Two World records highlight Russian Championships

The Russian National Championships were highlighted by two World records, first the sensational new World record of Yulia Pechonkina in the women's 400m Hurdles (Friday 8 Aug) and then yesterday (Sunday 10 Aug) by Gulnara Samitova who set the new mark in the young and fast developing discipline of women's 3000m Steeplechasing.

The Championships were held in Tula (August 7 -10) and were marked by some top level performances and very stiff competition, with everybody fighting for a place in the team for the World Championships.

Yulia Pechonkina ran the 400 metre hurdles in 52.34, just a few weeks after returning to the track following illness.

Meanwhile, Yulia is still suffering the consequences of her illness. It lasted about 45 days and she was suffering problems with the circulation to her brain. She managed to restore her top form but a new  stroke can come at any time. Her coach Valentin Maslakov says that now Yulia needs to take medicine to prevent a new illness and she must be particularly careful when the weather changes.

“It would have been better to get a World record in the Paris final, but I wanted to show a good result because I was not satisfied with my two previous starts,” said Pechonkina.

“I did not expect it to be so fast. Now I need to run a new record again in Paris!”

The surprise of the final day in Tula came in the 3000m Steeplechase when Gulnara Samitova who had won the European Cup in Florence in June, strode away to a new World record of  9:08.33 minutes.

In doing so the 25 year-old athlete demolished the 9:16.51 World record of Belarussian Alesya Turova set in Gdnask on 16 July 2002.

Including a world best indoors (9:29.54) at the distance last winter, this was Samitova's seventh run over the barriers in 2003, her previous best being a 9:25.87 clocking in Greece at the beginning of July.

Samitova was in spectacular form as she had already taken the 5000m title on August 7 in 15:04.58.

In the Pole Vault the World record holder Yelena Isinbayeva came only third. Yelena Belyakova won the competition with her best performance of 5.60, Svetlana Feofanova  took the second place with the same result.

Isinbayeva’s coach said that she had no time to recover after an outstanding performance in London. She returned to Russia late in the night just before the start in Tula.  

In the women’s Long Jump we saw another world star Tatiana Kotova. But she took second place with 6.78, as Olga Rubleva won the competition with 6.89.

“I achieved my maximum result and I am sure that Kotova just did not want to use here all her potential. I know that in Paris she will be the best,” said Rubleva. 

High jumper Anna Chicherova stopped the competition when the stadium was covered by a near tropical rainstorm. By that time, she had jumped 1.98 and only Marina Kuptsova was also left in the competition. Anna  jumped 1.98 at her second attempt, while Kuptsova did  with her first. So Kuptsova became the winner. Now she wants to participate in Zurich and she hopes there to jump  2.04. She is trying to be ready for the competition in Paris at that level and even higher.  

The results of some competitions were easilypredictable. The leader of men’s High Jump Yaroslav Rybakov easily won  with 2.28. Another Russian star, Javelin thrower  Sergei Makarov showed without much effort 85,46. But he says that he is not satisfied with his present form which is not as good as it was right after his winter preparations.

Discus thrower Dmitriy Shevchenko achieved 65.16 and European champion Olga Kusenkova produced 74.98 in the women’s Hammer Throw. In the women’s Javelin Throw Tatiana Shikolenko produced a season’s best of 66.00 and said that she is aiming for the gold in Paris. She has won twice at the Paris Golden League meeting in 2000 and 2002 and says that she feels at home in Paris.

In the Triple Jump Vitaliy Moskalenko jumped 17.17 and Vitaliy Shkurlatov won the Long Jump with 8.23 Natalya Hruscheleva ran the 800 m in 1:58.07.

Original news flash of Pechonkina's World record - click here