THE LATEST In the latest in the aches, pains & eligibility departments:
On maternity leave: Canadian 800 star Melissa Bishop, U.S. distance standout Shannon Rowbury, Kenya’s No. 1-rated miler Faith Kipyegon & Commonwealth 5K defender Mercy Cherono and Polish high jumper Kamila Lićwinko.
British vaulter Holly Bradshaw had her indoor season ended by a hamstring injury.
Konrad Bukowiecki has found his putting limited by a finger injury.
Scotland’s Andy Butchart will miss the Commonwealth Games after fracturing the navicular bone in his right foot near the end of the Millrose 3000.
Sprinter Hannah Cunliffe has left Oregon and signed a pro contract with adidas.
Meseret Defar withdrew from the Tokyo Marathon with a calf injury.
Two-time Olympian Janay DeLoach Soukup has retired.
400H great Lashinda Demus has officially announced her retirement, more than 2 years after her final race.
Chris Derrick withdrew from the USATF cross champs with hamstring issues.
Michigan’s Erin Finn will miss the rest of the indoor season with an apparent stress fracture to her heel.
Injury and illness combined to convince Euro 200 champ Bruno Hortelano to end his indoor campaign.
Bershawn Jackson has decided not to quit hurdling just yet; he will compete in ’18. Vaulter Lexi Jacobus has had limited training this winter because of an Achilles issue.
Richard Kilty will miss the World Indoor with an Achilles injury.
Olympic javelin winner Sara Kolak underwent January elbow surgery in the U.S.
Sandi Morris had to pull out of Millrose, revealing that she’s been dealing with back spasm and a possible disk bulge.
A post-Millrose foot injury has hampered mile winner Chris O’Hare; coaches expect him to be fine for the World Indoor.
Asafa Powell pulled a hamstring in a February race in Jamaica.
German heptathlete Claudia Salman-Rath had knee surgery in February and will miss the entire ’18 season.
Georgia’s Karl Saluri couldn’t finish the SEC heptathlon because of injury.
Raven Saunders (see p. 46) has announced that she will bypass the rest of her career at Ole Miss and take a break from track as she deals with “personal and medical issues.”
Germany’s David Storl missed three winter shot competitions because of back issues.
Getting banged up in a car crash the Wednesday before the USATF meet didn’t keep Jasmine Todd from making finals in the 60 and the long jump.
Lorraine Ugen of Britain will miss the rest of the indoor season with a hamstring tear but is hoping to contest the long jump at the Commonwealth Games.
French sprinter Jimmy Vicaut ended his indoor season with a right adductor injury.
With a stress reaction in his fibula, Nick Willis cut his indoor season short. It remains to be seen if he will compete in the Commonwealth Games.
An auto accident that killed 5 left Kenyan Vincent Yator (13:04.50/27:25.94) with extensive injuries.
| LANDMARKS |
|---|
| Died: Jarrod Bannister, 33; on February 8, in the Netherlands. Australian javelin thrower World Ranked 3 times, topped by No. 7 in ’08.
Died: Cliff Bourland, 97; on February 1, in Santa Monica; of pneumonia. USC star won the NCAA/ AAU 1-lappers in ’42 & ’43 (with 3rds in the NCAA 220 both years). Placed 5th in the ’48 Olympic 200 and ran second leg on the gold medal 4×4. Died: Dave Clark, 81; in Duncanville, Texas, of cancer. North Texas vaulter tied for 2nd in the ’60 NCAA and competed in the Olympics that year. Died: Sergey Litvinov, 60; in Sochi, Russia. 3-time WR setter won ’88 Olympic gold and ’80 silver in the hammer plus World Champs golds in ’83 & ’87. World-Ranked 12 times 1978–93, with 4 No. 1s. Died: Clyde “Smackover” Scott; 93; on January 30, in Little Rock; of complications from dementia. Arkansas hurdler won the ’48 NCAA and captured silver in Olympics, ranking No. 3 in the world that year. Died: Gerald Weiss, 58; in Kloster Lehnin, Germany. Was a 4-time World Ranker in the javelin, with a high of No. 7 in ’88, the year he placed 6th in the Olympics. |
