Yelena Isinbayeva attempts a world record, having won the pole vault with 4.80m (© Getty Images)
From a formidable cast that will gather at Sunday’s 19th Russian Winter meeting in Moscow, one name looms particularly large: that of Yelena Isinbayeva, who will be making not only her season debut, but her first appearance at this competition as well.
The Russian Winter meeting is the fourth of nine IAAF Indoor Permit meetings of 2010.
Not surprisingly, the appearance of Isinbayeva, who has amassed 27 World records in the Pole Vault thus far in her career, has attracted quite a bit of attention in the Russian capital.
“For me it's quite an experience,” Isinbayeva said. “First of all this will be my first indoor competition of the season and I've never taken part in the “Russian Winter” competition. And secondly, because I have not been taking part in competitions in my homeland for such a long time, I'm really looking forward to seeing the lovely Russian public. I've been doing my utmost to be well prepared for the competition. And I do hope that I won't disappoint my fans.”
Athletes competing at Moscow’s Indoor Central Army Club hall will compete in 14 events, evenly divided between men and women.
Krivoshapka the local 400m favourite
Antonina Krivoshapka, bronze medal winner in the 400m and 4x400m at the World championships last summer, is the favourite in the 400m. Her first notable appearance took place only a year ago at this same competition when she unexpectedly turned out to be the winner at 300m. And soon after, Krivoshapka won two gold medals at the European Indoor Championships, taking the 400m and 4x400m Relay. Julya Guschina, an Olympic 4x100m Relay gold medallist, will also be running for the win. She wasn't that lucky last season and will try to prove that her down period is over. Others in the hunt include American Debbie Dunn, a 2009 World finalist, as well as Russian Darya Safonova, Yelena Voinova, another 2009 European indoor relay gold medallist, and another multiple 4x400m relay medallist, Tatyana Firova.
The women's 60m is really an attraction due to the participation of the event’s reigning World indoor champion Angela Williams from the USA. Her main opponents are European indoor champion and Olympic 4x100m Relay gold medallist Yevgeniya Polyakova, the current leader of the Russian indoor season Julya Katzura, and Briton Joice Maduaka.
The 200m is also of interest for Russian participants will try to aiming for the meeting record of 22.93 set in 1995 by Natalya Voronova.
Jepkosgei takes on the Russian juggernaut in the 800m
2008 Olympic silver medallist Janeth Jepkosgei from Kenya is surely one of the principal contenders at 800m. She'll be rivaled by European indoor champion Marya Savinova, along with Ukrainian Tatyana Petlyuk, the reigning World and European indoor silver medallist. 2005 World bronze medallist Tatyana Andrianova is also in the field.
Jones targeting 17-year-old 60m Hurdles meet record
One of the oldest meeting records belongs to Eva Sokolova in 60m hurdles, a 7.92 performance set in 1993. – 7.92. Naturally World indoor champion Lolo Jones from the USA, who clocked 7.85 in Dusseldorf on Wednesday, will be gunning to improve it. Russian hurdlers looking to rise to the occasion include Alexandra Fedoriva, another Olympic 4x100m gold medallist, Yekaterina Shtepa, Tatyana Dektiareva and Alexandra Antonova. Olga Samykova, currently the fastest in Russia, will also stat.
Strong field to take on Isinbayeva
But back to the Pole Vault sector. Isinbayeva will be challenged by former World record holder and twice Olympic medallist Svetlana Feofanova, who I on the mend from an injury last year; European Indoor champion Juliya Golubchikova; 2009 World silver medallist Monica Pyrek of Poland; Germany’s Elizaveta Ryzshikh; and another Russian, Aleksandra Kiriashova.
After her Moscow appearance, Isinbayeva will also compete in the Pole Vault Stars meeting in Donetsk, Ukraine, and at the World Indoor Championships in Doha.
The women’s Long Jump field also boasts a solid field, with all three medal winners from last year’s European indoor championships in the mix - the champion Kseniya Balta from Estonia, and Russians Yelena Sokolova and Olga Kucherenko. They'll be joined by Irina (Simagina) Mileshina, European junior champion Darya Klishina, the continental U-20 silver medallist Ivana Spanovic from Serbia, as well as Americans Briana Glenn and Fumni Jimoh. Tatyana Lebedeva won’t be competing, but she’ll be present as an Honaray Guest.
Two outstanding Russian athletes, the 400m Hurdles World record holder Yulya Pechonkina, and 2000 Olympic champion Irina Privalova won't be competing, but they will be present to say their final farewell at a special ceremony after hosting classes for kids on Saturday (6).
