Athletics Africa Magazine

"Last year I had a bad time in Berlin. The weather was not very good, and I did not make it into the final. So I did not want to talk too much about the world record before the race. But today I knew it is my day. I trained very hard, the weather was good. I told the pacemaker to run the first lap under 49 seconds. He did a great job," said Rudisha. Results: 800m Men - ISTAF Berlin 1) RUDISHA, David Lekuta (KEN) WR 1:41.09 2) LALANG, Boaz Kiplagat (KEN) 1:44.34 3) KIPLAGAT, Abraham (KEN) 1:44.49 4) MANZANO, Leonel (USA) PB 1:44.56 5) KIVUVA, Jackson Mumbwa (KEN) 1:44.91 6) KSZCZOT, Adam (POL) PB 1:45.07 7) ALI, Belal Mansoor (BRN) 1:45.28 8) MUTUA, David Mutinda (KEN) PB 1:45.97 9) YEGO, Alfred Kirwa (KEN) 1:46.84

Buoyed by a successful football World Cup in South Africa, sprint legend Frankie Fredericks pledged today to do all he could to make an Olympics on the continent a reality, AFP reports. The Namibian four-time Olympic silver medallist, in Singapore to offer advice to youngsters competing at the inaugural Youth Olympics, told AFP he was determined to play his part. "I will take up the challenge of improving athletics in Africa and take up the international challenge to make changes," he said. Fredericks, chairman of the International Olympic Committee's Athletics Commission, told AFP his mission included securing the Games for an African nation. "It would be nice to share our culture, to share our vuvuzelas, to share our food, to share the way we do things with the world," he said. "I do think we should get a chance to host the largest event in the world." The race to stage the 2020 Olympic Games opens next year, with South Africa set to throw its hat in...

It's only three days until the inaugural Youth Olympic Games ! This Saturday, 14 August 2010, some 3,600 talented young athletes between the ages of 14 and 18 from around the world will be eagerly awaiting the start of the opening ceremony of the first ever edition of the Youth Olympic Games. All of them will have travelled to Singapore to participate in a high-level sporting competition which mirrors the Olympic Games sports programme. The Youth Olympic Games, which will run from 14 to 26 August, differs from any sporting event that has come before it. They will feature exciting new sporting events, cultural and educational activities supported by a number of enthusiastic mentors, will use social media extensively to reach out and spark the interest of young people around the world. The Youth Olympic Games are, in a word, unique. The first Summer edition will be broadcast on television in over 160 territories across all five continents by the IOC’s rights holding broadcast partne...

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded broadcast rights for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, the London 2012 Olympic Games and the Innsbruck 2012 Youth Olympic Winter Games to teleSUR, it was announced today. teleSUR has acquired over-the-air television, cable television and radio broadcast rights in Venezuela. IOC President Jacques Rogge said, “Through our partnership with teleSUR we will be able to provide coverage to sports fans in Venezuela of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games this August, the London 2012 Olympic Games and the first-ever Youth Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck in 2012.” IOC Executive Board member Richard Carrión, who led the negotiations, said, “I would like to place on record my thanks to teleSUR for their cooperation in making this agreement possible and I look forward to working closely with them over the coming years.” The President of teleSUR, Andrés Izarra, said “Venezuela has significantly improved its performance in international s...