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May 12th, 2008 — Race Walking, Russia
Athens 2004 silver medalist Denis Nizhegorodov (left) set a new world record in the 50 km walk by clocking three hours, 34 minutes and 14 seconds at the World Race Walking Cup on Sunday, 11 May, according to a Reuters report.
The 27-year-old Russian bettered the time of 3:35.47 set by Australian Nathan Deakes on Dec. 2, 2006 in Geelong, Australia.
May 12th, 2008 — China
Will China overtake the United States in the Olympic medal race? Some crystal ball gazers think so but China’s drive for Olympic dominance might be stalled by over-training.
From AFP:
Continue reading →
May 12th, 2008 — China
China will emerge as the new overall Olympic champion when the final medal tally is counted in Beijing. Says who? Researchers from Sheffield Hallam University who predict that the host nation will win 46 gold medals during the Beijing Olympics.
From BBC: “China has set its stall out to become the number one nation in sport and to top the table in its host event,” Professor Simon Shibli told BBC Sport.
May 12th, 2008 — Nigeria, Scandals and Controversies
Nigerian athletes who, as we blogged about earlier, were “directed” by their President to produce eight gold medals in Beijing are not happy with the grants given them and have vowed to fight for more funding.
From the Sunday Tribune: Continue reading →
May 12th, 2008 — Equestrian, United Kingdom
She’s the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth and the reigning eventing world champion. She is some kind of a model too.
Zara was recently named to the British equestrian team going to the Beijing Olympic Games.
She will be following the footsteps of her father, Mark Phillips, who won the gold medal at the three-day event in the 1972 Munich Olympics, and her mother, Princess Anne, who competed at the 1976 Montreal Games.
May 12th, 2008 — China, Hurdles
Liu Xiang, the first Olympian we blogged about, records his first victory in 2008 during the recently concluded IAAF Japan Grand Prix in Osaka.
May 12th, 2008 — China, Chinese Taipei, Taekwondo
Who between Chinese-Taipei’s Yang Shujun and China’s Wu Jingyu will emerge victorious come August?
For now, Yang has the upper hand because she just beat Wu Jingyu in their taekwondo match. Says Wu, 2007 world champion, of her loss:
“I am still confident and this failure won’t destroy my mood or leave any shadow in my mind. This failure will do good to my preparation for the Olympics, because I can find my problems in strategy and techniques.”
May 12th, 2008 — Australia
Wondering about Australia’s financial incentives to its athletes? Maybe this will give us an idea, eh?
We have a medal incentive scheme which only goes down to number four and the best are getting $18,000.
May 12th, 2008 — Drugs, Italy, Pole Vault
Former pole vault world champion Giuseppe Gibilisco of Italy is looking forward to the Beijing Olympic Games after his two-year suspension was rescinded last Friday, May 9.
He was banned by the Italian Athletics Federation last July for “having contact with” Italian doctor Carlo Santuccione, who has been linked to doping and is alleged to have provided illegal drugs to athletes. The Commission on Arbitration for Sports overturned this ban following an appeal by Gibilisco.
