IAAF SHELVES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIFICATION PLAN
The IAAF says competitors will qualify for next year’s World Athletics Championships in Doha based on the traditional method of achieving standards, rather than a proposed World Rankings system. President Sebastian Coe insists the points system – set to come in for the 2019 season – is the way forward, but admits that athletes and federations need time to understand it better. View the full story.
AVERY AND MAHAMED CUT THE TAPE IN MILTON MEYNES
Kate Avery continued some good recent form on her comeback trail with first place in the British Athletics Cross Challenge event in Milton Keynes. Mahamed Mahamed won the men’s race on Saturday. Here is a review of what happened.
🎽🥇 Back-to-back victories in Milton Keynes for Mahamed Mohamed brings the Cross Challenge programme to a close in Milton Keynes #MuddyBrilliant pic.twitter.com/y1xpvyADOI
— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) November 10, 2018
CROSS COUNTRY WIN FOR REEKIE
Jemma Reekie and Sol Sweeney clinched victories at the Lindsays’ scottishathletics Short Course Cross Country Championships in Lanark. Reekie won the under 20 event in 2016, before triumphing at senior level over the weekend. “I think I’ve shown today how much I have progressed since then”, she commented. Read the full report here and find Jemma’s full verdict on her stellar 2018 season here.
LANARK #LindsaysXC Congrats @InverclydeAC Senior Men's team golds + @EUHareHounds taking women's race 2nd year (joint points with @kilbarchanaac )
Men's silver @EdinburghAC bronze @ShettlestonHarr Women's bronze @EdinburghAC
Photos @Bobby_ThatOneMo
@SALMarkMunro @leslie_roy1 pic.twitter.com/VfoEUkGwPb— scottishathletics (@scotathletics) November 10, 2018
MUIR EXCITED BY FIRST TITLE DEFENCE
Laura Muir has been a busy bee this week. Training kids at a Birmingham primary school was followed by interviews on BBC Radio 5 Live and Sky in London.
The European champion and British 1500m record holder was helping to launch next year’s Muller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham, where she’s expected to compete ahead of the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow, which will be her first ever chance to defend a title. There’s more in Athletics Weekly.
Had great fun today at Nelson Primary School helping to launch the Muller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham! Tickets are on sale now 👇https://t.co/d4gdCsDZIW pic.twitter.com/OBcuMSLrUB
— Laura Muir (@lauramuiruns) November 8, 2018
CHELIMO LEAVES THE ARMY
Olympic silver medalist Paul Chelimo has written in a blog post on his website that he has left the United States Army and its World Class Athletes Program (WCAP). Chelimo was born in Kenya, but found a path to citizenship through the military. The 28-year-old is now officially sponsored by Nike and wrote an article on his site thanking both parties.
TWELL OPTS TO GO THE MARATHON DISTANCE
Sticking with the Scottish theme, European and Commonwealth medalist Steph Twell has turned to the marathon in an attempt to add medals on the road to a successful track career. She’ll set off on her first 26.2 mile challenge next month.
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ITALIAN HIGH JUMPERS LOOK FOR CONTINENTAL GLORY
In Alessia Trost, Elena Vallortigara and Gianmarco Tamberi, Italy has an exciting selection of high jumping talent. The trio are looking ahead to the spring with medals in their sights with no Italian man ever having won the European Indoor title and only two women having achieved it. Vallortigara in particular managed an incredible 2.02m clearance in London this year. They’ve been speaking to European Athletics about their ambitions.
GARDNER LENDS HER EXPERTISE
Olympic champion US sprinter English Gardner has joined the coaching staff at Princeton University in New Jersey. The 26-year-old, who was part of the 4x100m relay winning quartet in 2016, is to become a “volunteer assistant” helping out the Princeton Tigers team. Fellow Olympians Fred Samara and Robby Andrews are already on the coaching staff.
