Bekele vs Tadese X-Country

Sports news part 4

But speaking of exercise in the cold, good news for Cross-Country lovers is that Kenenisa Bekele, five-times world champion (but deposed by Zersenay Tadese last year in the heat in Mombasa) will run in this year's World X-Country Champs in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 30 March this year.

The relevance of the reference to the cold is of course that Bekele came unstuck in incredibly hot and humid conditions in Kenya last year. In fact, in a news article about his decision to run in the World Champs in Edinburgh, he said:

"Winning for a sixth time means very much to me and I feel the conditions in Edinburgh will suit me much more than they did last year."

So a rematch of the race in Mombasa is on the cards, where Tadese became Eritrea's first ever world champion. I'm a fan of Tadese's, so I look forward to this clash.

But the even better news for Cross-country lovers is that we won't even have to wait until the end of March to see these two clash - they are actually racing one another this weekend, in the BUPA Great Edinburgh Cross Country run. Conditions will be even colder now than in March later this year, and so Bekele will certainly have nothing to fear - from the weather, anyway!

What is interesting, however, is that in this Olympic year, with all the talk about the heat and humidity in Beijing, Bekele is clearly not enamoured of running in the heat. He didn't enjoy Osaka last year, and obviously didn't enjoy Mombasa. Beijing threatens to be worse than Osaka, and so his preparations, and possibly his approach to the race are going to have to be more positive than what seems to the case. Obviously, he'll know this and should prepare accordingly, but I have seen quotes from Tadese where he says he is happy in the heat - the above quote from Bekele suggests he is not. He may yet find enjoyment in Beijing, but it will be a great race. As will the two previews we'll get over the country earlier this year...we'll bring you that result on the weekend!

Road running: El Guerrouj 10km race

Sports news part 3

Imagine you're lining up in a local 10km race and a couple of athletes to your right stands one of the finest middle distance runners in history! And imagine your surprise, when, after about 7 km, you see that same vest coming back towards you as you catch up to him, pass him and then beat him to the line in a 10km race! OK, you probably, in your moment of reality check, should realise that he's not racing you and is out for a fun run, but, hey, at least you'd be able to tell someone that you beat the great Hicham el Guerrouj in a 10km race!

That's what happened this past weekend in Nice, France, where the great Moroccan ran perhaps his first race since retiring from the sport after his double gold in Athens in 2004. According to reports, el Guerrouj took to the start line with about 4500 runners, stayed with the leaders for a short while, but then dropped back, giving plenty of runners a chance to pass a world record holder, Olympic champion and a man who has run 12:50 for 5km!

el Guerrouj, for his part, seems to be enjoying the fun run approach, saying "People were overtaking me and I could see they were pleased, surprised. I could hear some of them say ‘well, I can say I have beaten Hicham at least once!".

On the note of el Guerrouj, it's interesting to note and observe the trends in the 1500m event since his retirement after the last Olympic Games. In my lifetime, the 1500m event has always been dominated by stars, and usually, they hunt in pairs. We had Coe and Ovett, and later Cram joined the fray. Then Aouita, followed by Noureddine Morceli, and then el Guerrouj. But at the moment, no huge name stands out. Last year was the first year in many, many seasons where 3:30 was not broken and the event certainly could be won by anyone - the euphemism for this is that the 1500m event has "great depth", which, translated, OFTEN means no stand out performer. Ok, that's a little harsh, because current world champ Bernard Lagat is a double world champ and big name, but not the sort of presence of an el Guerrouj, Morceli or Coe/Ovett/Cram.

So we have a vacant throne - any takers come Beijing, perhaps?

Cricket: Controversy continues

Sports news Part 2

Moving onto cricket, and the controversial Sydney Test match between Australia and India continues to stimulate debate, argument and the occasional slur between the nations. It's an issue that has undoubtedly simmered for a long time and needed only slight prompting to come to the surface. In this case, that prompting was provided by an alleged racial insult made by an Indian player (Harbhajan Singh) towards an Australian with West Indian heritage (Andrew Symonds).

The reports in the media have evolved (some would say devolved) into a collection of insults, allegations and threats, including the possibility that the entire Tour would be called off mid-way through! Thankfully, that has not happened, though the means by which the ICC managed to save the Tour (sacking the umpire and allowing the Indian spinner Singh to play on despite the ban that was initially issued for his alleged racial slur) sets what is politely being called a "dangerous precedent". Effectively, the governing body has bowed to pressure from the Indian Cricket Board, which is the game's economic powerhouse, and thus possibly the real "governing body" of cricket...

