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Athletics News - 23.03. |
MOMBASA NEWS
IAAF President satisfied, Bekele would be happy with two races, Mosop thinks about the challenge
At todays official pre-race press conference IAAF President Lamine Diack said also: „By coming to Mombasa, cross country is certainly “Coming home” as the competition slogan says. It’s clear that Cross country has changed totally since its origins in the early 1900s when a few European athletes dominated. Today, it is the African athletes who are now the ones to beat, but we can still look forward to a truly international festival tomorrow, with athletes from every corner of the globe chasing for honours in both individual and team competitions. Since the first IAAF World Cross in 1973, participation of athletes and participating countries has more than trebled, which shows the increased global reach of our sport. The IAAF received entries from 65 different Member Federations, and we expect a total of 486 athletes entered for the various races – Long Course and Juniors (men and women). Of last year’s individual winners in Fukuoka, five title holders are entered for Mombasa, Ethiopians Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba, and Gelete Burka, and the Kenyan junior Pauline Korikwiang.“ About the issue of security he added: „We all know that there have been many challenges about security, and we deeply appreciate the serious efforts that have been made to ensure that all those taking part in this competition enjoy the legendary Kenyan hospitality in a calm, secure environment.“
Top star Kenenisa Bekele heading for 12th individual title said at the press conference: „I wish that there were both long and short race again, it would have given me the chance to test myself and do another double.“ Short races were staged 1998-2006 and starting with Mombasa are no longer in the programme. He has 10 senior doubles, short and long and one junior gold, he also has the biggest number of medals in history 25. Looking at his five long course wins the closest was Sileshi Sihine last year by 3 seconds (2002 – 2. John Yuda,TAN 6 seconds, 2003 – 2. Patrick Ivuti,KEN 13 s, 2004 – 2. Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam,ETH 18 s, 2005 – 2. Zersenay Tadesse,ERI 14 s, 2006 – 2. Sileshi Sihine, ETH 3 s). He still has to beat the record margin 28 seconds by John Ngugi in 1989.
His main Kenyan rival Moses Mosop, the winner of Kenyan trials: „Tommorrow is a challenge for everybody, it is not only Bekele. It is the weather conditions, also you have to concentrate on running against everybody and on fighting the heat.“ For Mosop it will be his fourth appearance at the CC championships. In 2002 and 2003 was 10th and 7th in junior category and 2005 on 18th in men´s long course race.
Ethiopian team arrived on Thursday to Mombasa, head coach Kostre Woldemeskel brought a very strong team and not named tactical approach. According to Ethiopia press officer Elshadai Negash, Bekele is totally motivated with the prospects of winning a straight sixth title at the Mombasa Golf course on Saturday. His number two as usually is Sileshi Sihine who has a daunting task of keeping away from Markos Geneti, the only athlete to defeat both Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie indoors. Bekele's younger brother, Tariku, winner of the 10,000m gold medal in last year's world juniors, is making his debut in senior competition. Also the fight in the senior women's race will be another Ethiopian affair between world champion Tirunesh Dibaba and Gelete Burka and possibly Meselech Melkamu. When told that Florence Kiplagat would challenge her, Dibaba showed no recognition of the name as per Kenyan media. Kenyan-born dutch athlete Lornah Kiplagat spent last weeks before the championships in Iten, Kenya and is well prepared for the event. „I am not under pressure, that could be my advantage,“ she was quoted. Good news is that muslim leaders called off protests planned for the time of the championships. Kenyan media also reported about anger of Kenyan Sports Minister Maina Kamanda when he saw that the work still continued on the race course two days before the event.
Record participation was in 2000 in Vilamoura, Portugal with 806 athletes from 76 countries. In the editions without short races the best attended were in 1997 Torino with 73 countries and 1994 in Budapest with 760 athletes. In Mombasa the figures are 65 countries and 468 runners.
Kenya has so far 233 medals, Ethiopia 198 and third USA 59 (all stats courtesy of Mark Butler).
EME NEWS picks: K. Bekele – Melkamu – Jeyllan - Korikwiang
WALKING
SHENZHEN (CHN): Some 40 international competitors and all home leaders will compete at 2nd leg of IAAF Race Walking Challenge this weekend in China. Specially men 20 km race on Saturday looks like a real highlight. European Champion Francisco Fernandez from Spain, Olympic Champion Ivano Brugnetti from Italy, World Champion Jefferson Perez from Ecuador and Russian Ilya Markov with local stars. There is not too much to add. On the women side as IAAF reports olympic bronze medal winner Jane Saville from Australia with last year world junior champion Liu Hong are the favourites. Chinese walkers and former world champion Jesus Angel Garcia from Spain are the main contenders for Sundays 50 km race.
