Athletics reporting
After 25 international seasons Plätzer shows how to end a career on a high
01/10/09 09:30
“I'm, empty but very relieved.” said the 37-year-old Norwegian a week after the IAAF Race Walking Challenge Final in Saransk, and six weeks after being disqualified in Berlin. “Now I can retire on a high which is so important for me.” Such a long career has several beginnings - in Plätzer’s case due to injuries and motherhood. With her coach, Stephan, also her husband it may be a little intrusive to enquire deeply about some of their planning - but, what shines through is Plätzer’s sense of enjoyment of competition and the love of a challenge.
IAAF article here.
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Everything coming together for Olive Loughnane
11/02/09 20:09
On a rain soaked morning in Beijing the Women’s Olympic 20km Race Walk was won by one of the firmest favourites for gold, in the slender shape of Olga Kaniskina. Notwithstanding an Olympic record time, the Russian didn’t appear to thrive in the conditions, allowing a big lead to diminish to 12 seconds by the finish. Of the other contenders racing up behind perhaps the most surprising was Ireland’s Olive Loughnane.
Obviously entirely impervious to a bit of a drenching, Olive powered through from 13th at half way to claim seventh place at the finish. Within about half a minute of a medal she smashed her personal best time to record 1:27.45 which was also inside the old Olympic record, and 92 seconds superior to her previous best set in the World Cup three months earlier.
iaaf.org
Obviously entirely impervious to a bit of a drenching, Olive powered through from 13th at half way to claim seventh place at the finish. Within about half a minute of a medal she smashed her personal best time to record 1:27.45 which was also inside the old Olympic record, and 92 seconds superior to her previous best set in the World Cup three months earlier.
iaaf.org
2006 winner Stef hopes to maintain consistency in the 2009 Race Walking Challenge
21/01/09 08:45
In the short history of the annual IAAF Race Walking Challenge no woman can match Romania's Claudia Stef in terms of consistency.
In its six years she had been ranked five times in the top six (the last five), and four times in the first three positions. Her best placing was in 2006 when Stef took the overall title.
iaaf.org
In its six years she had been ranked five times in the top six (the last five), and four times in the first three positions. Her best placing was in 2006 when Stef took the overall title.
iaaf.org
One more year to the Platzer walking saga
11/01/09 11:04
Approaching the age of thirty seven (on 18 January), and having seemingly achieved a neat enough symmetry to her Olympic career in Beijing by winning a silver medal in what will be her last Games to match her achievement in the first Olympic outing in Sydney back in 2000, you’d have been forgiven for expecting Norway’s Kjersti Plätzer to be planning a quieter 2009.
Yet Plätzer has decided that for one more year she will juggle motherhood, business life and elite athletics; braving hard training along the dark and icy roads around Softeland.
iaaf.org
Yet Plätzer has decided that for one more year she will juggle motherhood, business life and elite athletics; braving hard training along the dark and icy roads around Softeland.
iaaf.org
Erickson looks to make his mark in 2009
08/01/09 08:58
Providing welcome pre-Christmas news for its race walkers, the Australian Federation named a maximum possible four man team for the 50km race walk at the Berlin World Championship. Chris Erickson was the one who ensured the team is known nice and early by gaining automatic qualification in winning in an ‘A’ standard time at the national championships two weeks earlier.
Flushed with success from Nathan Deakes’s victory in Osaka and Jared Tallent’s double silver in Beijing, the squad is bolstered by the inclusion of Luke Adams (sixth at 20km and tenth over 50km in Beijing).
iaaf.org
Flushed with success from Nathan Deakes’s victory in Osaka and Jared Tallent’s double silver in Beijing, the squad is bolstered by the inclusion of Luke Adams (sixth at 20km and tenth over 50km in Beijing).
iaaf.org
Heffernan asking the right questions ahead of Cheboksary
09/05/08 09:11
Cheboksary, Russia - For a long time Robert (Robbie) Heffernan showed potential for honours at highest level - but injuries and disqualifications halted his progress for much of the time since his first IAAF Race Walking Cup in 1999. Now the guidance of Robert Korzeniowski and the environment of his training group seems to have turned round the career of the affable Cork man - meaning he is, perhaps, Ireland's top hope for an athletics medal in Beijing.
