Ivan Ukhov jumping at the 2006 IAAF World Athletics Final in Stuttgart (© Mark Shearman)
The beginning of the 2008 indoor season in Russia was marked this week by several excellent results in the Men’s High Jump.
The 21-year-old Russian national indoor record holder in the High Jump (2.39m - 2007) Ivan Ukhov and Russia’s European champion Andrei Silnov both established the early but very impressive world’s season best in Yekaterinburg on Monday 7 January, clearing the bar at 2.34m. Ukhov was first on countback.
Then yesterday (9) the duo confirmed that they are really well-prepared for the Olympic season. In Cheliabinsk, they participated in the Lukashevitch Memorial. It was the 26th year of the meeting which is held in the memory of the famous Russian high jumper. And to the joy of the public Ivan Ukhov cleared the bar at 2.35m! Silnov was again second best on the podium – 2.30m.
In the women’s competition Yekaterina Savchenko cleared the bar at 1.94m. On the 7 January in Yekaterinburg, Savchenko had jumped at 1.92m sharing the glories on that occasion with the 20-year-old Aleksandra Shamsutdinova.
Also in Yekaterinburg the Russian national record at 500m was set. The result of 19-year-old Maksim Dyldyn was 1:01.28. He improved the former record that was set 18-years-ago by 0.23 seconds.
Anton Kokorin won the 300m (33.84), while Olympic 800m champio Yuriy Borzakovskiy was the fastest at 1000m (2:20.49), and Igor Peremota was the best at 60m Hurdles (7.70).
Other results: 60m - Yevgeniya Polyakova (7.22sec); 300m – Yuliya Guzhshina (38.10sec); Olesya Forsheva (Krasnomovetz) won the 500m in 1:09.52 which was a very nice comeback after giving birth to a baby last year. Another comeback from maternity leave was made by Yelena Zadorozhnaya at 2000m where she was second in 5:40.95. The winner at that distance was Marya Konovalova in 5:40.26.
The results in Men’s Pole Vault in Cheliabinsk were encouraging for the beginning of the season. Artem Kuptzov and Dmitriy Starodubtzev cleared the bar at 5.50m.
Elsewhere this week in Russia, the silver medal winner from the Athens Olympics Irina Simigina landed at 6.88m in women’s Long Jump in the competition in her native city of Ryazan. In St-Petersburg, Aleksandra Kudryashova and Anastasyia Shvedova cleared 4.50m in the Women’s Pole Vault, and Yuliya Fomenko won two distances: 800m (2:03.02) and 1500m (4:07.73).
Nickolai Dolgopolov and Rostislav Orlov for the IAAF
