t-and-f: USATF Release: Records continue to fall at Junior Olympics
Melissa Beasley Communications Coordinator USA Track Field 916-447-1700 (In Sacramento) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.usatf.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, July 26, 2001 Records keep on falling at Junior Olympic Championships SACRAMENTO– Field events and running preliminaries took center stage at the 35th annual USA Track Field Junior Olympic Championships in Sacramento on Thursday. This is the final meet of the Verizon Youth Series. The meet, being webcast live by USATF, in cooperation with i2sports Trackmeets.com, is taking place at California State University, Sacramento, site of the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Track Field Trials. Matthew Kosecki (Track Houston) and Josh Johnson (Crenshaw Cougars) both set national records in the bantam and midget boys mini javelin throw on Thursday. Kosecki’s throw of 37.46m/122-11.00 was over seven meters longer than the previous record of 30.17m, while Johnson’s throw of 37.58m/123-03.00 was over ten meters better than the previous mark of 26.33m. The previous marks were set in Decatur, Ill., during the 2001 USATF Youth Athletic Championships earlier this month. This is the first year that the mini javelin is being contested at the national level. In the midget girls mini javelin competition, Leigh Petranoff, competing unattached, lowered her own record mark by nearly five meters with a winning mark of 35.32m/115-10.00. Petranoff, daughter of former Olympian and former javelin world record holder Tom Petranoff, set the previous mark (30.22m) at theYouth Athletics meet in Decatur earlier this month. In other field event finals on Thursday, Tomas Navarro, competing unattached, won the young men’s discus throw (51.71m/169-08.00), as Jesse Williams (Junior Striders) finished first in the high jump (2.15m/7-00.50) in the same division. Elzbieta Wojcicka (unattached) won the young women’s long jump (6.15m/20-02.25), while Abby Emsick (Cornhuskers) claimed the title in the young women’s discus (45.91m/150-07.00). Kiwan Lawson, competing for Capital City, claimed the young men’s long jump title with a mark of 7.28m/23-10.75. Ryan Shuler, competing unattached, won the youth boys pole vault (4.12m/13-06.25). Alsoon the field, Jesse Samples, competing for Santa Cruz TC, won the intermediate boys high jump (1.95m/6-04.75), while Tianna Madison (unattached) won the intermediate girls long jump (6.00m/19-08.25). Justin Hoskins (Grand Rapids) won the intermediate boys long jump (7.19m/23-07.25). Beau Whitney captured the youth boys discus throw title (49.71m/163-01.00) and Bobbi Buyck won the youth girls pole vault (2.85m/9-04.25). Both Whitney and Buyck are competing unattached. In the midget shot put, Kyle Bell (Fresno Flames) won his competition with a mark of 14.58m/47-10.00 while Jocelyn Martin (Glenarden) won her competition with a mark of 11.23m/36-10.25. In the bantam girls shot put, Gemma Washington, competing for Quiet Fire, claimed her title with a mark of 8.52m/27-11.50. In the boys high jump, Jameson Harris, competing in the midget division, won with a mark of 1.60m/5-03.00, while Lester White (Riverside SW) claimed the bantam boys title with a mark of 1.40m/4-07.00. On the track, local favorite Robyn Stevens (West Wind Flyers), won her second title of the meet with a win the in young women’s 3000m (10:09.40). Stevens, who recited the Olympic Oath during Wednesday night’s Opening Ceremonies, graduated from Vacaville (Calif) High School in June 2001. Life Sports’ Delia Cesar won the intermediate girls 3000m (10:18.78), while Valley United’s Jose Melena won the youth boys 3000m (9:26.15). Merideth Snow (Cornhuskers) won theyouth girls 3000m (10:11.65). Michael Thomas (New World TC) won the youth boys long jump (6.21m/20-04.50), while Tiaerra McLaurin (Young Achievers) captured the youth girls long jump title (5.56m/18-03.00). In the high jump, Alison Worthen (Pre TC) won the midget division (1.45m4-09.00), while Desirae Payton (Speed City) won the bantam division (1.40m/4-07.00) and her second title of the meet. Payton won the bantam girls triathlon (1359) on Wednesday. In order to be eligible to compete at the 2001 USA Track Field Junior Olympic Championships, athletes had to advance through association and regional competitions. USA Track Field is comprised of 57 local Associations across the country, advancers then moved on to one of the 16 Regional competitions. Athletes here in Sacramento compete in one of five age divisions, determined by birth year. Those age divisions are Bantam (1991 or later), Midget (1989-90), Youth (1987-88), Intermediate (1985-86) and Young Men/Women (1983-84). For more information on the 2001 USA Track Field Junior Olympic Championships, all USATF Youth programs and the Verizon Youth Series, including complete results, visit the USATF web site at www.usatf.org. ###
t-and-f: NCAA Regionals not likely in 2002
