THE LATEST in the aches, pains & eligibility departments:
Discus ace Mykolas Alekna tore a left pectoral muscle in March (see “Last Lap”) and expects to be out for the whole season.
Jordan Anthony chalked up an odd injury at the World Indoor, where he developed a blood clot after a drug test. He was still able to sprint.
Alia Armstrong got a public warning from USADA for not getting a therapeutic use exemption before using prescribed Spironolactone, a diuretic which is on the banned list.
Marathoner Emma Bates has announced that she is expecting later this year.
Alexander Doom, Belgium’s ’24 World Indoor 400 champ, had a mixed season indoors and stuck to the relays in Toruń. “I did struggle with a small tear in my adductor again four weeks ago, but we can run again and hopefully also make a contribution.”
Another reason for multi-eventers not to like the vault: Brazil’s José Fernando Ferreira finished 12th and last in the World Indoor heptathlon, nearly 400 points off his best. It didn’t help that in the final event, the 1000, he got decked by an errant pole as he passed the vault. He managed to get up and finish.
Sifan Hassan has had to withdraw from the London Marathon after hurting her Achilles while on a treadmill. “I’m not ready to be at my best,” she said.
At the USATF Indoor Nikki Hiltz raced with a bruised tailbone after sitting on a hotel lobby “couch” that turned out to be two adjoining chairs.
In news that was only announced after she won the NCAA 200, Adaejah Hodge had been serving a 2-year suspension (see “Last Lap”).
Rita Jeptoo, who lost her ’14 Boston and Chicago wins to an EPO test, has now tested positive for steroids at age 45, according to the Kenyan anti-doping authorities.
Festus Lagat was given a provisional suspension by Kenya’s anti-doping agency for whereabouts failures. It was lifted prior to the World Indoors by CAS.
Alabama Kenyan Doris Lemngole was hampered at the NCAA Indoor by Achilles issues.
Washington’s Amanda Moll was not able to vault for most of the indoor season because of injury.
Elle St. Pierre declined her spot on the World Indoor team, revealing later that she is staying close to home because of devastating news about her father’s health.
Valarie Sion is the married name for the former Valarie Allman, who has wed coach Zeb Sion.
Swiss distance runner Julien Wanders, the former European Recordholder in the marathon, had surgery on both legs in December to treat endofibrosis (a rare, progressive vascular condition causing narrowing of the iliac artery in high-performance endurance athletes).
Doping Bans…
10 years – Jackline Sakilu (Tanzania, distance);
2 years – Adaejah Hodge (British Virgin Islands, sprints), Fred Kerley (U.S. sprints), Nancy Meto (Kenya, marathon). □
