Last Update · December 27, 2007 ·








CLIP FILE




How can the TRACK PROFILE NEWS SERVICE help you?

Below is just a partial listing of recently published clips, images and dispatches produced by the Track Profile News Service. Check for a listing of upcoming events on Track Profile's coverage schedule or contact Bob Ramsak at bob [at] trackprofile.com to discuss your upcoming coverage needs.

| 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 - previous |

05-Dec
TPR #716 – Shaheen, Isinbayeva to Bring Longest Win Streaks to 2008
When they begin their 2008 campaigns with Beijing glory as their focus, five top international athletes will also put win streaks of at least 15 competitions on the line. Topping the list is two-time World Steeplechase champion Saif Saaeed Shaheen and Pole Vault star Yelena Isinbayeva. More in TPR #716 and for the IAAF...

 05-Dec
TPR #715 – Defar, Kluft Boston-Bound
Meseret Defar and Carolina Kluft, two of the biggest female names in the sport, will be among the headliners at the 13th Reebok Boston Indoor Games on Jan. 26, organizers announced. More in TPR #715...

 26-Nov
For Defar and Gay, Near Perfection in 2007
MONTE CARLO, Monaco -- With their displays of nearly unrivaled speed and endurance, American sprinter Tyson Gay and Ethiopian Olympic champion Meseret Defar confirmed that their generation remains the sport’s driving force after earning the World Athlete of the Year Awards for 2007. More for the IAAF...

 25-Nov
TPR #714 – Gay, Defar Named Athletes of the Year
MONTE CARLO, Monaco -- Tyson Gay and Meseret Defar were named the World Athletes of the Year for 2006 at the World Athletics Gala held in Monte Carlo, tonight. More in TPR #714 and for Reuters...

 23-Nov
TPR #713 – IAAF Annuls all Jones Results from September 2000
MONTE CARLO, Monaco -– 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. More in TPR #713 and for Reuters...

 20-Nov
TPR #712 – Ceplak Edges Closer to Doping Ban
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia -- Olympic 800m bronze medallist Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia edged closer to a two-year doping ban today after the nation’s athletics federation rejected any doubts about the validity of the athlete’s positive test for EPO last June. More in TPR #712 and for Reuters...

 20-Nov
TPR #711 – Gay, Felix Named US Athletes of the Year
World champions Tyson Gay and Allyson Felix were named winners of the 2007 Jesse Owens Award, the annual honor naming the athletes of the year by USA Track & Field. More in TPR #711...

 10-Nov
Kozmus named Slovenia's athlete of the year
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia -- Primoz Kozmus, the World Championships silver medallist in the Hammer Throw, was named Slovenia's Athlete of the Year for 2007 at a ceremony in Ljubljana on Saturday. More for the IAAF...

 12-14-Oct
* Coverage from the 2nd IAAF World Road Running Championships
UDINE, Italy –- A sampling of TPR's coverage from Udine that is available on the world wide web.
  • 14-Oct
    Kiplagat breaks world half-marathon record
    UDINE, Italy -- Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands broke the world women's half-marathon record on Sunday when she clocked one hour six minutes 25 seconds in a largely solo run at the world road running championships. More for Reuters...
  • 14-Oct
    Tadese successfully defends in Udine – Men's Race Report
    UDINE, Italy -- Kicking from a tight four man pack in the 57th minute, Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea successfully defended his title at the 2nd IAAF World Road Running Championships in Udine, Italy, today. More for the IAAF...
  • 13-Oct
    IAAF investigating sanctions against Jones
    UDINE, Italy -- The world governing athletics body is investigating what sanctions it can take against former triple Olympic champion Marion Jones after she admitted taking steroids before the 2000 Sydney Games. More for Reuters...
  • 13-Oct
    TPR #709 – On eve of Title Defense, Kiplagat in “Right Mood” in Udine
    UDINE, Italy –- When she sets out to defend her World Road Running title on Sunday, Lornah Kiplagat will be also be aiming to join some fine company.
    Counting the now discontinued World Half Marathon Championships, only Kenyan Tegla Loroupe and Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe, both three-time winners, have managed to defend their road running titles. And the Kenyan-born Dutchwoman, all around one of the finest road runners ever, is optimistic about joining that illustrious pair. More in TPR #709...
  • 13-Oct
    TPR #708 – Tadesse, Wanjiru Cautiously Optimistic In Udine
    UDINE, Italy –- When the gun sounds the start of Sunday morning’s men’s race at the 2nd IAAF World Road Running Championships, it will also set off one of the finest road battles of the fall. But the chief protagonists, defending champion Zersenay Tadesse and world half marathon record holder Samuel Wanjiru, don’t necessarily view it as a two-horse race. More in TPR #708...
  • 13-Oct
    TPR #707 – IAAF Investigations into Jones Sanctions Ongoing
    UDINE, Italy – IAAF General Secretary Pierre Weiss confirmed today that the sport’s world governing body is investigating what sort of sanctions to impose against disgraced American sprinter Marion Jones. More in TPR #707...
  • 12-Oct
    Men’s Race PREVIEW - IAAF World Road Running Championships
    UDINE, Italy -- When the guns signals the start of the men’s race at the 2nd IAAF World Road Running Championships at 1030hrs (GMT +2hrs) in Udine on Sunday morning, 14 October, it will also launch one of the most anticipated road running battles of the year: defending champion Zersenay Tadesse vs. World record holder Sammy Wanjiru over the Half Marathon distance. More for the IAAF...
03-Oct
TPR #706 – Radcliffe Chooses New York for Marathon Return
After more than two years away from the marathon, world record holder Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain will return at the ING New York City Marathon 2007 on Sunday, November 4. More in TPR #706...

 30-Sep
TPR #704 – 2:04:26 World Record for Gebrselassie in Berlin
Running in near ideal conditions, Haile Gebrselassie shattered the World record in the marathon, clocking 2:04:26 at the real,-Berlin Marathon today.
Defending his Berlin title, the 34-year-old Ethiopian knocked 29 seconds from the preview record, 2:04:55, set by Kenyan Paul Tergat over the same course in 2003. More in TPR #704...

 29-Sep
TPR #703 – No Decision in Ceplak EPO Case, Hearing to Continue
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia – The doping hearing of Slovenia’s Olympic 800m bronze medallist Jolanda Ceplak will be extended after the national athletics federation was unable to reach a decision at the runner’s hearing today. More in TPR #703...

 29-Sep
TPR #702 – With Cautious Optimism, Gebrselassie Ready for Another WR Attempt in Berlin
During a largely solo run a year ago at the real,-Berlin Marathon, Haile Gebrselassie challenged Paul Tergat’s world record for just over 35 kilometers. But with the winds battering and temperatures rising over the final few kilometer, he was reminded again how truly challenging Tergat’s performance is to surpass. Building upon that experience, Gebreselassie will be giving the record another go on Sunday morning over the streets of the German capital. More in TPR #702...

 27-Sep
Kiplagat to defend World Road Running title in Udine
Back to full fitness, Lornah Kiplagat will defend her title at the IAAF World Road Running Championships in Udine, Italy on 14 October 2007.
A calf injury sustained in May sidelined the 33-year-old Dutchwoman from the IAAF World Championships in Osaka last month, where she had hoped to compete in the 10,000m. More for the IAAF...


17-23-Sep
* Coverage from the IAAF World Athletics Final
UDINE, Italy –- A sampling of TPR's coverage from Stuttgart that is available on the world wide web.
  • 23-Sep
    In 19.89 seconds, Ndure blasts to the forefront
    STUTTGART, Germany -- One year ago, Tyson Gay capped his breakout season with a stellar 19.68 victory at the World Athletics Final. This year, Stuttgart may have witnessed the birth of another sprint star, Norwegian Jaysuma Saidy Ndure. More for the IAAF...
  • 22-Sep
    Powell on his 9.83 – ‘It was one of the best’
    STUTTGART, Germany -- Asafa Powell has developed a knack for making even some of the most sensational performances in history seem almost routine. More for the IAAF...
  • 17-21-Sep
    World Athletics Final Previews
    STUTTGART, Germany -- TPR produced event group previews for the IAAF. | Sprints | Middle & Long Distance | Hurdles | Jumps | Throws |...


