THE LATEST in the aches, pains & eligibility departments:
James Benson, who ran a 32.46 early-season world 300 leader for Arkansas, sustained a hamstring strain and is laying off competition for a while.
Halfmiler Ce’Aira Brown has announced her retirement at age 29. She U.S.-Ranked 3 times, with No. 4s in ’18 & ’19.
Stephanie Bruce has decided she’s not retiring after all. Now 38, she says, “Now I have had a change of heart. I am not ready to hang up my racing shoes.”
After racing only sparingly in ’22 Hannah Cunliffe wants to squelch rumors that she has retired. The adidas sprinter, 27, is training and says, “It’s been a lot of transitions these past couple of years but yes, I’m still running and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Every time I step on the track my love for the sport continues to grow.”
In December steepler Courtney Frerichs underwent a “small” surgery for her left ankle to clean up an injury she got last May at the Prefontaine Classic. She said, “Everything has gone really well so far and I was already able to start some light cross training this week.”
Heather Kampf, who retired from 1500 racing after the Olympic season, has returned to try to make an impact on the roads. She ran 1:13:12 for 25th at the Houston Half Marathon.
Iowa’s Jenoah McKiver tore his hamstring last spring not long after running a PR 44.74. Now he’s back, saying, “It feels pretty good. I feel that the trainers and the coaches that we have and what they put together as a plan for me to come back was pretty good.”
Texas Tech sprinter Jacolby Shelton pulled up at a January home meet and was diagnosed with a grade-1 hamstring strain.
Oregon sprinter Micah Williams pulled up with an apparent leg injury at the Texas Tech Open.
Newbury Park prep standout Lex Young finished 12th at the USATF Junior XC while brother Leo won. Reportedly, though, Lex had had a tough few weeks that included hip and knee issues, along with wisdom teeth being extracted.
The International Scene…
French hurdler Wilhem Belocian, recovered from last year’s hamstring injury, is skipping indoors to concentrate on the World Championships in August.
The world 800 champ in ‘17, Pierre-Ambroise Bosse had surgery on his right hamstring in December. He hopes to race in the summer.
’16 Olympic 5000 champ Vivian Cheruiyot has returned to training following childbirth.
London ’12 gold medal high jumper Anna Chicherova has announced her retirement. “That’s it, I no longer have any competitive plans,” said the Russian, 40.
A triple fracture of the tibia put Ajla del Ponte under the knife in November, and the Swiss sprinter will not compete indoors.
Legendary Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba ran the Houston Half in 1:11:35 for 16th. It was her first race in more than 4 years.
Andrew Howe, who won World silver in the long jump for Italy in ’07, has announced his retirement at age 37.
Ida Karstoff, Denmark’s Euro 200 bronze medalist, will miss the indoor season with Achilles issues.
Pascal Martinot-Lagarde tore his right hamstring in January, but the French hurdler says, “I had to slow down my training and everything. But I will be alright for the French and European Indoor Championships.”
France’s Mahiedine Mekhissi, a triple Olympic medalist in the steeple, has retired at 37.
New Zealand 100 recordholder (10.08) Eddie Osei-Nketia has decided to pursue American football. Now 21, he has signed with Hawai‘i for next fall. The school does not sponsor men’s track.
A month after the birth of her daughter, Spanish triple jumper Ana Peleteiro, the Olympic bronze medalist, returned to training in January.
Marileidy Paulino will not be competing during the indoor season, instead concentrating on outdoors. According to her manager, the Dominican Olympic silver medalist has recently run 1:22.84 for 600 in training.
Former Commonwealth hammer champ Julia Ratcliffe of New Zealand has retired at 29. She was also the ’14 NCAA winner for Princeton.
Abderrahmane Samba, who hasn’t raced since his 5th in the Olympic 400H, reports that he had hamstring surgery. He expects to return to competition this season.
Indian javelin thrower Shivpal Singh has had his ban reduced from 4 years to 1 after he successfully argued that contaminated supplements caused his positive test. The AIU has questioned the reduction, however.
Gianmarco Tamberi says no indoor high jumping this year, as he wants to fully recover from his now-resolved hamstring and knee problems.
World 1500 champ Jake Wightman withdrew from the New Balance Indoor GP after straining his foot while training in South Africa.
Doping Positives…
Natsinet Amanuel of Eritrea, who ran 2:22:45 in last fall’s Amsterdam Marathon, has been provisionally suspended for testosterone.
Australian 800 runner Peter Bol has been provisionally suspended after a positive test for EPO.
India’s Dutee Chand has been provisionally suspended after a positive test for steroids.
The Kenyan list of recently announced provisional doping suspensions is long. Among the notables: Michael Kibet (3rd in the Philly half marathon), marathoner Samuel Lomoi (2:09:00), UTEP alum and ‘18 NCAA Indoor 800 champ Michael Saruni, high jumper Mathew Sawa (2.30/7-6½), former World Junior 1500 champ Kumari Taki, half-marathoner James Mwangi (59:07).
The women: Stella Barsosio, marathoner Esther Kakuri (2:26:11), 800 runner Agatha Kimaswai (1:59.51), ’22 World Champs 5000 finalist Gloria Kite, ’17 World XC champ Alice Nawowuna, marathoner Lydia Simiyu (2:25:44).
Doping Bans…
6 years – Diane Kipyokei (Kenya, marathon)…
5 years — Betty Lempus (Kenya, distance), Purity Rionoripo (Kenya, marathon)…
4 years — Sally Korir (Kenya, distance, additional ban), Anton Luboslavksiy (Russia, shot), Georgina Rono (Kenya, distance), Yelena Strokova (Russia, discus)…
3 years — Natsnet Amanuel (Eritrea, distance), Solomon Lekuta (Kenya, 800)…
2 years — Yelena Churakova (Russia, 400H, additional ban); Yevgeniya Kolodko (Russia, shot, additional ban), Sergey Litvinov (Russia, hammer), Denis Obyortshev (Russia, TJ), Yelena Panova (Russia, discus), Jackline Wambui (Kenya, 800)…
3 months — Fernando Ferreira (Brazil, HJ). □