I Dig Sports
A look ahead to this weekend’s multi-day endurance events taking place on the Isle of Man and Guernsey
The always popular Isle of Man Easter Festival has a reputation as a students’ jolly, but the three-race series from April 19-21 always attracts good athletes and performances.
Manx Harriers’ Ollie Lockley and Rachael Franklin are back to defend their festival titles, which are decided on aggregate positions over the weekend. Last year’s festival represented the first time in the event’s 57-year-history that both champions were locals.
Both have been warm-weather training in Portugal in preparation, with Lockley recently showing good shape by becoming the first Isle of Man athlete to run below 30 minutes for 10km on the road.
Cambridge University’s James Hoad, who ran 14:27 at the Armagh 5km recently, is another who could figure.
Edinburgh University’s Neil Renault is still showing good form as an M35, having run 15:18 and 32:04 last year for 5km and 10km. Keele University’s Felix McGrath is looking to continue in the shape that saw him run a 10km PB of 30:51 last month.
Alan Corlett, who has run 31:23.4 for 10,000m on the track this year, is another Manx Harrier looking to do well on home soil.
Among those looking to challenge Franklin on the women’s side will be Cambridge University’s Ruby Woolfe, recently under 37 minutes for 10km.
Edinburgh University’s Laura Stark, who was 16th in the under-20 race at the Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships last month, is joined by Cambridge University’s Polly Keen, who ran 2:49 at the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon this month, plus Edinburgh’s Naomi Lang and Amy Frankland.
Races
Good Friday April 19: Bushy’s 10km road race, Port Erin
Saturday April 20: Peel hill race Easter
Sunday April 21: 5km road race, Douglas
Over in Guernsey, the Intertrust Guernsey Easter Running Festival from April 19-22 sees Ryan Burling (pictured below), who was last year’s overall winner, return. Last year’s runner-up, Dan Galpin, is also set to race.
Photo by Mark Shearman
Other challengers include Luke Williams of San Domenico, who has a recent 10km PB of 32:12, and City of Portsmouth’s Jacob O’Hara, who has run 15:32.90 for 5000m.
Guernsey’s twice Commonwealth representative Sarah Mercier heads the women’s line-up.
Other top women include locals Mel Nicolle and Jenny James, while Louise Perrio may defend her title depending on constraints connected with the organisation of the event.
Races
Good Friday April 19: 5km road race
Saturday April 20: Keith Falla Memorial Cross Country
Easter Sunday April 21: 4×1-mile cross country relay
Easter Monday April 22: 10km road race
Three-time world 1500m champion maintains his innocence but is suspended following a positive test for EPO
Kenya’s 2008 Olympic 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop has been handed a four-year ban after testing positive for the banned substance erythropoietin (EPO) in an out-of-competition test in November 2017, the Athletics Integrity Unit has announced.
Kiprop has maintained his innocence but on Saturday the Athletics Integrity Unit published its decision on the case stating that the 29-year-old would be banned for four years from the date of his provisional suspension on February 3, 2018, with any results from November 27, 2017, to February 3, 2018, to be disqualified.
The @iaaforg Disciplinary Tribunal has banned former Olympic and world 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop of Kenya for four-years starting 03 Feb 2018. #CleanSport #antidoping #AIUNews @ADAK_KE @athletics_kenya @SportRes_UK
Find all the details here: https://t.co/cBkQOqSHT4 pic.twitter.com/LYNutaHUvi— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) April 20, 2019
In its decision document the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), acting on behalf of the sport’s world governing body the IAAF, wrote that “at various times and in various formats he (Kiprop) has proposed a number of possible explanations for the adverse analytical finding” but after considering each of those points the panel said “the case against the athlete is convincingly made out”.
Among Kiprop’s claims were that the sample may have been tampered with and that he was notified about the doping test in advance, which is in breach of anti-doping rules.
The AIU response to each of Kiprop’s claims can be found in its decision document (available in full here), which confirms that the athlete had been given advance notice of the planned test. “The panel was … unable to conceive of any link between such advance notice and the adverse analytical finding in this (or any other advance notice) case,” added the AIU.
