African News

26/08/2010 Caster Semenya in the South Africa's Commonwealth Games squad

World champion at 800 m Caster Semenya who clocked her first years sub two minutes in Berlin last Sunday was named in South Africa's Commonwealth Games squad. "I'm very happy to see the return of Caster Semenya to duty for South Africa," said Gideon Sam, president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc), at a news conference to announce to the squad. South African media are informing.

Source : EME NEWS

23/08/2010 1:41.09 800m World record by Rudisha in Berlin

Berlin, Germany - Kenya's David Rudisha broke the World record* in the 800m clocking 1:41.09 at the ISTAF 2010 - IAAF World Challenge - meeting in Berlin on Sunday afternoon (22).

The 21-year-old showing no signs of nerves or tiredness in the closing stages, as he bettered the previous mark of 1:4.11 which Kenyan-born Wilson Kipketer, who went on to represent Denmark, set 13 years ago also on German soil in Cologne.

Pre-race Rudisha made no secret that he planned to attack the meet best performance of 1:42.98 which Brazil's legendary Joaquim Cruz achieved a quarter of a century ago, on 23 August 1985.

Rudisha - ‘I knew it was my day'

But after putting together a perfect first lap where he sat slightly behind fellow Kenyan pacemaker Sammy Tangui qho passed the bell in 48.68sec, Rudisha let rip with every ounce of energy and speed in his body. The former World junior champion went to the front immediately and powering down the backstraight held a lead of 25m from his floundering rivals with 200m remaining.

Rudisha who came into the race as world leader with a time of 1:41.51, didn't falter around the last bend and hitting the home straight maintained his concentration to erase Kipketer's long standing performance.

Rudisha who suffered a shock elimination at the 2009 World Championships, said: "Last year I had a bad time in Berlin. The weather was not very good and I did not make the final. So I did not want to talk too much about the world record before today's race."

"But I knew it is my day," he continued. "I trained very hard, the weather was good. I told the pacemaker to run the first lap under 49 seconds - he did a great job."

"The last 200m I had to push very hard - but I saw the clock 1:41.09 at the end. "Fantastic, I am very happy to be the fastest 800 metres runner in the world."

A Kenyan clean sweep saw Boaz Lalang and Abraham Kiplagat claim the other podium positions with times of 1:44.34 and 1:44.49.

Kipketer expected the World record news

Wilson Kipketer who set the previous World mark of 1:41.11 in Cologne, Germany, on 24 August 1997, "wasn't a bit surprised to hear the news," The three-times World champion is presently in Singapore at the Youth Olympic Games, and commented that, "David has been running well all this year, and even last year, and I thought he could do it one day. In a way it was good to see it broken after so many years."

David Martin for the IAAF

Afria Team for the IAAF Continental Cup, Split 4 and 5 September 2010.

Afria Team for the IAAF Continental Cup, Split 4 and 5 September 2010.
Download the list here

27/07/2010 17th CAA African Athletics Championships

All the news and results of the 7th CAA African Athletics Championships are available on the Championships website:

www.nairobi2010.org

19/07/2010 Jeter, Lagat and Cantwell the standouts in Tangiers

meeting_de_tanger_2010_hicham_el_gerrouj_nawal_el_moutawakel_said_aouita.jpg

Tangiers, Morocco – Carmelita Jeter, Christian Cantwell and Bernard Lagat produced the standout performances at the third edition of the Meeting International Moulay El Hassan in Tangiers on Sunday (18).

Jeter, the current leader in the Samsung Diamond League’s 100m Diamond Race, dominated the100m field in 11.04, well ahead of Jamaican Sherone Simpson who clocked 11.23.
Cantwell, likewise the Diamond Race leader in the Shot Put, again beat back all challengers with a 21.43m best, well ahead of his American compatriots Reese Hoffa (20.83) and Dan Taylor (20.51m). It was Cantwell’s 17th victory in as many competitions this year, extending his victory streak to 19.

The main event of the day was the men’s 1500m, an event in which meeting Director Hicham El Guerrouj has held the World record since 1998. Bernard Lagat, a long-time on track rival of El Guerrouj and friend off the track, won here for the second time in 3:36.79 ahead of South African Juan van Deventer (3:37.04) and former World junior champion Yassine Bensghir of Morocco, who reached the line in 3:37.33.

Anna Mishchenko of Ukraine spoiled a Moroccan parade in the women’s metric mile, winning in 4:11.10 over freshly-minted national record holder Ibtisam Lakhouad (4:11.42) who led three others Moroccan’s across the finish line.

Kenyan Olympian Boaz Lalang won the men's 800 in 1:44.92, just ahead of American miler Leo Manzao, who clocked 1:45.17. The women’s 800m was fiercely contested. Jamaican Kenia Sinclair took the win in 2:01.57, ahead of Rome winner Halima Hachlaf (2:01.64).

Anas Selmouni did a produce thrilling victory for Morocco in the 3000m. Selmouni out-dueled Kenyan Remmy Limo to take the win in 7:39.01 to 7:39.23.

Jamaican Mario Forsythe took home the short dash double winning the 100m in 10.18 and the 200m in 20.94. American Ryah Wilson, just two days after his runner-up finish behind David Oliver in Paris, won the 100m Hurdles in 13.48.

American Lacy Janson set a meet record in the women’s Pole Vault with her 4.50m winning clearance. Cuban Yarelis Barrios won the women’s Discus Throw with a 62.95m best ahead of American Aretha Thurmond (59.26m).

Among the dignitaries in attendance were IAAF Council Member Nawal El Moutawakel, International Olympic Committee Vice President Thomas Bach, and the President of the African Athletics Confederation Hamad Kalkaba Malboum.

Mohammed Benchrif for the IAAF

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