But one thing that I have found interesting is the allegations that are made about the spirit in which Australia plays the game. The Indians alleged that the Aussies are cheats and don't play in the right spirit. Some Australian media and ex-players have even climbed into their own time, others have defended the team. But in doing some reading, I came across this excellent post on a forum (it's the very top post), which I think more accurately than any other captures the reason why teams who win must remain absolutely, utterly beyond reproach when it comes to their behaviour, both on and off the field.

Now, I agree with most of what the posters says - forums often tend to become platforms for people to write uncensored nonsense, but this is a great piece, well put together. I will however say that while I agree with the poster Beatnik, I also think that the Australians have not helped themselves with their off-field behaviour and some of the quotes. For example, now is probably not the time to be suggesting that Australia will not change their attitude towards the game, as the current players have done. They probably shouldn't, I agree, but there's a lot to be said for diplomacy, and even silence sometimes...

As I said, the only thing that can be guaranteed is that when you win, people will attack you, and so leaving the door even a crack open is enough for the masses to charge it down. But let's hope that now that cricket will continue, the situation can be resolved and the game can emerge with minimal scarring. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that is the naieve optimist in me speaking...

Sports news buffet Part 1

Introducing a new series and some sports news

Over the next few days, we'll be starting our first series of 2008 - exercise in the cold. Last year, we did a few series, most of which evolved out of news stories like the Chicago Marathon where the heat affected the race so badly. And the topic of exercise in the cold came up a few times when we did that series, and the subsequent ones on muscle cramp and dehydration. So starting probably early next week, we'll look at some of the physiology of exercising in cold conditions, its impact on performance and practical steps to take when you can't avoid it.

On that note, we've received some great ideas for future posts, things like lactate during exercise, altitude training, exercise and ageing, exercise and weight loss, more on drugs in sport, and we promise to try to get to all of them in good time!

But for today, quite a lot going on in the world of sports, with some interesting angles developing, so we have a bit of a concoction of news stories for today. I've done them in 5 separate posts, so you can jump to whichever might be most interesting and avoid those that aren't!

1. Rugby - SA's first black coach appointed
2. Cricket - the Australia-India row continues
3. Road running - Hicham el Guerrouj - a famous scalp for some runners
4. Cross-country - Bekele to race Tadese twice in Scotland
5. Athletics - verdict on Pistorius due on Saturday

Rugby - South Africa appoints its first black coach

Yesterday, South Africa, the world rugby champions, announced the successor to World Cup winning coach Jake White. It was always a race between two candidates - Heyneke Meyer (who was apparently asked specifically to apply) and Pieter de Villiers.

Eventually, the vote went to Pieter de Villiers. Reports from the SA media are saying that a vote was held to separate a dispute about which of the two should be chosen. It is reported that a split between the selection committee forced the vote, and in the end, it came down to the Inland provinces against the coastal province-representatives.

Apparently, after the decision was reached, the "the inland presidents looked distraught". Just for the record, South African rugby is run by presidents of individual provinces (states), who hold executive control through their vote. These reports suggest that there was something of a stand-off regarding who should coach.

Now that in itself is unremarkable, until you remember that this is South Africa we're dealing with, where rugby is something of a political football, kicked around by politicians and often affected by the spectre of race and history in South Africa.

And far be it from us to comment on the politics, but the following two quotes suggest just what a difficult time de Villiers will face as the coach:

First of all, Oregan Hoskins, the President of SA rugby says the following:

"I want to be honest with South Africa and say that the appointment was not entirely made for rugby reasons. We as an organisation have made the appointment and taken into account the issue of transformation very very seriously when we made it. I don't think that tarnishes Peter - I'm just being honest with our country."

This was followed up the following quote from Butana Kompela, who is famous for calling Australians typical colonial racists and for saying in the media that Jacques Kallis, one of SA's sporting heroes, typifies the racist attitudes of whites in South Africa:

“I want to make it clear that Peter de Villiers is not a transformation appointment. He has been appointed on merit. Rugby is now showing it is an agent for change and it can unite people around the Springboks.”

Well, it seems to me the least you might do is get the story right. Which is it, then? The first problem for de Villiers, rugby matters aside, is that he is clearly entering the job balanced on an unsteady perch high above two opposing parties who see the National team as their own, and wish to use for their own ends.

The second problem is that when the President of the sport says that the decision was not made for rugby reasons, then the public who follow the game immediately recognize that if the top position in rugby is awarded based on non-rugby decisions, then so too future decisions can be expected to be compromised...and therefore, they're in for a bumpy ride.

