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Athletics News - 05.04. |
Powell to get AOY award in Walnut
KINGSTON: The fastest man on earth Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell plans for his coming race at 4x100 m with his relay team (MVP under guidance of coach Stephen Francis) at MtSAC Relays in Walnut next week. As his agent Paul Doyle informs he will also get the award for Athlete of the year 2006 by Track and Field News during the event. It was also announced that another relay outing for him is planned for Felix Sanchez Invitational in Santo Domingo (DOM) on May 12. At this meet olympic champion and host Sanchez should for first time this year run the 400 m Hurdles. Before that he is planning 800 m, 400 m flat and relays.
Isinbayeva commited to GL and possibly changes future plans
MONTE CARLO/MOSCOW: IAAF announced the name of first athlete who commited to compete at all six events of Golden League series in 2007. It is the recent Sportswoman of the year (by Laureus) Russian Yelena Isinbayeva. For first time Pole Vault for women became an golden event and thus logical that she was the main interest and gives nice promotion value for the series. She is clear favourite for the jackpot as she lost in 2004 two competitions (indoor Athens and outdoor Iraklio), in 2005 only one (nh in Yokohama) and two in 2006 (second in Stockholm and nh in bad weather as precaution in Warszawa). But has 43 wins including this indoor season. It is interesting that Bislett Games in Oslo and Weltklasse Zurich will stage for first time ever women Pole Vault. The other GL meets already have some experience with this event.
It was also reported by Russian agency Ves Sport that her coach Vitaliy Petrov informed that she might change her plans and not finish the career at the end of 2012. He said that they evualuated the situation and are now planning to compete also in 2013 and so to be in Moscow at World Championships. „It is still long time, but for the moment Moscow 2013 is included into our plans,“ he was quoted.
Ferrara: Weissteiner out, Mockenhaupt plans at least Osaka standard
FERRARA: Italy will compete at Saturday´s 11th European Cup 10 000 m without European Indoor medallist Silvia Weissteiner. She cancelled her participation due to physical problems and will be replaced by Sara Dossena (22 years), who was 12th at last years European CC Champions in U22 category. German top female runner Sabrina Mockenhaupt is travellling to Italy with the main aim to achieve the standard for Osaka which is 31:40. „You never know what might happen during a race, but the standard is a must,“ she was quoted by www.leichtathletik.de. The main favourite is Elvan Abeylegesse (TUR), the title defender and event record holder.
In total 25 women are entered for the race, other interesting names are European Cup winner Jo Pavey (GBR, track 10 000 m debut) and European Cross Country Champion 2006 Tatyana Holovchenko from Ukraine. For her it will be 10 000 m track debut. Interestingly no Russians are entered.
On the men side one past winner is supposed to run – Jose Rios from Spain who was the best in 2001 clocking sub 28 minutes. He leads the Spanish team which already five times won the men team category. Portugal runners are headed by another sub 28 runner Jose Ramos. Also to mention are Italian European Indoor Champion Cosimo Caliandro, steeple specialists Gunther Weidlinger (Austria) and Mustafa Mohamed (Sweden) along with Vasil Matviychuk from Ukraine who was 6th during the weekend at Stramilano Half-Marathon. In total 30 runners are entered.
Only A races will be staged. It looks like both world leading times for 10 000 m will be broken (28:06.26 Naimadu,KEN and 32:31.90 Russell,USA).
Women will run at 16.15 and men at 17.05 hrs.
Thanou plans to run already next week
ATHENS: Former European 100 m champion Ekaterini Thanou plans to race outdoors already next week. She will compete at National Club Championships on 12-13 April for her club Olympiakos. As Thomas Constas points out: „The Interclub championships are usually held at this time of the year. Most of the athletes, even the bigger names, make an early appearance to win points for their club. There are no expectations for top marks, although they usually give an indication of their form.“ She was after her doping saga competing finally this indoor season with best of 7.22 at 60 m and was 6th at European Indoor Championships in Birmingham. Her last 100 m race was on June 10, 2004 while winning the National Championships in Athens (11.21).
Briefs
CARSON: The adidas Track Classic announced two US sprint stars as their first headliners. World champion and Olympic silver medallist Allyson Felix will compete on May 20 at 200 m. Tyson Gay is scheduled to run 100 m, at this distance he won World Cup last year and achieved 9.84. EME News also already reported that Meseret Defar (ETH) is scheduled to run at 2 miles.
CARTAGENA (ESP): At first of outdoor April meeting series in Spain Cuban discus thrower Loy Martinez achieved 59.54 m. Only as part of preparation Jana Veldakova of Slovakia jumped 601 long and US Sprinter Maiteland Marks won two events (100 m 12.05 and 200 m 24.48).
STOCKHOLM: It is reported that World Championships 2003 bronze medallist in Pole Vault Patrik Kristiansson from Sweden is not healthy again and will probably miss the summer season 2007 after he was not able to jump also last year.
ZURICH: Swiss runner Christian Belz (4th in Goteborg 2006 at 10 000 m) underwent an calf muscle operation. In four weeks he should be able to run again. This gives him enough time to prepare for his autumn Marathon debut.
LONDON: David Martin reports that UK Athletics will help 400 m runner Christine Ohuruogu with return quickly after her doping ban ends in August with the possibility to compete at World Championships in Osaka. She missed three out of competitions tests and was banned for one year. She tried to get her ban reduced, but Court of Arbitration for Sport was against it. Her suspension ends on Aug 6. The entry deadline for Osaka is Aug 13, but she has the standard from last year when she won Commonwealth Games clocking 50.28. Although she will miss the world trials (Manchester, July 27-29), the selectors want consider her in case she will show enough shape. She still is not allowed to compete at London Olympic Games 2012, but wants to challenge also this issue.
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Alfons Juck
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