Reese Watson

It took nearly a half-century, but the bullet that pierced the neck of Vance Skahen III when he was 14 years old eventually claimed the Eagan man’s life.

Vance was washing dishes at the kitchen sink with one of his sisters in the family’s home on the edge of Grand Island, Neb., in 1964, when he was felled by errant gunfire from a nearby cornfield.

The bullet struck Vance’s spinal cord, and it was left in his neck. He never walked again.

He died Aug. 27 of complications related to the injury. He was 61.

Brother Michael Skahen, of Minneapolis, said the fateful shot from a .22-caliber rifle was fired by a teenager playing with friends. Vance Skahen knew the boy but never harbored ill will toward him, the brother said. Police ruled the shooting accidental.

“I was supposed to be the one washing dishes,” said Valerie Hall, a sister of Vance’s who lives in Burnsville.

Valerie explained that she and Vance swapped chores that day because Vance wanted to dash off to practice pole vaulting. That left Valerie to help do the laundry with a wringer washer, a more time-consuming job.

“I remember talking to him on the kitchen floor,” Hall said.

She said he told her a few months later: “‘I’m so thankful that I wanted to go pole vaulting and you wanted to switch jobs with me or you wouldn’t be here with me.’

read more 
http://www.startribune.com/local/east/129373478.html

By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY

aegu, South Korea

After a slow start in an unlikely host city, the people of Daegu did a fine job in organizing and cheering for these world track and field championships, although it is still hard to imagine that having brought this meet here will transform South Korea into a track and field nation.

Even staging the Seoul Olympics in 1988 did not do the trick. More than two decades later, Korean athletes have become international stars in baseball, figure skating and golf, but no Korean athlete could come close to a medal here in Daegu.

This nine-day meet did leave at least some imprint on local culture. At the annual Buddhist craft market at Donghwa Temple, the artist Shin Jae-soon, who makes traditional Korean paper hanji dolls, created something new for his stand this year: a doll depicting Usain Bolt breaking the tape.

Read More
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/sports/06iht-arena06.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1

Pole vault women (7.00 p.m.): Isinbayeva to challenge world champion and world leader

Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) is one of the stars out to make amends for their defeat at the world championships. She has managed to prove her true position in the women’s pole vault before, when she set a new world record in Zurich two years ago. This time around, it will require a flawless performance, as the field includes the likes of world champion Fabiana Murer (BRA), silver medallist and German record holder Martina Strutz and world leader Jennifer Suhr (USA). As many as six athletes are still in contention for the Diamond Trophy. The two Swiss competitors, Nicole Büchler and Anna Katharina Schmid will both be tackling the national record, currently at 4.50m.

READ MORE
http://www.diamondleague.com/News/NewsArticles/Weltklasse-Zurich-2011—Event-by-Event/

Athletes accustomed to the Olympics in July, August and September tell Around the Rings they are lukewarm to Games in October if Doha wins the 2020 Olympics and takes the latest possible dates.

“They would have it in October?” asked U.S. shot putter Michelle Carter. “The summer Olympics?”

Doha proposes to hold the Olympics sometime between Sept. 20 and Oct. 20 after the IOC Executive Board ruled that the city could set dates outside the mandated July-August window.

Read More
http://www.aroundtherings.com/articles/view.aspx?id=37770

Last week, the American sprinter Justin Gatlin showed up at the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Daegu, South Korea, with frostbite on his feet. This condition was painful — he told reporters that he had blisters on both heels — but it was also improbable, given that he’d developed the frostbite in Florida in August. But Mr. Gatlin had been sampling one of the newest, trendiest innovations in elite athlete training. He’d gone into a whole-body cryotherapy chamber, and his feet had frozen there.

Whole-body cryotherapy is, essentially, ice baths taken to a new and otherworldly level, and it is drawing considerable attention among athletes, both elite and recreational. In the cryotherapy chambers, the ambient temperature is lowered to a numbing minus 110 Celsius or minus 166 Fahrenheit. The chambers were originally intended to treat certain medical conditions, but athletes soon adopted the technology in hopes that supra-subzero temperatures would help them to recover from strenuous workouts more rapidly.

read more
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/07/freezing-athletes-to-speed-recovery/

RESULTS

(August 27–28; 30 started, 22 finished)

(100: temperature 79/26; humidity 72%; 400: temperature 77/25;

humidity 68%; 110H: temperature 72/22; humidity 85%; 1500: temperature

79/26; humidity 67%)

1. Trey Hardee (US)…………………………………………………………. 8607

(10.55, 24-5./7.45, 49-6./15.09, 6-7./2.02, 48.37 [4393—2],

13.97, 163-8/49.89, 15-9/4.80, 226-4/68.99, 4:45.68 [4214]);