16-Sep
Richards and Isinbayeva - the golden girls Jackpot road to Berlin
BERLIN, Germany -- When the Golden League series kicked off at Oslo’s MobilBislett Games in early June, among the prohibitive favourites to go the distance in the six-meeting series were Russian Pole Vault star Yelena Isinbayeva and American 400m record holder Sanya Richards. And in the end the two delivered by adding yet another stellar season to their young but already stellar careers. More for the IAAF...

 16-Sep
TPR #695 – Richards, Isinbayeva Split $1 Million Golden League Jackpot - Berlin Report
BERLIN -- Sanya Richards and Yelena Isinbayeva each won a $500,000 share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot after their respective victories at the ISTAF meeting in Berlin today, the final meet of the six-meet Golden League series.
In front of a near-capacity crowd of 70,000 --the third consecutive announced Golden League sell-out – Richards yet again crushed all opposition en route to a 49.27 dash, another world-leading performance for the 22-year-old American. More in TPR #695...

 14-Sep
TPR #693 – Defar Smashes 2 Mile World Best, Richards, Isinbayeva Stay Alive in Jackpot Chase – Brussels Report
BRUSSELS – 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. More in TPR #693...

 14-Sep
Bekele’s challenger Masai – “Now, I do not fear anybody”
BRUSSELS, Belgium -– During tonight's 10,000m at the Memorial Van Damme - IAAF Golden League meeting, when he reached the midway point in just under 13:14, Kenenisa Bekele realised that his World record would survive for yet another day. Tiring rapidly with five laps to go, he looked at the stadium screen and saw that he had a fierce race on his hands to keep his unbeaten streak in the event, dating back to June 2003, intact. More for the IAAF...

 13-Sep
Campbell set to begin new role, that of World champion in Brussels
BRUSSELS, Belgium -– When she lines up for the start of the 100 metres Friday night at the Memorial Van Damme - IAAF Golden League, Veronica Campbell’s introduction will include a superlative she’s yet to hear prior to the start of a race: that of World champion. More for the IAAF...

 12-Sep
Wariner set for Return in Berlin
Four of the men who chased Jeremy Wariner in Osaka will give it another try when the two-time World champion returns to the track at the DKB-ISTAF Meeting in Berlin, the final leg of the six-meeting IAAF Golden League Series on Sunday. More for the IAAF...

 11-Sep
Robles Improves to 13.05 in Linz
LINZ, Austria –- Defying the cool, rainy and windy conditions in northern Austria, Dayron Robles blasted to a sensational 13.05 victory in the 110m Hurdles to highlight the 20th Anniversary edition of the Intersport Gugl-Meeting. More for the IAAF...

 10-Sep
Savigne, Spotakova among the headliners in Linz
LINZ, Austria –- Two freshly-minted World champions and a solid slate of compelling head-to-head competition are on tap when the Gugl-Meeting in Linz celebrates its 20th anniversary on Tuesday evening. More for the IAAF...

 09-Sep
TPR #689 – 9.74 World Record by Powell in Rieti
Asafa Powell broke the world record for 100 meters today, clocking 9.74 seconds in Rieti, Italy.
Powell, 24, eclipsed the 9.77 mark he produced on three occasions, and a record he shared with Olympic champion Justin Gatlin. More in TPR #689...

 07-Sep
Kallur turns the tables in Zürich
ZURICH, Switzerland - Despite a career best performance of 12.51, Susanna Kallur finished just out of the medals after a hotly contested race at the World Championships, but nine days later turned the tables on the three women who beat her to the line in Osaka. More for the IAAF...

 07-Sep
Richards, Ohuruogu relishing Zurich clash
ZURICH, Switzerland - Just over a year ago, the Weltklasse Zürich meeting was seen as but a stepping stone for Sanya Richards’ inevitable six-for-six record in IAAF Golden League competition. She went on to capture a slice of the $1 million Jackpot, and ended the season as World Athlete of the Year and a clear favourite for gold at the World Championships in Osaka. More for the IAAF...

 07-Sep
TPR #688 – Despite Unprecedented World Double, Some Unfinished Business for Lagat
ZURICH -- Bernard Lagat readily admits that the physical and psychological efforts of his five race visit to Osaka, and an unprecedented 1500/5000m double, have taken their toll. That doesn’t mean though, that the 32-year-old still doesn’t have a few goals remaining for this season. More in TPR #688...

 06-Sep
TPR #687 – Nixing Pacemakers and Increasing Prize pot, Zurich Introduces new one-day Meet Approach - Weltklasse Distance Preview
ZURICH -- When the IAAF Golden Series resumes on Friday night, Zurich’s rebuilt state-of-the-art Letzigrund Stadium won’t be the only new development at one of the world’s richest single-day meetings. For the first time in the sport’s professional era, the annual Weltklasse competition will not employ the services of pacemakers. More in TPR #687...

 06-Sep
TPR #685 – Vlasic Joins Isinbayeva in World Record Chase
ZURICH – While Yelena Isinbayeva has become accustomed to world record speculation each time she enters a competition, the same may soon be true for Blanka Vlasic, the recently crowned world high jump champion. More in TPR #685...

 06-Sep
TPR #684 - 'Sore' and 'Fatigued', no Promises from Gay in Zurich
ZURICH -- Arriving on the heels of his triple gold medal-winning performance at the World Championships in Osaka, Tyson Gay made no promises of a world record performance when the Golden League series resumes on Friday at the Weltklasse here in Zurich. More in TPR #684...

 04-Sep
Perry, Isinbayeva and Richards resume the chase for Golden League Jackpot in Zurich
After their successful World title defences in Osaka, Pole Vault Queen Yelena Isinbayeva and American 100m hurdler Michelle Perry resume their chase for the $1 million IAAF Golden League Jackpot when the six-meeting series resumes at Zurich's Weltklasse on Friday, 7 September. More for the IAAF...

 04-Sep
Perry, Isinbayeva and Richards resume the chase for Golden League Jackpot in Zurich
After their successful World title defences in Osaka, Pole Vault Queen Yelena Isinbayeva and American 100m hurdler Michelle Perry resume their chase for the $1 million IAAF Golden League Jackpot when the six-meeting series resumes at Zurich's Weltklasse on Friday, 7 September. More for the IAAF...

 03-Sep
Gay, Lagat lead parade of Osaka champions in Zurich
Americans Tyson Gay and Bernard Lagat, who joined illustrious company in Osaka last week with their thrilling double victories, are just two of the world's biggest stars who will return to action when the athletics spotlight returns to the IAAF Golden League at Zurich's Weltklasse on Friday, 7 September. More for the IAAF...

 30-Aug
Bekele's sights on 10,000m World record in Brussels
Hot on the heels of his third consecutive 10,000m title, Kenenisa Bekele will return to the Van Damme Memorial, the fourth stop on the six-meet IAAF Golden League 2007, on Friday 14 September for an assault on the World record he set on that same track in 2005. More for the IAAF...