Passing along a few items of interest to tf-digesters, gleaned from various sources: from The NCAA News -- July 16, 2001 Championship access/growth philosophy to be examined The Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet has decided to form a championships bracket/format subcommittee to review a number of championships access and related issues. Among issues the subcommittee will review are bracket sizes and the philosophy of providing automatic qualification into NCAA championships for all conference champions while ensuring quality competition and highly selective events. The issue was prompted by a request from the Division I Management Council, which had expressed concerns about the consistency in requests for bracket expansions and whether current philosophical guidelines were being followed. The Council also had philosophical concerns whether there was a point at which bracket expansions dilute the championships experience for student-athletes . . . The subcommittee also will address a number of other related issues, including site selection, issues related to bracket assignment, the establishment or revision of championships formats, seeding of teams, sizes of sports committees in relation to sports-sponsorship numbers, and championships marketing and financial issues. The subcommittee will be charged to identify a set of core principles and report back to the cabinet in September. The cabinet also continued to work on a complicated issue in track and field involving a Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee recommendation to expand the field and establish regionals to qualify into the championships. The cabinet supported the recommendation and had proposed in April that the Division I Board of Directors allocate $363,000 to initiate regionals and increase the field size. The Board did not disagree with the intent to expand, but it took issue with the establishment of regionals that may interfere with exam schedules, devalue conference championships and possibly extend the season. Thus, the Board embargoed funds from the 2001-02 NCAA budget that would be allocated to establish or conduct regional meets or expand NCAA championships until the cabinet further reviewed the matter. Since then, the track and field committee has recommended to the cabinet that the 2002 outdoor championships not include regionals and that the men's and women's meets end the first weekend in June. That recommendation was based on the committee's belief that the Board's action leaves the date of the 2002 championships in question. The championships would conclude either the first or second Saturday in June, depending on whether the Board approved or rejected the original proposal at its August meeting. The committee felt that waiting on that decision puts a significant burden on schools that are deep into the scheduling process for the 2002 season. Such a delay also impacts schools' budgeting process, as well as the scheduling of conference meets and preparations for hosting the nationals. After discussion, the cabinet endorsed the track and field committee's recommendations because it felt they gave the Management Council and the Board the most comprehensive and accurate information to assist the two groups in making a fully informed decision. The cabinet also believes that logistical problems would make it extremely difficult to make significant changes to the 2002 championships format. The track and field committee -- and the cabinet -- continued to support the concept of establishing regionals for the championships, and has asked for that to be approved for the 2003 season. From "Draft Update," in Baseball America, July 23 Pro baseball likes Texas high schooler's track speed The University of Texas lost two prized baseball recruits, but only one football prospect. Outfielder/wide receiver Quan Cosby, a 6th-round pick of the Angels, signed for $850,000, the largest bonus given to a player beyond the first two rounds this year. Cosby signed a baseball-only deal. Cosby . . . has a long way to develop in baseball,his third-best sport. He quarterbacked Mart High to the Texas 2A championship game as a junior and senior, winning the state title in 1999. He was the 2A offensive player of the year and all-state quarterback/defensive back/kick returner in 2000, when he accounted for 48 touchdowns. Cosby also won the Texas 2A title in the 100m (10.46) and 200m (21.31). He was the fastest legitimate prospect in the 2001 draft, and scouts compare his speed to Deion Sanders in his prime. Michael Walton - and now you know the rest of the story . . . . Here's some real data I was able to dredge up from my files about the hyperbolic Michael Walton's track career as chronicled in the July 20 issue of the Washington Times. Based on my diggings, the only "fact" about his "illustrious " track career at the University of Southern California that seems to be correct is that he did actually attend USC, lettering