Borza vs Bungei over 600m the event to watch on the men’s programme
On the men’s side of the programme, the 600m may be considered the main attraction of afternoon, and may challenge in a sense the Women's Pole Vault, with two Olympic champions gunning for the victory.
Yuriy Borzakovskiy, the 2004 Olympic 800m champion, is adored by the Moscow public. He will face the reigning Olympic champion, Kenyan Wilfred Bungei. And who knows? Maybe the duel will be so tough that the World best of 1:15.12 will be challenged.
The pair will face 2005 European indoor champion Dmitriy Bogdanov (RUS), Ismail Ahmed Ismail from Sudan, Latvian Dmitrijs Milkevics, Bilal Mansour Ali of Bahrain. And there will be one more opponent who is surely more well known as a 400m runner: Maxim Dyldin will try his luck at 600m as well.
But “Borza” is the one most people would like to bet on. Borzakovskiy is the meeting record holder with five victories here over the years!
In return, Silnov takes on Ukhov
The men's High Jump is extremely popular in Russia due to the excellent school of top class practitioners. We'll watch closely and with great hope the comeback of 2008 Olympic champion Andrey Silnov who was out last year due to injury. Ivan Ukhov, who has the world's season best, is eager to prove that all his troubles are behind him. Their compatriots Andrei Tereshin and Alexander Shustov, who was the winner of the last Moscow Cup Jumps with music, will also have their say. And don't forget about another champion who is making his comeback. Jaques Freitag from South Africa won his world title in 2003 and is eager to prove that he is still capable of winning at the highest level.
And finally some words about men's Long Jump. While not as loaded as the women’s field, it'll nonetheless be quite a pleasure to watch former World Triple Jump champion Walter Davis of the USA, Russian European U-23 champion Alexander Menkov, and the European U-23 silver medallist Pavel Korovaev, as well as the guest from distant Botswana Gable Garenamotse.
Elsewhere, Nigeria’s reigning World indoor champion leads the field in the 60m, and will face American Mark Jelks and Dariusz Kuc from Poland. In the 400m, the anticipated duel is between former US champion Greg Nixon and Ramon Miller of the Bahamas. The 60m Hurdles features a unpredictable duel between Evgeniy Borisov and Stanislavs Olijars of Latvia. Kenyan Jonas Cheruiyot is the favourite in the 3000m.
Nickolai Dolgopolov and Rostislav Orlov fro the IAAF
The Russian Winter meeting is the fourth of nine IAAF Indoor Permit meetings of 2010.
Not surprisingly, the appearance of Isinbayeva, who has amassed 27 World records in the Pole Vault thus far in her career, has attracted quite a bit of attention in the Russian capital.
“For me it's quite an experience,” Isinbayeva said. “First of all this will be my first indoor competition of the season and I've never taken part in the “Russian Winter” competition. And secondly, because I have not been taking part in competitions in my homeland for such a long time, I'm really looking forward to seeing the lovely Russian public. I've been doing my utmost to be well prepared for the competition. And I do hope that I won't disappoint my fans.”
Athletes competing at Moscow’s Indoor Central Army Club hall will compete in 14 events, evenly divided between men and women.
Krivoshapka the local 400m favourite
Antonina Krivoshapka, bronze medal winner in the 400m and 4x400m at the World championships last summer, is the favourite in the 400m. Her first notable appearance took place only a year ago at this same competition when she unexpectedly turned out to be the winner at 300m. And soon after, Krivoshapka won two gold medals at the European Indoor Championships, taking the 400m and 4x400m Relay. Julya Guschina, an Olympic 4x100m Relay gold medallist, will also be running for the win. She wasn't that lucky last season and will try to prove that her down period is over. Others in the hunt include American Debbie Dunn, a 2009 World finalist, as well as Russian Darya Safonova, Yelena Voinova, another 2009 European indoor relay gold medallist, and another multiple 4x400m relay medallist, Tatyana Firova.
The women's 60m is really an attraction due to the participation of the event’s reigning World indoor champion Angela Williams from the USA. Her main opponents are European indoor champion and Olympic 4x100m Relay gold medallist Yevgeniya Polyakova, the current leader of the Russian indoor season Julya Katzura, and Briton Joice Maduaka.
The 200m is also of interest for Russian participants will try to aiming for the meeting record of 22.93 set in 1995 by Natalya Voronova.
