 000 USD, but he also got the 100 000 prize for challenge against women win. Women started 19:51 min earlier than men, still Mogaka was first at the finish line. Women winner was 45 years old Russian Ramila Burangulova clocking 2:37:54. Some 25 000 runners competed.
FRANKFURT (GER): In nice spring weather the Frankfurt City Halfmarathon achieved records on the course and also on participation numbers. 17 years old Kenyan Anderson Chirchir achieved new course record 1:02:26. Kenyan Milka Jerotich was the best woman in 1:11:03 before local star Irina Mikitenko 1:13:06.
GETTNAU (SUI): Former world class runner Anita Weyermann is winning national titles again. As swiss federation website informs she won on Sunday the national CC title at long course. It was her first title since 2003 and in total 13th. Stephane Joly was the best man at the long course.
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): In the bid for European U22 Championships in 2009 the EAA council gave the go to Kaunas (Lithuania). Other candidate was Ostrava (CZE). The next edition (6th) of this championships will be this year in Debrecen,Hungary (July 12-15).
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): Russian athletics federation president Valentin Balakhnichev commented for Russian media the not fulfilled medal target at Euroindoors:„We have two lessons. First is, we do not have such a strong middle class of athletes as we thought. But it was good for them to be tested in international competition. Second you cannot send a team to European Championships without the best if you want to be the best country. Some of the countries sent the best they had. But I do not think we made a mistake, the strong side of Russian athletics should be seen in Osaka, that is our main goal.“
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Alfons Juck
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