Cycling Tour of Eritrea Stage 2 result and General Classification.

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Tour of Eritrea 2012 - Stage 2

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#	Rider's Name	Time	Country
1	Jacques Janse Van Rensburg		MTN-Qhubeka
2	Frekalsi Debesay		Eritrean National Team
3	Azzedine Lagab		Algeria
4
5
6

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Tour of Eritrea 2012 - General Classification @ Stage 2

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#	Rider's Name	Time	Country
1	Jacques Janse Van Rensburg		MTN-Qhubeka
2	Azzedine Lagab	@55”	Algeria
3	Frekalsi Debesay	@1m46”	Eritrean National Cycling Team
4
5
6

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Grace Mahary Traded in Her Basketball Sneakers for Givenchy Pumps

Modeling was never in the cards for die-hard basketball player Grace Mahary. The Alberta native had her sights set on a sports career, instead — until an opponent on the court knocked in one of her teeth, causing her to reassess her calling. But the game's loss is modeling's gain: After signing with Elmer Olsen Model Management — also responsible for Daria Werbowy — the 22-year-old flew to Paris, met with Riccardo Tisci, booked a Givenchy exclusive for fall 2012, and the rest is history. Mahary stopped by our offices following a recent V magazine editorial shoot to chat about working with Tisci, her sushi and Pinkberry diet, and whether she Googles herself.

Tell me a bit about your childhood.

I was born in Edmonton, Alberta, in a pretty small city. I grew up there, and I played basketball [with my] two older brothers. My parents moved to Canada in 1983 from Eritrea, East Africa — it’s in North Africa right above Ethiopia. No one knows about it. I was the mother [in school]; people were always asking me for advice. I played basketball, so [saying I’m a] tomboy is an understatement. If it wasn’t for Destiny’s Child and TLC, I would not know [about] girl power. Oh, and the Spice Girls!

That makes two of us … or should I say, two become one. Anyway, how were you discovered?

Like most models, I guess you are approached a couple times. I was in Toronto with my family in the mall, and they came up to me, and I was like, "No, not a chance." [Because] I didn’t care about anything except for basketball and school; I didn’t know what modeling was [about]. After a few years of them being persistent, I decided, I'm going to go to Toronto and see what this is all about, and Elmer Olsen took me onboard.

Oh, Elmer Olsen is great. He is credited for so many of the Canadian models that work today.

He is amazing. He’s Daddy O. That's what we call him.

What do your parents think about your new career?

My mom is absolutely ecstatic about [it]; she was the one that was like, [drops in accent] "Why do you need to play basketball, why? Be a girl." Sorry, Mom, for the accent. My dad is all about school, but he’s starting to accept and understand how serious this business can really be. You can make a profession out of this.

So, it seems you were really big on basketball. What made you say, "Okay, fine, I’ll give modeling a shot"?

I got my tooth knocked in, actually. After five years of saying, "You know, Elmer, I don’t want to go travel to do this stuff," there was [then] a huge accident on the court. I was [going] for a rebound and this girl … she took her elbow and — boom! — right against my top lip. In an instant I knew it [was] gone. I went to the bathroom and my left cheek is pushed back, and I had a moment, like, Maybe I should give this a shot before it's all over. Last year, I had to take a break from school and basketball, so I went to Paris, and then I traveled to South Africa and London.

What were you studying in school?

I was studying physical education and health. Yeah, total jock, complete opposite of what I'm trying to do today. I love it, I miss it. It was something I was interested in.

Well, you know, you could always go back and complete your degree.

I have another three years to go. I put it on hold, but I’m really trying to see what else is out there because, really, it’s been the same dream, you know, science, school, and basketball. Modeling is completely different.

Fair enough. This season you hit it big with the Givenchy exclusive for fall 2012. So tell me how that booking came about.

I was actually on [my] way to a different casting, and my booking agent in Paris said, "Grace, drop everything — you are going to go to Givenchy." I jumped on the metro and went up there. At first, I thought I was in the middle of nowhere [because] I was in the suburbs of Paris, [but then] I saw another model walking in, and I said, "Okay, good. I’m not in the middle of nowhere." I go in, and — lo and behold — Riccardo [Tisci] is sitting there on this big couch listening to music, and I did not know if I should be nervous or excited. So, I walked for him, and he was interested in where I was from. Actually, they made me walk again, and then they said I was in the right place at the right time.

And after that?