Jepkosgei takes on the Russian juggernaut in the 800m
2008 Olympic silver medallist Janeth Jepkosgei from Kenya is surely one of the principal contenders at 800m. She'll be rivaled by European indoor champion Marya Savinova, along with Ukrainian Tatyana Petlyuk, the reigning World and European indoor silver medallist. 2005 World bronze medallist Tatyana Andrianova is also in the field.
Jones targeting 17-year-old 60m Hurdles meet record
One of the oldest meeting records belongs to Eva Sokolova in 60m hurdles, a 7.92 performance set in 1993. – 7.92. Naturally World indoor champion Lolo Jones from the USA, who clocked 7.85 in Dusseldorf on Wednesday, will be gunning to improve it. Russian hurdlers looking to rise to the occasion include Alexandra Fedoriva, another Olympic 4x100m gold medallist, Yekaterina Shtepa, Tatyana Dektiareva and Alexandra Antonova. Olga Samykova, currently the fastest in Russia, will also stat.
Strong field to take on Isinbayeva
But back to the Pole Vault sector. Isinbayeva will be challenged by former World record holder and twice Olympic medallist Svetlana Feofanova, who I on the mend from an injury last year; European Indoor champion Juliya Golubchikova; 2009 World silver medallist Monica Pyrek of Poland; Germany’s Elizaveta Ryzshikh; and another Russian, Aleksandra Kiriashova.
After her Moscow appearance, Isinbayeva will also compete in the Pole Vault Stars meeting in Donetsk, Ukraine, and at the World Indoor Championships in Doha.
The women’s Long Jump field also boasts a solid field, with all three medal winners from last year’s European indoor championships in the mix - the champion Kseniya Balta from Estonia, and Russians Yelena Sokolova and Olga Kucherenko. They'll be joined by Irina (Simagina) Mileshina, European junior champion Darya Klishina, the continental U-20 silver medallist Ivana Spanovic from Serbia, as well as Americans Briana Glenn and Fumni Jimoh. Tatyana Lebedeva won’t be competing, but she’ll be present as an Honaray Guest.
Two outstanding Russian athletes, the 400m Hurdles World record holder Yulya Pechonkina, and 2000 Olympic champion Irina Privalova won't be competing, but they will be present to say their final farewell at a special ceremony after hosting classes for kids on Saturday (6).
Borza vs Bungei over 600m the event to watch on the men’s programme
On the men’s side of the programme, the 600m may be considered the main attraction of afternoon, and may challenge in a sense the Women's Pole Vault, with two Olympic champions gunning for the victory.
Yuriy Borzakovskiy, the 2004 Olympic 800m champion, is adored by the Moscow public. He will face the reigning Olympic champion, Kenyan Wilfred Bungei. And who knows? Maybe the duel will be so tough that the World best of 1:15.12 will be challenged.
The pair will face 2005 European indoor champion Dmitriy Bogdanov (RUS), Ismail Ahmed Ismail from Sudan, Latvian Dmitrijs Milkevics, Bilal Mansour Ali of Bahrain. And there will be one more opponent who is surely more well known as a 400m runner: Maxim Dyldin will try his luck at 600m as well.
But “Borza” is the one most people would like to bet on. Borzakovskiy is the meeting record holder with five victories here over the years!
In return, Silnov takes on Ukhov
The men's High Jump is extremely popular in Russia due to the excellent school of top class practitioners. We'll watch closely and with great hope the comeback of 2008 Olympic champion Andrey Silnov who was out last year due to injury. Ivan Ukhov, who has the world's season best, is eager to prove that all his troubles are behind him. Their compatriots Andrei Tereshin and Alexander Shustov, who was the winner of the last Moscow Cup Jumps with music, will also have their say. And don't forget about another champion who is making his comeback. Jaques Freitag from South Africa won his world title in 2003 and is eager to prove that he is still capable of winning at the highest level.
And finally some words about men's Long Jump. While not as loaded as the women’s field, it'll nonetheless be quite a pleasure to watch former World Triple Jump champion Walter Davis of the USA, Russian European U-23 champion Alexander Menkov, and the European U-23 silver medallist Pavel Korovaev, as well as the guest from distant Botswana Gable Garenamotse.
Elsewhere, Nigeria’s reigning World indoor champion leads the field in the 60m, and will face American Mark Jelks and Dariusz Kuc from Poland. In the 400m, the anticipated duel is between former US champion Greg Nixon and Ramon Miller of the Bahamas. The 60m Hurdles features a unpredictable duel between Evgeniy Borisov and Stanislavs Olijars of Latvia. Kenyan Jonas Cheruiyot is the favourite in the 3000m.
Nickolai Dolgopolov and Rostislav Orlov fro the IAAF
