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Lead Stories: Saturday, September 6, 2008

On the Road & Around the Track:
TFS News Briefs 9/21/07

Posted September 21st, 2007 at 11:55 AM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, TFS News Briefs

Khadevis Robinson: A Change is Going to Come in US Track
In an interview with Cecil Harris of MensRacing.com, a New York Road Runners website, Khadevis (pronounced kuh-DAY-vis) Robinson talks about his 2007 season, his intellectual approach to preparing for his event, the 800m Run, and how it relates to chess (and life!), the upcoming birth of Khadevis, Jr., the state of track in the US and its future (”I feel a change is going to come.”) and much more. The transcript of the interview can be found at: [MensRacing.com]

IAAF World Athletics Final: Sprints Preview
Athletes to watch in this weekend’s World Athletics Final are Asafa Powell, Lauryn Williams and Allyson Felix (100m), Wallace Spearmon and Rodney Martin (200m), Sanya Richards and LaShawn Merritt (400m). Read more at: [IAAF]

WCSN Will Have a Live Video Broadcast the IAAF World Athletics Final
The 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final, the last big track & field event of the season, will be broadcast live from Stuttgart, Germany on September 22nd and 23rd, 2007 on WCSN ($4.95 registration fee). To watch all of the action: [WCSN]
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Defar Delivers on 2 Mile World Best

Posted September 14th, 2007 at 7:43 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

In a stunning display of powerful solo running, Meseret Defar crushed her own world best in the 2 miles to highlight the 31st edition of the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels tonight.

Defar, the reigning world and Olympic champion in the 5000m, broke from Kenyan Priscah Jepleting with three laps to go to cross the line in 8:58.58, nearly 12 second under the previous best she ran at the adidas Track Classic in Carson, Calif., in May.

“My plan was for 8:55,” said Defar, not in the least bit surprised by her fleet footedness before a wildly enthusiastic crowd of 47,500 at the Belgian capital’s King Baudouin Stadium.

Underscoring her impressive performance, the 23-year-old clocked 8:24.81 for 3000m en route to her win, an Ethiopian national record and the fastest performance over the distance this year.
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Van Damme Memorial:
Key Match-ups in Brussels

Posted September 14th, 2007 at 12:45 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

The IAAF Golden League series continues tonight in the Belgian capital. Kenenisa Bekele’s assault on his own 10,000m world record is set to take center stage, while American Sanya Richards and Russian Pole Vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva continue in their chase for the $1 million Golden League Jackpot. A crowd of 47,000 will be on hand for the meet’s 31st edition, the 11th consecutive sell-out.

An event-by-event breakdown:

MEN – 100m:

While some initial speculation built this as a possible match between world champion Tyson Gay and world record holder Asafa Powell, in reality the face-off was never in the cards; the most likely scenario was that Powell would contest the 100, and Gay the 200. The morning after last Friday’s Zurich meet, Gay told meet director Wilfried Meert that he felt “miserable”, and eventually went home to see his personal physician, bowing out of the meet altogether.
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Bekele’s 10,000m W.R. Assault Tops the Bill in Brussels

Posted September 13th, 2007 at 3:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Kenenisa Bekele’s assault on his own 10,000m world record is set to take center stage when the Golden League series resumes at the 31st edition of the Memorial Van Damme in the Belgian capital on Friday night.

At this competition two years ago, Bekele lowered his own record in the event to 26:17.53. Then, he was paced by his brother Tariku, who took him through the first half in just over 13:09, before he eventually lowered the mark with a 57-second closing lap.

“A record is not easy every time,” said Bekele, who’ll be making his first start since winning his third consecutive world title over the distance late last month. “You can have it if you work hard, and if the conditions are right, but it’s not easy.”
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Lagat looking for strong Osaka tune-up in London

Posted August 3rd, 2007 at 8:50 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

With just over three weeks remaining before the start of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, American 1500m record holder Bernard Lagat will be looking for one last high profile tune-up tomorrow night at the Norwich Union London Grand Prix in the British capital.

Lagat, who won the 5000m and finished third in the 1500 at the U.S. championships in late June, will be aiming for his first solid outing over the shorter distance since his runner-up finish in the Prefontaine Classic mile on June 10. In his most recent 1500m races, Lagat was a distant seventh at the Golden League meet in Paris on July 6, and a well-beaten third at the Norwich Union International on July 15.