I did the looks [for the show], and then I did the show. The team is really amazing. When you are working around people that talented, everything is just so organized, and you feel kind of inspired.

What was the environment like backstage? Tense? Calm?

I expected it to be nuts. But it wasn't. It was really organized. You have Pat McGrath in charge of all the makeup, and everyone just respects each other because they know what they are doing. There [was] no need to be nuts because they know exactly what they are doing. [This] calmed my nerves, so I was like, Okay, I can sit, relax, and enjoy what they are transforming me into.

Did you make any buddies backstage?

I did, actually. Anmari [Botha], she was another exclusive. We were discussing how we can't do anything else because being an exclusive [means] you aren’t allowed to do any other shows. So, we were watching other girls run around. We wanted to be doing that, too, but we couldn’t do that — and we just clicked. We just started doing things together. After the show, she moved in with me and we became roommates.

So, what’s your diet like?

Pinkberry! [I was] so excited to be back in New York, so I could have that. It was the first thing I had when I came back. I love sushi, and I love going to the salad bars. I know it sounds so cliché, but listen: We can't get [sushi and salads] in every corner in Paris and London.

What about your fitness regime?

I miss working out. I haven’t played basketball in so long. I haven’t done very much in a while, but I love hot yoga now. It’s my new thing, it puts me in Zen. If could go to the courts in the summer in New York without getting my tooth knocked in, I’d love it.

Read anything good lately?

Yeah, I just actually finished One Day by David Nicholls. It’s huge in the U.K. I’m not into love stories at all — that’s not my thing — but it was so good [that] I loved it. Quick and easy read with a cute twist.

Your skin is on point, I must say. What are your beauty secrets?

I put a mask on everyday. No, actually, I did not know about skin care until yesterday. I drink a lot of water. I’ve been obsessed with Clinique’s mild wash lately.

If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would you like to meet?

Do you want me to be honest? Want to know what came to my head first?

Yes, of course.

J. Cole, because I love his music right now. But, if you want to go deeper than that … Nelson Mandela.

Finally, do you ever Google yourself?

Unfortunately, I had to. Yeah. I have some fun friends that like to post embarrassing things. There are some things up there that … everyone can Google it themselves. There are some basketball photos, there are some friend’s photos, and there are some videos.

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Meb Keflezighi Rises Again

By Sabrina Grotewold

The trailblazer has nothing to lose as he guns for another Olympic medal.

Mebrahtom Keflezighi’s a nice guy, but he’s got teeth. Sharpening them was a prerequisite for any post-collegiate elite runner hoping to reverse the abysmal state of U.S. distance running in 2000. Keflezighi, known affectionately by family and fans as Meb, proved that American men could compete on a world-class level again.

“When Joe Vigil and I put the Mammoth Track Club together [in 2001], we had Meb and Deena [Kastor] as our leaders,” says Bob Larsen, Keflezighi’s coach for the past 18 years and the now-retired cross-country and track and field coach at UCLA. “They showed the path. People got confident again and said, ‘If they can train really hard at altitude, compete internationally and win Olympic medals, so can we.’ That growth is still taking place.”

Over the last four years, the Olympic marathon silver medalist has thrived on shocking people—Keflezighi’s risen from the doldrums of a career-jeopardizing injury, cheated retirement and redefined the capabilities of a 37-year-old elite runner.

“Talented doesn’t win, but hard work does,” says the Eritrean-born Keflezighi, who moved to San Diego with his family in 1987 and became a naturalized citizen in 1998. “I like to under promise and over deliver—it’s my thing. I let the legs do the talking, not my lips.”

Keflezighi surprised everyone in January when he became the oldest Olympic marathon trials champion in U.S. history, a feat he accomplished just 69 days after finishing sixth at the ING New York City Marathon in a then-personal best 2:09:13 (he shaved five seconds off that time at the marathon trials). Although he pulled off a similar tour de force in 2004, when he earned silver at the Athens Games and finished second in New York 70 days later, he was eight years younger then, and the years of repetitive training stress coupled with the unpredictable and often-cruel nature of the marathon made the attempt a risky endeavor.

“The marathon is a race of attrition and sometimes you’re going to make some mistakes,” says Keflezighi, who left a Breathe Right nose strip in his left racing flat during the 2011 New York City Marathon, causing a blister that became severely infected. The accident forced him to take three weeks off from training, threatening his chances of making his third Olympic team. Watching the Olympic marathon on the couch at his Mammoth Lakes, Calif., home with his wife and three young daughters wasn’t in the game plan for Keflezighi, who did just that for the Beijing Games.