As well as his Olympic gold from 2008, which he claimed after his silver medal was upgraded to gold following the disqualification of winner Rashid Ramzi due to a doping offence, Kiprop won his three world titles in 2011, 2013 and 2015, while his PB of 3:26.69 recorded in 2015 puts him third on the world 1500m all-time list.
He also placed sixth at the Rio Olympics and ninth at the London 2017 World Championships.
“The panel … is aware that its order will interrupt and may even terminate the athlete’s sporting career and cast a shadow over his impressive competitive record,” added the AIU decision document in part.
“But in its opinion the laboratory results viewed in the context of the evidential record and the regulatory framework admit of no other conclusion than that the case against the athlete is convincingly made out.”
Kiprop has the right to appeal the decision.
It’s been a long road back from injury for the GB distance runner, but she still has bigger aims
As Kate Avery continues to prove that her patience is paying off, Britain’s top senior athlete at last month’s IAAF World Cross Country Championships is relishing having two global track targets to aim for in the next 16 months.
The 27-year-old admits her comeback after injury was tougher than she initially anticipated, but a strong winter season has set her up well, ahead of a summer which she hopes will end with a place on the GB team for the IAAF World Championships in Doha. After that, her target is Tokyo.
“It’s the most frustrating thing as an athlete to have to be patient,” says Avery, whose 2015 10,000m PB of 31:41.44 places her ninth on the UK all- time list.
“After the past couple of years, I’m still not back up to the sort of training I was doing before but I’ve got to see it as a process. Track is my main aim because I want to make the Olympic Games. I’ve kind of seen this season as a huge step forward, but I still want to do more.”
After starting her season with second at the Cardiff Cross Challenge, Avery went on to win in Milton Keynes and finish fifth in Liverpool to secure her spot for the European Cross Country Championships in Tilburg – the first time she had pulled on the GB vest since January 2016, and she did so as team captain.
There she placed 15th to help the senior women to secure silver – the ninth Euro Cross medal of her career – despite having a heavy cold.
“Track is my main aim because I want to make the Olympic Games. I’ve kind of seen this season as a huge step forward, but I still want to do more”
The new year began with a ninth place at the Simplyhealth Great Stirling XCountry, seventh in Dundonald and then a road 3km PB of 9:11 to finish fourth at the Armagh International Road Races. She matched that placing at the World Cross trials in Loughborough, where she is based, to win another GB team place for Aarhus.
With an impressive 30th-place finish, Avery led her senior women’s squad to fourth in the team standings.
“It was an experience, to say the least,” she reflects. “I’m really pleased – I think it was another step forward in getting back to where I want to be performing. It was also awesome to be part of such a strong team and finish fourth in the world.”
On her Euro Cross experience, she adds: “I would have liked to have performed better when I was there, but actually, on reflection, just making the team and being captain was a huge honour.
“My speech was quite emotional. You do think about those points when I doubted that I would be back here (running at that level).
“Just being back on the team, competing at that level again, was a huge moment for me.”
Now she is eager for more.
“Making championships is, to me, the best part of the sport,” says Avery, whose main aim after a warm-weather training camp in Portugal will be to race at the Highgate Night of the 10,000m PBs as she sets her sights on Doha.
“I thrive off it and generally I have my best runs at championships. That’s where I want to be, that’s the level I want to be competing at.
“I’d probably be more nervous for a lower-level race or the qualifying race because everything is geared towards making the team or a championship and that’s probably where I feel more pressure.
“If I don’t enjoy that bit (the major stage), I’m not going to enjoy any of it.”
Michael Norman runs fast 400m at Mt. SAC Relays – weekly round-up
American moves to equal fourth on the world all-time list with 43.45 in California, while Ollie Lockley and Rachael Franklin retain their Isle of Man Easter Festival titles
There were some impressive performances over the Easter bank holiday weekend, as a number of athletes enjoyed strong starts to their seasons.