RE: t-and-f: Israeli WC team
No pole vaulters??? Bob Bettwy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Director - Program Control Washington Group SRS Technologies (703) 351-7266 Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 22:20:46 +0300 From: D. Eiger [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: t-and-f: Israeli WC team The Israeli team to Edmonton is as follows (with their 2001 best):: Men 100m - Alex Porkhomovskiy (10.30) 200m - Gidon Jablonka (20.96) Marathon - Asaf Bimro (2:18:46) PV - Alex Averbukh (5.90) TJ - Avi Tayari (16.72) JT - Vadim Bavikin (80.54) 4x100m - from Porkhomovskiy, Tommy Kafri, Jablonka, Kfir Golan Attila Farkas Women 100mH - Irina Lenskiy (13.03), Svetlana Gnezdilov (13.04). Biographies of most of the above can be found in my site. David - --- David Eiger The Israeli Athletics Homepage http://eiger.tripod.com/
t-and-f: USATF News Notes - 7/17/01
Contact:Jill M. Geer Director of Communications 317-261-0500 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.usatf.org USATF News Notes Volume 2, Number 69 July 27, 2001 Johnson, Kennedy withdraw from Worlds U.S. champions Lawrence Johnson and Bob Kennedy have withdrawn from the 2001 World Outdoor Track Field Championships, USATF announced Friday. Johnson, a two-time Olympic Trials pole vault champion, 2001 U.S. outdoor champion and the 2001 World Indoor gold medalist, has sustained a stress fracture of his right fibula. He will be replaced on Team USA by Russ Buller, who was fourth at the U.S. Championships and has a personal best of 5.82m/19-0.75. Kennedy, a two-time Olympian, 4-time U.S. outdoor champion and American record holder at 5,000 meters, is suffering from low iron and an underactive thyroid. Initial damage to Johnson's leg was done in June at the U.S. Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Johnson said. He continued his season in Europe but failed to clear 19 feet; he did not make a height earlier this month in Monaco. I damaged it at the U.S. championships, Johnson said. I don't know if I sustained a partial fracture there of if I bruised it, but I kept trying to jump on it. The pain increased last Tuesday, and I haven't been able to do anything since then. Doctors have advised Johnson to stay off in the injury for 6-8 weeks. He will not compete again this season. Kennedy was diagnosed two weeks ago with low iron. Further tests done this week revealed that the cause is an underactive thyroid, a condition that Kennedy's mother and grandfather suffer from. When went to Europe, I was running very poorly, Kennedy said of his season after the U.S. championships and before he had tests done. Basically, the underactive thyroid causes severe fatigue and prevents the body from absorbing iron. Kennedy has begun taking medication for his thyroid and should be back to normal in 3-4 weeks, he said, and he will remain on thyroid medication permanently. He hopes to return to the international circuit before season's end. I want to (race again in 2001). I'm going to start training again next week and then make a decision in a couple of weeks. More Mo Look for Olympic 100m champion and world record holder Maurice Greene on the national media outlet nearest you as the World Championships approach. Greene will be doing an online chat with CNNSI on Tuesday (July 31) at noon Eastern Time, in advance of the World Championships August 3-12 and the Goodwill Games in September. Greene also will appear on the cover of next week's issue of Sports Illustrated, according to his management group, H.S.I. The issue will hit newsstands late next week. Olympians compete in final tune-up for World Championships Olympians and World Championships competitors from the U.S. and Jamaica are set to compete at the USATF MidSummer Classic this Saturday, July 28, at the IUPUI campus in Indianapolis. This is the fourth high-level meet of the summer in Indianapolis that features elite athletes training for either the World University Games or the World Outdoor Championships. Sprints and field events highlight the day's activities, beginning with the Elite Women's Hammer Throw at 3:30. The final event of the day is the Elite Men's 200m, scheduled for 7:50. Athletes scheduled to compete include 1996 Olympic gold medalists Derrick Adkins and Charles Austin; 2000 Olympic gold medalist Calvin Harrison; Jamaican Olympians Beverly McDonald, Marlene Frazier, Michael Blackwood, and Michael McDonald; former world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Jearl Miles-Clark; 2-time U.S. Indoor champion Suziann Reid; 2-time U.S. champion DeDe Nathan; Olympic finalist Hazel Clark; and U.S. World Championships team members Dawane Wallace, Mickey Grimes, J.J. Johnson, Dennis Mitchell, Geno White, Brenda Taylor, Mikele Barber, and Me'Lisa Barber. 