21 January 2012: Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba two of Ethiopia's world long distance stars are banned from competing among 33 other Ethiopian athletes for not turning up to an important training camp. Technical Director for the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF), Dube Jilo said, “we have to distinguish who is in good shape. There is a lack of commitment.” The EAF indicated that the ban would be lifted as soon as any missing athlete joined the camp.

Kenenisa Bekele, the Olympic Champion at 5000 and 10000 metres has been out of sorts recently. Claiming to be injured and far from a position to be in full training let alone competing, is a huge doubt for the London Olympics in July of this year. Bekele indicated, “my injury is quite serious and I would not be able to bring back the performance of old for the time being. I'm only receiving a combination of treatment and training at the moment. It will take weeks before I return to ordinary training, and some two to three months before I return to competition.”

Ethiopia athletes have not performed to the standard that we are all used to for some months now. The World Championships in Daegu, South Korea were a big disapointment when Kenenisa dropped out of the 10000 metres, although he did redeem himself a few days later by winning the event at the Brussels Diamond League event.

15 November

Usain Bolt's Daegu experience at the 2011 World Championships didn't begin well with a false start disqualification in the blue ribbon event – the 100 metres final. However he made up for it by winning the 200 metres in a time of 19.4seconds and helping the rest of the Jamaican 4 x 100 metres relay team turn in a World Record in 37.04 seconds. Olympic year in London could see Usain Bolt competing in four events – 100 and 200 metres, 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 metres relay!

Sally Pearson's season has been one of consistency in winning ten of her eleven competitions during the year and notching up in the process seven of the season's quickest eleven performances. Her Daegu performance brought her a time of 12.28 seconds, the fastest for 20 years in the 100 metres hurdles.

Pearson was surprised to have won the trophy as she was competing for the top honour with the three-time World Champion Vivian Cheruiyot. She went on to say, “to be able to win this for my country and for my region Oceania means a lot and hopefully will inspire junior athletes to stay in athletics.”

11 June 2011: Usain Bolt says, he’s back to being Usain Bolt. That was the statement of the fastest man on earth when he completed the 200 metres sprint in a World Leading time of 19.86 seconds at the Diamond League Bislet Games in Oslo this past week. An easy win and relaxing over the last 20 metres shows that Bolt is back to his best at his favoured distance, last run 13 months ago and after months of injury last year followed by a sore achilles tendon last month. Usain Bolt’s closest rival, Tyson Gay  says he will concentrate on the 100 metres this year. Gay has already stated his claim in that blue ribbon event for this year’s World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea by posting the current World Leading time of 9.79 seconds at a low-key meeting in Clermont Florida, USA. Well, it seems inevitable that Usain Bolt will clash with Tyson Gay in September at the Daegu confrontation, albeit in the 100 metres sprint, as long as both remain injury free.