Bahrain and China continue their dominance in Doha - Asian Championships, day 3
China and Bahrain continued their dominance at the 23rd&nbsp;Asian Athletics Championships in Doha on Tuesday (23).
Competing on an unseasonably cool evening in Khalifa Stadium - it was 26 C at the start of the session and dropped to 19 C by the start of the evening-capping women&rsquo;s 10,000m - China took home another six medals, two of them gold while Bahrain, largely driven by their powerful middle and long distance corps, captured five, with gold accounting for three.
<h3>Yavi takes a middle distance double</h3>
Winfred Mutile Yavi did her part for Bahrain&rsquo;s near-total dominance in the middle and long distances, adding the 3000m steeplechase crown to her 5000m triumph on Sunday to become these championships first double winner.
&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t easy,&rdquo; the 19-year-old insisted.
Perhaps not, but Yavi, who took the Asian Games title and World U20 bronze last year, was on cruise control at the front from about 1900 metres into race and never relented, easily repelling the few challenges her challengers flung her way. She reached the line in 9:46.18, more than five seconds ahead of China&rsquo;s Xu Shuangshuang, who passed Yavi&rsquo;s teammate Tigist Mekonen over the final half lap to take silver in 9:51.76. Mekonen held on for third another two seconds back to take the bronze.
Shitaye Eshete Hebtegebrel kept that momentum alive with a convincing victory in the women&rsquo;s 10,000m. Breaking from Japan&rsquo;s Hitomi Niiya with just over a kilometre remaining, Eshete rolled on to a 31:15.62 victory, a championships record, and her second continental title over the distance.
&ldquo;I have turned my focus to the marathon, so the race was a good test for me,&rdquo; said Eshete, whose impressive portfolio includes career bests of 30:47.25 and 2:24:51 in the marathon. She&rsquo;ll be running the Prague Marathon next month and said she&rsquo;d be happy to contest both the 10,000 and the marathon when she returns to Doha for the World Championships five months from now.
Japan&rsquo;s Hitomi Niiya, who led the race from the 1200m point until she was passed by Eshete with 1200m remaining, clocked 31:22.63, also well under the previous championships record, for silver. Further back, India&rsquo;s Sanjivani Baburoa Jadhav was third with a 32:44.96 personal best to take the bronze.
Earlier, Bahrain took another gold, capturing the 4x400m mixed relay after a spirited battle with India in this event&rsquo;s debut at these championships.
Muhammed Anas Yahiya and Poovamma Raju Machettira gave India a clear lead through the midway point, but 400m winner Selwa Naser pulled them back into contention with a 51.14 third leg to hand anchor Abbas Abubaker, the 800m silver medallist, a narrow lead at the bell. After a bit of scuffling for position, the Bahraini built a cushion over Arokia Rajiv as they entered the back stretch and held his position through the finish. Bahrain clocked 3:15.75, India 3:16.47 and further back, Japan 3:20.29 to take the bronze.
<h3>Pole vault title No 3 for Li</h3>
China&rsquo;s first gold of the night came in the pole vault courtesy of Asian record holder Li Ling who captured a third continental title in the event.
Securing the gold with a first attempt clearance at 4.46m, she passed to 4.61m and needed all three tries before sailing clear. She then had the bar raised to 4.71m, five centimetres better than the championships record she set in Wuhan four years ago, but didn&rsquo;t come particularly close.
&ldquo;I made some technical mistakes which I must avoid in my next competition,&rdquo; said the 29-year-old, who&rsquo;ll make her next appearance at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Shanghai on 18 May.
Teammate Xu Huiqin was a distant second with 4.36m.
Then, in an even more dominating display, China added another victory in the women&rsquo;s 4x100m relay, with Liang Xiaojing, Wei Yongli, Kong Lingwei and
Ge Manqi teaming to clock a 42.87 world lead and championships record, eclipsing the 43.10 another Chinese quartet ran in 2015.
Kazakhstan, anchored by 100m winner Olga Safronova, was second, in 43.36. Bahrain, anchored by Naser, was third in 43.61.
A few minutes later, China was first across the line in the men&rsquo;s 4x100m ahead of an inspired Thai quartet that sped to a 38.72 championships record in the heats on Monday. But they were later disqualified for a lane infraction when their lead runner stepped out of his lane on the opening bend, giving the victory to Thailand who clocked 38.99.
Chinese Taipei, who clocked 39.18, were elevated to silver, and Oman, who clocked a 39.36 national record, to bronze.
<h3>Second title for Voronina</h3>
With victories in four of the seven events, Ekaterina Voronina won the heptathlon by over 200 points with a 6198 tally, another early season world lead just 14 points shy of her lifetime best.
The 27-year-old Uzbek began the day with a 29-point lead but put the competition out of reach with a 53.53m effort in the javelin, nearly seven metres better than the rest of the field.
Swapna Barman of India was a distant second with 5993.
Winning performances in the discus, pole vault and javelin propelled Keisuke Ushiro of Japan to the decathlon title. The 32-year-old tallied 7872 points to add the continental crown to his two Asian Games crowns. Majed Alzaid collected 7838 points, a Kuwaiti national record, to take silver by just one point over Japan&rsquo;s Akhiko Nakamura.
Parinya Chuaimaroeng produced a come-from-behind victory in the triple to secure the first gold medal of these championships for Thailand. Chuaimaroeng leaped 13.72m in the final round to beat China&rsquo;s Zeng Rui by seven centimetres. Vidusha Lakshani of Sri Lanka reached 13.53m to take the bronze.
Nadezhda Dusanova topped 1.90 on her first attempt to take the women&rsquo;s high jump.
Naser began her busy day with a 22.84 personal best in the heats of the women&rsquo;s 200m, setting up a face-off with Safronova, the 100m champion, who clocked 22.98, for a battle of would-be double champions on tomorrow&rsquo;s final day of action.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