 14-Aug-03-Sep
* Coverage from the 11th IAAF World Championships
OSAKA, Japan –- TPR primarily assisted the IAAF with editing from Osaka, where we provided near 24 hour coverage from the World Championships. Below is a sampling of TPR's other coverage from Osaka that is available on the world wide web.
  • 03-Sep
    Late burst gives Yego 800 title
    OSAKA, Japan-- After pulling out all the stops to eke out the narrowest 800-meter victory ever at the IAAF world championships, Alfred Kirwa Yego can be forgiven for some of the big talk that emanated from his tiny frame. More for the Daily Yomiuri...
  • 02-Sep
    U.S. women beat Campbell & Co.
    OSAKA, Japan-- Before the race, the women's 4x100-meter relay was considered too close to call. And in the end it nearly was. More for the Daily Yomiuri...
  • 01-Sep
    Bungei has tools to win title
    OSAKA, Japan -- Year in and year out, Wilfred Bungei can be counted on to produce one--or more--of the season's fastest 800-meter performances. Now the 27-year-old Kenyan just may have the recipe to take his first major global title. More for the Daily Yomiuri...
  • 31-Aug
    Kamel hopes to emulate dad in 800
    OSAKA, Japan -- They may no longer officially share the same family name, but the resemblance, both on and off the track, is uncanny.
    Youssef Saad Kamel, the winner of the last of six opening round heats of the men's 800 meters, is the former Kenyan, Gregory Konchellah. His father, Billy, was the event's world champion in 1987 and 1991, the first of only two men to ever capture more than one title over the grueling two-lap race. More for the Daily Yomiuri...
  • 31-Aug
    Smith - Dutch double trouble
    OSAKA, Japan – When he claimed the bronze medal in the Discus Throw on Tuesday night, Rutger Smith didn’t only win the first Dutch medal of these championships. Smith achieved another first of a more global scale: he became the first athlete to capture World Championship medals in both the Shot Put and Discus Throw. More for the IAAF...
  • 30-Aug
    Hot Defar step ahead of 5,000 pack
    OSAKA, Japan -- Going through the motions. That's about the best way to describe Olympic champion Meseret Defar's journey to the 5,000 meters final at the IAAF world championships. More for the Daily Yomiuri...
  • 29-Aug
    Giants step up for 400 hurdles showdown
    OSAKA, Japan -- While reigning Olympic champion Fani Halkia may have bowed out a bit earlier than she had hoped, Thursday evening's final of the women's 400-meter hurdles will nonetheless host one of the largest gatherings of giants at these IAAF world championships. More for the Daily Yomiuri...
  • 28-Aug
    Lagat, Webb move on to final
    OSAKA, Japan -- A pair of American medal contenders--Bernard Lagat, the field's most experienced, and Alan Webb, the year's fastest--moved on to Wednesday evening's final in the 1,500 meters, but the pair's passage, like their respective semifinal races, couldn't have been more different.
    In the first of two semifinals--a sluggish, tactical, and downright brutal affair--there was the Kenyan-born Lagat, running in his first World Championship for his adopted United States, after spending much of his career chasing the shadow of all-time great Hicham El Guerrouj.
    In the second was Webb, the darling of U.S. miling since taking down the event's national high school record in 2001, one that had stood for a quarter of a century. More for the Daily Yomiuri...
  • 24-Aug
    Despite recent indicators, Wariner taking nothing for granted
    OSAKA, Japan -– Three weeks ago at Stockholm’s DN Galan, World and Olympic 400m champion Jeremy Wariner sped to a 43.50 performance to become the third fastest man ever. More recently, he produced training times faster than those of Michael Johnson in the World record holder’s lead up to his legendary 43.18 dash at the 1999 World Championships in Seville. More for the IAAF...
  • 24-Aug
    Now comfortable with technical overhaul, Isinbayeva says she’s ‘unbeatable’
    OSAKA, Japan -– Yelena Isinbayeva didn’t mince words today when asked if she could be beaten in her upcoming defence of her World title in the Pole Vault. More for the IAAF...
  • 24-Aug
    New kid on the block’ Atkins not intimidated
    Derrick Atkins readily admits that he’s the ‘new kid on the block’ in the men’s 100m, but he also believes that his newcomer status shouldn’t keep him from playing a leading role as the battle for the title of world’s fastest man commences on Saturday. More for the IAAF...
  • 23-Aug
    Double ambitions: Gay, Campbell upbeat as chase for first World titles begins
    When competition in the 100 metres gets underway this weekend, it will signal the beginning of a very busy championships for Tyson Gay and Veronica Campbell. In their lead-up to Osaka, both cruised to impressive double dash victories at the U.S. and Jamaican championships, respectively, and both will set out to repeat those triumphs on the global stage this weekend. More for the IAAF...
  • 23-Aug
    On eve of title defence, Klüft refuses favourite’s role – ‘Anything can happen’
    Few athletes now arriving in Osaka are as heavily favoured to capture gold than two-time Heptathlon champion Carolina Klüft. But the 24-year-old Swede, who on Saturday begins her quest for an unprecedented third world title, refuses to see it that way. More for the IAAF...
  • 23-Aug
    TPR #680 - IAAF Reiterates Support for Four-Year Doping Ban, Coe, Bubka Elected VPs
    OSAKA -- The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), track & field's international governing body, reiterated its support for a four-year penalty for first time serious doping infractions. More in TPR #680...
  • 14-20-Aug
    World Championships Previews
    STUTTGART, Germany -- TPR produced event group previews for the IAAF. | Sprints | Middle Distance | Long Distances | Roads | Hurdles | Jumps | Throws | Combined Events |...


09-Aug
TPR #675 - Another Superlative Looms for Osaka-Bound Ottey
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia -- As soon as she steps to the track for the opening round of the 100m on Sunday, August 26, Merlene Ottey will, yet again be making history. At 47, the Jamaican-born Slovenian sprinter will become the oldest female competitor ever at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, after being named to the Slovenian squad for Osaka. It will be her eighth appearance at the global championships. More in TPR #675...

 07-Aug
TPR #674 - Wariner, Vlasic move up to No. 3 All-Time in Stockholm
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. More in TPR #674...

 03-Aug
TPR #673 - Hoffa Reaches 22.43 (73-7.25) in London
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. More in TPR #673...

 03-Aug
TPR #672 - IAAF Announces Largest Drug Testing Program Ever for Osaka
The world championships in Osaka later this month will be subject to the largest anti-doping program ever, track & field's international governing body announced today. More in TPR #672...

 31-Jul
Double win for Osovnikar, Ottey yet to rule out Osaka - Slovenian national championships
A sprint double by Matic Osovnikar was the chief highlight of the Slovenian national championships held over the weekend (28-29) in the western border town of Nova Gorica. More for the IAAF...

 27-Jul
TPR #671 - Ceplak, Provisionally Suspended, Denies Doping Charge
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia -- Olympic 800m bronze medallist Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia has vehemently denied charges of doping following the announcement on Thursday that she tested positive for the banned blood booster EPO. More in TPR #671...

 18-Jul
TPR #670 - IAAF Expresses ‘Disappointment’over Veneva, Stambolova Doping Clearance, Appeal Likely
The IAAF expressed disappointment today with the Bulgarian Athletics Federation’s decision to clear star athletes Venelina Veneva and Vanya Stambolova on doping charges.
Both Veneva, the silver medallist at last year’s European championships, and Stambolova, the European 400m champion, tested positive for “testosterone or its precursors” in an out-of-competition test conducted in Budapest on January 24. Veneva also provided a further positive sample from an out-of-competition test nine days later. More in TPR #670...

 12-Jul
Rome pre-meet press conference highlights – IAAF Golden League
ROME, Italy -- The main pre-meet press conference for tomorrow’s ‘Golden Gala Kinder+Sport’, the third stop on the six-meet IAAF Golden League 2007, was held today at the Sheraton Roma. More for the IAAF...

 11-Jul
TPR #667 - Poster Girl Perry Comes Through in Lausanne
ROME -- After her narrow 12.60 victory at yesterday's Athletissima Grand Prix, Michelle Perry gave a brief deconstruction of her current race form, one which nearly mirrored the race.
"I've been doing the run-in well and the end well," said the reigning world champion in the 100m hurdles, "but the middle has kind of been shaky this year." More in TPR #667...

 11-Jul
TPR #666 - Gay Getting Accustomed to Attention
LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Soon after his dominating 19.78 victory in Lausanne last night, Tyson Gay found himself answering lots of questions about his knees. When asked of one of the fastest humans in history, the topic is one of general interest but Gay, who last season emerged as the world's latest sprint star, isn't yet accustomed to such probing. More in TPR #666...

 10-Jul
TPR #665 - Gay Blasts Through the Lausanne Chill with 19.78 Win – Athletissima Report
LAUSANNE – Running in temperatures that dipped below 50 degrees F (9 C.), Tyson Gay made his 2007 European debut a notable one with a dominating 19.78 victory in the 200 at the Athletissima Super Grand Prix in Lausanne tonight. More in TPR #665...