“I’m going well and you can’t write anything off”, said Heffernan in confident mood the day before traveling from his training base in Poland to Cheboksary, Russia for the 23rd IAAF World Race Walking Cup (10-11 May 2008).
“I’m going well and you can’t write anything off”, said Heffernan in confident mood the day before traveling from his training base in Poland to Cheboksary, Russia for the 23rd IAAF World Race Walking Cup (10-11 May 2008).
Schwazer is experienced yet young enough to believe “everything is possible”
07/05/08 12:47
“I am sure that the Russians will dominate the race” he said, before departing for Cheboksary.
Feitor cautiously optimistic for Cheboksary and Beijing
08/04/08 10:30
Approaching her fifth Olympic Games this summer Susana Feitor wants to believe she can finally “do something” in a World Race Walking Cup and Olympic year.
“I’m enjoying my training and I think I can finally achieve a result”, said the 33 year old Portuguese race walker who has relatively thrived in IAAF World Championships in Athletics (bronze in Helsinki, fourth in Seville and fifth last year in Osaka) yet did not finish in the last World Cup and has had an Olympic run of luck showing 13th as her best placing, back in the 1996 Atlanta Games.
“I’m enjoying my training and I think I can finally achieve a result”, said the 33 year old Portuguese race walker who has relatively thrived in IAAF World Championships in Athletics (bronze in Helsinki, fourth in Seville and fifth last year in Osaka) yet did not finish in the last World Cup and has had an Olympic run of luck showing 13th as her best placing, back in the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Korzeniowski: "'Paquillo' intentará ganar el oro olímpico, pero sabemos que no es el único aspirante"
07/03/08 11:13
Paquillo article (below) re-reported in a Spanish newspaper website
MADRID, 3 (ATB NOTICIAS) El polaco Robert Korzeniowski, tetracampeón olímpico, confía en que su pupilo Francisco Javier 'Paquillo' Fernández se cuelgue una medalla en los próximos Juegos Olímpicos de Pekín y confía en que la misma preparación que ya le permitió obtener la plata en el Mundial de Osaka (Japón) dé sus frutos."Estamos seremos en nuestra confianza de lo que podemos lograr. Intentará ganar el oro olímpico, pero somos realistas y sabemos que no es el único aspirante. Sin embargo confiamos en que el 16 de agosto estará al cien por cien preparado", subrayó en una entrevista a la Asociación Internacional de Atletismo.
Coach Korzeniowski confident that Paquillo is on track to realise his Olympic dreams
03/03/08 16:23
Speaking after a day at the office, with his daughter bouncing on his knee, Robert Korzeniowski now lives a far more conventional lifestyle than that of the full-time athlete. But away from his job in Polish television, the four-time Olympic champion still has a strong foothold in the world of race walking - in coaching his former rival Francisco ‘Paquillo’ Fernández, as well as promoting the Krakow leg of the IAAF Race Walking challenge.
Prior to travelling to the first event in the 2008 Challenge at Chihuahua, Mexico, next weekend, Robert asserted his confidence that Spain’s leading walker (shortened by Robert to Paco) is on track in his preparations and revealed some of their plans for helping him realise his dreams in Olympic year and beyond.
Prior to travelling to the first event in the 2008 Challenge at Chihuahua, Mexico, next weekend, Robert asserted his confidence that Spain’s leading walker (shortened by Robert to Paco) is on track in his preparations and revealed some of their plans for helping him realise his dreams in Olympic year and beyond.
Luke Adams determined to walk his own path
27/02/08 15:09
A combination of Australian competitiveness, loving the journey and the friendships made (as well as sidestepping a bureaucrat or two) enabled Luke Adams to master the IAAF Race Walking Chal-lenge of 2007.