50k Trail Championship to be held this weekend More than $10,000 in prize money will be up for grabs this Saturday at the 2001 USA National 50 Mile Trail Running Championship at Crystal Mountain, Washington. The field includes Ann Trason, 2000 women's champion Luanne Park, and top male runners Eric Clifton, Tim Twietmeyer, Scott Jurek, and Nate McDowell. Dan Held is unable to defend his 2000 title due to a foot injury. Competition will be intense on the White River course, which features 17,400 feet in elevation changes over 50 miles. Prize money is being offered by the host White River organizing committee, with thanks to the Foot Zone of Seattle, Montrail, Patagonia and Mercedes Benz. For more information on the race, call the Race Hotline: 206-325-4800. Results of the top individual finishers and the ARC competition will be posted on the AUA website (http://www.americanultra.org) immediately following the race Saturday evening. Texas Names Hayes Assistant Women's Track Field Coach John Hayes, former
t-and-f: USATF News Notes - 7/27/01
Contact:Jill M. Geer Director of Communications 317-261-0500 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.usatf.org USATF News Notes Volume 2, Number 69 July 27, 2001 Johnson, Kennedy withdraw from Worlds U.S. champions Lawrence Johnson and Bob Kennedy have withdrawn from the 2001 World Outdoor Track Field Championships, USATF announced Friday. Johnson, a two-time Olympic Trials pole vault champion, 2001 U.S. outdoor champion and the 2001 World Indoor gold medalist, has sustained a stress fracture of his right fibula. He will be replaced on Team USA by Russ Buller, who was fourth at the U.S. Championships and has a personal best of 5.82m/19-0.75. Kennedy, a two-time Olympian, 4-time U.S. outdoor champion and American record holder at 5,000 meters, is suffering from low iron and an underactive thyroid. Initial damage to Johnson's leg was done in June at the U.S. Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Johnson said. He continued his season in Europe but failed to clear 19 feet; he did not make a height earlier this month in Monaco. I damaged it at the U.S. championships, Johnson said. I don't know if I sustained a partial fracture there of if I bruised it, but I kept trying to jump on it. The pain increased last Tuesday, and I haven't been able to do anything since then. Doctors have advised Johnson to stay off in the injury for 6-8 weeks. He will not compete again this season. Kennedy was diagnosed two weeks ago with low iron. Further tests done this week revealed that the cause is an underactive thyroid, a condition that Kennedy's mother and grandfather suffer from. When went to Europe, I was running very poorly, Kennedy said of his season after the U.S. championships and before he had tests done. Basically, the underactive thyroid causes severe fatigue and prevents the body from absorbing iron. Kennedy has begun taking medication for his thyroid and should be back to normal in 3-4 weeks, he said, and he will remain on thyroid medication permanently. He hopes to return to the international circuit before season's end. I want to (race again in 2001). I'm going to start training again next week and then make a decision in a couple of weeks. More Mo Look for Olympic 100m champion and world record holder Maurice Greene on the national media outlet nearest you as the World Championships approach. Greene will be doing an online chat with CNNSI on Tuesday (July 31) at noon Eastern Time, in advance of the World Championships August 3-12 and the Goodwill Games in September. Greene also will appear on the cover of next week's issue of Sports Illustrated, according to his management group, H.S.I. The issue will hit newsstands late next week. Olympians compete in final tune-up for World Championships Olympians and World Championships competitors from the U.S. and Jamaica are set to compete at the USATF MidSummer Classic this Saturday, July 28, at the IUPUI campus in Indianapolis. This is the fourth high-level meet of the summer in Indianapolis that features elite athletes training for either the World University Games or the World Outdoor Championships. Sprints and field events highlight the day's activities, beginning with the Elite Women's Hammer Throw at 3:30. The final event of the day is the Elite Men's 200m, scheduled for 7:50. Athletes scheduled to compete include 1996 Olympic gold medalists Derrick Adkins and Charles Austin; 2000 Olympic gold medalist Calvin Harrison; Jamaican Olympians Beverly McDonald, Marlene Frazier, Michael Blackwood, and Michael McDonald; former world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Jearl Miles-Clark; 2-time U.S. Indoor champion Suziann Reid; 2-time U.S. champion DeDe Nathan; Olympic finalist Hazel Clark; and U.S. World Championships team members Dawane Wallace, Mickey Grimes, J.J. Johnson, Dennis Mitchell, Geno White, Brenda Taylor, Mikele Barber, and Me'Lisa Barber. 