IAAF Ups Ante for Records, Unveils Key Figures; Presidential Canoe Visit

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IAAF Promises Big Money for World Records

The IAAF has renewed its World Record Program for the Daegu World Championships, with Toyota and TDK offering bonuses of $100,000 for each record-setting performance.

The mark must be an improvement on the existing IAAF world record – simply tying one is not enough for the bonus.

Usain Bolt of Jamaica pocketed an additional $200,000 after the 2009 Berlin World Champs thanks to lowering his own records in the 100m and 200m. As a result, he'll have to run much faster than he has all season to cash in this time.

Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland was the only female to earn a $100,000 bonus in Berlin. She set a world record of 77.96 meters in the women’s hammer throw.

TDK is sponsoring the men’s events and Toyota the women’s.

The IAAF will also offer prize money of up to $60,000 for an individual gold medal and $80,000 for a relay team. In both categories, the lowest amount is $4,000 for eighth place.

Daegu Does Social Networks Too

IAAF coverage of Daegu 2011 will extend far beyond its website.

In addition to the live results, event previews, athlete profiles and Getty Images available there, the federation will maintain a healthy presence on both Facebook and Twitter.

A digital camera from Samsung will also be up for grabs in a special Daegu edition of the IAAF’s Fantasy Game running the duration of the world championships.

Roughly 2,500 athletes from more than 200 countries are coming to Korea along with 10,500 officials and volunteers. Organizers hope as many as half a million spectators will stop by as well.

Events run from Aug. 27 to Sept. 4 with meetings of the IAAF Council, IAAF Congress and IOC Executive Board preceding the championships.

Hungarian President Visits Canoe World Champs

Hungarian president Pal Schmitt says his country’s Maty-ér regatta in Szeged "just keeps getting better and better and more beautiful."

Schmitt, also an IOC member, made the comments at the International Canoe Federation sprint world championships on Friday.

"It has probably advanced the most this time as facilities have been upgraded for this occasion," Schmitt was quoted by the ICF.

"I have also met the President of the ICF, who is also very satisfied with the high level of the World Championships."

Schmitt made clear he is supporting Hungarian canoe teams, predicting at least 10 medals for the home squad. Hungary is one of the stronger canoeing countries. Its paddlers won four medals, two of those gold, at the Beijing Olympics.

Competition started Wednesday and runs through Sunday.

The event serves as a qualifier for the 2012 Olympics, a designation organizers claim has created "heightened intensity".

Several top athletes may have already succumbed to that intensity. Olympic champions from Belarus, Frenchworld champions and European champs Poland failed to qualify for London in the men’s K4 event on Friday.

More than 1,000 athletes from 88 countries entered this week's world championships.

Serbian Basketball Greats Exchange Insults

The war of words rages on between two of Serbian basketball’s most decorated stars.

The feud between NBA great Vlade Divac and coaching guru Božidar Maljković allegedly stems from Divac’s statement that the Slovenian national team’s recent hire of Maljković was a mistake.

Maljkovic, a four-time Euroleague champion with three different clubs, responded by calling Divac, himself a two-time FIBA world champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist, both a liar and a cheat.

"I would like to add something to what I have already said, and add the word ‘big’ to it. Divac is a big cheat and a big liar," he later told Serbian media.

"Now it’s his move."

Divac, also president of the Olympic Committee of Serbia, has yet to respond.

Court Date for Gold Medalist

Carl Lewis is back in court.

The nine-time gold medalist appeared in federal court Friday hoping to be approved for the ballot in a New Jersey state legislative race.

He announced in April he would run as a Democrat in the state’s 8th legislative district. However, top state officials, who are Republicans, say Lewis does not meet residency requirements.

Lewis reportedly feels the allegation is political.

However, the Associated Press reports that Lewis voted in California elections in 2009. New Jersey law requires candidates to be residents for four years in order to qualify for the ballot. Lewis reportedly has a house in both states.

NOC Newsletter

The Antigua and Barbuda Olympic Association launched its first newsletter this week.

The product is set to be published four times a year with the first edition covering the ABOA’s work from January until July.

ABOA president Chet Greene says the newsletter will help to inform the Olympic Movement about the ABOA. Preparing for the Pan American Games, Commonwealth Youth Games and the 2012 Olympics will be the NOC'sfocus for the next year, he said.

Media Watch

International Cycling Union president Pat McQuiad talks with the Associated Press about the sport’s future. After several scandal-plagued years – andinvestigations into 10 of the last 13 winners of the Tour de France, as the AP points out–McQuiad claims cycling is "looking towards a golden era."

Incheon, South Korea hopes to use the 2014 Asian Games to boost the city’s international profile.

Written by Karen Rosen and Ed Hula III.