Two weeks to go – IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015

There are just two weeks to go to the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 which takes place between 22-30 August.
Many of the IAAF?s 214 Member Federations have already named their teams for the most important sporting event on this year?s calendar but with the final entry deadline at midnight (Central European Time) on Monday 10 August, this weekend offers the last chance for athletes to qualify and for Member Federations to complete their squad selections.

IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015

Approximately 2000 athletes from over 200 nations are expected to compete in the Chinese capital later this month.
The USA and Jamaica have yet to formally name their teams but it is already known that global champions like Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, David Oliver, Christian Taylor, Ashton Eaton, Jenn Suhr and Brittney Reese have booked their places on the planes to Beijing.

Russia named their 71-strong team in the wake of their national championships earlier this week.

Other European nations to have named their teams include Czech Republic, France, Germany and Great Britain.
Distance running power houses Kenya and Ethiopia have also named their teams early and can expect to feature prominently on the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 medal podiums.

The famous Bird?s Nest stadium, the centrepiece of the 2008 Olympic Games, will have a 50,000 capacity for the championships and the IAAF and Local Organising Committee have been very happy to announce recently that it will be full for each evening session, ensuring the world?s top athletics exponents get the audience they deserve.
The IAAF website has a special section devoted to the championships.

photo credit Rising Fan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/legalcode

Coverage of the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 will include live results, previews, reports, features, a live blog and extensive coverage on the IAAF social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook.

Results, timetable details and the live blog will also be available in Chinese on the IAAF website and coverage will be available on Chinese social media
IAAF

DIAMOND RACE UPDATE AFTER 12 MEETINGS – IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE

The season-long marathon is nearly over; it is time for the sprint on the home straight.

In London and Stockholm, the last few points were gathered before September’s IAAF Diamond League finals, and the scene is set for an exhilarating climax to the 2015 season. Events in the past week have provided proof that, in the Diamond Race, anything can happen.

IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE
© Philippe Fitte

Take Anaso Jobodwana, for example. After briefly losing his Diamond Race lead to Zharnel Hughes in London, the South African’s second-place finish in Stockholm means that he once again tops the table in the men’s 200m Diamond Race, despite not having won a single race in the IAAF Diamond League this year. In five out of six meetings, though, Jobodwana has finished in the top three. Top spot is a fitting reward for his consistency.

Piotr Malachowski, too, knows the value of consistent performance. Having struggled to shake off Robert Urbanek despite repeated victories, Malachowski finally put daylight between himself and his compatriot with a win in Stockholm. He now leads the men’s discus Diamond Race on 17 points to Urbanek’s 11.

Stockholm also saw Greg Rutherford finally establish a lead which should see him take his first Diamond Trophy. By far the stand-out performer in the men’s long jump Diamond Race this season, Rutherford’s defeat in London meant that his lead remained achingly slender. The Brit came back fighting in Sweden, though, to claim victory and a five-point advantage at the top of the table.

Five points is also the lead held by Mutaz Essa Barshim in the men’s high jump Diamond Race, though Barshim will be less content than Rutherford with that advantage. The Diamond Trophy holder has failed to fully impose himself on this year’s Diamond Race, and it is only by virtue of the fact that Marco Fassinotti and Jacorian Duffield shared the victories in London and Stockholm that he remains so clearly ahead.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou, meanwhile, extended their leads with victories in Stockholm and London respectively. Fraser-Pryce leads the women’s 100m table by four points, while Kyriakopoulou has held off main rival Fabiana Murer in the women’s pole vault to grasp a six-point lead.

In the women’s javelin, three-time Diamond Race winner Barbara Spotáková, who is looking this season to successfully defend the Diamond Trophy for the first time, made up for a slow start with victories in Paris and Stockholm. Her second place in London means she holds a four-point lead going into the final.

Even that seems a big lead when compared to Ayanleh Souleiman, who is now just one point clear of Silas Kiplagat and two of Asbel Kiprop in the men’s 1500m. Souleiman will nonetheless be happy with his position, having overtaken the two Kenyans for the first time this season with a win in Stockholm.

2015 IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE © Gladys von der Laage

The 1500m is one of three Diamond Races in which four men could still claim the overall victory, alongside the 100m and the 110m hurdles. The latter has seen a late comeback from Orlando Ortega, with the Cuban wrapping up four points in Stockholm and closing in on leader David Oliver.

With 27 of the 32 Diamond Races still to be decided going into the finals, there are only a handful of athletes who have managed to fully dominate their fields this season. Caterine Ibargüen (women’s triple jump), Tianna Bartoletta (women’s long jump), Eunice Sum (women’s 800m), Christina Schwanitz (women’s shot put) and Sandra Perkovic (women’s discus) have all refused to falter this year, and need only turn up to the finals to claim the Diamond Trophy.