2. Ashton Eaton (US)………………………………………………………. 8505

(10.46, 24-5./7.46, 47-4./14.44, 6-7./2.02, 46.99 [4446—1],

13.85, 151-5/46.17, 15-..60, 181-0/55.17, 4:18.94 [4059]);

3. Leonel Suarez (Cuba)………………………………………………….. 8501

(11.07, 24-./7.33, 47-8./14.54, 6-8./2.05, 49.17 [4202—7],

14.29, 151-9/46.25, 16-4./5.00, 226-9/69.12, 4:24.16 [4299]);

4. Aleksey Drozdov (Rus) 8313

(11.34, 24-5./7.45, 53-./16.17, 7-./2.14, 51.35 [4257—6],

15.49, 165-0/50.29, 16-4./5.00, 212-7/64.80, 4:41.73 [4056]);

5. Eelco Sintnicolaas (Hol) 8298

(10.76, 23-11/7.29, 46-4./14.13, 6-4/1.93, 48.35 [4166—11],

14.42, 138-6/42.23, 17-./5.20, 200-4/61.07, 4:25.40 [4132]);

6. Mihail Dudaš (Ser) 8256 NR

(10.81, 24-3./7.41, 45-1./13.76, 6-7./2.02, 47.73 [4274—5],

14.89, 144-1/13.97, 16-./4.90, 193-4/58.93, 4:26.06 [3982]);

7. Pascal Behrenbruch (Ger) 8211

(11.08, 22-3./6.80, 52-6./16.01, 6-4/1.93, 49.90 [4021—22],

14.33, 159-4/48.56, 16-./4.90, 218-2/66.50, 4:36.64 [4190]);

8. Jan Felix Knobel (Ger) 8200

(11.18, 23-11./7.30, 52-8./16.06, 6-5/1.96, 49.46 [4169—10],

14.92, 157-.7.93, 15-5/4.70, 224-6/68.42, 4:43.12 [4031]);o

9. Mikk Pahapill (Est) 8164

(11.28, 23-4./7.12, 48-5./14.76, 6-7./2.02, 50.65 [4023—21],

14.54, 154-9/47.16, 16-./4.90, 217-10/66.40, 4:35.41 [4141]);

10. Larbi Bouraada (Alg) 8158

(10.88, 24-4./7.42, 43-./13.11, 6-5/1.96, 47.34 [4185—8],

14.56, 124-2/37.84, 16-./4.90, 193-7/59.00, 4:

Men’s Vault

August 29)

(temperature 88–79/31–26; humidity 55–83%)

1. Paweł Wojciechowski (Poland)………………………………………….19-4. (5.90)

2. Lazaro Borges (Cuba) ………..19-4. NR

3. Renaud Lavillenie (France) …19-2. (5.85)

4. Łukasz Michalski (Pol) 19-2.;

5. Malte Mohr (Ger) 19-2.;

6. Konstadinos Filippidis (Gre) 18-10. (5.75) NR;

7. Mateusz Didenkow (Pol) 18-10. PR;

8. Fabio Gomes da Silva (Bra) 18-6. (5.65);

=9. Jan Kudlicka (CzR) 18-6.;

=9. Steven Lewis (GB) 18-6.;

=9. Jeremy Scott (US) 18-6½;

12. Dmitry Starodubtsev (Rus) 18-6.;

13. Derek Miles (US) 18-6½;

14. Daichi Sawano (Jpn) 18-6.;

… nh—omain Mesnil (Fra), Igor Bychkov

Qualifying

(August 27; auto-qualifier 18-8/5.70.)

(temperature 79/26; humidity 72%)

Qualifiers

—Borges, Lavillenie, Mesnil, Filippidis, Starodubtsev, Mohr, da Silva & Didenkow cleared 18-6. (5.65);

Scott, Miles & Michalski cleared 18-4. (5.60);

Bychkov, Sawano, Kudlicka, Lewis & Wojciechowski cleared 18-. (5.50) with perfect records.
Non-qualifiers [18-./5.50]

—Jerome Clavier (Fra), Raphael Holzdeppe (Ger), Alhaji Jeng (Swe), Giovanni Lanaro (Mex), Evgeniy Lukyanenko (Rus);

[17-6./5.35]—Jere Bergius (Fin), Karsten Dilla (Ger), Mark Hollis (US),  Denys Yurchenko (Ukr);

[17-./5.20]—Yoo-Suk Kim (SK);

… nh—teve Hooker (Aus), Edi Maia (Por).

