Olga Rypakova in Beijing (© Getty Images)
Leonid Andreyev's victory in the Pole Vault was the key highlight on the third and final day of athletics competition at the 3rd Asian Indoor Games in Hanoi on Monday (2).
The 26-year-old from Uzbekistan, who took World junior gold in the Decathlon in 2002, equalled his indoor PB of 5.60m to win event over China's Yang Yansheng. Yang, himself a prodigy who took World Youth gold in 2005 and and World Junior silver the following year, topped out at 5.40m before bowing out at a would-be indoor PB of 5.60m. For Andreyev, who didn't move beyod qualifying at last year's Olympic Games and this year's World championships, his clearance was the fourth best of his career.
The leading marks on the track were delivered by Sajad Moradi of Iran, the reigning World University Games champion in the 800m, and Kamal Ali Thamer of Qatar, who won the 1500m. Moradi won by nearly half a second in 1:48.48 while Thamer won his event in 3:42.36, more than a second clear of Bahraini Alemu Bekele Gebre who clocked 3:43.66. Both set new meet marks in the process. Records fall in nearly every event on the final day, except in the women’s 3000m and 4x400m Relay.
Several defending champions couldn't manage successful defences. Two of them, India’s P.J. Vinod in the Heptathlon and China’s Chen Yaling in the women’s Long Jump, finished outside the podium with a fourth place showing in their respective events. Vinod lost his rhythm from the start and the event saw even the Asian record holder Dmitriy Karpov of Kazakhstan, a two-time World bronze medallist in the Decathlon, finish second behind Saudi Arabian Mohammed Al-Qaree who tallied 5791.
Olga Rypakova of Kazakhstan, who won the Triple Jump on Sunday, added another victory with her winning 6.58m leap in the Long Jump. Yuliya Tarasova of Uzbekistan was second, reaching 6.45. India’s M.A. Prajusha and Chen each reached 6.27m, with the bronze going to Prajusha on countback.
In the women’s High Jump, defending champion Noengruthai Chaipech of Thailand and Nadiya Dusanova of Uzbekistan both cleared 1.93m, with Dusanova taking the gold on countback as well.
Kazakh Natalya Ivoninskaya lost her crown in 60m Hurdles, finishing a well-beaten second to Wallapa Punsoongneun of Thailand who clocked 8.28.
Ram. Murali Krishnan and Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
Leading Results:
MEN:
800m:
1. Sajad Moradi IRI 1:48.48; 2. Mohammad Al-Azemi KUW 1:48.93; 3. Adnan Taes IRQ 1:49.59;
1500m:
1. Kamal Ali Thamer QAT 3:42.36; 2. Alemu Bekele Gebre BRN 3:43.66; 3. Kamal Ali Abubaker QAT 3:44.07;
Pole Vault:
1. Leonid Andreyev UZB 5.60; 2. Yang Yansheng CHN 5.40; 3. Kreeta Sintawacheewa THA 5.10;
Triple Jump:
1. Roman Valiyev KAZ 16.60; 2. Yevgeniy Ektov KAZ 16.44; 3. Theerayut Philakong THA 16.05;
Shot Put:
1. Amin Abrahim Paul Nikfar IRI 19.66; 2. Ming-Huang Chang TPE 19.55; 3. Sultan Al-Habshi 19.39;
Heptathlon:
1. Mohammed Al-Qaree KSA 5791; 2. Dmitriy Karpov KAZ 5691; 3. Vu Van Huyen VE 5622;
4 x 400m Relay:
1. Saudi Arabia 3:10.31; 2. Thailand 3:11.07; 3. United Arab Emirates 3:11.40;
WOMEN:
800m:
1. Margarita Matsko KAZ 2:03.06; 2. Truong Thanh Hang VIE 2:03.65; 3. Viktoriya Yalovtseva KAZ 2:03.74;
3000m:
1. Tejitu Daba Chalchissa BRN 9:32.65; 2. Bui Thi Hien VIE 9:37.19; 3. Gladys Jerotich Kibiwot BRN 9:42.64;
60m Hurdles:
1. Wallapa Punsoongneun THA 8.28; 2. Natalya Ivoninskaya KAZ 8.38; 3. Anastassiya Soprunova KAZ 8.39;
High Jump:
1. Nadiya Dusanova UZB 1.93; 2. Noengruthai Chaipech THA 1.93; 3. Wanida Boonwan THA 1.91;
Long Jump:
1. Olga Rypakova KAZ 6.58; 2. Yuliya Tarasova UZB 6.45; 3. M.A. Prajusha IND 6.27;
4 x 400m Relay:
1. Kazakhstan 3:39.21; 2. India 3:41.23; 3. Thailand 3:41.37
Click here for full results
The 26-year-old from Uzbekistan, who took World junior gold in the Decathlon in 2002, equalled his indoor PB of 5.60m to win event over China's Yang Yansheng. Yang, himself a prodigy who took World Youth gold in 2005 and and World Junior silver the following year, topped out at 5.40m before bowing out at a would-be indoor PB of 5.60m. For Andreyev, who didn't move beyod qualifying at last year's Olympic Games and this year's World championships, his clearance was the fourth best of his career.