50k Trail Championship to be held this weekend More than $10,000 in prize money will be up for grabs this Saturday at the 2001 USA National 50 Mile Trail Running Championship at Crystal Mountain, Washington. The field includes Ann Trason, 2000 women's champion Luanne Park, and top male runners Eric Clifton, Tim Twietmeyer, Scott Jurek, and Nate McDowell. Dan Held is unable to defend his 2000 title due to a foot injury. Competition will be intense on the White River course, which features 17,400 feet in elevation changes over 50 miles. Prize money is being offered by the host White River organizing committee, with thanks to the Foot Zone of Seattle, Montrail, Patagonia and Mercedes Benz. For more information on the race, call the Race Hotline: 206-325-4800. Results of the top individual finishers and the ARC competition will be posted on the AUA website (http://www.americanultra.org) immediately following the race Saturday evening. Texas Names Hayes Assistant Women's Track Field Coach John Hayes, former
Re: t-and-f: Israeli WC team
I suppose PV stands for Pole Vault and Averbukh is the one everybody knows as a Pole Vaulter, right? ;-) PANAYOTIS CHRISTOPOULOS - Original Message - From: Bettwy, Bob [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Track List (E-mail) [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, July 27, 2001 11:32 PM Subject: RE: t-and-f: Israeli WC team No pole vaulters??? Bob Bettwy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Director - Program Control Washington Group SRS Technologies (703) 351-7266 Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 22:20:46 +0300 From: D. Eiger [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: t-and-f: Israeli WC team The Israeli team to Edmonton is as follows (with their 2001 best):: Men 100m - Alex Porkhomovskiy (10.30) 200m - Gidon Jablonka (20.96) Marathon - Asaf Bimro (2:18:46) PV - Alex Averbukh (5.90) TJ - Avi Tayari (16.72) JT - Vadim Bavikin (80.54) 4x100m - from Porkhomovskiy, Tommy Kafri, Jablonka, Kfir Golan Attila Farkas Women 100mH - Irina Lenskiy (13.03), Svetlana Gnezdilov (13.04). Biographies of most of the above can be found in my site. David - --- David Eiger The Israeli Athletics Homepage http://eiger.tripod.com/
t-and-f: African athletes who won't compete in Edmonton
Hello, here is a list of absentees (but Kenya) I managed to compile for the moment For South Africa: Johan Botha (800m) illness, Werner Botha (800m) stress fracture, Okkert Brits (pole vault) injured;, Chris Harmse (hammer) religious principles, Marius Corbett (javelin) injured For Algeria: Djabir Said Guerni (800m) injured;, Baya Rahouli (triple) injured, Kamel Boulhafane (1500m) misshape For Morocco: Salah Hissou (5000-1m) surgery, Brahim Lalhafi (5000m) injured, Younès Moudrik (long jump) injured, Zahra Ouaziz (5000m) injury Hasna Benhassi (800-1500m) pregnancy For Nigeria: Glory Alozie (100m hurdles) got Spanish citizenship, Francis Obikwelu et Deji Aliu (sprints) didn't take part in the Trials Carole Fuchs http://www.africathle.com/gb.html ___ Do You Yahoo!? -- Vos albums photos en ligne, Yahoo! Photos : http://fr.photos.yahoo.com
Re: t-and-f: African athletes who won't compete in Edmonton
Francis Obikwelu et Deji Aliu (sprints) didn't take part in the Trials I wonder why it hasn't really worked out for Obikwelu. I recall that after Atlanta '96 he was anointed by the soothsayers on this list and elsewhere as the unbeatable superstar of the future. Kurt Bray _ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
Re: t-and-f: NCAA Regionals not likely in 2002
The Council also had philosophical concerns whether there was a point at which bracket expansions dilute the championships experience for student-athletes Folks, is that a new world record for the amount of politically correct double-speak that you can cram in a single sentence?! I've read it at least five times, and I'm STILL not entirely sure what it means... ...of course, it was definitely wind-aided, so won't count as an official record by the association of politically correct statisticians... ...the experience ?!?...give me a break...as if student- athletes is not ENOUGH of an oxymoron to kill the sentence to begin with... The subcommittee will be charged to identify a set of core principles and report back to the cabinet in September. Gee, sounds like the company I work for! You need a committe on committees, each of which have subcommittees, all of whom will report back after they can identify their core principles. Assuming, of course, that they can find any... A plan to avoid any definitive action, if I've ever heard one! ...just filibuster it to death... I spent three days last week leading a team of a dozen people for my company, in trying to produce a strategy for maintenance of strategies. I kid you not. We presented the results yesterday to the execs, and got thanked profusely, but got sent back to do a little facetious quotes more work on it. Our strategy to maintain strategies needed more strategic analysis as a foundation. Can't I get a break from that kind of stuff when I come home at the end of the day and log on to find out what's going on in the world of athletics? RT