Ahead of a good hit out at the Australian 20km Olympic trials on 23 February, the popular 31-year-old looked back on last year’s events, and described what keeps him going through the hard work necessary for global success in walking.
Ahead of a good hit out at the Australian 20km Olympic trials on 23 February, the popular 31-year-old looked back on last year’s events, and described what keeps him going through the hard work necessary for global success in walking.
Russia take clean sweep in Junior Races in Leamington
21/05/07 11:02
Russia emerged victorious in both Junior races, winning both the men’s and women’s individual and team events.
Russian Athletics | News
Feitor determined to think positively in Rio Maior
12/04/07 10:30
Unfortunately, this week the 2005 World Championship 20km silver medallist has had to deal with the loss of some vital equipment for the modern-day globetrotting athlete.
“I had my car broken into and had my possessions stolen including my laptop computer, camera, iPod and Adidas kit..."
Series of articles published by IAAF to promote worldwide challenge
08/03/07 13:19
Deakes, injured by physio, delays his plans for IAAF Race Walking Challenge Thu 8 Mar 2007
8 March 2007 - Nathan Deakes, who set the newly ratified World record for the 50km Race Walk of 3:35:47 in December, will be spending more time looking at his IAAF World record plaque hanging up in his pool room than expected, as he has had to pull out of the IAAF World Race Walking Challenge event in Shenzhen, China, on 24 March, which would have been his Challenge opener.
Markov the likely trail blazer for Russia in the IAAF Race Walking Challenge Wed 7 Mar 2007
7 March 2007 - With the 2007 IAAF Race Walking Challenge offering prize money for the overall best 8 ranked athletes totalling more than $200,000 in addition to a $150,000 prize purse for each race at the World Championships in Osaka, and significant rewards at each individual event, this year’s Challenge which begins this coming weekend (10 / 11 March) in Naucalpan, Mexico, looks set to be more competitive, and bigger, than ever.
Saville confirms her Race Walking Challenge plans Tue 27 Feb 2007
27 February 2007 - During last minute preparations for her successful defence of her Commonwealth Games 20km walk title this time last year, Jane Saville was unexpectedly called upon to represent Australian sport in the opening ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. On that night she set the pace for 426 athletes as she proudly carried her flag. This year, Jane is preparing in more of a low-key style for the international season, while also able to be in support of, and be coached by, her ...
Fernández to race in Belfast at the end of his 'winter cycle of speed' Wed 14 Feb 2007
14 February 2007 – 2006 IAAF Race Walking Challenge winner Francisco Javier Fernández of Spain known more commonly as ‘Paquillo' in the race walking world has set out on a circuitous but familiar path to what the 2004 Olympic and two-time World championship 20km silver medallist and his famous coach Robert Korzeniowski hope will be gold at this summer’s World Championships in Osaka.
Plätzer targets the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in another comeback season Mon 5 Feb 2007
5 February 2007 - Even though 2007 marks her twenty first season of international Race Walking, Norway’s Kjersti Plätzer is motivated and positive about the battle for this year's IAAF Race Walking Challenge title.
Fernández to race in Belfast at the end of his 'winter cycle of speed'
14/02/07 10:19
Promotional article for IAAF published
05/02/07 14:25
To preview an IAAF sponsored series of events, the first of several planned articles was published today.
You can also hear the podcast of the interview with Kjersti Plätzer, the athlete featured, on the Race Walking Record web site.
You can also hear the podcast of the interview with Kjersti Plätzer, the athlete featured, on the Race Walking Record web site.
Leamington Grand Prix
17/06/06 17:25
IAAF World Race Walk Cup
15/05/06 20:32
The organiser's official website, including my contributions, are here.
My racing photos, taken in between assignments, are to be uploaded to Flickr - but here's the British Team, snapped on its return from northern Spain.