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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012
World Indoor Championships
American new stars on the block post Olympics warning signals By Patrick Andrew with agency report
T
eam USA put up the most spectacular performance at the the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul over the weekend as they clinched 10 gold medals two less than they won last year. The performance left none in doubt about their mental and physical readiness for the summer Olympics which comes up in London some four months hence. Rather than rely on the old stars to twinkle, the USA, as usual, threw up quite a few world beaters who clearly demonstrated the resolve of the athletics super powers to sustain their dominance of the track and field events. Of course with the performances of the likes of Will Claye, AShton Eaton among others, the US can hope to give the Jamaicans a run for the medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Men’s team coach John Moon was in buoyant mood as the athletes, fresh from their record success, now turn their attention to the year’s main event, the Olympics. “Going into the championships I gave the team a challenge of 17 medals,” Moon told Reuters. “Some people might have thought that was foolish with such a young team. But we came here and got 18 medals. We sent a message that we are ready for London. I’m proud of this team and it was a team effort. “Of all of the big stars here, to come out with that many medals is great. They came to the challenge. A lot of these kids will be in London,” he added. One of the younger team members was 24-year-old Ashton Eaton, who was a class apart in the heptathlon and is seemingly able to break the world record at will after setting his third for the event in two years with 6 645 points. The US also have the Olympic gold medallist Bryan Clay and world champion Trey Hardee in their ranks. “If all of us are 100 per cent healthy, and even 80 per cent in shape, realistically we could sweep (the Olympic medals),” Eaton said. A revitalised Justin Gatlin showed he was heading back to his best after returning from a four-year doping ban by winning the men’s 60 metres from Jamaican Nesta Carter. It is likely, however, that he will face a much tougher test in London against the likes of compatriot Tyson Gay andJamaica’s world record holder Usain Bolt. The US also showed strength in depth in the jumps with onetwo’s for Brittney Reese and Janay DeLoach in the long jump and Will Claye and Christian Taylor in the triple. “Seeing everyone else do well was great,” said Claye. “The jumps in the US are coming back. Plenty of guys are jumping far. They are good guys in college and (world champion) Dwight (Phillips) hasn’t even jumped yet this year.” There were some timely reminders from Olympic champions Yelena Isinbayeva, Pamela Jelimo and Nataliya Dobrynska at the Atakoy Athletics Arena. Both pole vaulter Isinbayeva and 800 metres runner Pamela Jelimo suffered from injury and loss of form following their triumphs in Beijing but after taking breaks from the sport, the pair comfortably won their respective events. Russian world record holder Isinbayeva needed just two jumps to earn a fourth world indoor title while Jelimo sped away on the final lap to win the 800. Ukraine’s Dobrynska won the Olympic heptathlon title but has been overshadowed by Britain’s Jessica Ennis and Tatyana Chernova of Russia since. However, she stepped out of the shadows in Istanbul to break the pentathlon world record with a score of 5 013 and propel herself into the favourite’s position for London. All eyes were on Ennis and world 5 000 metres champion Mo Farah for the Olympic hosts and although neither won their events in Turkey, Britain finished second in the medals table with their best haul of nine medals, including two golds thanks to surprise victories for 39-year-old Yamile Aldama in the women’s triple jump and the women’s 4x400 relay team. Well, Africa can take solace in the performance of Ethiopia and Kenya who edged out Russia to clinch the second place in the log and in fact the third position even as Morocco claimed the 10th position thus ensuring that the continent hopes for some reckoning at the London Games in August. However, Nigeria’s performance again left much to be desired. Not that a lot was expected considering the training environment the athletes were exposed to. True, they may not be based in Nigeria but the support extended to them cannot be compared
with what their contemporaries elsewhere get by way of grants. Anyway, Peter Emelieze, Tosin Oke and Gloria Asunmu
should be commended for put up a gallant displays and one hopes that they will continue to improve as none can really tell what the atmosphere at the
Will Claye
Ashton Eaton
Trey Hardee
Jelimo announces comeback with solid win
O
Games in London would look like. A performing star could sustain injury, slip on the track and hit a bod day thus opening the vista for others to excel.
biri’s triumph in the Women’s 3000m came about 25 minutes after her countrywoman Pamela Jelimo landed victory in the Women’s 800m final Kenya’s firsts ever women’s World Indoor Championship gold medallist. The Olympic champion has struggled to find her best form since setting winning in Beijing but swept to a comfortable win in a world leading time of 1:58.83. Nataliya Lupu of Ukraine clinched silver in 1:59.67 with the early leader Erica Moore of the USA in bronze 1:59.97. The Russian pair of Elena Kofanova and Yuliya Rusanova disappointed in fifth and sixth, respectively.
Tosin Oke
2012 WORLD INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS MEDAL TABLE
Country Gold 1 UNITED STATES 2 GREAT BRITAIN 3 ETHIOPIA 4 KENYA 5 RUSSIA 6 UKRAINE 7 FRANCE 8 AUSTRALIA 8 JAMAICA 8 MOROCCO MEDALS TABLE 2011 Country Gold United States 12 Russia 9 Kenya 7 Jamaica 4 Germany 3 United Kingdom 2 China 1 Australia 1 Canada 1 Japan 1 Ethiopia 1
Silver Bronze 10 3 2 3 2 1 2 1 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Silver Bronze 8 5 4 6 6 4 4 1 3 1 4 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 4
Total 5 4 2 1 5 0 1 0 0 0
Total 25 19 17 9 7 7 4 3 2 2 5
18 9 5 4 9 3 3 2 2 2