 10-Jul
TPR #664 - Shaheen to Miss World Championships
LAUSANNE -- Injury will force Saif Saaeed Shaheen, the two-time defending world champion in the 3000m steeplechase, from retaining his title at next month's IAAF World Championships in Osaka. More in TPR #664...

 08-Jul
Skujyte - 6337pts in Slovenia
Lithuania's reigning Olympic silver medallist Austra Skujyte was the runaway winner in the Heptathlon at the European Cup Second League multi-events competition in Maribor, Slovenia over the weekend (8-9). More for the IAAF...

 06-Jul
For Webb, Paris is 'biggest career win'
PARIS -- Ever since his high school days as an emerging world class miler, when he single-handedly put track and field on the front pages of American newspapers, Alan Webb has become accustomed to creating headlines. At the Meeting Gaz de France Paris St. Denis this evening, Webb did it again when he brilliantly ran away with what was to be the Golden League showcase for French record holder Mehdi Baala. More for the IAAF...

 05-Jul
Lagat relishing Baala's home court advantage
PARIS -- There’s little doubt that the most eagerly anticipated race on the agenda for tomorrow night’s Meeting Gaz de France Paris Saint-Denis, the second of six fixtures which make up the IAAF Golden League 2007, will be the men’s 1500m. With French record holder and current world leader Mehdi Baala toeing the line, the collective gaze of an expected 60,000 fans at the French capital's Stade de France will be fixed solely on the French star. More for the IAAF...

 04-Jul
Lysenko, Saladino beat the conditions in Zagreb
ZAGREB, Croatia -– Despite the endless rains that drenched the Croatian capital throughout the day, Tatyana Lysenko and Irving Saladino keenly illustrated why they are their respective events biggest stars at the 57th edition of the Hanzekovic Memorial on Wednesday. More for the IAAF...

 03-Jul
Zagreb set to welcome Lysenko and home heroine Vlasic
ZAGREB, Croatia -– Compelling battles in the women's Hammer Throw and a local heroine’s appearance in the High Jump are but a few of the expected highlights in the Croatian capital for the 57th edition of the Hanzekovic Memorial on Wednesday. More for the IAAF...

 30-June
Baala, Tahri geared up for battle at Stade de France
Training partners Mehdi Baala and Bouabdellah Tahri, France's brightest middle distance stars, will be aiming to steal the spotlight at the Meeting Gaz de France Paris Saint-Denis on 6 July, the second leg of the IAAF Golden League 2007. More for the IAAF...

 30-June
21.09 Victory for Cantwell in Aarhus
World leader Christian Cantwell topped local favourite Joachim Olsen and Dan Taylor in the men's Shot Put, the feature event at the Aarhus Games on Friday. More for the IAAF...

 29-June
TPR #658 - Mottram Ready to Tackle Role of 'The Chased'
OSTRAVA, CZECH REPUBLIC -- By all indications, Craig Mottram passed the first major 5000m test of the summer with flying colors. The 27-year-old Australian out-maneuvered and ultimately out-kicked the finest field assembled yet this season to take a significant 13:04.97 victory at the 46th running of the Golden Spike Meeting on Wednesday night, a major stepping stone on this year’s road to the World Championships in Osaka.
“It’s great to be able to compete against that field, which is pretty much what I’m going to face at the World Championships, barring a few people who didn’t run tonight,” said, Mottram, the reigning world bronze medallist. More in TPR #658...

 29-June
Bispo, Kozmus and Kiplagat impress in Velenje
VELENJE, SLOVENIA -- Brazilian long jumper Rogerio Bispo and Slovenian hammer thrower Primoz Kozmus provided the chief highlights at the 12th MinersFest EAA meeting in the northern city of Velenje on Thursday (28), the fifth stop on the Slovenia International Grand Prix. More for the IAAF...

 28-June
Ostrava ready to welcome the World Youth Championships
OSTRAVA, CZECH REPUBLIC -- With just 13 days to go before the start of the 5th IAAF World Youth Championships, this sprawling eastern Czech city of 300,000 is already anxiously awaiting to welcome the sport’s future stars.
While best known in recent years for its annual Golden Spike Grand Prix meeting, where last night legendary Haile Gebrselassie set the one hour World record in front of a capacity crowd, Ostrava has a rich athletics history dating back to the glory days of Olympic legend Emil Zatopek. More for the IAAF...

 27-June
TPR #656 - Gebrselassie’s Legend Grows with One Hour World Record in Ostrava
OSTRAVA, CZECH REPUBLIC -- Despite his recent career shift to the roads, Haile Gebrselassie illustrated quite clearly that he’s still very much at home on the track after breaking the World record in the One Hour Run at the 46th Golden Spike Grand Prix in Ostrava tonight.
Running before a near capacity crowd at Mestsky Stadium, the legendary Ethiopian covered 21,285 metres over the course of 60 minutes to break the previous best, 21,101m, set by Mexican Arturo Barrios in La Fléche, France, on 30 March 1991. More in TPR #656 and for the IAAF...

 26-June
Ostrava ready to welcome the World Youth Championships
OSTRAVA, CZECH REPUBLIC -- Tatyana Lysenko underscored her peerless early season form with a dominating Hammer Throw victory at the Golden Spike Grand Prix - IAAF World Athletics Tour 2007 - in Ostrava.
The 23-year-old Russian wasted little time to seal her eighth victory in 10 outings this season. With her opening round 77.32 throw, the reigning European champion immediately illustrated that her 78.61 World record set exactly one month ago remains under constant attack. Hardly satisfied, she improved to 77.71 in the second round, the third farthest throw in history. More for the IAAF...

 26-June
TPR #655 - Defar, Haile, Isinbayeva and More - Ostrava Preview
OSTRAVA, CZECH REPUBLIC -- With an impressive slate of Olympic, World and continental champions and a handful of World record assaults, the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2007 resumes with a bang on Wednesday at the 46th edition of the Golden Spike in Ostrava. More in TPR #655 and for the IAAF...

 23-June
TPR #654 - 9.84 World Lead for Gay at Day 2 of US Championships
Whether the soft-spoken sprinter intended to or not, Tyson Gay sent a strong signal to world record holder Asafa Powell yesterday on the second day of the AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis. The 24-year-old crushed the field en route to a 9.84 victory, the fastest in the world this year while equalling his career best set in Zurich last year. More in TPR #654...

 22-June
TPR #653 - 91.29 [299-6] U.S. Javelin record for Greer in Indianapolis, 9.98 for Gay in Opening Round
The AT&T USA Outdoor Championships got off with a bang in Indianapolis yesterday when Breaux Greer extended his own national record in the javelin throw to 91.29m [299-6].
"I didn't hit it hard but I hit it clean," said Greer, whose massive effort eclipsed the 90.71 [297-7] mark he set at last month's adidas Track Classic in Carson, Calif. It was the fourth national record for the 30-year-old, and the performance extended his own 2007 world lead in the event. More in TPR #653...

 21-June
World leaders Lysenko, Vlasic set for Zagreb
Tatyana Lysenko, the World record holder in Hammer Throw, and Croatia’s biggest star, high jumper Blanka Vlasic, are just a few of the stars to be confirmed for the Hanzekovic Memorial, a Grand Prix status meeting as part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2007, which takes place on 4 July in the Croatian capital. More for the IAAF...

 15-June
TPR #652 - 14:16.63 World Record for Defar as Golden League Kicks Off in Oslo
OSLO – Running in still and near perfect conditions, Meseret Defar smashed the world record in the 5000 meters to highlight the ExxonMobil Bislett Games in Oslo.
“No, I had no doubts,” the reigning Olympic champion said after knocking nearly eight seconds from her own world mark with a phenomenal 14:16.63 run. More in TPR #652...

 15-June
Defar: 'I had no doubts'
OSLO -- About two-thirds of the way through her World record-breaking run at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games - IAAF Golden League 2007 - Meseret Defar knew that she truly was on the road to something special. In fact, she said, she was feeling so good on this still, nearly perfect evening that there was absolutely no uncertainty in her mind that she would break her own World record in the 5000 meters. More for the IAAF...