To date, de Villiers has said the right things for the sport (including that he will pick players on merit, that he's not a transformation pawn, etc.). But the quotes above don't suggest that at all, and I would predict a rough road ahead for SA rugby. Nothing to do with the quality of the coach, but just because he's the rope in a political tug of war, and that can't be good for quality.

Time will tell, let's just hope he makes use of sports science to prepare the team, and we don't revert back to the Camp Staaldrad way of doing things!

Join us next time for the series on exercise in the cold!

Ross

Pistorius decision due

Sports news part 5

In December last year, the IAAF issued a press statement saying that the decision around Pistorius' eligibility to run in Beijing would be made on 10 January. I have since read that the decision is to be delayed until the 12th, to allow Pistorius time to respond to the IAAF's decision.

It's one of the more poorly kept secrets around, since apparently, the lead researcher on the case, Prof Bruggemann, has said that the carbon fibre "Cheetahs" offer a considerable advantage to Pistorius. So it seems the IAAF is preparing for a challenge to the ruling, which is a highly costly affair (the testing they paid for cost between 70,000 and 100,000 dollars), and also, the expertise they had in Prof Bruggemann must rank as the best in the world. Finally, it's been theoretically argued that the limbs would provide the "considerable advantage" that has now been proven, so it's difficult to see what avenues he can pursue.

Now, this is an issue we've covered many times here at The Science of Sport, and we'll certainly wrap it up with analysis when that report is eventually released and we have a final decision.

Kenyan violence and running

A tragic situation in Kenya and its impact on Kenyan and world running

I am sure that by now, most of you, perhaps all of you, will have heard about the volatile, tragic situation in Kenya. Kenya is now in its second week of civil unrest, with violence that has claimed the lives of between 500 and 1000 people, with more than 250 000 forced to flee their homes in what is threatening to become a humanitarian disaster to rival Rwanda, according to experts in the area.

Eldoret - home to the world's best long distance runners and the most violent clashes

The "epicentre" for much of the violence is a town called Eldoret, which is in the western part of Kenya. One week ago, one of the most violent reported episodes so far, the burning of a church where families had taken shelter from the violence, leaving almost 50 people dead, took place in Eldoret.

Now, Eldoret is probably not a town many will have heard of before this violence, but for some, it is a name that will be well-known because Eldoret is the cradle or birthplace of Kenyan long-distance running. Eldoret and the surrounding towns are home to the Kalenjin people, who are caught up in the tribal conflict surrounding Kenya's recently elected president (a member of the Kikuyu tribe) in a disputed election.

Many of the elite athletes have their training camps in Eldoret or nearby Iten. Iten is the home town of St Patrick's school, made famous by the story of Brother Colm O'Connel, who began coaching in St Patrick's and created the first of the Kenyan champions. A tree is planted for any ex-pupil who becomes world or Olympic Champion - but apparently, they've switched to shrubs now because of lack of space! And to this day, most of the elite Kenyan runners base themselves in the Eldoret region, making it the town with the most Olympic and world champions in the world. Unfortunately, many of these athletes have been caught up directly in the violence.

Last week, Lucas Sang, a Kenyan Olympic athlete in 1988, was stoned to death in Eldoret. His body had to be identified by Noah Ngeny, the Olympic 1500m champion from Sydney.

Other notable athletes caught up in the violence have been John Kibet, the Osaka Marathon World Champion, who was stoned while on his way to the shops last week - he escaped with a deep flesh wound, concussion and orders not to train for three weeks.

No space to train, hiding out of fear for their lives

All other athletes in the area are being affected, simply because they cannot leave their homes to train. The violence has effectively robbed them of space and they cannot run in the afternoons. Those who are seen out running are immediately confronted to join the mob - "If you are healthy, then you should be fighting" is the mentality.

The New York Times has this article describing the situation for the Kenyan runners. It speaks specifically of Lornah Kiplagat, whose training camp in Iten has been hit by the violence. She has had to scrap her afternoon runs, and trains solely in the mornings. Other runners are effectively running in circles near their homes, not straying further than 5 miles away for 90 minute training runs.

Worse still, many of the top athletes are unaccounted for, due to the worsening communication situation. The IAAF has a centre in Eldoret, but has been unable to contact it for three days. So too, Paul Tergat and many of the other well known names have not been heard from for days, and from reports, it may be some time before they are heard from, such is the breakdown in links to the outside world.

Athletes cannot leave their families

The authorities, and the managers and agents of the athletes are doing their best to get those athletes out of the country, but at the moment, that is proving incredibly difficult. For one thing, it's reported that the athletes themselves do not wish to leave their families behind, and obtaining visas for family members is impossible with many roads and embassies closed. Some are able to move more easily, when they do not have families to be concerned for, but for many, they are stuck without possibility to train and move around.

