Irina Simagina of Russia wins the women's Long Jump in Florence (© Getty Images)
Last summer at the Athens Olympic Games Russian women long jumpers grabbed the entire pot, i.e. all the medals. To repeat the trick in Helsinki would not be a surprise to anyone.
Athens runner-up Irina Simagina has jumped in legal conditions two of the longest efforts this season: 7.04m in May in Sochi and 7.01m in July in Moscow. She also won the European Cup Super League with 6.76m and flew only a cm’s less in Glasgow. She has what it takes to win.
The 2001 and 2003 World silver medallist and 2002 European champion Tatyana Kotova jumped wind assisted 7.20m in Madrid and is anxious to return to the number one position. As she won the national championship in Tula with her season’s second best result of 6.96m and jumped 6.80m in Eugene, and in Lagos a wind assisted result of 6.93m, the return on the golden podium is realistic.
As Olympic winner Tatyana Lebedeva is concentrating on the Triple Jump, the third place in the Russian squad is opened for a new-comer in the major championships, 23-year-old Oksana Udmurtova, who won the Znamenskiy Brothers Memorial competition in Moscow with 6.86m, and took silver in national championship with an only 1 centimetre shorter jump.
Udmurtova has competed only a few times abroad. In June in Glasgow, she was placed second with her mark of 6.66m and jumped 6.40m a few days later in Villeneuve d´Ascq. Of the Russian trio, Udmurtova is therefore the most puzzling name.
A threat to the Russians may come from Cuba’s 20-year-old Yargelis Savigne, who jumped in the spring in Havana jumped a consistent row of results: 6.77m, 6.72m and 6.71m. She also jumped 6.71m in Prague. In Helsinki her nerves will be tested for the first time in a major championship in her career.
Spanish Concepcion Montaner, 24, is in the same league: she hasn’t gained any international success yet, but has a lot of potential. Montaner was placed second in the Madrid Grand Prix with her personal record of 6.92m. Her season’s second best is 6.67m, which she jumped in Castellon.
Europe’s reputation will be defended by Latvian Ineta Radevica, 24, who jumped 6.80m in European Cup Second League in Tallin.
USA will bring into the competition a trio of Grace Upshaw - Tianna Madison - Brianna Glenn, who also were the top three names in this order in the national trials for the World Championships. Upshaw, 29, has clearly more experience than the others, but is only among the challengers.
Madison, 20 years old on 30 August, hasn’t represented her country before in major championships, so it would be surprising if she took a medal. Madison set her personal best of 6.82m in Knoxville in July.
Portugal’s World Indoor champion Heptathlete Naide Gomes jumped the national record of 6.72m in Salamanca in July and is among the athletes that must be watched. Other names to be followed are the 33-year-old Hungarian Tünde Vaszi and Greek Stiliani Pilatou.
Helsinki 2005 media team