China and Bahrain continued their dominance at the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships in Doha on Tuesday (23).

Bahrain and China continue their dominance at Asian Championships in Doha

The 36th Osaka Women&rsquo;s Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, is one of four qualifying races to select the Japanese team for the IAAF World Championships London 2017, so much of the attention will be directed towards the domestic field on Sunday (29).
Leading the international challenge hoping to command some of that spotlight will be Shitaye Eshete of Bahrain, who arrives with a lifetime best of 2:25:36 set at last year&rsquo;s Dubai Marathon. Although she didn&rsquo;t finish the Rio 2016 Olympic race in August, Eshete&rsquo;s stated goal of a sub-2:20 performance isn&rsquo;t unrealistic, given her 30:47.27 personal best over 10,000m. The 26-year-old was sixth over the shorter distance at the 2011 and 2013 World Championships and at the 2012 Olympic Games.
<h3>Ito looking to bounce back from Rio disappointment</h3>
Eshete&rsquo;s ambitions notwithstanding, the focus will clearly fall on the domestic battle as all four spots for Japan&rsquo;s London-bound team are still up for grabs. Indeed, with no Japanese meeting qualification criteria at last year&rsquo;s Hokkaido and Saitama marathons, the race for London selection remains wide open.
Three Japanese with sub-2:25 credentials will be on the line on Sunday: Risa Shigetomo, Mari Ozaki and Mai Ito. Some see the latter, who finished seventh at the 2015 world championships, as the favourite. Ito clocked her 2:24:42 personal best in Nagoya two years ago, but struggled in Rio where she finished 46th after coming down with a stress fracture in her left foot just before the Games.
Shigetomo clocked her lifetime best of 2:23:23 at this race in 2012 and was later selected for the 2012 Olympic squad. Ditto in 2015 when she clocked 2:26:39, her second best effort, to earn a spot on that year&rsquo;s world championship team. This year, in her fifth Osaka appearance, the 29-year-old is gunning for a personal best.
Ozaki&rsquo;s best was of 2:23:30 was set in 2003; she clocked 2:32:43 in Paris Marathon last year, her most recent appearance, suggesting it&rsquo;s unlikely the 41-year-old will be in contention for a London spot.
Yuko Watanabe and Misato Horie, with bests of 2:25:56 and 2:26:40 respectively, are the next two fastest Japanese. Horie, 29, was second in Osaka last year while Watanabe produced her lifetime best at this race in 2013.
Two young runners who&rsquo;ll be hoping to rise to the occasion are 25-years-old Misaki Kato, who has run 2:31:04 and 24-year-old Aya Higashimoto, who&rsquo;s clocked 2:31:28. After making her debut in Osaka last January Kato recorded personal bests at both 5000m (15:23.98) and 10,000m (31:59.72) so could be ready for a breakthrough. Her goal for Sunday is to crack 2:25.
<h3>Tanaka to make debut</h3>
With the Japanese running scene currently in transition, fans are awaiting the emergence of a new star. That could be 26-year-old Hanae Tanaka who&rsquo;ll be making her marathon debut. Tanaka, who raced to silver at the 2011 World University Games in the half marathon and has a 1:09:18 best over the distance, is coached by Sachiko Yamashita, the 1991 world championships silver medallist. More recently Yamashita guided Yoshimi Ozaki to world championships silver in 2009.
The fastest marathon debut time by a Japanese? 2:21:51 by Naoko Sakamoto at this race in 2003.