Their achievement is even greater considering how fragile even the largest of leads can be in the Diamond Race. Kaliese Spencer and Kirani James, for example, have seen their early season dominance evaporate into thin air over the past two meetings.

James’ lead was shortened to just two points after Wayde van Niekerk’s victory in the 400m in London, while Spencer had led the women’s 400m hurdles Diamond Race by ten points at the start of July. That was before Zuzana Hejnová stormed to three consecutive victories. The Czech is now two points ahead at the top of the table.

Those turnarounds are testament to the unpredictability of the Diamond Race. Few narratives have run as expected this year, and as the finals loom, there is a whole host of Diamond Race stories which are yet to reach their climax.

LIVE STREAM OF DOHA AND SHANGHAI PRESS CONFERENCES TO LAUNCH 2015 IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE

The 2015 IAAF Diamond League gets underway this week with Doha (15) and Shanghai (17) playing host to the first two meetings in the series.

The dual nature of this season’s launch means that all 32 Diamond Race disciplines will be contested this week between the two Asian legs of the IAAF Diamond League. The series will then continue later this month with the remaining 12 fixtures divided between the USA and various European countries.

Press conferences from both Doha and Shanghai – featuring a selection of the top athletes set to compete this week – will be streamed live on the IAAF Diamond League website the day before each competition.

Doha press conference
14 May 11:30 local time (GMT +3)

IAAF President Lamine Diack, Asian Athletics President Dahlan Al Hamad and Qatar Athletics Federation General Secretary Mohamed Jassem Al Kuwari will be joined by double world and Olympic champion Mo Farah, Olympic 200m champion Allyson Felix, Olympic 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson and Asian Games sprint champion Femi Ogunode.

LIVE STREAM OF DOHA AND SHANGHAI PRESS CONFERENCES TO LAUNCH 2015 IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE photo credit IAAF/ © Errol Anderson

Shanghai press conference
16 May 14:00 local time (GMT +8)

Meeting director Jos Hermens will be joined by world 110m hurdles champion David Oliver, Olympic 110m hurdles champion Aries Merritt, Asian Games 110m hurdles champion Xie Wenjun and double world sprint champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Both press conferences will be streamed on this page of the IAAF Diamond League website. The streams will begin a few minutes before the start time of each conference.

2015 IAAF Diamond League calendar

Doha, QAT – 15 May
Shanghai, CHN – 17 May
Eugene, USA – 30 May
Rome, ITA – 4 June
Birmingham, GBR – 7 June
Oslo, NOR – 11 June
New York, USA – 13 June
Paris, FRA – 4 July
Lausanne, SUI – 9 July
Monaco, MON – 17 July
London, GBR – 24-25 July
Stockholm, SWE – 30 July
Zurich, SUI – 3 September
Brussels, BEL – 11 September

IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE – DOHA AND SHANGHAI SET TO PROVIDE THRILLING START

There are just three weeks to go to the start of the 2015 IAAF Diamond League, with meetings in Doha and Shanghai getting the ball rolling and taking place just two days apart on 15 and 17 May respectively.

The start of this year’s series has a strong Asian emphasis, with the opening two meetings taking place on opposite sides of that continent, a theme that will continue all the way to the end of the summer with the focal point of the year being the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015.

However, both meetings have signed up a plethora of the sport’s top performers from around the world to continue giving the IAAF Diamond League a truly global appeal.

World Athlete of the Year Renaud Lavillenie will start his campaign for his sixth successive Diamond Race crown in Doha while Shanghai can boast of high jump star Mutaz Essa Barshim.

The Doha meeting has got as its target a wholesale revision of its meeting records while Shanghai should see an outstanding duel over one lap of the track between LaShawn Merritt and Kirani James.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) at Brussels, Memorial Van Damme,
photo credit: Arian Zwegers
https://www.flickr.com/photos/azwegers/14514025337/in/photolist-o7yb5a-npwzJ6-gyymBu-f5Lfvq-f5vF22-f5vBMH-f5vR4v-f5vTwv-f5vX2p-f5L893-f5KSMy-f5LgNq-f5w3vZ-f5vQh6-f5L4DY-f5w38e-f5vVSk-f5LaiW-f5vDiB-f5w2AZ-f5vMw8-f5w3XD-f5LdD3-f5vEdg-f5KV1u-f5LeEQ-cbpA1Q-cbpzHb

Speed will be a virtue in Shanghai with 2013 IAAF World Athlete of the Year Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce going to her blocks in the Chinese city but distance running in Doha will be to the fore and double Olympic, world and European champion Mo Farah will run over 3000m in the Qatari capital and the Briton could be looking to add the European 3000m record to his impressive list of accolades.