 14-June
TPR #651 - With Momentum on his Side, Mottram Relishes Dream Mile Opportunity
OSLO -- Despite his oft-displayed humour, cheeky irreverence and laid back attitude, Craig Mottram has nothing but the utmost respect for tomorrow’s Dream Mile, the meet-capping signature event of the ExxonMobil Bislett Games, which is the start of the IAAF Golden League 2007. More in TPR #651 and for the IAAF...

 08-12-June
IAAF Golden League Series Previews
The six-meet IAAF Golden League, in which athletes will begin their quest for a slice of the $1 million jackpot, begins in Oslo on Friday, June 15. Below are some preview produced by TPR for the IAAF, track & field's international governing body:
  • Sprints -- Nine months after completing their unbeaten 2006 Golden League campaigns, last year’s World Athletes of the Year Asafa Powell and Sanya Richards will be back for more when the IAAF Golden League 2007 kicks off at Oslo’s ExxonMobil Bislett Games on Friday 15 June. [More]..
  • Jumps and Vault –- In her relatively short but overwhelmingly dominating career at the top of the women’s Pole Vault, Yelena Isinbayeva has won every conceivable major honour available to her. This year she’ll be out to collect yet another: the IAAF Golden League Jackpot. [More]..
  • Hurdles –- It hasn’t taken Dayron Robles very long to join the ranks of the global high hurdling elite. Still just 20, the young Cuban is already rubbing elbows with and challenging Olympic champion and World record holder Lui Xiang, and this season, he’s out to join the chase for the IAAF Golden League Jackpot chase for 2007. [More]..
  • Men’s 1500m –- A year after his formal retirement from the sport, the search is still on for the successor to the 1500m throne vacated by World record holder Hicham El Guerrouj. And while the Moroccan's legendary stature still appears secure, a slew of would-be contenders to that throne will resume the daunting task when the gun sounds the start of the fabled Dream Mile in Oslo 15 June when the six meeting IAAF Golden League 2007 kicks off at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games. [More]..
  • Men's Javelin Throw -- When the IAAF Golden League 2007 kicks off at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games in one week's time at Oslo's Bislett Stadium, there's little doubt as to who will be taking centre stage, certainly as far as the crowd in the Norwegian capital is concerned: reigning Olympic and European Javelin Throw champion Andreas Thorkildsen. [More]..



05-June
'Comeback' Taylor is faster than ever
Among the many surprises that this athletics spring has already sprung has been the “comeback” of Angelo Taylor. Undefeated in seven races this outdoor season in both the flat 400 and the 400m Hurdles, the 28-year-old American has gradually reemerged from the relative obscurity his career had fallen into in recent years to become, at least for now, a global force in both events. More for the IAAF...

 04-June
Triple Jump breakthrough - 14.92 for Sestak in Ljubljana
LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA -- Marija Sestak produced a breakthrough 14.92 national record leap in the Triple Jump to highlight the Matic Sustersic and Patrik Svetan Memorial in Ljubljana, Slovenia (3 June), the third stop on the ten-meeting Slovenia International Grand Prix. More for the IAAF...

 29-May
Powell returns with 9.97 world lead – Belgrade report
BELGRADE, SERBIA -- World 100m record holder Asafa Powell made his eagerly anticipated 2007 debut a notable one, running a world leading 9.97 in the 100m to highlight the second Artur Takac Memorial in the Serbian capital, tonight.
“What a relief,” said Powell, whose season opener had been postponed by more than a month due to tendonitis of the knee. “I’m really happy to get it over with. I’m happy with it and am looking forward to bigger things.” More for the IAAF...

 28-May
Powell ready for 2007 debut - Takac Memorial Preview
BELGRADE, SERBIA -- The focus of the athletics world turns to Belgrade on Tuesday where 2006 World Athlete of the Year Asafa Powell will finally be making his eagerly-anticipated 2007 debut at the Artur Takac Memorial in the Serbian capital.
“I'm very excited because this is my first race but I can't tell you precisely what I would expect to run,” Powell said. “I guess everyone is eagerly waiting to see what Asafa Powell can give them. I'm aiming to see what I can offer them.” More for the IAAF...

 28-May
Powell ready for 2007 debut - Takac Memorial Preview
BELGRADE, SERBIA -- The focus of the athletics world turns to Belgrade on Tuesday where 2006 World Athlete of the Year Asafa Powell will finally be making his eagerly-anticipated 2007 debut at the Artur Takac Memorial in the Serbian capital.
“I'm very excited because this is my first race but I can't tell you precisely what I would expect to run,” Powell said. “I guess everyone is eagerly waiting to see what Asafa Powell can give them. I'm aiming to see what I can offer them.” More for the IAAF...

 25-May
For Mottram and Lagat, another New York face-off
In a rematch of their thrilling duel at last February's 100th running of the Millrose Games, Bernard Lagat and Craig Mottram will clash again in the mile at the Reebok Grand Prix on Saturday 2 June. More for the IAAF...

 20-May
Vlasic leaps two metres in Split
Another two metre clearance for world leader Blanka Vlasic highlighted a local meeting in the jumper's home town of Split, Croatia, on Saturday.
In her follow-up to her world-leading 2.04 effort in Doha last weekend, Vlasic, the 23-year-old former two-time World Junior champion, handily won the competition with a second attempt clearance of 2.00m, one she likened to a chore. More for the IAAF...

 20-May
World leads by Dietzsch, Obergföll, while Alekna extends win streak in Halle
Two-time World champion Franka Dietzsch showed she'll be an extremely difficult champion to topple in Osaka later this summer, after her dominating victory in the Discus Throw at the annual throwing meeting in Halle, Germany, on Saturday. More for the IAAF...

 14-May
Impressive sprinting, led by Stewart, at SEC Championships
A dominating performance by Kerron Stewart highlighted the weekend's Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championships in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
THE SEC Championships are always synonymous with solid sprinting, and it was Stewart, the 23-year-old Jamaican who attends Auburn University, who took centre stage this year. She defended her 100m title with a 11.10 (w: -0.1) dash, well ahead of LSU's Sherry Fletcher (11.26) before doubling back to win the half-lap as well in 22.52, a new career best. More for the IAAF...

 13-May
Taylor’s return continues with 44.35sec flat 400m
Continuing his notable comeback, 2000 Olympic 400m Hurdles champion Angelo Taylor produced a sizzling 44.35 victory in the 400m at the Georgia Tech Invitational on Saturday (12) in Atlanta, USA.
Despite rainy conditions that delayed much of the competition, the 28-year-old nonetheless smashed his previous career best of 44.68 set in 2001, and it was his first sub-45 performance since 2002. At the moment, Taylor trails only Jeremy Wariner's 44.02 from Osaka on the early-season world list. More for the IAAF...

 12-May
79.77 by Kozmus Highlights Slovenia International League Kick-Off
Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenia - Primož Kozmus came tantalizingly close to the 80-metre barrier in the Hammer Throw to highlight the first leg of the second Slovenia International League in the north-central city of Slovenska Bistrica.
Competing in ideal conditions under warm sunny skies, the 27-year-old Kozmus produced a solid series, topped by a final round 79.99 throw, to move up a notch into fourth place on the early season world lists. More for the IAAF...

 12-May
Dragila on her comeback trail: 'I'm a competitor and I want to see what I have left'
While injury and the dominating presence and personality of Yelena Isinbayeva may have forced her in the background of the women’s Pole Vault, two-time World champion Stacy Dragila is out to prove that she is still a force to be reckoned with in the event she helped steer towards the limelight of the sport.
“I'm just not ready for (retirement) yet,” said Dragila, now 36 and on the mend from Achilles tendon surgery last June to repair two large tears. “I don't sit back and go 'wow, I've accomplished all that.' That keeps motivating me to come out.” More for the IAAF...

 09-May
Borzakovskiy, Mutola head to Prefontaine
Olympic 800m champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy will make his 2007 debut at the Prefontaine Classic, an IAAF Grand Prix status meeting within the IAAF World Athletics Tour which takes place on Sunday 10 June 2007 at the city’s Hayward Field.
The 26-year-old Russian, twice a silver medallist at the World Championsips, hasn't raced since last August's Weltklasse Golden League meeting in Zurich. In Eugene he will face a solid line-up to gauge his early season fitness as he begins his campaign to August's World Championships. More for the IAAF...