Other international contenders include Iwona Lewandowska of Poland who has a best of 2:27:47 from the 2015 London Marathon; Serena Burla of the USA, who clocked 2:28:01 in Amsterdam four years ago; and Ethiopian Muluhabt Tsega, who set her 2:29:17 lifetime best in Beirut in 2015.
Ken Nakamura for the IAAF
<h3>Elite field</h3>
Risa Shigetomo (JPN) 2:23:23 Mari Ozaki (JPN) 2:23:30 Mai Ito (JPN) 2:24:42 Shitaye Eshete (BRN) 2:25:36 Yuko Watanabe (JPN) 2:25:56 Misato Horie (JPN) 2:26:40 Iwona Lewandowska (POL) 2:27:47 Serena Burla (USA) 2:28:01 Risa Takenaka (JPN) 2:28:09 Kaori Yoshida (JPN) 2:28:43 Muluhabt Tsega (ETH) 2:29:17 Jin Lingling (CHN) 2:30:27 Yuka Takemoto (JPN) 2:31:02 Misaki Kato (JPN) 2:31:04 Aya Higashimoto (JPN) 2:31:28 Hiroko Miyauchi (JPN) 2:32:20 Cassie Fien (AUS) 2:33:17 Munkhzaya Bayartsogt (MGL) 2:33:31 Hanae Tanaka (JPN) debut

The 36th Osaka Women’s Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, is one of four qualifying races to select the Japanese team for the IAAF World Championships London 2017, so much of the attention will be directed towards the domestic field on Sunday (29).

Eshete the favourite in Osaka while Japanese battle for World Championships selection heats up

Bahrain&rsquo;s Shitaye Eshete will be looking to break up the Japanese dominance of the Osaka Women&rsquo;s Marathon when she competes at the IAAF Silver Label Road Race on January 29.
The 26-year-old may not have the fastest PB of the field, but Eshete&rsquo;s impressive CV and 2:25:36 debut in Dubai earlier this year suggests she has the potential to win in the Japanese city next month. She finished sixth in the 10,000m at the 2011 and 2013 World Championships and at the London 2012 Olympics, where she set a national record of 30:47.25.
Five of the past six editions of the Osaka Ladies Marathon have been won by Japanese women, and with this year&rsquo;s race doubling up as one of the selection races for the IAAF World Championships London 2017, it&rsquo;s no surprise that there is a strong domestic field.
Risa Shigetomo&rsquo;s PB of 2:23:23 makes her the fastest of all the entrants. She is also the only former Osaka winner in the field, having won in 2012. She finished fifth at this year&rsquo;s Osaka Marathon and second in 2015.
Mai Ito, who finished seventh at the 2015 World Championships, will also be looking to secure her spot on the team for London. She is yet to win a marathon, but her highest finish over 26.2 miles came in Osaka in 2011.
No one in the field is more familiar with the Osaka course than Mari Ozaki. Now 41, Ozaki will be making her eighth appearance at the Osaka Marathon, although she won&rsquo;t be expected the challenge the PB of 2:23:30 she set back in 2003.
Other Japanese runners in the field include 2013 Osaka runner-up Yuko Watanabe, Gold Coast Marathon champion Misato Horie, and 2016 Osaka third-place finisher Risa Takenaka. The international runners include Poland&rsquo;s Iwona Lewandowska, USA&rsquo;s Serena Burla and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Muluhabt Tsega.
<h3>Elite field</h3>
Risa Shigetomo (JPN) 2:23:23 Mari Ozaki (JPN) 2:23:30 Mai Ito (JPN) 2:24:42 Shitaye Eshete (BRN) 2:25:36 Yuko Watanabe (JPN) 2:25:56 Misato Horie (JPN) 2:26:40 Iwona Lewandowska (POL) 2:27:47 Serena Burla (USA) 2:28:01 Risa Takenaka (JPN) 2:28:09 Kaori Yoshida (JPN) 2:28:43 Muluhabt Tsega (ETH) 2:29:17 Jin Lingling (CHN) 2:30:27 Yuka Takemoto (JPN) 2:31:02 Misaki Kato (JPN) 2:31:04 Aya Higashimoto (JPN) 2:31:28 Hiroko Miyauchi (JPN) 2:32:20 Cassie Fien (AUS) 2:33:17 Munkhzaya Bayartsogt (MGL) 2:33:31 Hanae Tanaka (JPN) debut