DUDINCE (SVK): Latest news for Saturdays first EAA Walking Permit meet in Slovakia are that title defender Grzegorz Sudol from Poland will compete. On the other hand Russian Dmitriy Yesipchuk who was supposed to debut at 50 km will not come. Along with Sudol three other former winners are taking part. Slovak Peter Korcok (but he will contest 20 km as he has already the wild card from Slovak Athletics Federation for Osaka), Serbian Aleksander Rakovic and Zoltan Czukor from Hungary. Men 50 km winner will get 500 USD. Spain is adding into the 50 km field Jose Antonio Gonzalez, the national champion at the distance from 2004.
Other News
ATHENS: Greek website athletix.org is reporting that businessman Minos Kyriakou will probably no longer bid for the place in IAAF Council. Greek federation SEGAS hold the general assembly on Saturday. After that it should be more clear. The IAAF elections will be during the august Congress. SEGAS will try instead as per website to support the bid of former long jumper Kostas Koukodimos to become the council member. Koukodimos is currently top state officer for sport. Kyriakou who is also president of Greek Olympic Commitee and current IAAF Council Member is also head of the Athens Grand Prix Meeting Tsiklitiria. Last year he was even considering to bid for the post of IAAF president, but because he did not had the support of SEGAS he never officially announced that.
LONDON: BBC informs that Irish Sports Council agreed to pay Gareth Turnbull 100 000 GBP, an amount he spent in process of clearing his name in a doping case. "We're happy that we are going to get our costs," Turnbull (27 years, best of 3:36.60 at 1500 m in 2003) was quoted.
CHICAGO: Women weight throw world best holder Brittany Riley (20 years old) spoke to Chicago Tribune about her plans. She aims to win the national championships and compete well in hammer at World Championships in Osaka and Panamerican Games in Brasil this summer. About possible olympic participation she was not so optimistic because she is not sure about trying to make a living in sport after her collegiate career. "Going to the Olympic Trials is something I'd like to do," she says. "But it's hard to make a living on the track and field circuit. Most of the big meets are in Europe and it's up to you to pay for everything and to find sponsors. I might not want to go that route." If not hammer, than information systems technology would be her main job. She bettered this indoors the world best in Weight Throw to 25.56 m and as first ever went over 25 metres.
HELSINKI: At European Masters Indoor Championships which started in Helsinki on Thursday former Austrian olympic decathlete George Werthner won the pentathlon in the category over 50 years scoring 4101 points.
WARSZAWA: On Sunday Warszawa Half-Marathon will be held. Some 1700 runners from 21 countries are expected to compete. Main female entry is Malgorzata Sobanska, who is in preparation for Rotterdam Marathon. On the men side national champion Rafal Wojcik and Kenyan Michael Karonei are the main names.
BRUNSUM: At Dutch 10 km road race „Brunsum Parelloop“ a bonus of 25 000 E is offered for breaking Haile Gebrselassies´s 10 km road world record 27:02 (Doha, Feb 11, 2002). Main entries for the race on April 1 are last years world leader on track at this distance Kenyan Micah Kogo along with countrymate Abraham Chebii. Also in the field Boniface Kiprop from Uganda who is competing this weekend in Mombasa. Female favourite is Kenyan Hilda Kibet.
CAROLINA (PUR): 24 years old Allan Simms achieved new national record for Puerto Rico at local meet last weekend in triple jump. As Tilastopaja reports he registered 17.10 with +1.4 m/s support. His personal bests are better (17.26 indoors and 17.17 in 2003), but at that time he was representing USA. He switched to Puerto Rico in March 2005.
IAAF: In latest IAAF Newsletter also last year results better than existing world records but not ratified are listed. From 2006 season such ones are indoors the 4x400 m time of USA 3:01.96 (Fayetteville, Geb 11) because no EPO test was performed. From the same reason also two road records were not approved – 25 km 1:11:37 by Haile Gebrselassie (Mar 12, Alphen, NED) and 10 km walk juniors 39:45 by Sergey Morozov from Russia (Adler, Feb 19). No doping control at all was the reason that two marks of Constantina Tomescu from Romania during Chicago marathon were not ratified (25 km 1:21:31 and 30 km 1:38:30). Not enough qualified judges that is why the junior road walking record of Chu Yafei fom China 39:00 at 10 km was not approved (Xian on Oct 21). The 10 km road race in Madrid on last day of 2006 where Eliud Kipchoge and Zersenay Tadesse ran 26:54 broke the separation and elevation rule and both marks could also not be approved. Last from 2006 remains the 9.77 100 m by Justin Gatlin from Doha, this mark remains subject to confirmation due to ongoing doping case.
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Alfons Juck
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