Sochi hosts several Russian meetings - Results

SochiMoscowRussian athletes of all ranks and ages participated in competitions held one after another at the renovated stadium in Sochi - one of the most well known health resorts of the country in the Black Sea.

Heptathlon and Decathlon look for new leader
 
The Cup of Russia in Heptathlon and Decathlon turned out to be the first official tournament of the outdoor season. The members of the national team as well as juniors and under-23s took part in the competitions; and it looks like under-23 athletes are very much eager to take the leadership in these two athletic events considered to be the most difficult in world athletics.

Let us mention one more time that Lev Lobodin who was the leader of the Russian team for Decathlon for years has decided to retire and now coaches the national team.

Aleksandr Pogorelov and Aleksei Sysoev are competing to take the place of the former uncontested leader. They both took part in the Cup of Russia but it was absolutely evident that they had two different approaches to the tournament. Pogorelov decided to make only a one-day performance. But still he showed several good results: 15.31m in the Shot Put and 48.16 (a new PB) in the 400m. Then he stopped competing for he was to take part in one of the important Decathlon tournaments abroad.

On the other hand 20-year-old silver medal winner at the European and World Junior Championships Aleksei Sysoev set his personal best of 8090 points winning the tournament among the under-23 and overall. These were his results in the Decathlon events: 10.89 – 6.73m – 15.61m – 2.06m – 49.60 – 15.34 - 53.49m - 4.40m - 59.60m – 4:33.68. And if it hadn’t been for the rather moderate results in the Long Jump and the Pole Vault the young athlete from Volgograd (height - 194 cm, weight – 96k) could have made 8300-8400 points.

Another extremely gifted young athlete, 18-year-old Aleksandr Ziabrev (186 cm – 80k) who lives in the remote Siberian city of Irkutsk and is coached by Irina Belova whose name is well known in the world of athletics, scored an excellent 7471 points in Sochi Ziabrev (11.13 – 7.16m – 14.49m – 1.82m – 49.29 – 15.34 – 41.83m – 4.40m – 49.75m – 4:35.31).

In the women’s Heptathlon the former leaders of the Russian team, World champion Elena Prokhorova and Natalya Raschupkina didn’t compete as they are still recovering from injuries.

In their absence it was the European junior champion Olga Levenkova who took the lead. Incidentally, she is coached in the Siberian city of Kemerovo by Anatoliy Konashevitch, the coach of Elena Prokhorova.

Levenkova won the competition with 5882 points (14.10 – 1.76m – 12.79m – 25.69 – 6.19m – 37.07m – 2:14.73). Julya Ignatkina was only 63 points behind.

The competitions among juniors were even tougher. 19-year-old Olga Zinovieva won with 5662 points (14.59 – 1.70m – 13.06m – 24.76 – 6.20m – 32.21m – 2:18.90) with 18-year-old Nadezhda Sergeeva second by only 48 points.

Juniors on show

After the Cup of Russia, the Sochi stadium greeted the juniors who competed for their sport clubs and sport schools. The sprinters Igor Shevtzov and Julya Chermoshanskaya turned out to be the main heroes. 17-year-old Shevtzov won the 100m and 200m in 10.69 and 21.21 respectively.

Julya Chermoshanskaya is the daughter of the famous former sprinter Galina Malchugina. Julya is being coached by former sprinter Vera Mikheeva (Anisimova) under the guidance of her mother as well. In her first outdoor performance of the year Julya (174cm – 62 kg) clocked 11.72 over 100m and 23.57 at 200m.

The 18-year-old Victor Komarov celebrated two victories at 800m in 1:52.75 and at 400m Hurdles in 53.22. His victorious example was followed by the 19-year-old Alksei Chistov (1500 – 3:54.49 and 3000m – 8:18.94).

Other winners showing good results for their age are Artem Sergeenkov (400m – 47.33) and Denis Byvakin (110 Hurdles – 14.07), Dmitriy Starodubtzev and Pavel Prokopenko (both 5.40 – Pole Vault), Sergei Mikhailovskiy (Long Jump – 7.50) and Dmitiy Nikonov (Triple Jump – 15.95).

And the girls were also excellent in the junior competitions. The 17-year-old Galina Posashkova won 800m (2:05.67) and finished 3d at 1500m (4:22.65). 19-year-old Polina Nikanorova won the 1500m – 4:22.44. Nadezhda Shlyapnikova, also 19, won the 400m in 53.70 and Nadezhda Sozontova who turned 17 only a week ago clocked the 3rd best time with 54.34.

17-year-old Darya Korableva won the 400m Hurdles with an excellent time of 59.63. Olga Samylova was the winner of the 100m Hurdles clocking 13.91 and Julya Mochalova won the 2000m Steeplechase in 6:36.96 missing the national record by just four seconds.