Bahrain’s Shitaye Eshete will be looking to break up the Japanese dominance of the Osaka Women’s Marathon when she competes at the IAAF Silver Label Road Race on January 29.

Shitaye to take on top Japanese talent in Osaka

The 37th edition of the Marseille-Cassis 20km, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, will see Kenyan runners Titus Mbishei and Peres Jepchirchir defend their crowns on Sunday (25).Mbishei took the victory last year crossing the line in 59:12. The 24-year-old is certainly familiar with the city of Marseille, where the race starts, as it was where he also won and set his 10km personal best of 27:32 in 2011. This year, Mbishei ran a 10,000m personal best of 27:31:48 on the track and finished 10th at the Valencia Half Marathon in 1:01:47 just last weekend.The silver medallist in the junior men&rsquo;s race at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships should be a very strong contender to retain his title despite the presence of so many high quality runners. However, his compatriot Edwin Kipyego is probably the race favourite. He set an impressive new best in the Copenhagen Half Marathon last month when finishing third in 59:30. He was then runner-up in Rennes over 10km in 28:19 two weeks ago. Kipyego also knows about the challenging course along France&rsquo;s Mediterranean coastline after winning three years ago in 58:16, just five seconds outside the course record set the year before by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Atsedu Tsegay, who ran 58:11 in 2011.Another good candidate for victory is Vincent Yator. The 26 year-old Kenyan won the Paris Half Marathon in 1:00:12 last March before clocking his best of 59:55 over 13.1 miles when finishing fourth in Yangzhou a month later. Nevertheless, he didn&rsquo;t shown his best form in his latest outing, finishing 13th in Valencia last week-end.In addition to Mbishei, Kipyego and Yator, further Kenyans who could enter the reckoning include Cosmas Birech, who placed fourth in the Lille Half Marathon last September in 1:00:23, and&nbsp; Emmanuel Bor, who ran a 1:01:06 half marathon personal best to win in Porto last September.<h3>Jepchirchir has course record chances</h3>On the women&rsquo;s side, Kenya&rsquo;s Peris Jepchirchir will attempt to retain her title. Last year she clocked 1:10:04, at the time rather adrift of the women&rsquo;s course record by Mercy Kibarus when she ran 1:07:58 in 2012. However, Jepchirchir has been in great form this autumn, taking the victories and running personal best times at the Prague 10km in 30:55 and at the Mattoni Usti nad Labem Half Marathon in a massive 1:07:17 and Kibarus&rsquo; course record Although repeat victories have been quite common in the men&rsquo;s race, Jepchirchir will also be aiming to become the first woman to win back-to-back Marseille-Cassis titles since Morocco&rsquo;s Hassania Darami won a second time &ndash; when the race was a half marathon &ndash; in 1988. Bahrain&rsquo;s Shitaye Eshete should be Jepchirchir&rsquo;s main rival. Better known as a track runner, Eshete was both sixth in the 10,000m at London 2012 Olympics Games and at 2013 IAAF World Championships, Eshete moved up to the half marathon this autumn and was second in Usti Nad Labem in 1:10:14, albeit almost three minutes behind Jepchirchir.Ethiopia&rsquo;s Bekelech Bedada and Kenya&rsquo;s Gladys Kipsoi will also be in contention for a place on the podium. The former was runner-up last year and finished third in 1:10:13 in the Paris Half Marathon last March while the latter was third at the 2013 Marseille-Cassis 20km and won the Paris Half Marathon in 2013. There is no doubt that the Marseille-Cassis 20km is a hard race. The start takes place near the well-known Marseille&rsquo;s Velodrome Stadium and then the course goes along the Mediterranean before a tough 327-metre climb up to the Col de la Gineste halfway through the race.Runners then hurtle down a long descent towards the finish line in the port town of Cassis. Approximately 15,000 runners are entered in this year&rsquo;s race.&nbsp; Quentin Guillon for the IAAF

