News23 Jan 2011


Kuchina foils Slesarenko’s comeback in Volgograd

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Defending champion Yelena Slesarenko gets through to the Olympic final after a third-attempt clearance at 1.93m (© Getty Images)

Volgograd, RussiaEighteenyearold Mariya Kuchina foiled 2004 Olympic High Jump champion Yelena Slesarenko’s comeback at the Governor’s Cup in Volgograd on Saturday (22).

Kuchina, the 2009 World youth runner-up and the gold medallist at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games last summer, cleared 1.90m to defeat Slesarenko, who managed 1.88m in her first competition since February 2010. Slesarenko underwent surgery last year and her recovery has been slower than anticipated.

?Slesarenko, who remains extremely popular in her hometown, received an enthusiastic and warm applause from the crowd gathered at this traditional winter meeting in this western Russian city. The 28-year-old, who also has two World indoor titles to her credit, is aiming to return to form and make the Russian team for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

For Kuchina, who celebrated her 18th birthday nine days ago (14 Jan), her leap was an indoor personal best and just one centimetre shy of her best clearance set last July.

About 150 Russian and foreign athletes gathered for the meeting, which opened with the women’s High Jump and concluded with the men’s contest in the event.

The victory went to reigning Olympic champion Andrei Silnov, himself on the comeback from 2010 injury. It appears that Silnov is on the mend after he cleared 2.30m to win in his first indoor competition of the year. Eduard Malchenko was far back in second, topping out at 2.20m.

Several national-leading marks of the indoor season were registerd. The 21-year-old Alexander Shpaier clocked 6.69 to win the men’s 60m. Svetlana Nabokina won the women’s 60m clocking 7.29, ahead of the former leader of the Russian indoor season, Marya Bolikova, who was the runner-up in 7.32. Julya Katzura was third in 7.37 but doubled back to win the 200m in 23.49 ahead of Elizaveta Savlinis who stopped the clock in 23.55.

The women’s 400m was dominated by Antonina Krivoshapka, the reigning European indoor champion and 2009 bronze medallist outdoors who clocked 52.84. Olga Topilskaya was a distant second in 53.35, just ahead of Kseniya Vdovina (53.38). Denis Alekseev was the fastest in the men’s 400m clocking 47.62.

Other results were also promising. Aleksandra Antonova won the women’s 60m Hurdles in 8.23 leaving behind Anastasiya Solovieva (8.26). Olga Balaeva leaped 6.57m to win the women’s Long Jump while Natalya Kutyakova took the Triple Jump with a 14.04m effort.

Elsewhere, Ilya Efremov won the men’s Long Jump with a 7.66m leap. Murad Ibadullayev, a teenager from Azerbaijan, won the men's Triple Jump with a 16.00m leap. Russian Ivan Gertleyn won the Pole Vault at 5.50m, equaling his career best.

In the men’s Shot Put, Maksim Sidorov reached beyond the 20-metre mark, winning with a 20.12m effort. On the women’s side, Anna Omarova took top honours with an 18.09m toss.

The guest from Belarus Republic Sergei Cheberiak from Belarus won the 1500m in 3:47.31.

Nickolai Dolgopolov and Rostislav Orlov for the IAAF

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