Sultan Mubarak Al-Hebshi gives thanks after winning the Shot at the Asian Games (© Getty Images)
The Ukrainian Championships were held in Donetsk at the Olympiyskiy Sports Complex from the 3 to 8 July, under the banner of the ‘All-Ukrainian Summer Games’.
While there were no standout performances the level of competition particularly in the jumps and throws was of top international level.
The championships were being used as one of the main selection point for the national team which will travel to the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Osaka, Japan (25 Aug – 2 Sep).
Aside the performances of Ukrainian athletes there was an Asian Shot Put record for Saudi Al-Hebshi.
Palamar too good for rivals
In the women’s High Jump, Vita Palamar jumped 1.95m on her first attempt, then stopped her competition there because her experienced rivals Viktoriya Styopina and Iryna Kovalenko had managed a best of only 1.92. Styopina took that bar on her first jump, and Kovalenco needed two attempts, and then both were unsuccessful at 1.95m.
Palamar said she could jump higher, but decided to save her power for another occasion. In Oslo (15 June) at the start of the IAAF Golden League she was the third with 1.96.
Asian Games winner beats Athens champion
In the men's Shot Put, Athens Olympic gold medallist Yuriy Bilonoh came second with 20.20m, beaten by Sultan Mubarak Al-Hebshi from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The 22-year-old Asian Games champion won with a release of 20.61m which is an Asian record. The previous best was 20.54m set in 2005 by Kuwaiti Khalid Habash Al-Suwaidi.
Bilonoh also took part in the Discus Throw where he was third with 60.10m. The winner was Stanislav Nesterovskiy 61.84, who was ahead of another Saudi, Sultan Al Daudi with 61.54m.
In the homeland of the legendary Sergey Bubka the pole vaulters from Donetsk, Natalia Kusch 4.35m and Denys Yurchenko 5.65m won their respective competitions.
The men’s Long Jump was highlighted by 2002 European champion Olexiy Lukashevych's 8.02m leap, while the women’s division was taken by Viktoriya Rybalko with 6.76m. The competition was close with Olexandra Stadnuk (Shishliuk) second by only 2cm and third place secured by Oxana Zubkovskaya (6.67).
The women’s and men’s Triple Jumps were won by Olha Saladuha (14.41) and Mykola Savolaynen (17.02) respectively.
In the women’s Discus Throw, Katerina Karsak reached 64.02m on her last attempt, and she hopes to increase this result soon in Debrecen during U-23 European Championship. The Hammer Throw was won by Nataliya Zolotuhina with 69.24m, while the men’s title was secured by Evgen Vinogradov’s 76.51m effort.
The women’s 800m brought a brilliant effort from Julia Krevsun in 1:59.60, while in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase Natalya Tobias was first with 9:49.42.
Evgenia Snigur, the recent winner of the European Cup title, took the women’s 100m Hurdles in 13.00 seconds. Snigur finished ahead of Athens Olympic silver medallist Olena Krasovska - 13.26.
In the men’s 1500m, the World Indoor champion Ivan Heshko, finished with a solo run of 3:41.19.
Dmitro Gluschenko took the men’s 100m in 10.39. Valery Borzov, double Olympic champion in 1972, currently President of the Ukrainian Federation, of course ran much quicker 40 years ago. Irina Shtangeeva was the victor in the women’s 100m with 11.50, also incomparable with the best times of another great Ukrainian, Zhanna Pintusevich-Block, the former World champion.
In the overall team competition, the home team of the Donetsk region was the first, ahead of Kiev capital city team and the Odessa region team was third. In all athletes represented 27 teams from regions and cities of Ukraine took part.
Serghei Donets for the IAAF