The 37th edition of the Marseille-Cassis 20km, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, will see Kenyan runners Titus Mbishei and Peres Jepchirchir defend their crowns on Sunday (25).

Mbishei and Jepchirchir aiming to retain Marseille-Cassis 20km titles 

The Kenyan talents of Peres Jepchirchir and Daniel Chebii will complete a busy week competing in Czech races when they line up for the fifth edition of the Mattoni Usti nad Labem Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Saturday (12). Fresh from their triumphs in the Birell Prague Grand Prix 10k last Saturday, where Jepchirchir ran the fastest women&rsquo;s 10km of the year with 30:55 and Chebii beat a high quality men&rsquo;s field in 27:42, they turn their attentions to the seventh and final race in the RunCzech series for 2015.Having run so impressively in the Czech capital, much will be expected of Jepchirchir.Her best for the half marathon is 1:09:12 and she will be looking to improve on that; and also recuce the women&rsquo;s course record of 1:09:08, set by another Kenyan, Josephine Chepkoech, in 2013.Impressively, Jepchirchir ran almost even 5km splits in Prague so that suggests that she has a good feel for high-level pace judgement despite her relative inexperience internationally.Reflecting on her development, she acknowledges the value of training in the same group as Mary Keitany in the Kenya town of Iten. Jepchirchir credits the African record holder in the marathon and 2009 world half marathon champion with passing on important principles. &ldquo;I learned the importance from her of hard work and also when to rest. It&rsquo;s boosted my confidence just to know I can train alongside her,&rdquo; commented Jepchirchir. Her rivals include Caroline Kilel, the winner of the 2011 Boston Marathon. The Kenyan has proven ability at the shorter distance, finishing fourth at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon ChampionshipsAlso coming into the reckoning could be another rising young Kenyan talent, Linah Cheruto.Cheruto finished over a minute adrift as the runner-up to her compatriot in Prague last Saturday but has solid half marathon credentials with a best time of 1:10:22. Bahrain's Shitaye Eshete will be be making her half marathon debut and is having only her second race on the roads (she had two on the track in April) after a maternity break in 2014. She finished a solid fourth in Prague a week ago. A contender from Ethiopia is Amane Beriso, not at her best last week but with a 1:08:43 half marathon to her credit. <h3>More than one Masai to look out for</h3>Chebii remarked after his 10km victory last weekend that he was &ldquo;only 70 per cent fit&rdquo; after spending much of 2014 on the injured list but his rivals in Usti will recognise his talent only too well. Gilbert Masai, also from Kenya, finished three seconds behind Chebii in Prague and their personal bests for the half marathon are comparable, although Chebii could claim home advantage of a kind as his 59:49 best was set on Czech soil when winning the Mattoni Ceske Budejovice Half Marathon in 2012, while Masai ran his fastest time of 59:57 to finish fifth in Lille the same year. However, it&rsquo;s another Masai who is the fastest man going into the race: Titus Masai.He didn&rsquo;t show his best form over 10km last week in Prague but ran 59:41 for third place in the Rome Half Marathon last year. Elijah Tirop is another to add into the reckoning, having won the Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon in late May. Chebii, though, is confident and knows the course, after having finished sixth here two years ago: &ldquo;If I can break my best of 59:49, I know I am primed for a marathon debut either later this year or next.&rdquo; The men&rsquo;s course record stands at 1:00:38, set by Philemon Limo in 2013. Andy Edwards (organisers) for the IAAF

The Kenyan talents of Peres Jepchirchir and Daniel Chebii will complete a busy week competing in Czech races when they line up for the fifth edition of the Mattoni Usti nad Labem Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Saturday (12). 

