THE LATEST in the aches, pains & eligibility departments:
Amos Bartelsmeyer has retired at 30. The Nike Bowerman runner, a Missouri prep and Georgetown collegian, has represented Germany internationally. He ran a German indoor mile record of 3:50.45 in ’23.
France’s Jimmy Gressier will be skipping the European XC Champs because of tendon discomfort in training. He still has road racing plans for December, in addition to a goal of breaking the French indoor 5000 record (13:11.13).
Lexi Halladay-Lowry says she was rehabbing an injury in the weeks before leading the BYU team to a national title.
Teammate Jenna Hutchins missed the NCAA race with a stress injury.
Japanese walker Koki Ikeda, winner of 20K silver in the Tokyo Olympics, has been provisionally suspended because of inconsistencies in his biological passport indicating blood doping. He calls himself “completely bewildered” by the charges and says he will clear his name.
Training in Florida now, Lamont Marcel Jacobs says he may do some competing on the U.S. indoor circuit but will skip the World Indoor.
Tulane’s Caroline Jeptanui, 12th in the NCAA XC, has been battling an injury all fall and according to her coach, has missed “significant amounts” of training.
Joe Klecker is reportedly planning to add the half marathon to his repertoire.
British 400 hurdler Jessie Knight has retired at age 30. A 4×4 bronze medalist at both the ’22 Worlds and ’24 World Indoor, she is heading into a teaching career.
The world’s top decathlete in ’23, Canada’s Pierce LePage had surgery over the summer to fix a herniated disc in his back. He says he is on track for ’25: “I’m the world champion. I want to defend my title next year.”
Ireland’s European 1500 champ Ciara Mageean had Achilles surgery in September after missing the Olympics; she hopes to have a shot in ’28. “I have a long road of recovery ahead. Four years is a long time. I’m 32. I’ll be 36 at the next Olympic Games but all I can say is I’m very motivated for it.”
Luke McCann, who ran the 1500 for Ireland in the Games, will miss all of ’25 because of knee surgery.
Maggie Montoya, who was 7th in the Trials 10,000, had surgery to remove an oversized parathyroid gland, apparently the same week that she placed 14th in the NYC Marathon.
Prior to the New York Marathon, Jenny Simpson announced that it would be the final competitive race of her career.
Marathoner Kellyn Taylor had meniscus surgery in August.
Jamaica’s Damion Thomas, who won the ’21 NCAA Indoor 60H for LSU, had foot surgery in October.
Reportedly, Elaine Thompson-Herah will be making her comeback from an injury-marred ’24 under the coaching of Rana Reider in Florida.
Amanda Vestri, the Trials 5th-placer in the 10,000 now running for Brooks, withdrew from the Valencia Half Marathon with an injury.
Doping Bans…
6 years — Emmaculate Anyango (Kenya, distance);
4 years — Tsehay Gemechu (Ethiopia, marathon). □