Vita Palamar (UKR) (© AFP / Getty Images)
Hyderabad, IndiaA galaxy of globally renowned athletes, who descended here for the 4th CISM World Military Games, returned with pleasant memories as the four-day athletics programme of the Games concluded on Thursday (18 Oct).
War or peace, the victory is what matters most. However, for those athletes belonging to the armed forces of over 100 countries, the World Military Games served as a major reunion to shed their rivalry and work towards universal brotherhood. The tactics and logical studies they learnt back at the defence academies hence helped them to win another ‘battle’ on playfields around this historic city.
The major upset of the day came from women’s High Jump arena, where the reigning World Championships silver medallist, Anna Chicherova of Russia failed to defend her title.
Chicherova, a World Youth champion eight years ago at Bydgoszcz, had a flurry of victories to her credit. In Osaka she sailed over a career best height of 2.03m. However today she could not go beyond 1.96m. Ukraine’s Vita Palamar snatched the gold (1.98m) while her compatriot and Athens Olympic bronze medalist, Viktoriya Stoypina ended in third place.
This year’s European Cup champion Anna Omarova set the iron ball out to 17.78m, which was enough for the victory here. At Munich, she registered a personal best 19.69m for the top spot.
Two other European Cup gold medallists, Sylwia Ejdys (Poland) and Yevheniya Snihur (Ukraine), took the titles in the women’s 1500m and 100m Hurdles respectively.
Zhang Li of China, the 2005 World Youth champion, hurled the javelin to a personal best 59.96m to win the event. Her colleague Ji Wei went on to win the men’s 110m Hurdles in 13.44.
Kenyan John Cheruiyet Korir defended his title in the 10,000m with a record time of 28:13.52. His team-mate Mark Kiptoo, the 5000m victor, finished second in 28:22.62 while Bahrain’s Adam Ismail Khamis, who won two creditable bronze medals last year at the World Junior Championships (Beijing) and the Asian Games (Doha) timed 28:42.76 for the bronze.
In yet another upset of the day, Qatar’s new-found sprint champion Samuel Francis got eliminated in 200m as he “jumped the gun”. Samuel led the qualifiers on Wednesday with a 21.06 clocking and expected the win the final with a new meet record. The title went to Marcin Jedrusinski of Poland in 20.70.
Saudi Arabia collected three gold medals today through its half-miler Mohammed Al-Salhi, long jumper Hussein Taher Al-Sabee, and their 4x400m relay quartet.
Hamid Ezzine (Morocco) outclassed the fancied Henry Kipkosgei (Kenya) in the steeplechase.
Italian men’s sprint relay team made it “four-in-a-row” with successive victories in this event in all the four editions of the Games. They stamped their class with a Games record 39.28 to their credit at Hyderabad. Earlier their women’s quartet had won in 44.97 on Wednesday.
Kenya led the medal tally with 5 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze medals, closely followed by Russia (4-8-1) and Poland (4-4-3).
Ram. Murali Krishnan for the IAAF
Results
Men
200m (0.8): 1. Marcin Jedrusinski (Poland) 20.70; 2. Alessandro Cavallaro (Italy) 20.82; 3. Omar Juma Al-Salfa (UAE) 21.10;
800m: 1. Mohammed Al-Salhi (Saudi Arabia) 1:49.02; 2. Abubakar Kaki (Sudan) 1:49.23; 3. Justus Koech (Kenya) 1:49.24;
10,000m: 1. John Cheruiyet Korir (Kenya) 28:13.52 (New Games Record); 2. Mark Kiptoo (Kenya) 28:22.62; 3. Adam Ismail Khamis (Bahrain) 28:42.76;
3000m Steeplechase: Hamid Ezzine (Morocco) 8:37.80; 2. Henry Kipkosgei (Kenya) 8:41.83; 3. Loic Yoann Kowal (France) 8:45.16;
110m Hurdles (0.7): 1. Ji Wei (China) 13.44; 2. Mohammed Al-Thawadi (Qatar) 13.60; 3. Gregory Sedoc (Netherlands) 13.75;
Long Jump: 1. Hussein Taher Al-Sabee (Saudi Arabia) 8.04; 2. Julien Fivaz (Switzerland) 7.57; 3. Volodymyr Zyuskov (Ukraine) 7.55;
4x100m Relay: 1. Italy 39.28 (New Games Record); 2. Poland 39.52; 3. Saudi Arabia 39.73;
4x400m Relay: 1. Saudi Arabia 3:05.10; 2. Kenya 3:06.11; 3. Sudan 3:08.70;
Women
1500m: 1. Sylwia Ejdys (Poland) 4:16.90; 2. Daniela Yordanova (Bulgaria) 4:17.00; 3. Inna Poluskina (Latvia) 4:17.80;
100m Hurdles (1.4): 1. Yevheniya Snihur (Ukraine) 13.23; 2. Cattaneo Micol (Italy) 13.36; 3. Judith Ritz (Germany) 13.65;
High Jump: 1. Vita Palamar (Ukraine) 1.98; 2. Anna Chicherova (Russia) 1.96; 3. Viktoriya Stoypina (Ukraine) 1.94;
Shot Put: 1. Anna Omarova (Russia) 17.78; 2. Yulia Leantsiuk (Belarus) 16.32; 3. Wang Li Hong (China) 15.82;
Javelin Throw: 1. Zhang Li (China) 59.96; 2. Mariya Abakumova (Russia) 59.60; 3. Indre Jakubaityte (Lithuania) 54.93;
4x100m Relay: 1. Italy 44.97; 2. Russia 46.22; 3. Germany 46.49.