 27-April
TPR #635 - Olympic Champions defar, Wariner Join Carson Line-up
Meseret Defar, the world record holder in the 5000m, will be looking to add the world best over the 2 Mile to her growing list of achievements at the adidas Track Classic in Carson, Calif., on May 20.
The Olympic 5000m champion, Defar, still just 23, will be chasing the 9:11.97 best set by Regina Jacobs in 1999. The mark by Jacobs equates roughly to an 8:31.00 performance over 3000m, well within the capabilities of the young Ethiopian, who earlier this year lowered the world record indoors to 8:23.72, while her outdoor best over that distance is 8:24.66 set last summer in Stockholm. More in TPR #635...

 26-April
TPR #633 - Mottram, 'Stronger and Smarter', Looking Ahead to Osaka
As he begins to piece together his competitive plan on the way to August’s World Championships in Osaka, Craig Mottram believes that it will be an improved, if not new, model that will aim to move him up a notch --or perhaps even two-- from his bronze medal finish in the 5000m two years ago.
“I haven’t run quicker,” said the 26-year-old Australian, whose 12:55.76 personal best dates back to 2004, “but I’ve gotten stronger, I’ve gotten smarter, and I’ve got more ammunition. Things I didn’t have at the Olympics in Athens but had in Helsinki. I got better.” More in TPR #635...

 25-April
TPR #632 - Double World Champion Tadesse Confirmed for Ostrava 5000m
After winning the last two world titles available to him, Zersenay Tadesse's chase for this year's global 10,000m title will begin in earnest in the Emil Zatopek Memorial race at the Golden Spike Grand Prix in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on June 26.
The 25-year-old, who claimed the first-ever Olympic medal for Eritrea when he finished third in the 10,000m at the 2004 Games in Athens, will contest the 5000m in the eastern Czech city, where he'll face, among others, Australia's two-time 3000m World Cup Champion Craig Mottram. Tadesse has a 12:59.27 career best ot his credit, run last year when he was ninth at the Golden Gala Golden League meet in Rome. More in TPR #635...

 22-April
Campbell and Spearmon fly in Fayetteville's winds
While the winds helped, Wallace Spearmon and Veronica Campbell nonetheless illustrated strong early season form with their dominating victories at the John McDonnell Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Saturday. More for the IAAF...

 21-April
TPR #631 - With Two National Records in Three Months, Flanagan Signals Strong Comeback From Injury
After her largely solo 14:44.80 North American record in the 5000 meters last weekend at the Mt. SAC Relays, Shalane Flanagan is certainly pleased. Not so much for the second national record she has set in her last three races on the track –-though those are a major bonus-- but more so for the simple fact that she’s actually fit enough to even produce the performances that have placed her firmly on the doorstep to the world’s fastest.. More in TPR #631 and for the IAAF ...

 20-April
TPR #630 - New York Sprint Fields Filling Fast
A quartet of the world's finest sprinters have been added to the field for New York's Reebok Grand Prix on Saturday, Feb. 2, organizers announced yesterday.
Set to go in the 100 will be Tyson Gay, who last season produced on the finest 100/200 seasons ever. The 24-year-old cracked 19.80 in the long dash three times, and with his 9.84 in the 100m behind Asafa Powell's 9.77 world record equalling dash in Zurich in August, moved into a tie as the fourth fastest man ever. More in TPR #630...

 11-April
TPR #629 - Bekele to Make US Outdoor Debut in Eugene
Kenenisa Bekele, the Olympic and world 10,000m champion, will make his U.S. outdoor debut at the Prefontaine Classic IAAF Grand Prix in Eugene, Ore., the premiere annual meet in the U.S., on Sunday, June 10, organizers have announced. More in TPR #629 and for the IAAF ...

 06-April
TPR #628 - Abeylegesse Returns to Defend European Cup 10,000m Title
Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey returns to defend her title to highlight the 11th European Cup 10,000m in Ferrara, Italy, on Saturday. More in TPR #628...

 05-April
TPR #627 - Gay, Felix Confirmed for Carson
Tyson Gay, last year's top all around sprinter, and Allyson Felix, the reigning world champion at 200m, are the first athletes confirmed for the adidas Track Classic on May 20 in Carson, Calif. More in TPR #627...
21-27-March
* Coverage from the 35th World Cross Country Championships and IAAF Council meeting in Mombasa, Kenya.
MOMBASA, KEN –- In addition to regular news and features, TPR assisted the IAAF, track & field's international governing body, with coverage from Mombasa. Below are some stories that are available on the world wide web.
  • 27-March
    TPR #626 - Daegu, Moscow Selected to Host 2011, 2013 IAAF World Championships
    MOMBASA, Kenya -- Daegu, South Korea, and Moscow were selected to host the 2011 and 2013 editions of the World Athletics Championships, the IAAF announced on the final day of the IAAF Council Meeting in Mombasa, Kenya. More in TPR #626...
  • 26-March
    TPR #625 - IAAF Reaffirms Call for Four-Year Doping Ban
    MOMBASA, Kenya -- The IAAF will push for a four-year ban for doping when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) again takes up the measure next fall, the world governing body announced today.
    By a unanimous vote, the IAAF Council, meeting for the second day in Mombasa, Kenya, said it will make the proposal when the WADA code is revised in Madrid in November. More in TPR #625...
  • 26-March
    TPR #624 - Taher Guilty of Age Manipulation
    MOMBASA, Kenya -- An investigation by the sport's world governing body determined that Bahraini runner Tarek Mubarek Salem Taher falsified documents to manipulate his age.
    The onging probe found that Taher, the former Kenyan Dennis Kipkurui Sang, falsified a birth certificate in order to obtain a Kenyan passport which listed his date of birth as 1 December, 1989, when he was actually at least three years older. More in TPR #624...
  • 25-March
    TPR #623 - Bekele: World Cross Demis due to Mombasa Conditions
    MOMBASA, Kenya -- A day after his shock defeat at the World Cross Country Championships here, five-time defending champion Kenenisa Bekele blamed his withdrawal from the race's waning stages on the harsh conditions runners faced on the course at this Kenyan seaside resort city near the equator. More in TPR #623...
  • 25-March
    Tadesse - Powerful and Poised in Response to Bekele's Problems
    MOMBASA, Kenya -- Somewhat lost in the shock of Kenenisa Bekele’s departure during the waning moments of yesterday’s men’s 12 km race at the 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships, was the power, poise and determination displayed by Zersenay Tadesse, the man who succeeded him as World champion. More for the IAAF...
  • 24-March
    TPR #622 - Tadesse, Kiplagat Defeat the Conditions in Mombasa
    MOMBASA, Kenya -- From the moment the starter’s gun sounded under the mid afternoon’s stifling hot sun and extremely humid conditions, it became evident that the 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships would be unlike any other. Even prior to Lornah Kiplagat’s commanding victory, and well before a well-beaten Kenenisa Bekele stepped off the course some 800 meters before the finish, it became abundantly clear that the most arduous conditions in the history of these championships would play an overwhelming role in the first-ever global championships held in Kenya. More in TPR #622...
  • 24-March
    Tadesse Takes Upset Victory as Bekele Registers a ‘DNF’
    MOMBASA, Kenya -- As he built a sizeable lead some 20 minutes into the men’s race on Mombasa’s picturesque seaside Golf Course at the 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Kenenisa Bekele appeared to be kicking into cruise control en route to his sixth straight World Cross Country title. But then the weekend’s most unpredictable and daunting variable – the stifling heat and humidity that makes Kenya’s Indian Ocean so inviting – reared its ugly head. More for the IAAF...
  • 24-March
    Kenya's Junior Monopoly
    MOMBASA, Kenya -- The theme for these 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships, the first ever hosted by cross country powerhouse Kenya, was ‘Cross Country Comes Home’. With their overwhelming victories in the both the men’s and women’s junior races, that often heard slogan certainly rang true.
    From the podium sweep in the junior women’s race that opened the competition to the top-four sweep in the junior men’s, the hosts clearly illustrated that, for now, no nation on earth can match the cross country depth produced in this east African nation. More for the IAAF...
  • 23-March
    Press Conference Quotes - IAAF Press Conference - World Cross Country Championships
    MOMBASA, Kenya -- The IAAF Press Conference on the eve of the 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships was held today at the Hotel Whitesands in Mombasa. More for the IAAF...
  • 23-March
    TPR #621 - Even for Bekele, Mombasa's Heat and Humidity to be Primary Challenge at World Cross Country Championships
    MOMBASA, Kenya -- When it comes to cross country running, Kenenisa Bekele is no stranger to making history. Since his first long and short race double victory in 2002 --the first ever double of its kind-- to his fifth consecutive double win last year in Fukuoka, the 24-year-old Ethiopian has, like clockwork, added chapter upon chapter to his cross country legacy. When he toes the line Saturday afternoon on the Mombasa Golf Course, a long stone’s throw from gentle waves of the Indian Ocean, he will again be chasing history. Few doubt that he’ll fail to succeed. More in TPR #621...
  • 21-March
    Senior Men's Preview
    MOMBASA, Kenya -- When he began his emergence as the world’s preeminent distance runner six years ago, Kenenisa Bekele, then still a teen, was oft described as a shy, quiet type. But he’s hardly shied away from making history.
    Since becoming the first to ever win both the short and long course titles at the 2002 World Cross Country Championships, the Ethiopian has continued adding chapters to his own still-growing body of historical work. Four more successive double gold performances in the World Cross Country have since followed, along with, of course, a slew of World records, and Olympic and a pair of global titles on the track, and his distinction last year at the World Indoor Championships in Moscow where he became the first man to win global titles across all surfaces. More for the IAAF...
13-March
TPR #620 - New York Grand Prix Elevated to World Athletics Tour
The Reebok New York Grand Prix was elevated to Grand Prix status by the IAAF on Monday, joining the world's top 24 single-day competitions.
The meet, which will be held on Saturday, June 2, at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island on New York City's East River, joins Eugene, Oregon's Prefontaine Classic as the only U.S. competitions on the international governing body's global tour calendar. The meet replaces the GE Money Grand Prix in Helsinki, which was downgraded last fall. The highlight of the New York meet's second edition last June was Meseret Defar's world record run in the 5000 meters, where she clocked 14:24.53. More in TPR #620...

