Golden League is back

ZiggyStardust

Now that the worlds are over, the Zurich meet is just around the corner. Joanne Cuddihy seems to be the only Irish competing. Up against Ohuruogu. The 3000m mens race seems to be a good field with Mottram, Espana, Lagat, Farah, Kipsiro, and Bekele's bro.

tampopo

I take it that it will be shown tape delayed by 24hrs or so on the ordinary Setanta package? I have the basic ntl deal and noticed some GL meets being shown (in passing, while flicking thru channels). It's hard to spot them. Setanta seems to have a haphazard schedule (except for SPL which it seems to show non stop!)

Common Sense

Great to see Joanne get into a Golden League. She just might have about enough juice left to maybe do damage to her PB again. I remember last year after the Europeans when she claim so close the Irish record she was knackered and couldn't push on by taking part in a couple of end of season Grand Prix. I presume Hession is in the same situation this year following his heroics earlier in the year.

Rineanna

Memorial Van Damme on tonight in Brussels. Paul Hession goes in the 200m. Hopefully he's rested after Osaka and firing on all cylinders tonight.

Here's the link to where you can get the results from the meeting:
http://www.iaaf.org/GLE07/results/eventCode=3782/index.html

DaveH

Went to the Van Damme Meet in Brussels on Friday night. First major track meet I went to. It was fanastic. Schedule ran really thight with a lot of live music and a fireworks display thrown in. AAI should take note!!!

Hession was poor I thought, he tied up at 100m's pretty badly. 10,000 was a craking. Bekele was out to break his WR, he finished about 30 seconds(if memory is right) off. He lapped the last three runners and what surprised me was the third last runner ran 28.16!!!!:eek: Which is very very FAST!

thirtyfoot

DaveH wrote:

Hession was poor I thought, he tied up at 100m's pretty badly.

As someone said earlier he may be tired, its been a long season and many athletes are in the same boat, some have stopped for the season altogether. Ran again today in Berlin and had the same time and is 9th on the points so could get a spot in the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart (its 7 and a wildcard I think). Hopefully, he does as its a nice paycheck with Olympic year ahead.

Where were you sitting? The biggest thing for me at the live meets is the power of the athletes at the start of the sprints and the grace and the ease of the africans in the long stuff, TV just doesn't pick it up. I saw Veronica Campbell's start in London in the 200 this year and it just blew me away how explosive and compact she was. Any aspiring kids should be brought to the big meets as they would be hooked for life.

Rineanna

DaveH wrote:

Went to the Van Damme Meet in Brussels on Friday night

I envy you SO MUCH!!!! I'm hoping to get over to (at least) one next year if possible. I at least hope to get over to either the Sheffield or London Grand Prix.

tingle wrote:

Any aspiring kids should be brought to the big meets as they would be hooked for life.

I agree whole heartedly. I made my Grand Prix debut this summer too at the Cork City Sports (Ok, it's not quite the Golden League but it still draws some of the biggest names). Now, I've never been an athlete myself, and my (what is now) massive interest in athletics only really started during the 2005 World Student games in Izmir, but witnessing all those names in action for real in front of eyes has brought my obsession with the sport as a spectator to a whole new level, to an extent where (as I said at the top) I'm seriously considering going to a Golden League meeting next season.



Just seeing the likes of Laverne Jones, Reese Hoffa, Brianna Glenn, James Beckford, Nadine Kleinert and Joanne Cuddihy in action there was absolutely fantastic; the highlight of my Summer. And as was said before, T.V doesn't have a patch on seeing the real thing.

DaveH wrote:

AAI should take note!!!

On that note, it's a pity Dublin can't have a major Grand Prix. Whatever happened to the Dublin International?

DaveH

Rineanna wrote:

On that note, it's a pity Dublin can't have a major Grand Prix. Whatever happened to the Dublin International?

What the hell was right about the Dublin International. Im wiling to give the AAI another year as a pro organistion but do the words "Marketing Budget" ring any bells with people in there?

As for the previous question, I was sitting behind the 100 Meter start. Its class because I got to see the triple jump and the Pole Vault. I missed the high jump as that was at the other end, but the I did see the Javelin land pretty close to me!!!!

Im not mad about Golden League. It was destroyed a couple of years ago, too many pace makers in the middle distance. Was a good trip away though. Van Damme is put on really well. €20 in and you get
a junior 1k race for girls & boys
a junior 4x100 for girls & boys
than the opening ceremony, were they introduce a load of world champs(sorry comentary was in Flemish)
and what was very good was the Belgain 4x1 team!!
then there was the meet which last about 3 hours in total
after the 10K there was about a 30 minute performance by the supremes, followed by a fireworks display!

beat that for 20 notes!!

thirtyfoot

DaveH wrote:

What the hell was right about the Dublin International. Im wiling to give the AAI another year as a pro organistion but do the words "Marketing Budget" ring any bells with people in there?

