Sergey Makarov celebrates winning the javelin throw final (© Getty Images)
This year’s Russian Championships are divided into several parts, a schedule explained by the fact that these championships are the last stage of the Olympic selection process for the national team.
For instance, the marathon runners, the walkers, the 10,000m runners have already contested their national championships.
Now it’s the time of all other athletes from the remaining events to meet in the ancient Russian city of Tula in the Arsenal stadium to contest their titles as the main championships begin tomorrow (Sat 24).
The championships continue on Sunday – mainly throwing events - then take a couple of rest days before recommencing next Wednesday for a further five days of competition.
It is rather doubtful that the athletes will be on their top form, preferring to keep their very best for the Olympics in just a few weeks time. However, there are some disciplines especially in women’s programme where the rivalry is tremendous. In some events up to nine athletes have the qualification standard and are battling for just three team places for Athens.
Hammer
The women hammer throwers open the championship. Olga Kuzenkova, Goulfiya Khanafeeva, Tatyana Lisenko and Elena Konevtseva are in the top-twenty of the season’s world list. So it’s difficult even to guess who’ll get the medals and the right to fly to Athens.
In the men’s event, Ilya Konovalov and Aleksei Zagorniy are in the top twenty of the season world list but at the national championship they may have more rivals who’ll be eager (and capable) to beat them both.
Shot Put
Irina Korzhanenko and Svetlana Kriveleva top the 2004 world list leaving all other Olympic gold medal contenders far behind. Olga Ryabinkina is 8th on the world list. And their results are expected to be rather promising even on the eve of an Olympics.
The men’s Shot Put features two main opponents - Pavel Chumachenko and Ivan Youshkov - who are from the distant Siberian city of Irkutsk and have the same coach, Mr.Brazhnik.
Javelin
In the men’s Javelin, all Russian hopes are connected with Sergey Makarov and Aleksandr Ivanov. Realistically, their throwing this season has already provided them with their tickets to Athens. Ivanov is the world leader of the season, while Makarov is the World champion but he has not made any showing in major track competitions this year. In Tula they will decide who’ll be Russia’s main Olympic hope in the Javelin.
Unfortunately, because of the illness to Tatyana Shikolenko, Russia has lost one of its main medal hopes for the women’s Javelin, and there is nobody who can replace Tatyana.
5000m
Frankly speaking there are no outstanding 5000m runners in the Russian men’s team. After the Olympic golden medals of the unforgettable Vladimir Kuts and Petr Bolotnikov in the 1950’s and 60s, there have been no major Russian victories. But still the silver medal winner of the European Cup, Sergey Ivanov, has the chance – a last minute one – to get the Olympic qualification.
As far as the women are concerned, the rivalry here is expected to be tremendous. The 2001 World champion Olga Yegorova, the winner of numerous international tournaments Yelena Zadorozhnaya, the new World record holder in 3000m steeple Gulnara Samitova, are all firm favourites.
They occupy the 2nd, the 3rd and the 6th places at 1500m in the world this summer but are yet untried at 5000m this year. But there is also Lyliaya Shoboukhova (Volkova) who was 2nd at the European Cup. And there are so many young talents with no experience but great endurance talent, that someone unknown could appear from the wings to spring a surprise.
So the first ‘two-day’ part of the national Olympic trials will be worth watching.
Nickolai Dolgopolov and Rostislav Orlov for the IAAF