 10-March
TPR #619 - For Hellebaut, 2.05 (6-8 3/4) was 'Too easy'
Last Saturday’s final of the women’s high jump at the European Indoor Championships was to be one of the most hotly-contested and unpredictable contests of the weekend. Instead, it turned into an exhibition by Belgian Tia Hellebaut, who clearly thrust herself to the fore of the sport’s most competitive event. More for the IAAF and in TPR #619...

 10-March
TPR #618 - 20.32 World Leader for Dix Highlights NCAA Indoors Champs First Day
Defending champion Walter Dix underscored his hold on the collegiate reins in the 200 meters with his dominating victory on the first day of the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas on Friday night. More for in TPR #618...

 08-March
TPR #617 - Doping Ban Toughened for European Championships
European athletes returning from a two-year doping ban will have to wait an additional two years before they’re allowed to compete at their continental championships, European Athletics, the sport's governing body in Europe announced. More for in TPR #617...

 06-March
TPR #616 - Kenya Reassures IAAF in Wake of US Security Concerns for Upcoming World Cross Country Championships
Responding to a statement issued by U.S. officials on Monday, the Kenyan government today reassured the IAAF that a "specific security plan" is already in place for the upcoming World Cross Country Championships taking place in Mombasa, on March 24. More for in TPR #616...
01-04-March
* Coverage from the 29th European Indoor Athletics Championships
BIRMINGHAM, GBR –- TPR assisted the IAAF, track & field's international governing body, with coverage from Birmingham. Below are some stories that are available on the world wide web.
  • 04-March
    Chojecka Completes Unprecedented Double - Euro Indoors, Day 3 - WOMEN
    BIRMINGHAM, GBR –- With her powerful victory in the 3000, Poland’s Lidia Chojecka concluded an unprecedented middle distance double to cap a thoroughly entertaining final day at the 29th European Indoor Championships. More for for the IAAF...
  • 03-March
    Hellebaut, Sanders Enter New Territory in Birmingham - Euro Indoors, Day 2, PM – WOMEN
    BIRMINGHAM, GBR –- In international terms, the women’s High Jump was among the most eagerly-anticipated events of these 29th European Indoor Championships. For the capacity crowd at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena, it was the women’s 400. And both Belgian ace Tia Hellebaut and Briton Nicola Sanders certainly didn’t disappoint. More for for the IAAF...
  • 03-March
    Gevaert Sets Off on Title Defense - Euro Indoors, Day 2, AM – WOMEN
    BIRMINGHAM, GBR –- Kim Gevaert began her quest for a third successive 60 metres title with a comfortable victory in the event’s opening round on the second morning of the 29th European Indoor Championships.
    The 28-year-old Belgian, who last summer raced to an impressive 100/200m double at the continental outdoor championships, cruised to a 7.17 win in the third of the morning’s six heats, the fastest performance of opening round. More for for the IAAF...
  • 02-March
    Cool Kluft, Calm Kallur Steal the Show - Euro Indoors, Day 1, PM – WOMEN
    BIRMINGHAM, GBR –- After a dramatic down-to-the-wire battle with Birmingham’s own Kelly Sotherton, Carolina Kluft yet again illustrated why she is considered the finest women’s all-around athlete in the world after her thrilling victory in the pentathlon to cap the first day of the 29th European Indoor Athletics Championships. More for for the IAAF...
  • 02-March
    Ennis Applies Early Pressure in the Pentathlon – Euro Indoors, Day 1, AM - WOMEN
    BIRMINGHAM, GBR –- While Sweden’s Carolina Kluft, the reigning World, Olympic and European Heptathlon champion dispelled any doubt about her 2007 form, it was Briton Jessica Ennis who stole the initial thunder in the Pentathlon as the 29th European Indoor Athletics Championships got underway this morning at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. More for for the IAAF...
  • 01-March
    Holm Cautiously Optimistic Prior to European Indoor High Jump Title Defense
    BIRMINGHAM, GBR –- After downplaying his own expectations, Stefan Holm went on to capture one of the most fiercely fought high jump duels ever at the European Indoor Championships two years ago in Madrid. In the Spanish capital, the Swede leaped a career best 2.40 to wrestle the title from Russian Yaroslav Rybakov, who equalled his personal best of 2.38. Nobody has jumped higher since either indoors or outdoors, and the expectations are high that another similar scenario may play out on Sunday afternoon. More for for the IAAF...
  • 01-March
    European Indoor Championships - PREVIEW
    BIRMINGHAM, GBR –- With several key head-to-head match-ups topping the proceedings, this weekend’s 29th European Indoor Championships at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena (2 to 4 March 2007) will provide a fitting climax to the indoor season, and in a few instances, perhaps even a glimpse at what is to come at August’s IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Osaka, Japan. More for for the IAAF...
24-February
Veneva over Vlasic in Split as Both Sail Over 2 Meters
VIENNA –- In their final outing before next weekend's European Indoor Championships, World leader Venelina Veneva claimed a narrow victory over Blanka Vlasic at the international high jump meeting this afternoon in the Adriatic coast city of Split, Croatia. More for the IAAF...

 02-February
TPR #613 - Despite Shaky Start, Gardener Says he's on Course for European Title Defense
VIENNA –- Despite a shaky start to his season last weekend in Glasgow, three-time European 60 meter champion Jason Gardener said he’s on the right track in his lead-up to a title defense next month in Birmingham, England.
I’m pleased to have run better than I did in Glasgow,” Gardener said after his 6.62 victory at Tuesday’s Athleticbet.com Indoor Classic in Vienna. “I’m coming back from flu so Glasgow was a really big shock for me.” More for in TPR #613...