Jepchirchir and Chebii looking for further Czech success in Usti nad Labem Half Marathon

A steady drizzle on the opening day of the 20th Asian Athletics Championships in the Indian city of Pune brought forth frowns on the faces of the field event competitors but for Bahrain’s Shetaye Eshete it was a time to showcase her considerable talent in distance running on Wednesday (4). Eshete, the defending champion in the women’s 10,000m, accounted for the lone championship record to fall on the first day, clocking 32:17.29 at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex late in the evening to better the record of 32:25.27 set by China’s Zhong Huandi in New Delhi 24 years ago.Sixth over 25 laps of the track at the London 2012 Olympic Games and the bronze medallist at the 2010 Asian Games, Eshete trailed Japan’s Ayumi Hagiwara initially, with Alia Saeed of the United Arab Emirates providing them with company for much of the race after the trio broke away from the rest of the field early.It was obvious the medals would be decided between the three. As the rain intensified, Hagiwara began to wilt but Eshete seemed to revel in the conditions. With eight laps to go, she made her move to the front. Saeed followed her, briefly taking the lead but Eshete’s pace proved too much for her and it was no-contest after 7000m. Eshete led by more than 60 metres at the bell and she sprinted away to the finish in glorious fashion, deservedly lapping up the applause from the stands. Saeed clocked 32:39.39 for the silver while Hagiwara struggled home in third place with 32:47.44.China won two of the other four gold medals decided on the first day, in the men’s Pole Vault and the women’s Discus Throw, while Japan and Saudi Arabia claimed one gold medal apiece to set the show rolling.Courageous ChangruiIt was almost a solo performance at the Pole Vault pit where China’s Xue Changrui braved the conditions to emerge the winner at 5.60m. His closest challenger, compatriot Lu Yao, had bowed out after clearing 5.20m but Changrui soldiered on, clearing 5.40m and 5.60m on his first attempts. He finally called it a day in the difficult conditions after his first try at a championships record height of 5.76m was met with failure.China’s other gold medal came in the women’s Discus Throw. Bothered by constant drizzle, unfortunately none of the throwers could come close to their best. Su Xinyue, who has a best of 61.67m this season, won the gold with an effort of 55.88m, the poorest winning throw in thirty years. In a close contest, another Chinese athlete, Jing Fengjing, won the silver with 55.70m and Chinese Taipei’s Li Tsai-Yi picked up the bronze with 55.32m. India’s 2010 Commonwealth Games champion Krishna Poonia had to settle for fourth place with 55.01m.Sultan Abdulmajeed Al-Hebshi, the Asian Games champion in 2006 and 2010, finally nailed the gold he was looking for in the men’s Shot Put. The burly Saudi Arabian took time to find his range but, when he did, his rivals had no answer.Al-Hebshi tossed his implement out to 19.68m in the fifth round, after taking the lead with a fourth-round effort of 19.60m. Chinese Taipei’s defending champion Chang Ming-Huang, the Asian leader this season, briefly threatened with a 19.61m in the fifth round but Al-Hebshi responded quickly.India’s Om Prakash Singh, champion in 2009 and bronze medallist in 2011, settled for the third place again after his 19.45m toss in the second round, which had briefly raised home hopes.Al-Hebshi was pleased with his triumph. “It has taken a while in coming but I am happy. Even when I trailed, I was telling myself to concentrate on my strength and technique,” said the 30-year-old, a sergeant in his country’s navy.Johny dethronedWith rain troubling the women long jumpers, the competition never rose to any great heights. Japan’s Sachiko Masumi took home the gold medal with a fourth-round leap of 6.55m, leaving Uzbekistan’s Anastasiya Juravleva in second position with 6.36m. India’s defending champion Mayookha Johny, bothered by an ankle sprain, could only manage 6.30m for third place.The Decathlon reached the half-way stage with the favourite, Dmitriy Karpov of Kazakhstan, holding a narrow lead over Japan’s Akihiko Nakamura. Karpov is on 4165 points, just 28 points ahead of his Japanese rival.In the men’s 100m, Qatar's Samuel Francis, the continental record-holder at 9.99 seconds, looked impressive in his first round heat, timing 10.17 seconds. A correspondent for the IAAF

