Gulnara Galkina strides towards the finish line to win steeplechase gold (© Getty Images)
Olympic champions Gulnara Galkina-Samitova and Andrey Silnov were the standout stars at the Russian Challenge in Moscow on Saturday (06).
The Russian Challenge is a large scale international competition that, since its inception in 2003, has become a late season tradition. It has changed formats several times since but the dynamic competition with the participation of many international athletic champions has attracted significant public attention each time.
In this Olympic year the Russian Challenge was held under the slogan, 'Duels of Beijing stars in Russia’. Several young and even some well-known Russian athletes who missed the Olympics were also invited to participate.
The duel between Gulnara Galkina-Samitova, who won the gold medal with a World record run in the 3000m Steeplechase, and the silver medal winner Eunice Jepkorir of Kenya, was really breathtaking. The pair ran virtually the entire distance as if they were chained to each other. But Galkina-Samitova, devoted to her usual tactic, was leading. On the last lap she accelerated but Jepkorir didn't surrender. She tried to pass the Russian down the homestretch but just missed. Galkina-Samitova prevailed in 9:24.01, while Jepkorir clocked 9:24.08.
“I didn't lose,” Jepkorir said. “We were absolutely equal.” Yes, by only a scant 0.07 seconds.
Olympic champion Andrey Silnov cleared 2.33m with his third attempt to take the men’s High Jump. He looked so self-assured! But his coach Yevgeniy Zagorulko advised his pupil to stop there. Jessie Williams from the USA was second, clearing 2.27.
“I'm very much eager to continue the season,” Silnov said. “My task is to win the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart. I feel myself in good form. I didn't even celebrated my Beijing victory yet, I’ve practically had no time for it. Maybe I'll try and beat the European record this season.”
Tatyana Levedeva proved to be a real fighter. There were three other long jumpers in the sector but the double Olympic silver medallist jumped unopposed. Still she landed at 6.77m with her first jump and then improved to 6.85 with her sixth. Olga Rypakova from Kazakhstan was second, reaching 6.47
“I am always trying my best,” Lebedeva said. “I couldn't disappoint the public. And was trying really to do my best.”
The first duel of the meeting, the women’s Shot Put, failed to turn into a real fight, for Beijing bronze medallist Nadezhda Ostapchuk of Belarus didn't leave the slightest chance for her opponent Olga Ivanova, who took 9th in China. With her fourth effort Ostapchuk nearly reached 20m, 19.90m to take the victory. Anna Omarova was second with 18.58, and Anna Avdeeva third with 18.18. And Ivanova remained only fourth with a disappointing 17.75.
Ostapchuk confirmed that this competition would be her last of the season and she would now enjoy a three month leave.
In the men's Pole Vault the Beijing silver medallist Yevgeniy Lukyanenko cleared 5.65m easily before bowing out at 5.85m.
“I had no rivals unfortunately,” Lukyanenko said.
And it was true. American Brad Walker, with his personal best of 6.04m absolutely failed in Luzhniki as well. Cheered by friendly Moscovites he couldn't manage to clear 5.40m. Dmitriy Kuptsov was the runner-up, clearing 5.40.
There were no foreign athletes in women's 1500m. Natalya Yevdokimova was the winner with a modest 4:22.91 ahead of Yekaterina Martynova (4:24.61).
Nickolai Dolgopolov for the IAAF
