Daily Archives: June 19, 2012

2012 Florida Pole Vault Academy “Beach Vault

Saturday, July 21 7:00a to 8:00p    at Clearwater Beach, Clearwater, FL

Pole Vault Competition on Clearwater Beach with an elevated runway and landing pit set up directly on the beach.
* Trophies for the winner of each age group.
* Medals for 2nd and 3rd place in each age group.
* Participation medal for everyone
* Professional photography and videography
* Meet t-shirts available
* Local media coverage
Entry Deadline:
July 18–Registration at http://www.coacho.com
Youth–Grades 7-12, Open – 19-30, Masters 30+  more

Nike unleashes uniforms for Chinese athletes made from recycled bottles

Nike has unveiled the uniforms that will be worn in London this summer by Chinese athletes competing in Archery, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Tennis, Track and Field, Weightlifting and Wrestling.Innovations included Nike’s lightest-ever Hyper Elite basketball uniform for China’s men’s and women’s basketball teams and the Nike Pro TurboSpeed Uniform for China Track & Field. Craig Cheek, Vice President & General Manager of Nike China, was joined at an event in Beijing by 22 Chinese athletes, including Yi Jianlian, Wang Shipeng, Zhu Fangyu, Liu Wei, Miao Lijie, Chen Nan, Tian Yuan, Lu Haojie and Wang Jiao to unveil the latest designs for the Chinese Federations. “Nike has been bringing innovations to Chinese athletes since 1984. These new products can help athletes unlock their potential and perform their best,” said Cheek. World champion Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang, who wore the Nike Pro TurboSpeed technology during his three consecutive wins at the IAAF World Grand Prix, shared his thoughts on the Nike Pro TurboSpeed track uniform. “That was the first time for me to wear such a compressed yet comfortable uniform. By offering aerodynamic drag reduction, this technology helps me achieve my best performance,” he said.  more

Isinbayeva snubbed by Russia

Maria Sharapova will be carrying the flag at the Olympic opening ceremonies, according to a statement on the tennis star’s Facebook page.”Ahh finally I can share some exciting news with you! After the third round of the French Open, I woke up to a pretty memorable message,” Sharapova wrote on her Facebook page on June 13. “The Russian Olympic committee chose me to be the flag bearer at this years Olympic opening ceremony. I am so honored, and especially excited as it will be my first Olympics in my career. I have had to keep this hush hush for two weeks and keeping secrets is not my best quality!”

The first and most obvious was Yelena Isinbayeva, who twice has won Olympic gold in the pole vault event. Isinbayeva also holds the indoor and outdoor pole vault world records, and she’s long been one of the most dominant pole vaulters in the world. Her success also has brought her notoriety on the world stage.  more

Grove advances to world junior championships

Bloomington, Ind. — Emily Grove won the pole vault title at the USA Junior Outdoor Championships Sunday to advance to the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) World Junior Championships, which are set for July 10-15 in Barcelona, Spain.
Grove, a Pontiac Township High School graduate, just completed her freshman season as a member of the South Dakota track and field team. She cleared 13 feet, 11 inches during Sunday’s competition to win the event by almost eight inches. The top two in each event qualified for the IAAF World Junior Championships.
“I wanted to go out and finish first or second and make the world team,” Grove said. “I jumped 13-11 … that is pretty consistent. It’s going to be cool to go to Spain. I’m looking forward to it.”
Grove is ranked third in the world in the pole vault in the women’s junior rankings with a height of 14-2, which she cleared at the Olympic Trial Tune-Up meet in Yankton, S.D., on June 2.  more