Olga Kotlyarova rejoices after her 600m record (© AFP/Getty Images)
Kazan, RussiaThe second and last day of the Znamenskiy Memorial which encompassed the events of the IAAF Grand Prix II meeting (Friday 9 July), was highlighted by a brilliant 1:57 duel in the women’s 800m.
Click here for Day One report - world season bests in women's Shot and Discus
The meeting began with a presentation to Denis Kapustin, the Olympic Triple Jump bronze medal winner in Sydney and 1994 European champion, who had decided to end his distinguished career. The Mayor of Kazan presented Kapustin with the keys to a new two-room apartment.
In Kapustin’s absence it was Danil Burkenya who was first in the men's Triple Jump with 17.43. Victor Yastrebov from Ukraine was second in 17.14.
Kotlyarova debuts at 800m - 1:57.96 - and is beaten!
Olga Kotlyarova, who is a specialist 400m runner and was part of the Russian World Indoor championships winning relay side this winter in Budapest, made a sensational debut at 800m. Clocking the fourth fastest time of the season - 1:57.96 - she finished second behind Tatyana Andrianova - 1:57.71 - whose winning time was the second fastest in the world in 2004. But it was Kotlyarova who received a special prize from the organizers for her courage.
There is always an extremely tough rivalry between the Russian girls at 400m. This time it was another from this winter’s World relay 4x400 champions Olesya Krasnomovetz who took the win in 50.65.
Samitova, the face of Kazan
It is not by chance that Gulnara Samitova has been used as the “official promotional face” of the Memorial. The runner from the city of Naberezhniiy Chelni is a Tatar by nationality, and Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.
After breaking the women’s 3000m Steeplechase World record on the 4 July - 9:01.59 - she is in the very centre of public attention, and her compatriots are really distressed that her discipline is not on the schedule of the Olympics.
This time Samitova was running not at her favourite distance but at 1500m, and finished third behind two World champions, the 2003 winner Tatyana Tomashova and 2001 5000m gold medallist Olga Yegorova who had a great struggle for the win last night, with Yegorova winning through in 4:01.44.
The women’s 3000m distance was won by Yelena Zadorozhnaya – 8:41.29.
In the men’s Hammer, Poland’s Olympic champion Szymon Ziolkowski was only fourth – 76.48 – behind the winner, Russia’s Ilya Konovalov whose best was 79.62.
Two main Znamenskiy Memorial prizes were as usual at stake. The men’s 3000m was won by a young Kenyan runner James Getanda in 7:47.52, who left his compatriot Joseph Kosgei (7:48.41) and Russia’s Vyacheslav Shabunin (7:48.71) behind. The second prize, at 1500m, was won for the second year running by Dmitriy Onufrienko – 3:40.06 – far away from the world's best.
Maria Koroteyeva won the women’s 100m Hurdles in 12.72 defeating Natalya Kresova by only two hundredth of a second. Kresova is her principal opponent for a place in the Olympic Russian team.
Slesarenko’s 2m season upset by the weather
World leader Yelena Slesarenko could not make her best in women’s High Jump because at the end of the tournament the weather worsened, and so she had to be satisfied with a leap of 1.97.
Valeriya Zabruskova managed to gain victory at women’s Javelin with a last attempt of 62.60, which upstaged the guest from Czech Republic Jarmila Klimesova who was pushed down to second with her earlier 60.88.