Bahrain's Eshete sets 10000m championship record at Asian Athletics Championships

Eshete sets 10,000m championship record at Asian Championships

A steady drizzle on the opening day of the 20th Asian Athletics Championships in the Indian city of Pune brought forth frowns on the faces of the field event competitors but for Bahrain’s Shetaye Eshete it was a time to showcase her considerable talent in distance running on Wednesday (4).

4 December 2012 – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Reigning World cross-country champion Imane Merga and the 2012 Real Berlin Marathon winner Aberu Kebede were the winners of the men’s and women’s senior races at the 3rd Ethiopian Clubs Cross-Country Championships held at the Jan Meda race course on Sunday (December 2).Zelalem Bacha and Gotytom Gebreslase took the junior titles in competitive men’s and women’s races as early contenders staked their claim for selection to Ethiopia’s team for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships next year.Merga hangs on to take vital winThere was surprise when defending World cross-country champion Imane Merga trotted on the start line to start the men’s 12km race on Sunday in a race usually positioned for young runners to provide a glimpse of their early-season form.But lining up for his club, Defence, in their bid to win the overall team title, Merga wanted to use the race as a test for his recovery from a spate of injuries that marred his 2012 outdoor track campaign, including missing the 2012 London Olympic Games. He did just that here with a comfortable victory over World marathon bronze medallist Feyisa Lilesa with Gemechu Edao finishing third.“I have been training hard after the track campaign and this proves that I have recovered well,” Merga told reporters after the race. “My aim this season is to defend my title in the World Cross and win a medal in Moscow.”Kebede continues rich vein of formIn the women’s 8km race, Aberu Kebede was even more dominant against the All-African Games 5000m and 10000m champion Sule Utura, whose record at the World Cross Country Championships includes a fourth-place finish in the junior race in Mombasa in 2007.Having won a close battle with Tsegereda Girma in the 2012 CBE Great Ethiopian Run 10km last week and the Real Berlin Marathon in September, Kebede started the race as the hot favourite. She took the lead just after the half-way point and never relinquished it before crossing the line 20:26, six seconds ahead of Utura with Ethiopian-born Bahraini Olympian Shitaye Eshetu finishing third.“I knew Sule was very strong in cross country, but I have been training well,” said Kebede.Elshadai Negash (with the assistance of Bizuayehu Wagaw) for the IAAFLeading resultsMen's senior 12km 1 Imane Merga (Defence) 35:41 2 Feyisa Lilesa (Defence) 36:05 3 Gemechu Edao (Federal police) 36:11Women's senior 8km 1 Aberu Kebede (Federal Prison) 20:26 2 Sule Utura (Defence) 20:32 3 Shitaye Eshetu (BRN) 20:38Men's junior 8km 1 Zelalem Bacha (CBE) 23:31 2 Aweke Ayalew (CBE) 23:45 3 Abere Dres (EEPCO) 23:47Women's junior 6km 1 Gotytom Gebreslase (Mesfin Engineering) 20:26 2 Sara Girmay (Mesfin Engineering) 20:32 3 Alemitu Hawi (CBE) 20:38

Merga and Kebede take the spoils in Ethiopian Clubs XC

4 December 2012 – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Reigning World cross-country champion Imane Merga and the 2012 Real Berlin Marathon winner Aberu Kebede were the winners of the men’s and women’s senior races at the 3rd Ethiopian Clubs Cross-Country Championships held at the Jan Meda race course on Sunday (December 2).