Alan Webb, who’s been on a tear over the past month after his world-leading 3:30.54 victory in Paris, his U.S. record in the mile and a sub-1:44 career best in the 800 last week in Heusden, Belgium, has opted out of the London race to nurse a sore hamstring.
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Webb Scorches 1:43.84 800m at Heusden

Posted July 28th, 2007 at 4:38 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

At tonight’s KBC Night of Athletics meeting in Heusden, Belgium, American miler Alan Webb stepped down to the 800m and won a close contest over Canada’s Gary Reed, 1:43.84 to 1:44.03.

Webb’s time was the second-fastest in the world this year, a career best, and the fastest by an American since Khadevis Robinson’s 1:43.68 recorded at Rieti, Italy, last September.

The 24 year-old continues to have the best season of his career. He broke the USA record for the mile (3:46.91), and set personal bests for 800m (1:43.84), 1500m (3:30.54), and indoor mile (3:55.18). He also won the USA indoor title at the mile and the outdoor title at 1500m. He has recorded 11 victories on the track this year, including heats.
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VIDEO: Alan Webb closes gap to win 800 meters in Belgium

Posted July 27th, 2007 at 5:54 PM by Trish Monks

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

One week after setting the American mile record, Alan Webb set a personal best en route to taking the 800-meter race at the KBC Night of Athletics in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium.

Webb finished in 1 minute, 43.85 seconds, more than two seconds faster than his previous best.

His time Saturday edged Canada’s Gary Reed, who lost his lead on the home stretch and finished in 1:43:93. Algeria’s Nadil Madi came in third.

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Alan Webb Breaks Steve Scott’s American Mile Record

Posted July 23rd, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Three-time U.S. 1,500m champion Alan Webb on Saturday broke the American record in the mile, clocking 3:46.91 at the Atletiek Vlaanderenmeet in Brasschaa, Belgium. The mark breaks the record of 3:47.69 set by National Track & Field Hall of Famer Steve Scott in 1982 and makes Webb the eighth-fastest man in history, behind Hicham El Guerrouj, Noah Ngeny, Noureddine Morceli, Steve Cram, Daniel Komen, Venuste Niyongabo and Said Aouita.

Webb’s agent, Ray Flynn, reports unofficial quarter-mile splits for Webb during the race as 56.1, 57.4, 56.8 and 56.2.

Held on a 6-lane track, Saturday’s race is part of a career-best year for Webb. In February, he won his first U.S. indoor title in the mile before going on a tear during the outdoor season. On April 28, he ran 3:51.71 to break Scott’s mile record at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. On June 24 in Indianapolis, he ran 3:34.82 in the 1,500 to break Scott’s meet record at the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships, where Webb won his third career national title.
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Webb Breaks American Record in the Mile

Posted July 21st, 2007 at 5:18 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Alan Webb of Reston, Va., broke one of America’s most venerated sports records today when he scorched a 3:46.91 mile in a low-key meet in Brasschaat, Belgium tonight, breaking Steve Scott’s 25 year-old record of 3:47.69 set in Oslo in 1982.

“It was awesome,” said Webb by telephone just after setting the record. Then he joked, “I think I have the world record for the least number of spectators.”

His manager, Ray Flynn, estimated that there were between 500 and 1000 people at the track which is set in a forest, bordered by tall trees.

Running in windless and comfortably warm conditions, Webb knocked off approximate quarters of 56.1, 57.4, 56.8 and 56.2, according to Flynn.

“It’s just really been a tremendous year,” Webb continued, pointing out that he still has a long career in front of him. “I’m not done. I’m only 24.”
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Chepkok and Erkesso score XC victories in Brussels, Belgium

Posted December 17th, 2006 at 10:00 PM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results, Cross Country

More than 3,000 elite athletes were on hand in Brussel’s Osseghem Park; all of whom had the opportunity to see a fierce cross country competition. Bernard Chepkok, the 22-yr old Kenyan, dominated the men’s field and beat out fellow Kenyan, and runner-up, Moses Kigen by 19 seconds.

Ehtiopian Teyiba Erkesso put everything she had into today’s win and was exhausted after crossing the finish line. Erkesso was able to hold off Hungary’s Aniko Kalovics who had started off at a torried pace and ultimaltey finished just behind Erkesso.
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