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Lead Stories: Saturday, September 6, 2008

TFS News Briefs: 12/13/07

Posted December 13th, 2007 at 2:38 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Olympics, Drugs In Sports, TFS News Briefs, Trail / Ultra

Eugene Crowned Track Town, USA for Foreseeable Future
Despite sour grapes from some in track hamlets such as Sacramento, Eugene, OR will be getting all the track & field glory for the next few years. Its fable Hayward field – site of next year’s US Olympic Track & Field Trials – is now set to host the 2009 and 2011 US Championships and the 2012 Olympic Trials, allowing it to continue to be called “Track Town, USA.” Read more at: [The Register-Guard, OR]

NY Times Honors Life of Running Pioneer Ted Corbitt
The New York Times has honored running pioneer Ted Corbitt with an article that spotlights the running legend’s lifetime of achievements. Read more at: [New York Times]

Golden League Schedule Announced for 2008

The IAAF has announced the 2008 Golden League schedule. The season will begin on June 1st and end on September 5th. The venues will include Berlin, Oslo, Rome, Paris, Zurich and Brussels. The prize will be $1 million in gold and the events will be 100m, 400m, 1500m, 400m hurdles long jump and javelin (men) and 200m, 800m, 100m hurdles and high jump (women). 2007 winners Sanya Richards (400m) and Yelena Isinbayeva (pole vault) will not be able to repeat in 2008 – at least not in their specialties. Read more at: [Voice of America]
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IAAF Annuls all Marion Jones Results from September 2000

Posted November 23rd, 2007 at 5:00 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Drugs In Sports

Marion Jones should be stripped of five Olympic medals from the 2000 Games in the wake of her confession last month to using performance-enhancing drugs, the sport’s world governing body announced today.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Council formally disqualified Jones from all competitions on or subsequent to September 1, 2000, in effect wiping nearly seven years from the sprinter’s competitive slate.

IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said that the Council will also recommend to the International Olympic Committee to disqualify the U.S. women’s 4×100 and 4×400 meter relay teams from the Sydney Games, “And to insist on the return of all medals and diplomas.”

But the governing body stopped short of recommending that controversial Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou, who was the silver medallist in the 100 behind Jones, be awarded the gold medal.
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TFS News Briefs: 11/02/07

Posted November 2nd, 2007 at 2:38 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: Marathons, Track & Field, Olympics, Drugs In Sports, TFS News Briefs

Day in the Sun for U.S. Olympic Trials Men’s Marathon
Google News, like most news sites, is not know for covering running or track & field on most days. So when the U.S. Olympic Trials Men’s Marathon makes their sorts page, that’s news in itself. As of publication time, the number of stories devoted to the trials is 41.
Read more at: [Google News]

Former Olympian Disagrees with Headphones Ban
Former Olympian and world championships marathon bronze medalist Steve Moneghetti disagrees with the newly-imposed headphones/mp3 player ban, saying, “I find that bizarre they would be banning them.” Read more at: [Sydney Morning Herald]

Jones’ Medals Set To Be Redistributed
The IOC is deliberating about the redistribution of Marion Jones’ 5 Sydney medals (3 gold, two bronze), including whether or not to award doping suspect Katerina Thanou of Greece the 100m gold. Read more at: [BBC Sport | Athletics]
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TFS News Briefs: 10/05/07

Posted October 5th, 2007 at 2:22 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Cross Country, Track & Field, Olympics, Drugs In Sports, TFS News Briefs

Chicago Marathon Race Director Predicts “Heck of a race”
‘’Robert wants to push, and Felix [Limo] is in top form,'’ Pinkowski said. ‘’Rutto, outside of Khalid Khannouchi, is the best natural talent I’ve ever seen, and Gharib is a champion. These are the top guns, and they have come here seeking each other out. It’s going to be a heck of a race.'’
Read more at: [Chicago Sun-Times]

IOC and IAAF Will Move Quickly to Strip Jones of Medals
The IOC and th IAAF are both expected to move quickly to complete the investigation into the Marion Jones doping case, which could result in her being stripped of her 3 gold and 2 bronze Olympic medals. IOC VP Thomas Bach said to the Associated Press, “We welcome that there is now some light to be shed on the whole affair. Now, with this admission, we can accelerate and speed up the procedures.” Ironically, silver medalist Katerina Thanou – currently under criminal investigation for perjury after missing a doping test – would inherit the 100m gold medal if Jones were tyo be stripped of it.Read more at: [IHT]
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TFS News Briefs: 9/25/07

Posted September 25th, 2007 at 2:42 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, TFS News Briefs

Greek Sprinters’ Perjury Trial Postponed
Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou were to stand trial on Monday for allegedly faking a motorcycle accident in 2004 so that they could avoid a doping test prior to the Athens Olympics. Twelve people, including the athletes, their trainer, their doctors and some witnesses, face up to 2 years in prison if convicted of the misdemeanor perjury charge. Read more at: [Sports Illustrated]
For background: [CNN]

Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru to Try for 1/2 Marathon World Record
Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru set a world record of 58:33 for the 1/2 marathon earlier this year in The Hague, Netherlands. Now he is going to attempt to beat that time at the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships in Udine, Italy on October 14th, 2007, “just for fun.” Read more at: [IAAF WRU07]

Journalist Calls Athletic Emigration “Brawn Drain”
An article on the Trinidad & Tobago Express takes a look at the trend of third-world athletes (including Kenyan-born, U.S.-naturalized citizen Bernard Lagat) changing their citizenship in order to represent wealthier nations. The majority of athletes do so for financial reasons, the article’s writer notes. Read more at: [Trinidad & Tobago Express]
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