THE LATEST in the aches, pains & eligibility departments:
British vaulter Holly Bradshaw is still hoping to make it back for Paris before retiring, but reveals, “I think winning that bronze medal has damaged me physically and mentally. I just worry, have I damaged myself too much that I can’t get back from that? And then I almost question, is it really worth it, if I’ve damaged myself for the rest of my life?” Since Tokyo she has dealt with mono, Achilles problems, three wisdom tooth infections, three hamstring tears, and a broken bone in her back.
NC State star Kelsey Chmiel, who placed 3-6-22 in her first three NCAA XC championships, had to sit out this one (and her team’s victory) because of a lower leg injury. Said coach Laurie Henes, “It’s not fractured. It’s not surgical. So she’ll be OK, but she is not able to run on it.”
Canada’s Georgia Ellenwood once again injured her Achilles, this time while competing in the Pan-Am heptathlon. “Same leg; lower Achilles rupture. 580 days, back to zero,” she posted.
Georgia’s Elija Godwin, the NCAA Indoor 400 champ, has gone pro, signing with adidas.
Raphael Holzdeppe, the ’13 world champion in the vault who is now 34, has announced that he will retire after Paris.
Fouad Idbafdil, the former Moroccan steepler who competed in Budapest for WA’s Refugee Team, has been provisionally suspended after an EPO finding.
Superstar Jakob Ingebrigtsen will miss the European XC Champs for the first time in his career due to a recent unspecified injury, that also caused him to miss his training camp in the mountains of Spain.
Olympic marathon champ Peres Jepchirchir had to withdraw on the eve of the New York City Marathon because of a calf injury suffered in training.
Kenya says it will be suspending 50 athletes (not necessarily all track) for doping by the end of the year. See “Last Lap” for more.
Jamaican hurdler Ronald Levy confirmed that he is provisionally suspended and awaiting the results of a test on the B sample.
Notre Dame’s Olivia Markezich was sick the week before she placed 3rd in the NCAA cross country.
Deca WR holder Kevin Mayer says that he has fully recovered from his Achilles issues and is planning to compete in Brisbane in mid-December. Should that fall through, he’s looking at multis either in New Zealand in February or California in April.
Whittni Morgan had patellar tendon debridement surgery in November after trying to train through a knee injury all last year. “It’s not going to be an easy road, but I am ready to patiently endure this challenge,” says the BYU alum who captured the ’21 NCAA XC crown.
NCAA 200 champion Udodi Onwuzurike has opted to sacrifice his final two years of eligibility at Stanford and go pro.
María Pérez, the double world champion in the walks, has revealed she has a small stress fracture in her sacrum.
Olympic high jump co-champion Gianmarco Tamberi says he will consider the World Indoor only if he is healthy and in great shape. “I say for 99% I won´t be there.”
Zerfe Wondemagegn, the Ethiopian steepler who placed 6th in Budapest, has been provisionally suspended on an EPO violation; later the AIU announced a second provisional suspension, this one for testosterone.
Doping bans:
8 years — Michael Kunyaga (Kenya, marathon);
4 years — Janat Chemusto (Uganda, 1500), Yelena Korobkina (Russia, distance);
3 years — Mohamed Aagab (Canada, marathon);
30 months — Christopher Taylor (Jamaica, 400). □