t-and-f: Bob out of Worlds
Bob Kennedy is out of Worlds with a thyroid problem... http://www.usatf.org/news/showNewsnotes.asp?article=/news/newsnotes/2001-07-27.xml Mike _ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
t-and-f: Radcliffe's last shot for gold
THE IRISH TIMES Saturday, July 28, 2001 Ian O'Riordan Long distance running has never been lonely for Paula Radcliffe. Even with her tortuous style, even with the label of track's perennial loser, those enduring moments of isolation have carved out an unconquerable spirit. For years now that spirit has touched the world of athletics. That image of the Sydney Olympics, or the various scenes from past World Championships. Rarely has an athlete become more admired for excelling rather than winning. Next weekend, when the eighth edition of the World Championships open in Edmonton, the concluding chapter in Radcliffe's track career is set to be written. After almost a decade of silver, fourths and worse, this is most likely the last shot for gold. As of next spring, Radcliffe will be a marathon runner. She is committed to run in London and a big show there is certain to bring tempting offers from other cities. Few athletes have successfully come back to the track after the 26-mile chase, perhaps making these championships the definitive test. Yet the inevitability of defeat still remains. Like Sydney last year, and Seville the previous year, the effort will be total. Radcliffe knows or cares for no other tactic than burning off the opposition with relentless front running, even if that invariably ends in heartbreak. Her exhaustive collapse after being out-kicked for an Olympic medal last year became one of the cruellest tales of the Games. There have been some consolations since then. First a World Half-Marathon title on the roads, and on a rainy Belgium racetrack last March, her greatest achievement so far. The honour of world cross-country champion had been a quest for the nine interim years since winning the junior title, and the relief was obvious. Okay, you get more shots than the Olympics, she said afterwards, doubly satisfied that she had actually clawed back Ethiopia's Gete Wami in the final strides. We do this every year, but it's just as hard to win. This is the Olympics for cross-country. The only surprise there was how she won. Wami looked to have cracked her (again) in the home stretch but Radcliffe fought back, and actually won the sprint. So far, however, her appearances on the track this summer have followed the familiar trend. With the exception of the London Grand Prix last weekend - where she was out on her own - the last lap burn-up was too hot to handle. It will be very interesting to see what Paula does in Edmonton, says Sonia O'Sullivan, so often her rival on the track, road and country. She will have to do something different to last year, obviously. When it comes to the 10,000 metres though, she is always prepared as well as anyone can but in some ways it's not very difficult to do what she did in Sydney last year. By then I had been concentrating on the 5,000 metres and given up training for the longer race but anyone with the strength and endurance work behind them would be quite happy if someone takes the lead and runs 72 seconds for every lap. There's no surprise there. She is faster over 3,000 metres than most people running 10,000 metres. So why run hard for 10,000 when you can run hard for 3,000. I wouldn't be surprised if she ran the same but I think she could try to run differently. With so much of Radcliffe's career falling parallel to O'Sullivan, her allure within Irish athletic circles now runs deep. When O'Sullivan took the World 5,000 metres title in 1995, Radcliffe was fifth. In winning her first World Cross Country title in 1998, Radcliffe was second. Later that summer O'Sullivan's European 10,000 metre title again saw Radcliffe in her shadow. As O'Sullivan sits out the summer through pregnancy, the interest in Radcliffe's 10,000 metre fortunes in Edmonton is even more compelling. Derartu Tulu, the other Ethiopian who conquered in Sydney, will return to the hunt. Wami will also be there to defend her world title. Well you know if you are in a race with her that it's never going to be easy, adds O'Sullivan. Whenever it's just the two of us in the race then it's a pretty good head to head. At this stage no races are easy but she will never just run around. She knows her strength and she's not going to let other people play to their strengths if she's feeling good. Whether Radcliffe can successfully change her approach to racing remains to be seen. It's been embedded now since her youngest years, born out of a desire to get away from the opposition before they get the chance to get at her. At the age 12, as an ambitious schoolgirl from Cheshire, she had her first serious race in the English minor girls cross-country. And she finished 299th. If her parents had any sense they would have bought her a violin. Instead her father Peter taught her how to run downhill at top speed and Alex Stanton began his meticulous coaching. Just six years later, she emerged from the snow flurries of Boston's Franklin Park to win the world junior title, an honour normally