Mt. SAC Relays, Torrance, California, April 20
Making his 400m season opener, Michael Norman stormed to a time of 43.45 to move from sixth to equal fourth on the world all-time list.
That time puts the NCAA indoor and outdoor champion behind only Wayde Van Niekerk (43.03), Michael Johnson (43.18) and Butch Reynolds (43.29) on the all-time rankings, with the mark matching the best time of 2004 Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner.
It is the fastest ever 400m season debut and saw him win ahead of his training partner and hurdles specialist Rai Benjamin with 44.31.
4️⃣3️⃣.4️⃣5️⃣ in April for @michaelnorman22 ?
⠀Watch the @TheMtSACRelays men’s 400m (+PLUS) ? https://t.co/nmXBALN9h7 pic.twitter.com/Z6wTtNODgt
— RunnerSpace.com (@RunnerSpace_com) April 21, 2019
Keni Harrison won the 100m hurdles in 12.63, while Vashti Cunningham won the high jump with 1.97m.
Brazil’s Paulo Camilo won both men’s sprints in 10.21 (-1.6m/s) and 20.30 (+0.5m/s) ahead of Ameer Webb with 10.33 and 20.64.
Britain’s Alice Wright finished fourth in the 5000m, clocking a PB of 15:45.51.
Long Beach Invitational, California, April 20
Olympic shot put champion Ryan Crouser also had a superb start to his season as he threw 22.74m for the best mark in the world since 1990.
After starting with a throw of 21.53m he improved to 22.73m in round four and then 22.74m in round five.
Payton Otterdahl was second with an outdoor PB of 21.37m.
In the men’s triple jump, Omar Craddock leapt a 17.68m (0.0m/s) PB to beat Christian Taylor with 17.18m (+1.6m/s).
Michael Johnson Invitational, Waco, Texas, April 20
Divine Oduduru completed a sub-10 and sub-20 100m and 200m double on the same day, becoming just the 10th male athlete to ever achieve the feat.
Nigeria’s NCAA indoor and outdoor 200m champion first ran a 100m PB of 9.94 (0.8m/s) and then clocked 19.76 (0.8m/s) for a 200m PB less than an hour later.
Phyllis Francis ran 23.01 (+1.2m/s) to win the 200m ahead of hurdler Sharika Nelvis with 23.70.
Asian Athletics Championships, Doha, April 21
The first day of the championships saw world champion Gong Lijiao win the shot put with 19.18m ahead of Noora Salem Jasim’s Bahrain record throw of 18.00m.
China’s Lyu Huihui threw a championship record of 65.83m to win the women’s javelin, while Iran’s Ehsan Hadadi threw a 65.95m championship record to win the men’s discus.
Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser was a dominant 400m winner, clocking 51.34.
Scottish 10,000m Championships, Glasgow, April 19
Shettleston Harriers claimed three of the six medals on offer, with Lachlan Oates and Fionnuala Ross retaining their titles in respective times of 29:40.79 (PB) and 33:50.86.
Dundee’s James Donald was second in the men’s race in a PB of 30:14.18 ahead of Cambuslang’s Ryan Thomson with a 30:19.54 PB, while Kilbarchan’s Elspeth Curran was second in the women’s race in 34:47.82 and Avril Mason of Shettleston third in a 35:07.28 PB.
Isle of Man Easter Festival, April 19-21
Ollie Lockley and Rachael Franklin successfully defended their overall titles after a weekend of action.
Lockley, of Manx Harriers, scored 5 points to Jack Leitch of Edinburgh Uni’s 7 points and Max Milarvie of Edinburgh Uni’s 18.
Franklin, also of Manx Harriers, scored 3 points ahead of Naomi Lang of Edinburgh Uni with 7 points and Amy Frankland of Edinburgh Uni with 11 points.
Edinburgh Uni won the men’s team title and Manchester Uni the women’s.
Lockley and Franklin started their title defences with convincing wins in the Bushy’s 10km road race at Port Erin. Lockley won in 30:40, with Franklin exactly 5 minutes behind in 35:40.