Irina Gordeeva cleared 1.88m in the High Jump and Natalya Muchkina who is only 16 was 2nd, clearing 1.79. Anna Zhidkova cleared 4.00 in the Pole Vault. Galina Goncharova won the Long Jump – 6.20m and Darya Safronova won the Triple Jump – 13.21m. 16-year-old Olga Timofeeva was 2nd in the Long Jump (6.13m) as well as in the Triple Jump (13.10m).

In women’s Shot Put 18-year-old Irina Tarasova was the winner with the excellent result of 15.22m while 16-year-old Veronika Karmishina won the Discus Throw with 47.58m and 17-year-old Anna Bulgakova won the Hammer with 60.42m. 15-year-old Ekaterina Strokova was the youngest winner throwing the javelin at 46.78m.

Now let us mention one more name of an extremely young and gifted athlete. She failed to win the competitions for she was only 12 years old. She is very tall and really strong for her age and her name is Victorya Sadova. The daughter of the famous Olympic winner Natalya Sadova made up her young mind to follow her mother’s steps. She is being coached by her father Mikhail Sadov and her grandfather Ivan Koptukh. She hasn’t decided yet what is more preferable for her – the hammer or the discus but in both events she is throwing over 40 metres.

Sochi Cup witnesses good performances

The last competition to take place in Sochi was the Sochi Cup. Unfortunately the results in the men’s events left much to be desired. But it is worth mentioning Mikhail Lypskiy (50.32) and Aleksandr Borshzenko at 400m Hurdles. The World junior champion Dmitriy Starodubtzev defended his title with 4.40m in the Pole Vault. The result of Vitaliy Shkurlatov in the Long Jump was 8.11m and the Olympic Games bronze medallist Danyil Burkenya was the first in Triple Jump: 16.93m. 20-year-old Anton Luboslavskiy threw 20.14 in the Shot Put and the experienced Ilya Konovalov showed his form with 79.92m in the Hammer Throw.

The women’s competitions were of much higher level and several world season’s bests (at that time) were registered. Svetlana Kruka clocked 2:00.79 at 800m. And the struggle was tough: even the fifth placed runner was only 1.2 seconds behind the winner. And all five runners clocked better than 2:02. The second season’s best came in the 1500m: Julya Chizhenko clocked 4:00.55 and 22-year old Elena Soboleva who is not so well known in Russia, 4:03.71.

The silver medallist of the Athens Olympics in Long Jump Irina Simagina didn’t take part in the indoor competitions. But in her very first jump of the outdoor season she landed at exactly 7.00. And in her best attempt she added another 4 cm to this result. Julya Zinovieva was 2nd with 6.77 and Ludmila Kolchanova third with 6.64.

22- year-old Ekaterina Khoroshikh lives in a little town called Bataisk near Rostov where she is being coached by Nickolai Beloborodov. Ekaterina’s result in the Hammer – 72.45 – was the world season’s best. Another disciple of Beloborodov, Tatyana Lysenko, was second with 71.49.
Other leading results were registered in the heats and final of the 100m by 2004 Olympic Games 4x100 relay silver medallist Olga Fedorova with 11.26. Elena Bolsun clocked 22.87 in the 200m and Julya Grushina finished second in 22.94.

Four runners went under 52 seconds in the 400m. The winner Tatyana Firova clocked 50.83 and the runner-up Marya Lisnichenko was only 0.01 behind.

The duel of two friends Lylya Shobukhova and Galina Bogomolova at 3000m was at the centre of the fans’ attention. They live in the same city and are being coached in the same group but they turn out to be irresistible rivals. This time Shobukhova won in 8:45.01 and Bogomolova lost to her by less then a second, with 8:45.94. In the 100m Hurdles, Marya Koroteeva clocked 12.74 and Tatyana Pavliy was the runner-up.

Nearly all high-jumpers, headed by the Olympic winner Elena Slesarenko, competed in this meeting. For Elena it was practically the first competition for she missed the indoor season. And she is rather far from her best. She cleared only 1.85 and finished 4th. Tatyana Kivimyagi cleared 1.94, Anna Chicherova was the runner-up with a clearance of 1.90 and the junior Irina Gordeeva took the third place on the podium with 1.88.

World junior champion in Triple Jump Anastasya Taranova won her competition setting a new personal best of 14.14. The Shot Put was won by Olga Ryabinkina who threw her implement 19.20m. Marya Abakumova took the Javelin competition with 58.90m. Marya is the record holder of Russia in the three age groups: girls, juniors and under-23.

Nickolai Dolgopolov and Rostislav Orlov are reporting for the IAAF from Sochi.