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Athletics News - 13.03. |
Felix Sanchez in good training
LOS ANGELES: Olympic champion and twice world champion at 400mHurdles Felix Sanchez (DOM) is in very good training. His agent Tony Campbell explains: „After long time he is able to train at highest level. He wants to compete with the best again. His first two important competitions will be early May in Kingston, Jamaica and then his home meet in Santo Domingo. After that we will exactly know how is his fitness.“ He was bothered by injuries in 2005 and 2006 and despite this fact was able to run 48.24 in 2005 and 49.10 in 2006. He plans to return to Europe end of June. As usual he plans to do some early meets already in April at 800 m, his test distance. His best 1:49.36 comes from 2004.
Kenyan media are favouring Mosop
NAIROBI: Kenyan newspaper The Standard favours Moses Mosop to win the gold medal at World Cross Country Champs in Mombasa on March 24. His biggest track achievement is bronze from Helsinki 10 000 m race (27:08.96 his PB). IAAF informed about the final composition of the home team for that championships and former world champion Eliud Kipchoge who was supposed to be included is not because of his health status. Kenyan men team will go for 20th title, but Ethiopia will make it difficult headed by superrunnner Kenenisa Bekele unbeaten at CC since December 2001. It is still to be confirmed whether Saif Saeed Shaheen of Qatar (formerly Stephen Cherono) will run.
Kenya Team composition:
Men: Mosop, Ngatuny, B. Kipyego, Macharinyang, Arusei, Soi, M. Kipyego, B. Kosgei, Matelong
Wom: F. Kiplagat, Jepleting, P. Chepchumba, Domongole, V. Cheruiyot, E. Chebet
Europeans are sending runners to Mombasa – 66 countries entered in total – that is at level of the previous African figures from Cape Town (65, 1996) and Marrakesh (66, 1998) and more than last year in Fukuoka (59). From last year senior title holders three are scheduled to compete (Bekele, Burka and T. Dibaba).
SWITZERLAND: Stéphane Joly for men race will be the only representative.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Talented runner Milan Kocourek (will be 20 only end of the year) will be the sole entry.
ITALY: As per fidal website Italy is sending the whole male junior team, one junior girl and two women Elena Romagnolo and Valentina Belotti.
GERMANY: Only male junior team will be coming from Germany.
FRANCE: Full men team will compete headed by Larbi Zeroual and Mustapha Essaid along with individuals in all other three races (Christine Bardelle beeing the only woman).
Briefs – results – adds from weekend
MONTREAL (CAN): At Canadian Indoor University champs Jessica Zelinka scored a nice pentathlon 4380 points.
SAO PAULO (BRA): Great women triple jump – Maurren Maggi jumped 14.44 (+0.7) and was only 9 cm behind her area record. Second placed Keila Costa bettered her best to 14.43 (-0.8, so far 14.17 in last year).
RIBARROJA (ESP): Half-marathon won by Kenyan Wilson Chebet in solid 1:01:49.
Briefs
Did you know that as Track Newsletter reports the men team NCAA champions Wisconsin are the first ever team from Big 10 Conference to win this champs?
As Bahama Journal reports sports minister Neville Wisdom congratulated to Donald Thomas for his win at NCAA Indoor Champs in High Jump (233 and tried for 237). Only former world champion Troy Kemp was better in BAH all-times lists with 238 cm. Thomas is also big medal hope for Pan Am Games to be held in July in Rio de Janeiro.
Olympic decathlon champion Erki Nool was elected to Estonian Parliament, his party is conservative orientated. In April he goes to another vote – for EAA Council Membership. He visited the European Champs in Birmingham and expressed his opinion towards more modernisation and fresh blood of the sport of athletics.
Agencies are reporting that coach of Ukrainian origin Remi Korchemny who lives in USA has agreed to end his coaching. The 74 year old former coach of Chryste Gaines, Kelli White and Dwain Chambers ended so his case with USADA. He will not be more involved in any activities including USATF, IAAF or USOC. He came to US in early seventies.
Slovak coach Michal Pogany (living in Czech) is having a new jumper in his group Romana Dubnova the current best czech high jumper with best of 196 cm (this indoors 193) joined his team. Already in the group is another high jumper Barbora Lalakova who last indoor season achieved new national record 199 but this indoor was not able to compete due to foot injury. Pogany made his name as he coached Sarka Kašpárkova to triple jump world title in 1997. They are now living together and having daughter Terezka which will be in summer 6 years old.
EAA Athletes of February are pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva from Russia and Irish 400 m record holder David Gillick. Susanna Kallur and Tia Hellebaut are at next places in women section and Luis Tsatoumas and Stefan Holm in men order. European Indoor Champs results will be the most decisive for the March vote.
There are as of now three candidates for European Cross Country Championships 2009 – Dublin, Bydgoszcz (POL) and one french city, the decision to be made between Bordeaux and Carcassonne.
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Alfons Juck
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