This year’s men’s four-mile Full Factory Peel Hill Race saw some of the fastest ever times recorded, with Felix McGrath of Keele Uni winning in 20:34 ahead of Leitch in 20:39 and Lockley in 20:46. The women’s three-mile race was won by Franklin in 16:38 as she broke the course record ahead of Lang with 16:50 and Frankland with 17:42.
The final event was Sunday’s Outback 5km, won by Lockley in 14:44 and Franklin in 17:18.
Intertrust Guernsey Easter Running Festival, April 19-22
Report to follow…
Tonbridge, April 22
Clare Elms ran 4:48.65 for 1500m to take over two seconds off the world W55 record in her first outdoor race of the year.
She finished second to Phoebe Barker who clocked 4:39.60.
Clare Elms runs 4:48.65 1500m to take over two seconds off World W55 record in her first outdoor race of the year at Tonbridge finishing second to Phoebe Barker pic.twitter.com/n79YhvPxsh
— Athletics Weekly (@AthleticsWeekly) April 22, 2019
IAAF Race Walking Challenge and Pan American Race Walking Cup, Mexico, April 20-21
Sweden’s Perseus Karlstrom won the men’s 20km race walk in 1:23:40 ahead of Spain’s Diego Garcia with 1:23:59 and Mexico’s Carlos Sanchez with 1:24:01.
Brazil’s Erica de Sena won the women’s race in 1:29:22 ahead of Peru’s Kimberly Garcia with 1:29:33 and Spain’s Maria Perez in 1:31:11.
Mexico’s Isaac Palma and Peru’s Evelyn Inga won the 50km events the following day, clocking 3:49:39 and 4:22:57 respectively.
Eldoret City Marathon, Kenya, April 21
Valary Aiyabei won the women’s title in 2:27:17 ahead of Vivian Kiplagat (2:28:06) and Elizabeth Rumokol in 2:33:00, while Matthew Kisorio won the men’s race in 2:12:38 ahead of David Kiplimo (2:12:51) and Kenneth Kemboi (2:15:43).
Rabat Marathon, Morocco, April 21
Kenya’s Olympic and world 5000m medallist Sylvia Kibet set a course record and PB of 2:25:52 to win the women’s race ahead of her compatriots Shelmith Muriuki (2:33:29) and Priscah Cherono (2:34:27).
Sammy Kigen completed a Kenyan double as he ran 2:08:12 to win from Morocco’s Othmane El Goumri (2:08:20) and Ethiopia’s Chele Dechase (2:08:25).
Nagano Marathon, Japan, April 21
Uganda’s Jackson Kiprop took the men’s title in 2:10:39, while Meskerem Hunde won the women’s race in 2:33:32.
Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon, China, April 21
Kenya’s Perine Nengampi won the women’s race in 68:04, while Ethiopia’s Berehanu Tsegu won the men’s title in 59:56.
Worthy opponents but title for name with familiar ring
A 3-0 quarter-final win was the outcome against Italy’s Nicole Arlia and Miriam Carnovale, before the Russian pairing of Svetlana Dmitrienko and Alina Zavarykina proved most redoubtable opponents.
The Chinese duo emerged success but not before some moments of trepidation in a 3-1 success.
In the opening match of the fixture Alina Zavaykina beat Leng Yutong (11-9, 3-11, 11-2, 12-10) before a recovery was mounted. Xu Yi overcame Svetlana Dmitrienko (11-8, 11-3, 11-7), prior to Liang Jiayi and Leng Yutong recovering from a two games to nil deficit to secure the vital doubles (9-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7). The momentum now in favour of China, Xu Yi offered no charity; she accounted for Alina Zavaykina in straight games (11-3, 11-5, 11-4) to seal the victory.
Undoubtedly a hard fought success, it was the same in the final against Chinese Taipei’s Liu Ru-Yuan and Tsai Yun-En; a 3-0 was posted but the contest was closer than the eventual outcome may suggest.
