Natalya Antyukh anchors Russia's 4x400m team to victory in Florence (© Getty Images)
Florence, ItalyAs anticipated, the Russian women and German men successfully defended their team titles on the final day of the SPAR European Cup Final, on an exceptionally warm day in the heart of Tuscany.
Paced by four wins on the final day and 10 overall, Russia’s women tallied 131½ points, 37½ ahead of runner-up Poland, to capture their ninth consecutive title, while the German men, propelled by a string of consistent performances, scored a 113 to 104 win over Poland.
Malcolm's 20.15 holds off Unger
Besides the battle for the team titles, several significant individual efforts highlighted the third and final day.
The men’s 200m featured the lone bright spot of the afternoon for the British men, who were relegated from the Super League for the first time ever. Christian Malcolm, the former World and European Junior champion in the event, cruised to an impressive 20.15 win, a season’s best that made the 26-year-old the ninth fastest in the world this year, and fastest among Europeans. Tobias Unger, Germany’s European indoor champion, was a distant second in 20.36 also a season’s best.
Despite their imminent relegation to the First League, the British men’s squad captured a quality win in the 4x400 relay. Leading virtually from the start, the quartet of Robert Tobin, Graham Hedman, Malachi Davis and Tim Benjamin clocked 3:00.51, to score an upset over favorites Poland and France. The performance was the second fastest in the world this year, and the fastest by a British team since 2002.
In the women’s 4x400, Russia was pushed to a 3:23.56 win by Poland, who ran a national record 3:24.61.
Gibilisco vaults 5.80
The highlight for the vociferous Italian crowd was Guiseppe Gibilisco’s victory in the pole vault with a season’s best 5.80 clearance. The reigning world champion signaled a return from injury with hefty clearance over the height, before bowing out of the competition with three attempts at 5.91.
“After some low-key results I needed to jump high and produce a good results,” said Gibilisco, whose previous best this season was just 5.50. “I have not won a competition since Rovereto in 2003. This year I feel that I have reached the peak of my athletic career. I’m ready to jump six meters.”
Adam Ptacek of Poland was second with a first-attempt clearance of 5.60.
Adding to the Russian victory parade was Tatyana Kivimyagi’s dominating performance in the high jump. After a third attempt clearance at 1.95, the 2004 Olympian gave herself an early 21st birthday present (23-June) with a second attempt success over 1.98, equaling her best-ever. This year’s runner-up at the Russian Indoor championships, Kivimyagi has displayed amazing progress over the past two season. In 2004, she improved from 1.82 to 1.98.
Ukrainian veteran Vita Palamar finished second on the countback over Melanie Skotnik of France with a 1.92 best.
Shot Put favourite Olga Ryabinkina of Russia didn’t disappoint in her event after a solid win with a personal best 19.65, the second farthest throw of the year. The bronze medallist at the European Indoor Championships, the 28-year-old added 29 cm to her previous best from 2002. Nadine Kleinert of Germany was a distant second with an 18.89 best, while Assunta Legnante of Italy was third (18.42).
Sydney champion back to top form
Kamila Skolimowska, the 2000 Olympic champion, won a quality competition in the Hammer Throw with a season’s best 72.38. Manuela Montebrun of France was second with a last round 71.10 effort, more than a meter ahead of Russian Gulfiya Khanafeyeva’s 70.06 season’s best.
In the men’s Javelin Throw, Mark Frank of Germany produced a season’s best 82.83 in the third round to score an important win for the German squad. Russian Aleksandr Ivanov’s second round 81.96 held up for runner-up honours, while Francesco Pignata’s 81.67 personal best, also in the second round, firmly planted the Italian in third place.
Doucouré commanding
Ladji Doucouré continued French dominance of the short races today with a commanding 13.16 win in the High Hurdles. Clearly in the lead by the third hurdle, the 22-year-old European indoor champion eased over the final hurdle and to the line and still finished nearly 3/10s ahead of runner-up Thomas Blaschek of Germany, who clocked 13.44. Italy’s Andrea Giaconi finished third in 13.52, a season’s best and the third third-place European Cup finish the 31-year-old veteran.
The women’s race was much closer, with Linda Khodadin of France and Germany’s Kirsten Bolm virtually stride-for-stride through the first five hurdles, before Khodadin slowly added to her advantage for a 12.73 win to the German’s 12.79. It was the second Cup victory for Khodadin, who won in Gateshead in 2000.
Arron convincing
The perfect showing in the sprints continued for France with Christine Arron’s convincing win in the 200m. Running in lane two, Arron, who yesterday won her fourth Cup title in the 100, held off Russian Yelena Bolsun’s challenge to cruise to a 22.84 performance for her second Cup crown in the 200. Bolsun (23.00) edged Ukraine’s Maryna Maydanova by 1/100 of a second to take the runner-up spot.
Like the French in the short races, Spain domination of the middle & long distances continued on the final day of competition with wins in the 800m and 3000m.
Pre-meet favorite Manuel Antonio Reina had little trouble dispensing with the field in the 800, winning easily in 1:46.11.
“It was a comfortable win today,’ said Reina, the 2002 World Cup champion. “The final time was not too bad for a European Cup competition.” Besides a strong focus on the the world championships in Helsinki, Reina said he’s aiming for a fast performance at the Golden Gala in Rome on 8 July.
Grzegorz Krozosek of Poland finished second in 1:46.52, ahead of Dmitriy Bogdanov, who lowered his season’s best to 1.46.79.
Jesus Espana easily won a tactical 3000 in 8:16.48, well ahead of Briton Mo Farrah’s 8:17.28.
Russian domination continues
The lone women’s middle distance event of the day was a fiercely competitive 1500, won again by a Russian. Yulia Chizenko managed to hold off backstretch challenges on the final lap to win in 4:06.76, ahead of Romania’s Olympic silver medallist Maria Cioncan’s 4:07.39. Doubling back from her victory in yesterday’s 800, the Romanian expended significant energy down the back stretch while briefly overtaking the Russian, but faded significantly down the homestretch. Bouchra Ghezielle (4:08.02) of France was the surprise third place finisher.
The men’s Triple Jump battle saw a pair of 17 metre efforts, topped by German Charles Friedek’s final round 17.20 effort, a season’s best. Russian Danila Burkenya reached 17.06 in the final round, also a season’s best, to finish second.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
