Mariya Savinova (RUS) wins the 2009 European Indoor title in Turin (© Getty Images)
In the Russian capital’s Luzhniki stadium last night (1 July) took place the EA permit meeting the "Moscow Open", which inparticular witnessed one spectacular world season lead on the track.
The Moscow Open is one of a select group of Area meetings at which points can be acquired by athletes to qualify for the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final, to be held on 12-13 September in Thessaloniki, Greece.
In the women’s 800m, the European Indoor champion Mariya Savinova produced the best result of the current world outdoor season with a time for the two laps of 1:57.90. The previous 2009 best was by Ukraine’s Yuliya Krevsun who had run 1:58.62 when winning the European Team Championship two weekends ago in Portugal (20 June). The runner-up in Moscow was 20-year-old Elena Kofanova - 1:58.60 - whose previous best has been 1:59.09.
The men’s 800m went to 2004 Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy in 1:46.90, while the women’s 1500m was taken by another 2009 continental indoor champion, Anna Alminova who ran 4:03.77.
Hungarian Krisztian Pars, the Olympic silver medallist in the Hammer Throw remains unbeaten this season. He took a 79.28m victory over Latvian Igor Sokolovs who fetched 78.23 with his implement. Mohamed Al-Zankawi of Kuwait produced a national record 77.44 for third. 2000 Olympic champion, Poland’s Szymon Ziolkowski who was celebrating his 33rd birthday opened the competition but his best throw of the day was only 74.33 which brought him 6th place.
Polish compatriot Tomasz Majewski, the reigning Olympic champion, produced a 20.48m effort for third place in the Shot Put. Belarus’ 2003 World champion Andrey Mikhnevich, third behind the Pole in Beijing, was the winner with 21.02m, and the Russian Pavel Sorfin was second - 20.80m.
Belarussian Nadezhda Ostapchuk, the 2005 World champion, won the women’s event with 19.98m. Anca Heltne from Romania lagged behind by 80 centimetres.
World champion Tatyana Lebedeva who was making her season debut after an Achilles operation at the end of last year faired very well in the Long Jump in which she had taken silver in Beijing. The Russian 2004 Olympic champion had a best in Moscow of 6.93m (+1.5m/s) but was bettered on the day by World Indoor champion Naide Gomes of Portugal who leapt 6.94 (+1.8m/s) for the victory. Third was Olga Kucherenko who produced a 6.91 personal best (+0.1) and fourth was Irina Meleshina with 6.82 (+0.9m/s). For the married name of Meleshina read ‘Simagina’ the maiden name of the 2004 Olympic silver medallist.
In the men’s High Jump Ivan Ukhov and Jaroslav Rybakov both cleared 2.34m.The reigning European Indoor champion Ukhov taking the first prize by virtue of his first time clearance rather than the latter’s third time success.
Antonina Krivoshapka, the 21-year-old European Indoor champion at 400m opened her outdoor season with a solid 50.24sec run by far the quickest so far by a Russian this season. Lyudmila Litvinova was runner-up in 50.86 with Natalia Nazarova, third 50.95.
In the Triple Jump, Momchil Karailiev from Bulgaria jumped 17.10m, while the Pole Vault was won by Maksim Mazuryk of Ukraine – 5.70m.
In the women’s 200 metres, Yulia Guschina with 22.87 outstripped Anastasiya Kapachinskaya who was second with 22.96. It was a quality sprint with Aleksandra Fedoriva, third in 23.00, Yulia Chermoshanskaya fourth with 23.17 and Yevgeniya Polyakova in 23.39.
Patrick Kipkirui Langat from Kenya won the 3000 metres Steeplechase in 8:21.38.
Roman Smirnov won the men’s dash with a lowly 10.49sec (+0.7) run. 2003 World champion Kim Collins was disqualified for a false start.
Anastasiya Solovyova took the women's 100m Hurdles in 13.02sec.
Nikolay Dolgopolov and Rostislav Orlov for the IAAF