Liang Jiayi resisted a brave recovery by Tsai Yun-En to emerge successful by the minimal margin in the decider (11-5, 12-10, 8-11, 9-11, 12-10) to set her team on the road to victory. Xu Yi accounted for Liu Ru-Yun in four games to extend the lead (10-12, 17-15, 11-8, 11-5) before in a second full distance contest, Leng Yutong and Liang Jiayi secured the doubles (11-3, 11-5, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5).
In the opposite half of the draw, Liu Ru-Yuan and Tsai Yun-En had likewise endured somewhat testing times. At the quarter-final stage a 3-1 win had been the order of proceedings against Ukraine’s Vasylysa Kanunnikova and Iolante Yevtodi, prior to one round later the same margin of victory being recorded against Russia’s Anastasiia Beresnova and Vlada Voronina.
Play concluded in the cadet girls’ team event; attention now turns to the individual competitions.
Tough examination to gain qualification, honours the eventual outcome
Following a 3-0 success against Germany’s Soren Dreier and Vincent Senkbul, the same margin of victory was recorded in opposition to Chinese Taipei’s Chang Yu-An and Kuo Chia-Hung at the semi-final stage.
A place in the final booked, an equally resounding win was the order of the day when facing the Czech Republic’s Simon Belik and Ondrej Kveton. Chen Yuanyu set the wheels in motion by beating Ondrej Kveton (11-3, 11-4, 11-4), before Tao Yuchang accounted for Simon Belik (11-7, 11-8, 11-2) and then joined forces with Lin Shidong to secure doubles success (11-8, 11-8, 11-6).
Progress to the final in style for Chen Yuanyu, Lin Shidong and Tao Yuchang; life for Simon Belik and Ondrej Kveton was more exacting. Following a 3-1 quarter-final success in opposition to Spain’s Daniel Berzosa and Miguel Angel Pantoja, the full five matches were required to end the aspirations of the host nation’s Tim Giltia and Louis Laffineur.
The thorn in the side of the eventual silver medallists was Louis Laffineur; he accounted for both Simon Belik (5-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-1) and Ondrej Kveton (11-6, 12-10, 13-11). Man of the moment for the Czech Republic was Simon Belik; a place in the final at stake, in the concluding match of the engagement he overcame Tim Giltia (11-6, 12-10, 13-11).
Matters over in the cadet boys’ team event; attention now turns to the individual competitions.
Wins by the 3-0 score-line were recorded in each fixture prior the final; it was no different in the title decider.
However, in the gold medal contest, the Chinese Taipei trio comprising Chang Ju-Chia, Chien Tung-Chuan and Yu Hsui-Ting proved more than worthy adversaries; the initial two engagements both needed five games to determine the outcome.
In the opening contest, Li Yuqi had to resist a spirited recovery by Yu Hsui-Ting before emerging successful (11-9, 11-9, 11-13, 7-11, 11-7); similarly, Zang Xiaotong was extended the full distance by Chien Tung-Chuan (11-2, 7-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-5). Meanwhile, the confrontation that concluded matters needed four games to determine the outcome; Huang Yingqi overcoming Chang Ju-Chia to end matters (11-6, 11-5, 11-13, 12-10).
Defeat for Chinese Taipei in the final at Chinese hands. In the penultimate round it had been the same outcome. After overcoming Sweden’s Jennie Edvinsson, Hanna Kjellson and Rebecca Muskantor; Huang Yingqi, Li Yuqi and Zang Xiaotong ended the hopes of Cai Fong-En, Lee Wan-Hsuan and Tsai Yu-Chin.
Imposing wins; for Chang Ju-Chia, Chien Tung-Chuan and Yu Hsui-Ting, life was somewhat different.
After recording a 3-1 victory in opposition to Germany’s Anastasia Bondareva, Sophia Klee and Franziska Schreiner, the Chinese Taipei trio needed the full five matches to end the hopes of Poland’s Aleksandra Michalak, Anna Wegrzyn and Katarzyna Wegrzyn. The player to cause the eventual runners up problems was Anna Wegrzyn, she accounted for both Chien Tung-Chien (11-3, 6-11, 11-7, 13-11 and Yu Hsiu-Ting (11-2, 11-13, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6).