At the 2008 Olympic marathon trials in New York—a coming-of-age race for young bucks such as Ryan Hall and Dathan Ritzenhein, and a changing-of-the-guard event for veterans such as Alan Culpepper and Khalid Khannouchi—Keflezighi suffered from a fractured pelvis, a potentially career-ending diagnosis that kept him out of the Olympics.

“I saw him crawl on all fours in the hotel room after [the 2008 Olympic marathon trials], and it was scary—I’d never seen Meb that way,” recalls Yordanos, Meb’s wife. “I said to him, ‘We both have our degrees and we can find another way to make a living.’ We prayed really hard and talked a lot. Meb told me that he’d been given a talent and needed to fulfill his purpose. Since then, we’ve never had that discussion again.”

Keflezighi crawled his way back to health, seeing a host of sports medicine doctors and experts, and enduring intensive therapy. “He’s the best I’ve seen at dealing with injuries,” says Larsen. “It’s so boring to run in the swimming pool and to get massage therapy and do all this extra stuff without knowing, at that age, if he’d be able to come back. I’ve never seen that amount of dedication when [Meb] didn’t need it. He already had the silver medal and a huge career. I told him nobody would blame him if he wanted to hang it up.”

The persistence paid off. Keflezighi’s comeback race was the 2009 New York City Marathon. Part poetic justice and all vindication, he became the first American to win the race in 27 years, an effort that earned him an appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman” and atop a float at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Keflezighi says his upbringing helps him push through the pain, and his family inspires him to put it all on the line. Helping Keflezighi succeed is a family affair—Meb’s brother, Merhawi, is his manager, and Yordanos quit her job as a premier client manager for Bank of America in 2006, when the couple decided to start a family and move from San Diego to Mammoth Lakes, Calif., so Meb could live and train full time at altitude. She cares for the children, manages the schedules and even researches the competition and racecourses Meb will face. “I’m the one who’s usually stressed—is [Meb] getting his therapy, is he sleeping?” reveals Yordanos. “He’s the one who relaxes me. There’s such a quiet, strong confidence about him; he has a spiritually calm side to him.”

Sacrificing to attain greatness is a Keflezighi family motto. Russom Keflezighi, Meb’s father, who supported rebels fighting for independence in Eritrea in the early 80s, fled the family’s war-torn village when Meb was 5 years old to seek a better life for his wife and 11 children. He walked 100 miles to the Sudanese border, working his way to Italy, where the family eventually reunited and lived for a short time before immigrating to the U.S.

Larsen jokes that he offered a UCLA distance running scholarship—funds he usually reserved for sprinters and throwers—to Meb because of his family. “I was so impressed with them; 10 brothers and sisters who were great, hardworking students. You could see that the family was really special. They were tough, and living in a small place.”

The kindly, soft-spoken Larsen’s eyes twinkle like a proud grandfather when he speaks of Keflezighi. Their mutual loyalty, respect and deep understanding of one another puts them on the same page; these days, Keflezighi tells Larsen what he needs in terms of training and Larsen controls the reigns, only tugging them lightly to prevent overtraining.

Keflezighi remains characteristically tight-lipped about his preparation for the Olympic marathon this summer, but will say that 15- and 16-mile tempo runs have given him confidence before all of his previous marathons, except the 2012 trials, when an 11-mile tempo had to suffice. “I think the theory that you need 10, 12 or eight weeks of build-up is overrated; 41 days worked for the trials,” he says, laughing. We’ll just have to wait until August to see what his legs will tell us.

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FORMER Gold Coast winger Golgol Mebrahtu looms as John Aloisi's first signing before Melbourne Heart focuses its energy on pursuing two foreign stars

The pacy winger/attacker is the versatile type Heart favours and he could slot into the left-wing position with internationals Rutger Worm and Alex Terra being released and David Williams having a poor debut season.

Mebrahtu, 21, showed potential but lacked composure in front of goals.

Born in Eritrea but raised in Sudan, Mebrahtu's family moved to Brisbane when he was 10.

He was picked up by former coach Miron Bleiberg, who saw him juggling a ball in a park.

Heart has also bid for fellow Gold Coast excitement machine Ben Halloran, although the teenager is believed to favour a move to Brisbane Roar.

