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Brian Diemer Interview - Preparing for the Olympics

Brian Diemer discusses the preparations that helped him earn a steeplechase bronze medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Steeplechase: In words and photos

Track & Field Blog

Russian Pole Vaulters Gain Early-Season Success

Wednesday January 14, 2009
Two recent indoor events demonstrated that Russia will remain strong in pole vault competition this year, after winning three medals in the 2008 Olympics.

Yuliya Golubchikova vaulted 4.7 meters (15 feet, 5 inches) to win the women's event at the Christmas Cup in Moscow Jan. 11. In her first competition of the season, Golubchikova was just two inches shy of her personal best (4.75/15-7), which had earned her fourth place in Beijing.

At the same meet, 2005 World Outdoor Championship bronze medalist Pavel Gerasimov won the men's competition at 5.75/18-10.4, a leap that would've been good enough for a bronze medal in Beijing.

At the Lukashevich Memorial in Chelyabinsk, Russia on Jan. 9, Dmitriy Starodubstev, the fifth-place pole vault finisher in Beijing, and Pavel Prokopenko both cleared 5.5/18-0.5 on their second attempts. Starodubstev earned the championship with fewer misses at the previous height.

Russia's 2008 Olympic pole vault medalists (Yelena Isinbayeva, gold; Svetlana Feofanova, bronze; Evgeniy Lukyanenko, silver) did not compete in the recent Russian indoor events.

Ducks, Aggies Lead NCAA Polls

Sunday January 11, 2009
Six of last year’s top ten NCAA Division I men’s indoor track and field teams are ranked among this year’s top ten squads, according to the season’s first U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll.

The top-ranked team, however, is Oregon, which finished 19th in last year’s NCAA Indoor Championships. The Ducks are led by a two 2008 Olympians. Andrew Wheating ran in the 800 meters in Beijing, while Galen Rupp finished 13th in the Olympic 10,000-meter final and won the 2008 NCAA cross country championship. The Ducks also return All-Americans Ashton Eaton (heptathlon) and Andrew Acosta (the D-I mile runner-up in 2008).

Last year’s NCAA champs from Arizona State are ranked a very close second (132.21 points for Oregon, 129.59 for ASU). Key performers include Ryan Whiting, the defending D-I shot put champion, plus distance runner Brandon Bethke and decathlete Joel Phillip.

Arkansas, led by defending national triple jump champion Nkosinza Balumbu, is ranked third, followed by Florida, Florida State, Texas A & M, Texas, Louisiana State, Louisville and Brigham Young.

On the women’s side, none of the top six ranked teams finished lower than eighth in last year’s D-I final. Leading the pack, according to the poll, is Texas A & M, which placed seventh last season.

The Aggies are solid choice of the coaches, with 149.39 points, followed by LSU with 127.20. A & M’s leaders include defending D-I 400-meter champion Jessica Beard and sprinter Porscha Lucas.

LSU returns defending 800-meter champion LaTavia Thomas and sprinter Samantha Henry.

No. 3 Michigan is led by defending 60-meter hurdles champion Tiffany Offili and pentathlon runner-up Bettie Wade. Tennessee is ranked fourth, followed by Florida State, defending D-I champ Arizona State, Virginia Tech, Oregon, Texas Tech and Minnesota.

Indoor Schedules Set

Friday January 9, 2009
New York’s Millrose Games, set to begin Jan. 30, will kick off two track and field series this year.

The Millrose Games are the first of ten IAAF Permit Indoor Meetings. The remainder are in February, beginning with a meet in Moscow on Feb. 1, followed by: Stuttgart, Germany (Feb. 7); Ghent, Belgium (Feb. 8); Lievin, France (Feb. 10); Valencia, Spain (Feb. 14); Karlsruhe, Germany (Feb. 15); Stockholm, Sweden (Feb. 18); Birmingham, Great Britain (Feb. 21); and Athens, Greece (Feb. 25).

The Millrose Games also lead off the ten-event Visa Championship Series in the U.S. The series features four indoor events, which also include the Reebok Indoor Games in Boston on Feb. 7, the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. Feb. 13 and the U.S. Indoor Championships, also in Boston, beginning Feb. 28. The remaining six events are outdoor meets.

Other key indoor season dates to remember are March 13-14, when the NCAA will hold its indoor track and field championships. The Division I meet will be held in College Station, Tex., the D-II event in Houston, Tex., and the D-III meet in Terre Haute, Ind.

Lagat Seeks Wanamaker Mark

Monday January 5, 2009
With the 2009 indoor track and field season getting underway, many fans are no doubt looking ahead to this month’s major event, the Millrose Games, set to begin on Jan. 30 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

As usual, the Wanamaker Mile will be a highlight event, this year featuring Bernard Lagat’s quest to tie Eamonn Coghlan’s record of seven Wanamaker victories. Lagat won his sixth title last year. But Lagat will have to earn his glory, as he’ll face a strong challenge from New Zealand’s Nick Willis, the 2008 bronze medalist at 1500 meters. Willis finished third in last year’s Millrose Games.

The pole vault will be another key event, with American record-holder Jenn Stuczynski leading the women’s field. The silver medalist in Beijing, and at the 2008 World Indoor Championships, Stuczynski will be a solid favorite in New York, barring a late entry by world record-holder Yelena Isinbayeva.

On the men’s side, Australia’s Steven Hooker will look for his first Millrose title. He won the gold medal with an Olympic record leap of 5.96 meters (19 feet, 6.5 inches) in Beijing.

The Millrose Games is the first event of USA Track & Field's Indoor Visa Championship Series. The competition will be televised live on ESPN2 from 7-8:30 p.m.(Eastern time) Jan. 30, and from 1:30-2:30 p.m. on NBC Jan. 31.

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