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Athletics News from around the globe - 12.1. |
LONDON: Triple jump world champion Trecia Smith from Jamaica will not compete indoors. Her agent Andy Norman informed. „She needs simply a rest. You cannot compete many years in a row without any break,“ he explained. His second triple jumper Yamile Aldama is in another position. She is seeking competitions for indoor season. There are not too many, at IAAF or EAA meets only in Samara, Russia and Dusseldorf, Germany. Norman is also saying that from the same reasons as Smith also the Irish world indoor champion Derval O´Rourke will miss the undecover season.
STUTTGART: One of the best indoor meets in the world in Stuttgart, Germany (Feb 3) announced a great coup. Chinese hero Liu Xiang will return to the place where he was applauded frenetically by chinese people living in Germany in September at the World Athletics Final. The olympic champion and world record holder will compete in Europe indoors for the first time since World Indoors 2004 in Budapest (silver medal). His best and asian indoor record is 7.43, which is 0.13 shy of Colin Jackson´s World record 7.30. He first time competed in Europe 2002 indoors (Stockholm, Gent, Eaubonne, Athens, Lievin), in 2003 before Birmingham world indoors (bronze medal) he had only short campaign in Austria (Linz, Wien) and in 2004 before Budapest also only limited (Hungarian nationals and Lievin). Another international star announced for Stuttgart is the European Athlete of the year Carolina Kluft from Sweden. She is scheduled to compete in Long Jump.
KINGSTON: Did you see what Asafa Powell said for Jamaica Observer? „Meanwhile, Powell has once again promised to accomplish more in 2007 than he did last year, given the way his training has been going under coach Stephen Francis. "I'm feeling a lot stronger... the work-load is heavier than last year and I'm managing a lot better, so that's why I'm so motivated," he added. That means something special could happen in this year. As it is known he will not compete indoors.
NORDHAUSEN: Special Shot Put Indoor meet in Nordhausen, Germany (Jan 19) announced that World indoor champion Reese Hoffa from USA will compete against European Champion Ralf Bartels. In the 7th annual the meet record will be under threat, it is held by Joachim Olsen from Denmark who did 21.14 in 2005. Later Hoffa and world list leader Christian Cantwell are scheduled to return to Europe to compete in Valencia and Birmingham. From US top putters only world champion from Helsinki Adam Nelson is not competing indoors.
CACERES: Website of Spanish daily Marca reports that Eritrean world road race champion Zersenay Tadesse wants to attack the half marathon world record in Caceres, Spain on April 15. Current holder is Haile Gebrselassie who achieved 58:55 last January in Phoenix, USA.
PRINCESS ANNE (MD): Did you realised that at the indoor meet last weekend the 400 m world class runner LaShawn Merritt was running twice the 60 metres? His times were 6.85 in heats and 6.84 in finals (second place). But his best is 6.68 from last year.
ATHENS: Greek site hellenic.com reports that Katerini Thanou returned back from South African training camp and announced that she will run 60 m at local meet in Athens on Feb 3. She last time competed indoors back in 2000 at European Indoor Champs in Gent, Belgium (winner in 7.05) and last time competed generally at national champs in June 2004 in Athens.
MOSCOW: Russian sprinter Andrey Yepishin who won silver medals last year in Moscow at World Indoors and in Goteborg will start the indoor season this weekend at the Moscow City Championships. Then he is scheduled to ran at the IAAF Permit Russian Winter and only afterwards he will decide whether to compete at European Indoors in Birmingham. By the way, at the Russian Winter the veterans will face each other at women´s 60 m. Ever young Merlene Ottey (representing Slovenia, unbelievable 46) should ran against Irina Khabarova (40).
ST. PETERBURG: Natalya Lebusova (28) started the indoor season at a local meet with bettering her indoor best in Long jump to 670 cm. But outdoors she jumped last year already 693 and was 8th in Goteborg. But if qualified she could be a medal threat in Birmingham.
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Alfons Juck
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