Apparently there is a marketing budget available to AAI that includes provision for a full time marketing manager but for some reason they are stalling on using it. Don't know why, there may be a good reason but they need to capitalise on the good feeling about the sport at the moment.

Rineanna - I'd chose London if you are thinking of a UK meet while for a GL it has to be Zurich. I was at the Weltklasse a few years ago and it just class. As DaveH says it was just a great show, non stop races or field events and you get drawn into events you normally don't follow. Do a bit of digging and find where the athletes are staying and stroll around the lobby before and after, you'll be banging into household names, Wariner here, Bekele there, Isinbayeva etc etc.

Linford

Rineanna wrote:

I'm seriously considering going to a Golden League meeting next season.

Rineanna, if you are able you should seriously consider going to the Olympics, they are incredible. I have been to the 1992, 2000 and 2004 games and managed to get tickets (without too much difficulty and at face value) for the 100m final day on each occassion. Even if you can't get tickets for that it is usually very easy to get tickets to the morning/afternoon sessions. I never got to see Michael Johnson in a final, but seeing him in the semis was just amazing. I have never been in the home straight for the 100m but I have been for a 4x100m. I was pretty fast when I was younger, but watching the end of a relay from the home straight it looks like the guys are floating above the track they move so fast.

Logistically China is a bit more difficult than Brussels, Zurich or Oslo, but it shouldn't be crazy expensive.

I was a teenager in '92, living in Oz in 2000 and only just married in '04 but now with baby number 2 on the way, it might be a while before I get to the Olympics again.

Rineanna

Linford wrote:

Rineanna, if you are able you should seriously consider going to the Olympics, they are incredible.

Don't think that's going to be be possible this summer, unfortunately. But I'm already planning for London 2012!!!

Tingle wrote:

Rineanna - I'd chose London if you are thinking of a UK meet while for a GL it has to be Zurich. I was at the Weltklasse a few years ago and it just class. As DaveH says it was just a great show, non stop races or field events and you get drawn into events you normally don't follow. Do a bit of digging and find where the athletes are staying and stroll around the lobby before and after, you'll be banging into household names, Wariner here, Bekele there, Isinbayeva etc etc.

Yes, I think London might be the best option. The Sheffield Grand Prix this year was a tad miserable with the downpour they had over there. I'll see how it goes anyway!


On a related topic, the provisional entry lists for the World Athletics final were announced today. Allistair Cragg and Róisín McGettigan are the Irish interest in it; I was hoping Paul Hession would get a spot in the 200m. He's ranked 9th on points with the top 8 automatically qualified. He may still be in with a chance of getting a wildcard though. I don't know if they're using all 9 lanes though.

Rineanna

I spoke too soon. The revised start lists have Hession iin the 200m; fair play to him, he deserves it after a great season.

Cragg is out of the 3000m, however.

Rineanna

Class Result for Mcgettigan in Stuttgart!!! Second to Eunice Jepkorir in 9.35.86! She beat the like of Volkova and McFarlane to collect a cool....wait for it....$20,000!!!! Fair play to her!
http://www.iaaf.org/WAF07/results/eventCode=3655/gender=W/discipline=3KSC/index.html

Common Sense

Yeah, a brilliant result. The young lady has come far these past 2 years. A pity Eileen O'Keeffe didn't get a wild card for the hammer - she could have finished in the top 4 and earned some much needed cash.

Rineanna

Common Sense wrote:

A pity Eileen O'Keeffe didn't get a wild card for the hammer - she could have finished in the top 4 and earned some much needed cash.

That's true actually, never thought of that. Hopefully though she will be in a position to compete in some of the international Grand Prix next summer though and rack up a few points of her own; I was looking at all the meetings last night and there are quite a few Grand Prix which include the hammer throw so it would be nice to see her name amongst them.



Edit: It's live on eurosport for anyone that's interested.

Common Sense

Hession 8th in 200m in 20.58 with a 1.3 + wind. Ndure brought off a huge surprise winning in 19.89 from Wallace Spearman in 20.18.

Rineanna

Common Sense wrote:

Ndure brought off a huge surprise

You can say that again. I suppose he didn't have the fatigue of Oska in his legs like the rest of the field had. Still, 19.89 is one phenomenol time.

Wissman seems to be improving with every single race he runs. 20.30 NR is some achievement to add to his 400m NR just a few weeks ago.