Play concluded in the junior girls’ team event; attention now turns to the individual competitions in the cadet age group.
Impressively, the top step of the podium was gained without surrendering a single individual match; however the 3-0 margin of victory in the final was arguably a little harsh on their spirited opponents.
Facing the combination of Japan’s Ryoichi Yoshiyama and Takeru Kashiwa who joined forces with New Zealand’s Nathan Xu; Cao Yantao gave his team the perfect start by beating Ryoichi Yoshiyama in straight games (11-8, 11-8, 12-10). A comprehensive win, the next contests both needed the full five games to determine the outcome. Eventually Zeng Beixun overcame Takeru Kashiwa (11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6), before Quan Kaiyuan brought matters to a close by overcoming Nathan Xu (11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8).
A hard fought contest; somewhat predictable, at both the quarter and semi-final stages, maximum distance 3-0 wins by each outfit had been posted.
Quan Kaiyuan, Cao Yantao and Zeng Beixun had started their day by overcoming the trio formed by Belgium’s David Comeliau, Maciej Kolodziejczyk and Serbia’s Dimitrije Levajac, prior to ending the progress of Chinese Taipei’s Feng Yi-Hsin, Huang Yan-Cheng and Li Hsin-Yu.
Meanwhile, in a similarly impressive manner, Takeru Kashiwa, Nathan Xu and Ryoichi Yoshiyama had shown no charity. They ended the hopes of Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Jen, Peng Chih and Tai Ming-Wei; prior to reserving their place in the final courtesy of success in opposition to the international outfit formed by India’s Manush Utpalbhai Shah who allied with Iran’s Amin Ahmadian and Radim Khayyam.
Matters concluded in the junior boys’ team event; attention now turns to the individual competitions in the cadet age group.
Repeat success, even more difficult in Budapest
In the German city, Miu Hirano commenced matters the no.8 seed; to some extent the luck of the draw shone on her shoulders. She appeared in the quarter where there were no players on duty representing China.
Ding Ning was the top seed, followed by Liu Shiwen and Zhu Yuling; the fourth seed was Singapore’s Feng Tianwei, the player whom Miu Hirano faced in the quarter-finals. She rose to the occasion, emerged victorious and thus reserved her place in the penultimate round. At that juncture, a determined Ding Ning avenged the defeat of earlier in the year at the quarter-final stage in Wuxi at the Seamaster 2017 Asian Championships.
High praise for Miu Hirano, it was the first time since 1969 in Munich when Japan had secured a medal in a World Championships women’s singles event; on that occasion Toshiko Kowada had emerged the winner, a player with a very similar sounding first name to that of Miss Hirano, Miho Hamada, had clinched bronze.
Furthermore, it was the first time since the Volkswagen 2005 World Championships in Shanghai that China had not claimed all four medals and members of their team had experienced defeat against foreign opposition. On that occasion Hong Kong’s Lin Ling secured bronze, she beat Gao Jun of the United States to reserve her semi-final place, one round earlier Gao Jun having ousted Cao Zhen.
Significantly, both Lin Ling and Gao Jun learned their trade in China before transferring allegiance. However, there was one notable success in the women’s singles event in 2005 from a player with no Chinese connections. In the third round, Korea Republic’s Moon Hyunjung powered her way to victory against Wang Nan, the winner two years earlier in Paris when Croatia’s Tamara Boros had claimed bronze, the most recent European to secure a medal.
History puts into perspective, the outstanding achievement realised in Düsseldorf by Miu Hirano. It also puts into perspective the Budapest challenge facing the now 19 year old, or that of her highly rated colleagues Kasumi Ishikawa and Mima Ito. Frankly, it puts into perspective the task of any female player not wearing the shirt of the People’s Republic of China.
In the Hungarian capital city, life is different to Düsseldorf; there is no quarter of the draw that will not possess an elite Chinese name. Ding Ning, followed by Chen Meng, Wang Manyu and Liu Shiwen complete the top four seeded names.
A Moon Hyunjung performance now 14 years ago is required.
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