 02-February
TPR #612 - Carter to Spearhead Assault on 4x400m World Record Assault in Fayetteville
Xavier Carter, one of last season's biggest breakthrough international stars, will be part of a U.S. quartet aiming for the world indoor record in the 4x400 meter relay on February 9 at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Carter, 21, stormed to the center of the track world last summer when he clocked 19.62 to become the second fastest man ever over 200 meters. His performance in Lausanne came just a month after he became the first man since Jesse Owens to win four events at an NCAA Championships, including an unprecendented 100/400 double. More for in TPR #612...

 02-February
TPR #611 - Stambolova Aiming for 300m World Best in Sofia
Vanya Stambolova, the European 400 meter champion, will be aiming for the world indoor best in the 300 meters at Saturday’s Akademik meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The 23-year-old Bulgarian, last year the world’s No. 2 in the 400 meters behind American Sanya Richards, will be gunning for the 35.45 mark set by Irina Privalova of Russia in 1993. Rarely contested, the event's 36-second barrier has only been cracked three times, most recently by Privalova 14 years ago, and twice by sprint legend Merlene Ottey, who ran 35.83 and 35.96 in 1981. More for in TPR #611...

 30-January
TPR #610 - Victories by Ceplak, Gardener the Highlights in Vienna
VIENNA -- Returning to the venue that hosted some of the most memorable moments of their careers, Jolanda Ceplak and Jason Gardener generated the headline performances on Tuesday at the AthleticBet.com Indoor Classic in the Austrian capital.
Nearly five years after her electrifying 1:55.82 World indoor record in the 800 metres, Jolanda Ceplak returned to Ferry-Dusika-Halle where she wore Bib #1, and the 30-year-old Slovenian didn’t disappoint. More for in TPR #610 and for the IAAF...

 24-January
TPR #609 - Bekele to Run 1500m in Valencia
World and Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele will make his first indoor appearance of the year at the Reunión Internacional Ciudad de Valencia in Valencia, Spain on February 10, organizers announced today. More for in TPR #609...

 24-January
TPR #608 - Still Kicking, Devers, Greene Join Millrose Line-up
Gail Devers, a two-time Olympic 100 meter champion, and Maurice Greene, an Olympic gold medalist at 100 meters and a three-time World champion, have joined the star-studded field that will help celebrate the 100th edition of the Millrose Games on Friday, February 2. More for in TPR #608 and for the IAAF...

 13-January
TPR #607 - Bekele Dominates, Burka Defends in Edinburgh
EDINBURGH -- Kenenisa Bekele made two things perfectly clear after his 2007 debut at today’s Great Edinburgh International Cross Country: that he clearly remains the world’s finest cross country runner, and that any world title won in his absence would be a hollow one indeed.
Running in muddy conditions and against brutal, piercing winds at the Scottish capital’s sprawling Holyrood Park, the 24-year-old broke from --and ultimately humbled-- the finest field yet assembled this season just 18 minutes into the 9.3 km race en route to a dominating 10 second victory. More for in TPR #607...

 12-January
TPR #606 - Bekele, Kipchoge and Tadesse to Battle the Elements in Edinburgh on Saturday
EDINBURGH -- Most athletes who’ve assembled in the Scottish capital this weekend, for the past two days battered by fierce winds and pounded by plenty of rain, seem to agree that Saturday’s EventScotland Great Edinburgh International Cross Country is the finest non-championship cross country race on the annual calendar. With five-time double world champion Kenenisa Bekele, reigning world road running champion Zersenay Tadesse, and former world 5000m champion Eliud Kipchoge all toeing the line, organizers have provided ample evidence to back that claim. More for in TPR #606...

 12-January
TPR #605 - Bekele Reiterates: 'I'm not going to run' World Cross Country Championships
EDINBURGH -- After running to his fifth consecutive long and short course double victory at last year's IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Kenenisa Bekele suggested that it might be time for him to step asideand make way for Ethiopia's emerging generation of distance runners. Holding true to those words, the Ethiopian star reiterated that he will not be on the start line when the gun sounds at the upcoming championships in Mombasa, Kenya, in March. More for in TPR #605...

 12-January
TPR #604 - Dibaba Adds Millrose Appearance to US Winter Tour
Tirunesh Dibaba, the two-time defending world 5000m champion, will headline the first-ever women's 3000m at the 100th Millrose Games in New York City on Feb. 2, organizers announced yesterday. More for in TPR #604...

 11-January
TPR #603 - Boston, London Marathon Fields Taking Shape
When orgainzers of the Boston and Flora London Marathons announced some of the elite names that will contest their races in April, it wasn't too surprising that many of the world's finest racers over the 42.2 km distance have committed to two of the planet's finest races. More for in TPR #603...

 11-January
TPR #602 - Veneva vs. Vlasic as Moravian High Jump Tour Begins in Hustopece on Jan. 20
A square-off between Bulgaria's Venelina Veneva and Croatia's Blanka Vlasic is on tap as the Moravian Daylong Tour high jump series begins in Hustopece, Czech Republic, on Saturday, Jan. 20. More for in TPR #602...

 09-January
TPR #601 - London Business Exec Named First-Ever UK Athletics Chairman
Ed Warner, a London businessman, was named the first-ever Chairman of UK Athletics, the governing body announced today.
Warner, 43, will assume the newly-created post immediately, a part-time position similar to that of the chairman of a public company. His primary duty will be to guide the federation as it prepares the sport for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. More for in TPR #601...

 09-January
TPR #600 - Hardly the 'Unknown', Hoffa Juggles Global Success
After his stellar 2006 campaign, Reese Hoffa, the world's top-ranked shot putter, can’t wait to get going again in 2007.
“This year is about trying to recapture what I did last year, or come close,” said the animated 29-year-old American, who last year took the World indoor title in Moscow with his sensational 22.11 heave. Only three others have ever thrown farther indoors. “I am in wonderful shape. Everything seems to be coming to me much easier this year.” More for the IAAF and in TPR #600...

 09-January
TPR #599 - Obikwelu Named 2006 European Male Athlete of the Year
Portugal's Francis Obikwelu was named the Waterford Crystal European Athlete of the Year for 2006, the European Athletics Association announced today.
Obikwelu, the Olympic 100m silver medallist, captured the sprint double over 100m and 200m at the European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg last August. More for in TPR #599...

 08-January
TPR #598 - Kluft Named 2006 European Female Athlete of the Year
Swedish heptathlete Carolina Klüft has been voted the Waterford Crystal European Athlete of the Year for 2006, the European Athletics Association announced today.
The 23-year-old, who last won the award in 2003, won each of her three heptathlon competitions in 2006, including the European Athletics Championships in front of her home fans in Gothenburg in August. More for in TPR #598...

 07-January
TPR #597 - 5.91 Clearances for Hooker, Burgess in Perth
Steve Hooker and Paul Burgess, the world’s No. 1 and No. 2 ranked pole vaulters, continued their fine jumping into the new year at the Drug Free Track and Field Classic today in Perth, Australia.
The pair each topped 5.91, a height that only three vaulters –-including the Australian pair-– successfully negotiated in 2006. More for the IAAF and in TPR #597...

 05-January
TPR #596 - In the US, Early Indoor Season Spotlight on the Mile
The mile remains among the most popular indoor contests in the United States, and the event will take center stage at the first two major American indoor fixtures when the indoor season kicks into full gear later this month. More for in TPR #596...

 03-January
TPR #595 - For Songok, a Steady and Patient Rise
When he began his quest for a piece of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot last June at Oslo’s Bislett Games, Kenenisa Bekele specifically mentioned Kenyan Isaac Songok as a primary adversary as the six-meeting series got underway. A month earlier, the 22-year-old Kenyan defeated a solid field over 3000 meters at the Super Grand Prix in Doha, clocking a then season-pacing 7:28.98. And in early April, Songok had chased Bekele to the finish line in the short course race at the World Cross Country Championships, where he captured a hard-earned silver medal behind the Ethiopian superstar.
Some 200 meters before the finish of the 5000 at Bislett Stadium, Bekele’s fears were realized. Propelled by a blistering kick, the younger Songok confidently jetted past en route to his 12:55.79 upset, showing that he was ready and eager to take on and beat the best in the world. More for the IAAF and in TPR #595...


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