t-and-f: Bucher is the man for the middle
THE IRISH TIMES Saturday, July 28, 2001 Ian O'Riordan From every edition of the IAAF World Championships comes a breakthrough performer who can change the course of an event. Take 1993 in Stuttgart, and the emergence of Haile Gebrselassie. Or 1997 in Athens, and the first sight of Maurice Greene. The name poised to come out of Edmonton is Andre Bucher. For the last two months the Swiss athlete has burned through 800 metre running on the Grand Prix circuit, not just seeing off the best in the world but also clocking the fastest time in nearly two years. Everything indicates that his first major title lies in wait. Just over a week ago, in Monaco, the 800 metre field assembled was not just worthy of its Golden League status but was practically a World Championship test run. Bucher hit the front at halfway and came home unchallenged in one minute 42.90 seconds - a Swiss record. He had done similar in Rome, Lausanne and Paris. Now I have positive pressure for the world championships, he said after Monaco. I'm not worrying about my opponents, though I know they are preparing well too. More than the time here I was happy about the way I ran. At 24, Bucher is no stranger to the world stage. Those close to the event had tipped him as an outsider for the Olympic title last year, and he seemed on course until Italy's Andrea Longo barged him off the track approaching the final bend. With his form rocked, Bucher ended up fifth and Longo was disqualified. Germany's Nils Schumann was the surprise winner. Going into Edmonton, Schumann's form is suspect and the biggest threat, the young Russian Yuriy Borzakovskiy, has turned down selection fearing an early career burn-out. Defending champion Wilson Kipketer of Denmark is more injury-prone than ever, and now that Bucher has perfected his front-running style, the rest of the world will be chasing for silver. Bucher has got two things going for him, says Daniel Caulfield, recent Irish champion who also takes on the 800 metres in Edmonton. The first thing is his strength. He is one of the few 800 metre runners these days where you see a 5,000 metres best also listed. He used to run cross country and steeplechase as well, so he has this great base of strength. The other thing is his 400 metre speed. It's not Borzakovskiy type stuff, but it's relatively quick, somewhere in the low 46 seconds. But the fact that he's done all that distance work is the big thing. When I was looking to improve this winter I realised I was in the same boat, because I've done some 10ks and things like that. At one stage I thought they were all 400 metre runners moved up and the days of Seb Coe were gone, but he's definitely part of the old distance-running school. Caulfield also saw Bucher up close when they met in the European Cup last month, a rare occasion when the field was still assembled on the last lap. The two athletes actually got entangled, but that just revealed another side of Bucher. I tried to pass him at 200 metres to go and he pushed me off the track. But he is a very friendly guy, and that's great to see. He was apologising afterwards but I would have sent myself flying as well. And you hear nothing but praise for him. I was talking to him in Lisbon at the World Indoors and I told him how bad he looked in his heat. And he just laughed. He'd be interested in how you were doing and he's certainly not full of himself. I was happy to see that. In a recent interview in a Swiss magazine he was asked about his experience in last year's Olympic final, and did it bear on his mind. From now on, he said, there would be no more taking chances. The final in Edmonton should roll home in around 1.42. Well I can't see him running it any other way, Caufield says. When he knows he is the class of the field, why would he take a chance on running 1.44 and leaving it for a close finish? He'll run his race and if he gets beaten he can still be a happy man. So I see the gun going off in that final and he's controlling it from then on. That's not an easy thing to do over 800 metres, but right now he is probably the only person who can run a personal best on his own. Now that he's improved his speed over the years, he realises that he can sustain that for two laps because of his strength. It has become a strange sight to see Europeans dominate a middle distance event, but in this case the Kenyans seemed to have burnt themselves out. For a couple of years now they've run the distance at suicidal pace and too often died on the homestretch. Right now all their energies seem to go into the longer distances, which has brought a welcome breath of fresh air to world athletics. Eamonn Condon www.RunnersGoal.com