Halloran is also on Melbourne Victory's wish-list.

Aloisi said Heart would soon make some A-League signings but quality foreigners were a priority.

"A couple of the real key players will be from overseas, he said yesterday.

"We're trying to bring in two good, experienced players that will help the team progress.

"Foreigners made a difference to a lot of the teams, without (Besart) Berisha and (Thomas) Broich, Brisbane might not have won the championship. Foreigners are key."

Heart is planning to enter the 2012-13 season with 21 contracted players (23 are allowed on the roster) to avoid a situation like last season where it struggled to fit short-term signings Adrian Madaschi and Paul Reid on the list.

Mebrahtu would become the 16th contracted player and with another keeper to be the 17th (Heart is awaiting an answer from Clint Bolton), it would leave four spots on the list and more than $500,000 to play with.

Aloisi said a defensive midfielder and attacker were priorities with three foreign spots available.

"Defensive midfield is the key position. We need to get a leader and someone who cannot only start play but break up play. I think we lacked that," he said.

"And an attacking player who can score, someone who can play anywhere up front or in attacking midfield."

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Helicopter carrying internal security minister George Saitoti, his deputy and four others crashes near Nairobi.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Saitoti was a leading voice against al-Shabab

Kenya's minister for internal security, who once served as the country's vice president, and his deputy are among six people who died when a police helicopter crashed near the capital Nairobi, according to Kenyan officials.

Minister George Saitoti and his deputy, Orwa Ojode, were killed in the crash, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka said on Sunday.

Two pilots and two bodyguards were also killed, officials said.

Saitoti, 66, was a candidate in next year's presidential election and a key figure driving his country's fight against al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab fighters in neighbouring Somalia.

The crash occurred in the Ngong hills on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, a police source told AFP, adding that the reason for the crash was not immediately clear.

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said investigations into the cause of the crash had started and that the cabinet would hold a special session on the incident.

"This is a terrible tragedy that has struck our country this morning. Nobody knows exactly the cause of this accident. That is why experts will carry out investigations," Odinga told reporters at the scene of the crash.

"We will do everything possible to ensure we find we find out the cause of this accident, but for now it is just an

accident."

Powerful politician

Al Jazeera's Peter Greste, reporting from Nairobi, said that the area was notorious for bringing down aircraft and that the weather at the moment was quite overcast.

"It wouldn't be surprising if there was some sort of pilot error or mechanical failure," said Greste.

Witnesses at the scene reported seeing charred bodies, while images of the crash scene showed the helicopter reduced to twisted metal.

Saitoti, who was a long-serving vice president under former president Daniel Arap Moi, was an ally of President Mwai Kibaki.

He was the leading government voice against al-Shabab, the Somali armed group against which Kenyan forces have been conducting operations inside Somalia since October.

He often visited the scenes of grenade attacks carried out by al-Shabab inside Kenya in retaliation and had vowed that Kenya would crush the group.

Our correspondent said he suspected that some conspiracy theorists would not accept that Saitoti's death appeared to have been accidental.

"Saitoti was one of the most powerful and prominent politicians in the country... Inevitably [some Kenyans] will see this as a political assassination because of his powerful position," said Greste.

"But I think we need to be very careful about implying that he might have been assisinated ... Clearly we have got to wait and see what the investigation throws up before we look in that direction."

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Cycling Tour of Eritrea stage 1 result and General Classification.

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Tour of Eritrea 2012 - Stage 1

