Tia Hellebaut (BEL) (© Getty Images)
Tallinn, EstoniaThe 4th annual Tallinn Jumping Gala in the Audentes Hall took place last evening (28 Feb) in front of some 3000 spectators, and was dominated by the High Jump despite World champion Kajsa Bergqvist’s continued inability to compete due to an ankle injury. The Swedish World indoor record holder pulled out of the competition when during her warm-up she realised it would be impossible for her to compete.
The multi-talented Belgium Tia Hellebaut after jumping 1.93m on her third try for the win and in any case having already won the event, decided to try 1.97, at which she was successful on the first try, for a new national record. She then had three unsuccessful tries at two metres but perhaps this will come in Moscow at the World Indoor Championships (10-12 March)?
Two over 2.34m
The men’s High Jump was not short of drama as both Russians, newcomer Andrey Silnov and European champion Yaroslav Rybakov went smoothly through all their heights. Rybakov had only one miss at 2.34m, clearing on his second try but that was enough to give Silnov who went over first time, the win. But 2.37 was too much for either man last night. The Cuban’s seemed to have been affected by jet-lag, as Perez (2.22) and Moya (2.19).
However, if that was the case, the Cuban triple jumpers obviously coped much better, as Yargelis Savigne clearly took the women’s contest with 14.44m, and Yoandri Betanzos had also one good leap of 17.10m which was good enough to win the men’s event.
On the 60m straight results were less spectacular. Local hero Mirjam Liimask with 8.22 seconds for the 60m Hurdles missed her own national record form last year by only 0.02s. She was beaten in a close race by 30-year-old Russian Natalya Davydenko who equalled her personal best 8.21m.
Alfons Juck for the IAAF
Results
MEN
60 m: 1. Morne Nagel, RSA 6.70, 2. Henry Vizcaino, CUB 6.72, 3. Marek Niit, EST 6.83
60 m Hurdles: 1. Sergey Demidyuk, UKR 7.66, 2. Olli Talsi, FIN 7.72, 3. Anselmo da Silva, BRA 7.82, 4. Andres Raja, EST 7.96
TJ: 1. Yoandri Betanzos, CUB 17.10 (16.54-x-17.10-15.26-p-p), 2. Mykola Savolainen, UKR 16.60, 3. Colomba Fofana, FRA 16.51, 4. Lauri Leis, EST 16.28, 5. Mantas Dilys LTU 16.17, 6. Rodrigo Mendes, BRA 16.08, 7. Dmitrij Valukevic, SVK 15.72
HJ: 1. Andrey Silnov, RUS 2.34 (2.16/1, 2.19/1, 2.25/1, 2.28/1, 2.31/1, 2.34/1, 2.37/xxx), 2. Yaroslav Rybakov, RUS 2.34 (2.22/1, 2.25/1, 2.28/1, 2.31/1, 2.34/2, 2.37/xxx), 3. Ramsay Carelse, RSA 2.28, 4t. Sergey Klyugin, RUS and Lisvany Perez, CUB 2.22, 6. Grzegorz Sposob, POL 2.19, 7. Oskari Frosen, FIN 2.19, 8. Victor Moya, CUB 2.19 (2.13/1, 2.19/2, 2.25/xxx)
SP: 1. Ville Tiisanoja, FIN 19.87, 2. Mika Vasara, FIN 19.76, 3. Robert Haggblom, FIN 19.55, 4. Taavi Peetre, EST 18.97,...6. Jimmy Nordin, SWE 18.20
WOMEN
60mH: 1. Natalya Davydenko, RUS 8.21, 2. Mirjam Liimask, EST 8.22, 3. Viktoria Gappova, RUS 8.26
HJ: 1. Tia Hellebaut, BEL 1.97 NR (1.80/1, 1.85/1, 1.90/1, 1.93/3, 1.97/1, 200/xxx), 2. Barbora Lalakova, CZE 1.90, 3. Romana Dubnova, CZE 1.85, 4. Viktoria Leks, EST 1.85, 5. Marina Kuptsova, RUS 1.80
TJ: 1. Yargelis Savigne,CUB 14.44 (14.08-14.44-p-13.99-p-p), 2. Yelena Oleynikova, RUS 14.12, 3. Mabel Gay, CUB 14.07, 4. Dana Veldakova, SVK 13.95, 5. Anastasia Zhuravlyeva, UZB 13.91, 6. Irina Beskrovnaja, SVK 13.60