The IAAF Diamond League meetings in Doha and Shanghai will also be the first two meetings in the 2015 edition of the popular Fantasy Diamond Race.

IAAF

2015 IAAF Diamond League calendar
Doha, QAT – 15 May
Shanghai, CHN – 17 May
Eugene, USA – 30 May
Rome, ITA – 4 June
Birmingham, GBR – 7 June
Oslo, NOR – 11 June
New York, USA – 13 June
Paris, FRA – 4 July
Lausanne, SUI – 9 July
Monaco, MON – 17 July
London, GBR – 24-25 July
Stockholm, SWE – 30 July
Zurich, SUI – 3 September
Brussels, BEL – 11 September

IAAF Launches ‘Athletics for a Better World’

IAAF Launches ‘Athletics for a Better World’

-Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Paula Radcliffe, Marie-José Pérec and Wilson Kipketer among 12 athlete ambassadors-

International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Lamine Diack today announced plans for ‘Athletics for a Better World’ (ABW) a new social responsibility programme that will use the universality of athletics to make a positive difference in the world. The IAAF will cooperate closely with organisations including Peace & Sport, The United Nations and The IOC in the development of the programme, alongside 12 ‘Athlete Patrons’ – including Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Marie-José Pérec and Paula Radcliffe – with many more organisations and athletes expected to follow.

The announcement was made at an IAAF panel, entitled ‘The Power of Sport’ at the SportAccord Convention in Antalya, Turkey, which was chaired by five-time Olympian Charmaine Crooks and attended by IAAF President Diack, heptathlon legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Italy’s world junior high jump champion Alessia Trost.

ABW will provide a platform for organisations and people around the world – including Member Federations, athletics associations, partner organisations, sponsors and athletes – that want to use athletics as a tool for social change. The aim is for these organisations to be stronger together and benefit from the IAAF’s global reach, marketing channels and sporting credibility.

A short-film, ‘Stronger Together’, produced by ‘Buddy Films’ and directed by Paul Gowers, was shown to the global sports family at SportAccord to outline the IAAF’s vision for ABW and to encourage them to become part of the programme. The film can be viewed at http://www.iaaf.org/athletics-better-world.

ABW will support athletics-based initiatives across four pillars: health, the environment, social inclusion and peace. From peace races to athletics sessions for the local community, anyone using athletics to make a difference will be welcomed into the ABW community.

IAAF President Diack said: “Athletics is the most universal of all sports. And our position as the No.1 Olympic sport gives us a global responsibility: to use the power and reach of athletics to make a difference in the world. We know that by empowering the athletics community worldwide to work with key development organisations, we can be stronger together and use the power of sport to inspire lasting change.

“We are thrilled that the United Nations, The IOC and Peace & Sport will be working closely with us on this and we look forward to welcoming more organisations and athletes in the coming months as we build the foundations for a programme that can change the lives of millions of people.”

Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Athletics for a Better World Ambassador, added: “Sport has had a huge impact on my life – it’s given me focus and goals to strive for. As an athlete, I know I have the opportunity to inspire other people. So I am honoured that The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation will be working alongside some of the world’s most dedicated and experienced social development programmes through ABW. I know that many other athletes are planning to get involved with ABW and I am excited about the difference we can make together.”

Fellow ABW Ambassador Alessia Trost also commented: “I am glad to have the opportunity to be part of this great event celebrating sports. I sometimes ask myself why do I practice, why do I train and the answer is that I do it because I strongly believe that sport means culture. Track and field gives people the awareness of being able to find out their best, anywhere and anytime.”

The 12 athlete patrons are from every part of the world and include: Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA), three-time Olympic champion; Alessia Trost (ITA), world youth and world junior champion; Kajsa Bergqvist (SWE), world champion and Olympic medallist; Paula Radcliffe (GBR) world champion and marathon world record-holder; Wilson Kipketer (DEN), three-time world champion; Koji Murofushi (JPN), Olympic and world champion; Joanna Hayes (USA), Olympic champion; Valerie Adams (NZL), double Olympic champion and four-time world champion; Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM), double Olympic champion and five-time world gold medallist; Fabiana Murer (BRA), world champion; Marie José Pérec (FRA), triple Olympic and double world champion; and Tegla Loroupe (KEN) triple world half marathon champion.

The IAAF welcomes interest from organisations and individuals who are already using sport to have a positive impact on communities. All partners will have access to IAAF athletes, supporting content and donations. ABW will be promoted through the IAAF’s marketing platforms, social media channels and at events, reaching millions of people worldwide.

You can find out more about how ABW aims to improve the world through athletics here http://www.iaaf.org/athletics-better-world.

IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE – FRASER-PRYCE LEADS STAR-STUDDED SPRINTS IN DOHA

Reigning World and Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will kick off her 2014 IAAF Diamond League campaign at the Doha 2014 meeting on 9 May, organisers announced on Sunday (16).

There’s not a bigger name in the world of women’s sprinting at the moment than the 27-year-old Jamaican, who dashed to the IAAF World Indoor Championships 60m title in Sopot one week ago, and just seven months after winning global titles in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the 2013 IAAF World Championships.

She was also the 2013 World Athlete of the Year.

“I enjoy running in Doha,” said Fraser-Pryce. “The stadium is close and intimate which makes you feel connected with the fans.”

Her appearance in the opening event of the fifth season of the IAAF Diamond League series takes on added meaning as she sets out to defend her 100m and 200m double Diamond Race victory from 2013.

“The 200m is the event I want to get better at. I am doing okay but I believe there is a lot more to give, so this season a lot will be placed on being better and faster at the 200m.

“Capturing another double would definitely top the year for me. Let’s see what happens.”

Fraser-Pryce won the 200m in Doha last year, a victory that set her on course towards her first world title in the longer sprint. In 2012, she also sped to Olympic silver over the distance.

This season, making her third appearance in Doha, Fraser-Pryce will contest the 100m against what is already shaping into a formidable field.

Fraser-Pryce faces formidable foes

Nigeria’s Moscow double sprint finalist Blessing Okagbare will lead the challenge.

Last year, the 25-year-old improved the African 100m record to 10.79. Fraser-Pryce’s compatriot Kerron Stewart, a 100m finalist at the World Championships last season and 2008 Olympic 200m silver medallist, is also confirmed.

Leading the charge for the US is 21-year-old 2013 national champion English Gardner, who finished fourth at the World Championships last year and has a 10.85 career best to her credit, and Alexandria Anderson, who last year joined the event’s sub-11 club with a 10.91 personal best.

Both Gardner and Anderson were on the silver medal-winning 4x100m relay quartet for the USA in Moscow. Barbara Pierre who recorded the world’s fourth-fastest time in 2013 with 10.85, will also be in the field.

There will be lots of speed on display throughout the programme. The men’s 400m will feature the season’s first rematch of last year’s World Championships medallists.

USA’s LaShawn Merritt flew to a commanding 43.74 victory for his second global title. Behind him, compatriot Tony McQuay edged Luguelin Santos by just 0.02 in 44.40 to take the battle for silver over the young Dominican.

Joining the trio will be a rising star in the event, Czech Republic’s Pavel Maslak, who followed up his fifth place at last year’s World Championships with a powerful run to win the World Indoor Championships title last weekend. Maslak, just 23, is also the reigning European champion indoors and out.

Saudi Arabia’s 2013 World Championships finalist Youssef Ahmed Masrahi leads the Arab athletes’ attack.

Weir v Mitchell in the 200m

The men’s 200m field can boast of the reigning silver and bronze medallists from the World Championships.

Jamaica’s Warren Weir followed up his bronze medal performance at the London 2012 Olympic Games with a runner-up finish behind his compatriot Usain Bolt in Moscow last year. Illustrating his growing consistency and confidence, the 24-year-old twice clocked a personal best 19.79 in 2013.

US sprinter Curtis Mitchell, the 2013 World Championships bronze medallist who improved to 19.97 last season, will lead the opposition.

The field also includes reigning European champion Churandy Martina of the Netherlands and the Jamaican pair of Jason Young and Nickel Ashmeade.

“Although the Doha 2014 meeting is being held at the beginning of the outdoor season, we will bring on dozens of Olympic and world champions and medallists,” said Qatar Athletics Federation President Dahlan Al Hamad.

“We are really looking forward to welcoming the world’s top athletes and especially Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the finest women’s sprinter in the world, back to Doha this year. Her early announcement already shows that the meeting will be of a very high calibre with top athletes competing as usual,” he added.

Qatar Athletics Federation Secretary General Mohamed Al-Kuwari concurred.

“As happens every year, we will see many great performances that will set the tone for the season,” Al-Kuwari said. “Fans will experience a fantastic event with many surprises.”

Organisers for the IAAF

2014 IAAF Diamond League calendar

Doha, QAT – 9 May

Shanghai, CHN – 18 May

Eugene, USA – 31 May

Rome, ITA – 5 Jun

Oslo, NOR – 11 Jun

New York, USA – 14 Jun

Lausanne, SUI – 3 Jul

Paris, FRA – 5 Jul

Glasgow, GBR – 11-12 Jul

Monaco, MON – 18 Jul

Stockholm, SWE – 21 Aug

Birmingham, GBR – 24 Aug

Zurich, SUI – 28 Aug

Brussels, BEL – 5 Sep