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#	Rider's Name	Time	Country
1	Jani Tewelde [22]	2:25:42 8 8	ERI MTN
2	Mekseb Debesay [21]	+0 5 5	Red Sea Camels
3	Yemane Bereket [25]	+0 2 2	Eritrean National Team
4	Tesfay Abraha Habtemariam [22]	+0	ERI MTN
5	Azzadine LAGAB [26]	+0	ALG GSP
6	Jacques . VAN RENSBURG [25]	+6	RSA MTN
7	Dawit Araya [25]	+0	ERI
8	Freqalsi Abraha [29]	+51	ERI
9	Meron Russom [25]	+51	ERI MTN
10	Hichem CHAABANE [24]	+51	ALG VCS
11	Awet GEBREMEDHIN [20]	+51	ERI
12	Elias AFEWERKI [20]	+51	ERI
13	Tesfom OKBAMARIAM [21]	+0	ERI
14	Kindishih DEBESAY [21]	+1:14	ERI
15	Solomun HABTE ABRHA [22]	+1:14	ERI
16	Daniel TEKLAY []	+1:14	ERI
17	Abraham RUHUMURIZA [33]	+5:44	RWA
18	Emanuel RUDAHUNGA [22]	+7:27	RWA
19	Hailemichael AKALE [31]	+10:06	ERI
20	Bilal SAADA [22]	+10:07	ALG VCS
21	Hamad ALMOHAMAD [23]	+10:07	SYR
22	Add Alla Mohamed Mohamed [25]	+10:07	EGY
23	Mahmoud Mohamed Tehemar [23]	+10:07	EGY
24	Nathan BYUKUSENGE [32]	+10:07	RWA
25	Joseph BIZIYAREMYE [24]	+10:07	RWA
26	Ali ABDALLA [22]	+10:07	EGY
27	Calvin BENEKE [21]	+10:07	RSA MTN
28	Nicodem HABIYAMBERE [25]	+10:07	RWA
29	Amr Mahmoud AHMED  [26]	+10:07	EGY
30	Abdenour YAHMI [20]	+10:07	ALG GVA
31	Walid ALI SALAH [20]	+10:07	ALG OTA
32	Janvier HADI [20]	+10:07	RWA
33	Meron AMANUEL [22]	+10:07	ERI
34	Lotto PETRUS [25]	+10:07	NAM MTN
35	Karim HADJBOUZIT [21]	+10:07	ALG VCS
36	Amin HASSAN [21]	+12:58	SUD
37	Mohamed HAMZA [19]	+12:58	SUD
38	Nasr MUBARAK [28]	+12:58	SUD
39	Hussein SALIH [21]	+15:20	SUD
	Amin HASSAN [28]		SUD

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General Classification @ Stage 1.

Rank	Name	Nat. Team	Age	Result
1	Jacques JANSE VAN RENSBURG	RSA MTN	25	6:16:53
2	Azzadine LAGAB	ALG GSP	26	+55
3	Freqalsi ABRHA	ERI	29	+1:46
4	Bereket YEMANE	ERI	25	+3:44
5	Dawit ARAYA	ERI	25	+3:44
6	Tesfom OKBAMARIAM	ERI	21	+3:44
7	Kindishih DEBESAY	ERI	21	+9:53
8	Tesfay ABRHAHA	ERI MTN	22	+10:20
9	Elias AFEWERKI	ERI	20	+15:09
10	Meron RUSSOM	ERI MTN	25	+18:10
11	Awet GEBREMEDHIN	ERI	20	+18:10
12	Solomun HABTE	ERI	22	+18:33
13	Hailemichael AKALE	ERI	31	+20:26
14	Meron AMANUEL	ERI	22	+20:27
15	Mekseb DEBESAY	ERI	21	+20:34
16	Jani TEWELDE	ERI MTN	22	+25:24
17	Hichem CHAABANE	ALG VCS	24	+25:33
18	Abraham RUHUMURIZA	RWA	33	+28:29
19	Daniel TEKLAY	ERI		+28:30
20	Add Alla Mohamed	EGY	25	+28:58
21	Hamad ALMOHAMAD	SYR	23	+30:53
22	Joseph BIZIYAREMYE	RWA	24	+32:52
23	Abdenour YAHMI	ALG GVA	20	+33:35
24	Ali ABDALLA	EGY	22	+33:40
25	Bilal SAADA	ALG VCS	22	+35:42
26	Mahmoud Mohamed	EGY	23	+37:32
27	Nathan BYUKUSENGE	RWA	32	+37:47
28	Lotto PETRUS	NAM MTN	25	+37:47
29	Karim HADJBOUZIT	ALG VCS	21	+37:47
30	Emanuel RUDAHUNGA	RWA	22	+39:30
31	Nicodem HABIYAMBERE	RWA	25	+40:05
32	Janvier HADI	RWA	20	+40:05
33	Walid ALI SALAH	ALG OTA	20	+40:33
34	Calvin BENEKE	RSA MTN	21	+42:24
35	Amr Mahmoud AHMED	EGY	26	+42:24
36	Mohamed HAMZA	SUD	19	+46:03
37	Amin HASSAN	SUD	21	+48:06
38	Hussein SALIH	SUD	21	+50:03
39	Nasr MUBARAK	SUD	28	+50:06

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