Los Angeles — February 1, 2012 — DISC Sports & Spine Center (DISC), an official medical services provider for the U.S. Olympic Team, announced today the eight Team USA hopefuls it will sponsor through its “Champion Care” program for their journey to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. DISC’s “Champion Care” athletes include track and field stars Lolo Jones, Brianna Glenn, Jenny Adams and Brad Walker, swimmers Eric Shanteau and Jessica Hardy, BMX’s Mike Day and triathlon athlete Sarah Haskins.

As all eight strive to become part of Team USA, DISC will continue to play a vital role in their success stories through a sponsorship featuring complementary top-quality medical care—an immense benefit when premium health care costs are often exorbitant. Through DISC’s partnership with the USOC, the “Champion Care” athletes will have access to an elite medical team, a range of integrated services and a world-class facility in which they can both recover and train. In addition, each athlete will receive a stipend to help cover training expenses. Continue reading →

NAMPA, Idaho — Eastern Oregon University track and field student-athletes, Karlee Coffey and Robbie Haynie (son of Mesa Community College pole vault coach Ralph Haynie), each found success at separate meets Saturday.

Haynie competed in three events at the Boise State University Jackson’s Invitational, recording two NAIA national championship auto-qualifying marks, and three indoor personal bests.

In the high jump, Haynie had a top mark of 6 feet, 8.25 inches (2.04 meters) to finish second in a field of mainly NCAA Division 1 competitors. Continue reading →

iol sport – South Africa –Double amputee Oscar Pistorius says he is nervous, and excited, ahead of the Olympic season.

Pistorius is on the brink of realising his dream of participating in the able-bodied Olympic Games in London in July.

True to his character, however, the “Blade Runner” has his eyes set on greater things.

“This year holds a lot and there is a lot of opportunity, but there is a lot of hard work that is going into preparing,” Pistorius said.

“We started training on October 25 and we trained through December.

“Progress is looking good and I am feeling comfortable with where we are now.”

Last year Pistorius became the first amputee to win a World Athletics Championships medal on the track, as a member of the SA 4×400 metres relay team that won silver in Daegu, South Korea. Continue reading →

By Drazen Jorgic

LONDON

Feb 1 (Reuters) – Some of Britain’s poorest regions are battling each other and neighbouring Franceto boost their local economies by hosting Olympic athletes at training camps before this year’s Games.

Britain has budgeted to spend 9.3 billion pounds ($14.68 billion) on staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games, mostly on facilities in London, and the capital is expected to hog most of the benefits.

But regional authorities dealing with government funding cuts and high unemployment rates want a slice of the cake.

“Clearly it’s difficult times that the country is going through in terms of austerity but the Olympics are a once in a lifetime opportunity so we have to find a way to make the most of that opportunity,” said Rob Young, 2012 Games regional co-ordinator for northwest England. It’s a case of trying to take the glass half-full approach.” Continue reading →

NEW ORLEANS – Syracuse sophomore Jarret Eaton and Arkansas freshman Gunnar Nixon are the latest additions to The Bowerman Watch List the award’s watch list committee announced Wednesday. The underclassmen duo had performances last weekend worthy of acclaim and they are now on the radar for collegiate track & field’s biggest award. Nixon (Edmond, Okla.) had his glory in the heptathlon this past weekend at the Razorback Invitational on his home track in Arkansas. The Razorback frosh won the event and scored 6,022 points which not only places him fifth on the all-time collegiate performers list, but it also topped the world junior record set in 1989 by Germany’s Michael Kohnle (5,953). Continue reading →

By Scott Abraham

Princess Anne, Md.-Chelsea Lowe broke a University of Maryland Eastern Shore
record and took first place in the pole vault Saturday in the Armory Collegiate Series II
meet. Lowe’s 3.35-meter vault helped the women’s team to a fifth place finish, while the
men took fourth place in a combined field of 24 teams.

After two first-place finishes last week at the Houston Indoor Invitational, the Texas State track and field team looks to continue its progress as the Southland Conference Indoor Championship approaches.

Logan Cunningham, junior pole vaulter, and Charles Grethen, freshman runner, both took home gold for the Bobcats in Houston. Cunningham exceeded his score from the previous meet to take first place in the men’s pole vault, recording a mark of 5.01 meters.

Cunningham said his motivation does not come from a desire to win, but rather a drive to perform to the best of his ability.

“I figure that all I can do on any given day is my best,” he said. “I learned not to really worry about winning or losing, but just focusing on doing one hundred percent because that’s all I can do.”

full story

By Sara Bonovitch

 by Peter Morse, Crewe Chronicle

CREWE student Holly Bleasdale got her Olympic Games year off to a superb start by leaping to the top of the pole vault indoor world rankings.

The 20-year-old, who is a genuine gold medal hope for London 2012, recently began studying for a degree in sport science at the town’s MMU Cheshire campus.

Now she has proved she can combine her studies with intensive training effectively by turning in a magnificent performance at a meeting in Lyon, France.

Holly’s clearance of 4.87 metres added a massive 16cm to her personal best and put her fourth on the all-time list.

The leap has only ever been bettered indoors by the great Yelena Isinbayeva and was all the more astonishing as it was achieved off a shortened, 14-stride run up.

Holly said: “I was thrilled when I got 4.72, and then 4.80 then when I got 4.87 I was so happy I couldn’t believe it. Continue reading →