The leading marks on the track were delivered by Sajad Moradi of Iran, the reigning World University Games champion in the 800m, and Kamal Ali Thamer of Qatar, who won the 1500m. Moradi won by nearly half a second in 1:48.48 while Thamer won his event in 3:42.36, more than a second clear of Bahraini Alemu Bekele Gebre who clocked 3:43.66. Both set new meet marks in the process. Records fall in nearly every event on the final day, except in the women’s 3000m and 4x400m Relay.
Several defending champions couldn't manage successful defences. Two of them, India’s P.J. Vinod in the Heptathlon and China’s Chen Yaling in the women’s Long Jump, finished outside the podium with a fourth place showing in their respective events. Vinod lost his rhythm from the start and the event saw even the Asian record holder Dmitriy Karpov of Kazakhstan, a two-time World bronze medallist in the Decathlon, finish second behind Saudi Arabian Mohammed Al-Qaree who tallied 5791.
Olga Rypakova of Kazakhstan, who won the Triple Jump on Sunday, added another victory with her winning 6.58m leap in the Long Jump. Yuliya Tarasova of Uzbekistan was second, reaching 6.45. India’s M.A. Prajusha and Chen each reached 6.27m, with the bronze going to Prajusha on countback.
In the women’s High Jump, defending champion Noengruthai Chaipech of Thailand and Nadiya Dusanova of Uzbekistan both cleared 1.93m, with Dusanova taking the gold on countback as well.
Kazakh Natalya Ivoninskaya lost her crown in 60m Hurdles, finishing a well-beaten second to Wallapa Punsoongneun of Thailand who clocked 8.28.
Ram. Murali Krishnan and Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
Leading Results:
MEN:
800m:
1. Sajad Moradi IRI 1:48.48; 2. Mohammad Al-Azemi KUW 1:48.93; 3. Adnan Taes IRQ 1:49.59;
1500m:
1. Kamal Ali Thamer QAT 3:42.36; 2. Alemu Bekele Gebre BRN 3:43.66; 3. Kamal Ali Abubaker QAT 3:44.07;
Pole Vault:
1. Leonid Andreyev UZB 5.60; 2. Yang Yansheng CHN 5.40; 3. Kreeta Sintawacheewa THA 5.10;
Triple Jump:
1. Roman Valiyev KAZ 16.60; 2. Yevgeniy Ektov KAZ 16.44; 3. Theerayut Philakong THA 16.05;
Shot Put:
1. Amin Abrahim Paul Nikfar IRI 19.66; 2. Ming-Huang Chang TPE 19.55; 3. Sultan Al-Habshi 19.39;
Heptathlon:
1. Mohammed Al-Qaree KSA 5791; 2. Dmitriy Karpov KAZ 5691; 3. Vu Van Huyen VE 5622;
4 x 400m Relay:
1. Saudi Arabia 3:10.31; 2. Thailand 3:11.07; 3. United Arab Emirates 3:11.40;
WOMEN:
800m:
1. Margarita Matsko KAZ 2:03.06; 2. Truong Thanh Hang VIE 2:03.65; 3. Viktoriya Yalovtseva KAZ 2:03.74;
3000m:
1. Tejitu Daba Chalchissa BRN 9:32.65; 2. Bui Thi Hien VIE 9:37.19; 3. Gladys Jerotich Kibiwot BRN 9:42.64;
60m Hurdles:
1. Wallapa Punsoongneun THA 8.28; 2. Natalya Ivoninskaya KAZ 8.38; 3. Anastassiya Soprunova KAZ 8.39;
High Jump:
1. Nadiya Dusanova UZB 1.93; 2. Noengruthai Chaipech THA 1.93; 3. Wanida Boonwan THA 1.91;
Long Jump:
1. Olga Rypakova KAZ 6.58; 2. Yuliya Tarasova UZB 6.45; 3. M.A. Prajusha IND 6.27;
4 x 400m Relay:
1. Kazakhstan 3:39.21; 2. India 3:41.23; 3. Thailand 3:41.37
Click here for full results
