AthleticsAfrica.Com

ASA board set for emergency meeting on November 21

editor — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:57:01 +0000

The suspended Athletics South Africa (ASA) board would convene a special general meeting with the federation's members next week. The meeting, set for on November 21, will give members a chance to voice their grievances after ASA has been widely criticised for their handling of the Caster Semenya gender fiasco. The board and several ASA employees were suspended by South Africa's Olympic...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

SA officials apologise to Caster Semenya over Berlin shame

editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:12:17 +0000

Athletics South Africa (ASA) has apologised to World 800 metres champion Caster Semenya, her parents and the nation about its role in the handling of the athlete's gender row since the last World athletics championships. ASA said in a statement that the board would lead a delegation to meet the athlete, her family and government for discussions on the matter. "Athletics...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Tulu takes first New York City Marathon title

editor — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:32:52 +0000

Ethiopian Derartu Tulu, one of history's all-time great distance runners, has won her first New York City marathon after pulling away from Russia's Ludmila Petrova in the last mile to finish in two hours 28 minutes and 52 seconds. France's Christelle Daunay was third while race favourite and two-time defending champion Paula Radcliffe, the world-record holder from Great Britain...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Jamaican Usain Bolt urges Kenyan youths to take to sprints

Leila Gichinga - Nairobi — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:26:29 +0000

Jamaican Usain Bolt, the fastest human on the planet, has challenged Athletics Kenya to convince the younger athletes to break from the mould and try out the shorter distances for the country to unearth talents in the sprints events. Olympic and World record-holder Bolt, who is also a global ambassador for sport for the Zeitz Foundation, is in Kenya for the official launch of the...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Usain Bolt kicks off ‘long run’ initiative to save the planet

editor — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:03:10 +0000

Jamaican sprinter and Olympic champion Usain Bolt today launched the Long Run Initiative aimed at supporting global ecotourism projects, which the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says are vital for conserving natural and cultural heritage. "Although I am known for running short distances, I want to inspire others to join me in the long run. Anything worth doing is...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Preparations for 2010 African Athletics Championships back on track

editor — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:41:40 +0000

After months of delay and uncertainty, preparations for the 17th African Athletics Championships in Nairobi next summer have finally commenced. The flagship senior African athletics event will hold from July 28 to August 1, 2010, despite initial problems with funding and government red-tape. Speaking with AthleticsAfrica.Com, in his hotel in Birmingham, UK weeks back, the...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Kenyans sweep seventh Stanchart Nairobi marathon

editor — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:06:20 +0000

Kenyans Moses Kigen and Irene Jerotich, who also triumphed here in 2006, both set new course records for this year's Standard Chartered Nairobi International marathon to take home the grand prize of 1.75 million Kenyan Shillings each. Kigen's time was 2:10:12 beating Samson Tuiyange's record of 2:10.30 while Jerotich set a new course record of 2:28:57. The father of...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Farah edges Mokoka in Bupa Great South Run in Portsmouth

editor — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:02:10 +0000

Somali-born British distance runner, Mohammed "Mo" Farah, came from behind to score a spectacular victory over South Africa's Stephen Mokoka at the Bupa Great South Run 2009 in Portsmouth on Sunday. Farah in the best ever finish to the 10 miles race recovered to win ahead of Stephen Mokoka, winner of the 2009 Bupa Great North Run Sunderland 10K, by a second in a time of 46 minutes...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Kirwa shatters Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon record in 2 minutes and 6 seconds

editor — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:25:27 +0000

Gilbert Kirwa of Kenya broke both the defending champion and the course record to win the 2009 Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon today, in 2.06.14, a time that puts him in the top 20 all-time at the distance. It also nets him 95,000 euros in prize money and bonuses. Kirwa, 23, was running only his second marathon, having won his first in Vienna six months ago, in 2.08.21. Vienna...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Africa big names line-up for 2009 Obudu Mountain Race

editor — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:30:16 +0000

Top African mountain running nations have confirmed their participation in the first African mountain running championships to be held next month in Obudu, Cross-River State in Nigeria. The championships will hold alongside the Obudu International Mountain Race at the Obudu Ranch Resort in Obudu, Cross River state on November 28. Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Secretary,...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

ASA, City of JoBurg plan hitch-free 2009 Nedbank Soweto marathon

editor — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:39:03 +0000

Johannesburg mayor, Councillor Amos Masondo has assured that the 19th edition of the Nedbank Soweto Marathon would not be derailed by the taxi problems experienced in the past. "We are optimistic about the future; we like to turn the challenges into opportunities," Masondo said. "The Nedbank Soweto Marathon gives the City a wonderful opportunity to showcase some of the...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Semenya denies media report she's 'too traumatised to take' exams

editor — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:42:17 +0000

South Africa's World 800m champion Caster Semenya has debunked newspaper claims that she's not ready to write her first-year university examinations.  The 18-year-old University of Pretoria Sport Science student has been under immense pressure since her gender was questioned after she won the 800m World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany in August. She told the Sowetan...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Diack to meet with Semenya over gender test results

editor — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:36:00 +0000

The International Amateur Athletics Federations (IAAF) President will visit World 800m champion Caster Semenya in her home in South Africa to explain the implications of her gender test results before the end of the month. Semenya, whose 800m victory at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin has been overshadowed by the row over her ambiguous gender, is yet to be...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Tadese wins fourth successive World Half Marathon title

Yomi Omogbeja — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:16:22 +0000

Eritrea's Zersenay Tadese wins the IAAF World Half Marathon title for the fourth successive time in a championship record 59:35 at the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, UK. Tadese, who ran solo throughout the second half of the race after burning off his early challengers, erased the mark of 59:56 which he held jointly with Kenya’s...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Tadese seeks fourth World title in Birmingham

editor — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:30:56 +0000

There was pre-race drama ahead of tomorrow's IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, when three of the main medal contenders, Mary Keitany, Sammy Kitwara and Dathan Ritzenhein, were stuck for nearly an hour in the lift of the REP Theatre, which is being used as the press centre for the event, so preventing them appearing at the official IAAF Press...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]