A tragic situation then, and of course, the potential for athletes to lose out on training is a relatively insignificant concern in the grand scheme of things, which has seen the loss of life, thousands at risk and many more fleeing their homes. But for the world of running, Kenya represents a double tragedy and we can only hope that the situation stabilizes and peace is achieved sooner rather than later.

Ross

Beijing 2008 and doping

Can Beijing 2008 possibly emerge untainted by doping? We doubt it...

Two days ago, we did a post on some interesting news concerning the Beijing Olympic Marathon, which included a story of how the third and final spot on the Chinese Olympic team for the women's marathon was claimed.

This third and final member of the team, who earns her spot on the team by virtue of winning the Xiamen Marathon this past weekend is Zhang Yingying. And in that race, the 18-year old Zhang, running her third marathon, broke the women's world junior record with an extra-ordinary time of 2:22:38. Her own Personal Best had stood at 2:27:20, which was set three months ago in what was her second marathon.

So we have a five-minute improvement on a PB, from an 18-year old who has little to no history of running great performances in an event that is typically dominated by athletes in their early 30's who have a pedigree of running on the track...

Would it be excessively cynical for me to immediately have visions of turtle blood and other doping practices? Yes, out of a nation of a billion people, it is possible that you'll get this type of talent emerging, but we're leaning towards the other option on this one.

Given the history of the Chinese for producing world class athletes powered by turtle blood, dried caterpillars, and other concoctions, scepticism might be well placed. It most definitely will not be the last time we speak of Chinese athletes and doping allegations in 2008.

Some interesting information from a reader

And then added to that, we received a very helpful email from a reader who is based in China (and runs his own blog - Run back by 7).

In his email, he referred us to the following excerpt from a newspaper:

Curiously, the Xiamen race winner Zhang and Bai Xue, the winner of October's Beijing marathon - who was the runner-up in Xiamen - were not included on the short list (of Potential Olympic Team members).

"Though they have shown blistering form recently, they don't have the trust of sports officials in Beijing because of their link with Wang Dexian," said a source.

Bai and Zhang train under Wang Deming, the younger brother of the disgraced Wang Dexian. That relationship has apparently caused concern among the officials wary of any possible doping fallout before and during the Olympics.

So it seems that despite winning the Xiamen Marathon and qualifying for the Olympic marathon team, Zhang's place is questioned over the possible doping controversies...

What is more interesting to me is the emergence of another coach - Wang Dexian. The famous Chinese coach of the early 1990's was Ma Junren - he of the turtle blood excuse when three of his athletes tested positive for EPO! But this is a new name and I think the story highlights the massive problems the Chinese officials have.

To begin with, we assume that the officials are not complicit in doping, although it would not be the first time that a state-run programme produced results through systematic doping. But even assuming this, there are clearly massive problems. The Chinese system is so shrouded in mystery (to the West, anyway) that to know just what is going on is near impossible.

A few months ago, we did a post or two on the massive steroid bust in the USA - Operation Raw Deal. In that sequence of stories, it emerged that much of the world's banned substance trade seems to originate in China, where raw materials for the manufacture of undetectable, banned substances are freely available at ridiculously low prices.

Undetectable drugs, designer products that have likely never even been seen before by IOC laboratories, are almost certain to be available by the Olympic Games. Experts have warned that by Beijing 2008, "100 undetectable drugs will be available". Now, this may well be hyperbole, but even five undetectable drugs will create havoc with the Olympic Games and it's a very ominous shadow on the horizon.

The Chinese women of the 1990's - is there more to come in 2008?

The Chinese women of the 1990's came, saw, conquered, and then disappeared, leaving only unbreakable records as evidence of their presence on the world stage. Most people are aware that the records are suspect, but when you look at the facts and numbers, it jumps out just how unbelievable the year of 1993 was for women's running. Just take a look at the world records for the women's middle and long distance events:

1500m

• Qu Yunxia is 2 seconds faster than any runner not from China.
  
• The four fastest times in history are all Chinese and all were set in 1993.
  
• No one has run within 5 seconds of these times since then, and you know that the Eastern Europeans who used to hold the records here were tainted by drugs to begin with!

3000m

• The Top 7 times in history belong to Chinese women.
• All seven times were set in 1993.The next fastest person is a full 15 seconds behind the world record holder.

10 000m

• Wang Junxia (also the holder of the 3000m WR) stands a full 30 seconds clear of the second fastest person in history
• The record was also set in 1993, the year of the Turtle blood and caterpillar treatment

Records that will never be broken then - unless, perhaps, the Chinese women can break them in 2008?

Ross