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Lead Stories: Sunday, November 23, 2008

TFS News Briefs: 1/30/08

Posted January 30th, 2008 at 1:17 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

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

IAAF Overrides British Governing Body Ruling
British sprinter Dwain Chambers got support from the IAAF when UK Athletics ruled him ineligible for a “comeback” because of a 2003 positive test for steroids. In a messy dispute that could end up in court, UKA is sticking to a ruling stating that retired athletes must undergo a year of negative tests. The IAAF, however, is stating that they never received an official retirement letter, so the rule does not apply to him unless UKA can produce such a letter.
Read more at: [Times Online, UK][Athletics Weekly][More]

Michael Johnson Backs IAAF’s Pistorius Ban
Michael Johnson, the retired 400m world-record holder, agrees with the IAAF’s decision to ban double-amputee Oscar Pistorius because his prosthetic legs (dubbed “Cheetahs”) offer him an “unfair advantage” over other athletes. “If he was racing at the same time as me,” Johnson said, “I would also think the same thing.”
Read more at: [The Tide]

Wariner and Legendary Coach Hart Ways
Clyde Hart, Baylor’s legendary coach who trained Michael Johnson, has parted ways with current 400m world champion Jeremy Wariner after a contract dispute in which Wariner sought to reduce the coach’s percentage. Sanya Richards will continue to train under Hart.
Read more at: [Waco Tribune]
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On the Road & Around the Track: TFS News Briefs September 18, 2007

Posted September 18th, 2007 at 3:32 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, TFS News Briefs

New York City Marathon: Women’s Competition Intensifies
As if a New York City Marathon field that included returning top three Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia, Tatiana Hladyr of Ukraine and Catherine Ndereba of Kenya wasn’t enough, now Gete Wami of Ethiopia, Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia, and Tegla Loroupe of Kenya have announced that they will be competing on November 4th. They will be competing for a prize of $130,000 plus a Toyota Prius. Read more at: [IAAF] [ING NYC Marathon]

Steve Cram Calls IAAF World Athletics Final “Pointless and Bemusing”
In a Guardian Unlimited article critical of the IAAF’s current race structure, British miling legend Steve Cram is calling for a makeover of not only the World Athletics Final, but also the Golden League and even the World Championships. Read more at: [Guardian Unlimited]

World Athletics Final Previews: Throws and Jumps
Previews of the Jumps and the Throws at the World Athletics Final this weekend in Stuttgart, Germany are available on the IAAF World Athletics Final website. Reese Hoffa, Christian Cantwell, Stefan Holm, Blanka Vlasic and Yelena Isinbayeva are some of the key field-event athletes going into the meet. Read more at: [IAAF WAF07]
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IAAF Men’s World Rankings: Who Climbed and Who Dropped (8/07/2007)

Posted August 7th, 2007 at 5:09 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

This week I begin a weekly glance at the athletes who climb and drop in the IAAF World Rankings Top 100 list. In this post, I take a look at the men. I’ll cover the women in a later post.

Some highlights on the men’s side: Jeremy Wariner climbed from 6th place in the rankings to 4th place after his outstanding 43.50 400m in Stockholm. Stefan Holm climbed 9 places after his impressive world-lead tying high jump of 2.35m at the DN Galan meet.

Reese Hoffa jumped 87 places to 21st after his outstanding world-leading 22.43 heave in the shot put. Haile Gebrselassie’s 59:24 at the NY 1/2 Marathon earned him a spot on the rankings at number 32.

Here are the rest of the climbers from this week in the IAAF World Rankings:

4. (6) Jeremy WARINER, USA, 400m
12. (14) Wallace SPEARMON, USA, 200m
21. (29) Reese HOFFA, USA, Shot Put
25. (31) Usain BOLT, JAM, 200m
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Wariner, Vlasic move up to
No. 3 All-Time in Stockholm

Posted August 7th, 2007 at 5:00 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Jeremy Wariner underscored his dominance in the men’s 400m after his blistering 43.50 victory at the DN Galan Super Grand Prix in Stockholm tonight.

Wariner, the reigning world and Olympic champion and still just 23, won by nearly a full second over fellow American Kerron Clement (44.48, personal best), to move up a notch on the all-time world list, tying American Quincy Watts as the third fastest in history. Only world record holders Michael Johnson (43.18) and Butch Reynolds (43.29) have run faster.

Wariner’s effort was one of several outstanding performances at what was the finest single-day meet of the season.
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Hoffa reaches 22.43 (73-7.25) and Gay, Wariner and Richards dominate in London

Posted August 3rd, 2007 at 12:12 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Shot Putter Resse Hoffa stole the spotlight from the sprinters at the Norwich Union London Grand Prix tonight.

The U.S. champion won the event with a mammoth 22.43 (73-7.25) effort in the final round to wrestle the victory and the 2007 world lead from compatriot Christian Cantwell. It was a massive personal best for the 29-year-old, his first beyond 22 meters outdoors, and an effort which lifted the reigning world indoor champion to spot No. 11 on the all-time world list. This was Hoffa’s seventh win in 10 outings outdoors this season, setting him up as a strong favorite for the world title later this month in Osaka.

The pre-meet 100m world record hype turned out to be just that, but Tyson Gay did dominate the short dash with a commanding 10.02 win, well ahead of European champion and Olympic silver medallist Francis Obikwelu of Portugal who clocked 10.18.
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