World Championships XIII

By–Nation Medal Chart —

Nation……………..Men                 Women …..Overall

                                     G S B Total    G S B              Total

United States…….6 5 2 13          6 3 3 12………25

Russia………………2 3 1 6             7 1 5 13………19

Kenya………………4 3 — 7            3 3 4 10………17

Jamaica……………3 — 1 4             1 4 — 5………….9

Germany…………..3 — 3              —  3 1 4………….7

Great Britain………2 2 1 5          — 2 — 2………….7

Ethiopia…………….1 — 3 4          — — 1 1………….5

China……………….— 1 — 1             1 1 1 3………….4

Cuba………………..— 1 2 3           — — 1 1………….4

France……………..— 1 3 4        — — — —…………4

South Africa………— 1 1 2         — 1 1 2………….4

Australia……………— 1 1 2       1 — — 1………….3

Belarus…………….— 1 1            — 1 — 1………….2

Colombia…………..— 1 1           — — 1 1………….2

St. Kitts…………….— 2 2 —        — — —…………2

Ukraine…………….— — — 1        — 1 2………….2

Bahamas…………..— 1 1 —         — — —…………1

Belgium…………….— 1 1 —       — — —…………1

Botswana………….— — — 1 — — 1………….1

Brazil………………..— — — 1 — — 1………….1

Canada…………….— 1 — 1 — — — —…………1

Croatia……………..— — — — 1 — 1………….1

Czech Republic….— — — — 1 — 1………….1

Estonia……………..— 1 — 1 — — — —…………1

Grenada……………1 — 1 — — — —…………1

Hungary……………— 1 — 1 — — — —…………1

Iran………………….— 1 1 — — — —…………1

Italy………………….— — — — — 1 1………….1

Japan……………….1 — 1 — — — —…………1

Kazakhstan……….— — — — 1 — 1………….1

Latvia……………….— — — — — 1 1………….1

New Zealand……..— — — 1 — — 1………….1

Norway…………….— 1 — 1 — — — —…………1

Poland……………..1 — 1 — — — —…………1

Puerto Rico……….— 1 — 1 — — — —…………1

Slovenia……………— 1 1 — — — —…………1

Spain……………….— — — — — 1 1………….1

Sudan………………— 1 — 1 — — — —…………1

Trinidad…………….— — — — — 1 1………….1

Tunisia……………..— — — — 1 — 1………….1

Zimbabwe…………— 1 1 — — — —…………1

24 24 24 72 23 23 23 69…….141

Pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva is on another recovery mission in Zurich after placing just sixth in Daegu. Isinbayeva will face world champion Fabiana Murer of Brazil in a strong lineup.

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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ja10FQPBZjjyr8_RzHvX2kXlAGSQ?docId=7bd5b0e3eed04c7e9ad3caeba9ba657e

Terre Haute, Ind.(WTHI) – Former Terre Haute North and Indiana State track & field star Kylie Hutson just recently completed her first year as a professional pole vaulter. Huston talked to Sports 10 about her past year and her Olympic dreams.

video:  
http://www.wthitv.com/dpp/sports/college/KYLIE-HUTSON-TRACK-FIELD

CORSICANA< TEXAS - On Monday and Tuesday, business owners and residents were sifting through the ashes following more than half a dozen fires in and around Corsicana Sunday that destroyed businesses and came too close for comfort to homes.

Marc Hintz wasn’t sure where to begin on Tuesday as he contemplated the remains of his company, Elite Athletics, at the corner of Oak Street and the Roane Road. His company made equipment for pole vaulting, mostly for high schools. This past Friday, he had two shipments ready to go out but he opted to wait until after the three-day weekend, much to his regret. Everything in the building was destroyed in the fire, and even the thick I-beams in the ceiling sagged dangerously.

The last few years have been tough on the Hintz family. Four years ago, Marc’s wife, Joan, found out she was pregnant and a week later was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“We were going to the doctors every day and for a year and a half, so I just locked the doors,” Hintz said of his business. But with a healthy 3-year-old daughter, and a wife who’s recovering, Hintz and his family moved back to Corsicana in March so he could focus more on his work. Hintz said he was finally starting to see daylight financially, but his company wasn’t insured when the wind-whipped fires leaped from the creekbed behind his shop to the shop itself.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do yet,” he said Tuesday morning.

read more
http://corsicanadailysun.com/news/x803545565/Picking-up-the-pieces

Zurich, Switzerland – The Weltklasse Zürich ‘Week’ began on Tuesday (6) with a number of pre-meeting events which will lead up to the first of two finals of the Samsung Diamond League at the famous Letzigrund Stadium on Thursday (8) evening.
The exhibition, Experience World Class Performances, was opened at the Central Railway Station in the presence of New Zealand’s World Shot Put champion Valerie Adams and Swiss 100m Hurdles record holder Lisa Urech. Passers-by have the chance to experience the fascination of Athletics at the Zürich Main Station. For instance visitors to this unique exhibition are lifted up to Pole Vault world record heights and invited to test their running skills on a treadmill at the pace of a long distance runner.

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http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/dlm/news/newsid=62448.html