News05 Jul 2009


Borzakovskiy beats the cold and rain in Zhukovskiy

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The customary come-from-behind tactics pay off for Yuriy Borzakovskiy in the 800m (© Getty Images)

Heavy rains and unseasonably cool temperatures didn’t dampen Yuriy Borzakovskiy’s homecoming at the 51st edition of the  Brothers Znamenskiy Memorial in Zhukovskiy.

The Znamenskiy Memorial 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.

Third victory in five days for Borza

The meeting, held at the Meteor stadium in this Moscow suburb, the town is known for its high technology scientific institutes – and for its honoured citizen, the 2004 Olympic champion Borzakovskiy, who won his third race in five days.

As Borzakovskiy said, the three meetings - The Moscow Open (1 July), the ExxonMobil Bislett Games in Oslo (03) and today’s competition in Zhukovskiy - were a strong tune-up, imitating the heats, semis and final of the upcoming World championships in Berlin.

It was a case of the most delicious dish being saved for last. The field included Kenyans Reuben Bett and Emmanuel Bullit, and Russians Borzakovskiy, Yuriy Koldin and emerging star Ivan Tukhtachev. After his victory in 1:46.48, Borzakovskiy confirmed that he has already forgotten about his disappointment from the Beijing Olympics where he failed to advance from the semi-finals.  Koldin overtook Bett in the last 10 metres to finish second, 1:47.55 to 1:47.73.

Slip slidin’ away – Savinova survives wet 800m

It was quite an experience for the women runners in the 800m. Three runners slipped, fell and failed to finish the race. But it was a good day for European Indoor champion Mariya Savinova who, considering the conditions, clocked an excellent 1:59.72. She said after the race that only the absence of flippers prevented her from running at full strength. Her compatriots Tatyana Andrianova (2:02.61) and Juliya Rusanova (2:02.63) were well back in second and third.

Despite the wet weather slowing things on a track not considered to be very fast and cool temperatures of just 11 C., there were nonetheless quite a few fans in the stands enjoying the action on the track.

The main prize of the Memorial was at stake in the men’s 3000m. Brothers Georgiy and Serafim Znamenskiy won numerous USSR titles, and were record holders in the long distance events, with the 3000m considered their favorite. Dmitriy Gavrilov won the prize in 8:02.79, holding off Artem Mastrov (8:03.73) and Andrei Safronov (8:04.27).

2004 Olympic champion Natalya Sadova won the women’s Discus Throw with a 62.89m toss, the best result of the Russian outdoor season. She is returning to good form, with five of her efforts flying beyond 60 metres. Olesya Korotkova (60.17m) was second and Vera Karmishina (54.89m) third.

Another Beijing medallist, Javelin Throw runner-up Mariya Abakumova, dominated the sector in her event, winning with a 64.32m throw. She was followed by the Romanian Monica Stoian (59.23m) and Mariya Yakovenko (57.47m).

But Andrei Mikhnevich from Belarus spoiled a Russian sweep of the throws with his 20.61m victory in the men’s Shot Put. Russians Pavel Sofyin was second (19.87m) and Maksim Sidorov (19.87m) third.

Pole Vault stars cautious...

The men’s Pole Vault was to be one of the attractions of the meeting. World indoor champion Igor Pavlov, the progressing Dmitriy Starodubtsev, the former Australian Victor Chistyakov and a current one, Paul Burgess, headlined the star-studded field. But with the weather against them, they vaulted cautiously to avoid injury or mishap. In the end only two of the eight starters cleared the opening bar at 5.37m, thus Maksim Mazuryk  and Pavlov shared first place.

... Pechonkina disappointed

The women’s 400m Hurdles was an anticipated event, with the return of World record holder Yuliya Pechonkina, who hadn’t raced since September 2007 due a long period of illness and injury. In fact, only a few experts predicted that she would take to the track again, but she did. Leading from the start, her rhythm began to unravel before the final few hurdles before she slowed to a halt and failed to finish, on the verge of tears. The victory went to Ukrainian Hanna Titimets who clocked 56.72.

The women’s High Jump was marked by the comeback of 2008 Olympic bronze medal winner Anna Chicherova. The Russian, who underwent surgery over the winter and missed quite a bit of training, cleared 1.91m to take the win on the countback over Irina Gordeeva.

Naide Gomes from Portugal, the favourite in the Long Jump, won with a 6.62m best, ahead of Russian Olga Balayeva who reached 6.34m.

Krivoshapka leads the sprints

The women’s 400m, also very popular in Russia, was among the main attractions as well. Antonina Krivoshapka, the European indoor champion, won in 50.51. Anastasiya Kapachinskaya was runner-up nearly a second in 51.49, with Ukraine’s Natalya Pigida third (51.97). 

Konstantin Svechkar won Men’s 400m with a 46.08 personal best, leaving behind Aleksandr Derevyagin (46.24) and Dmitriy Buryak (46.35). 

The men’s 100m was expected to turn into the duel between former World champion Kim Collins and Russian Andrei Yepishin, who like Borzakovskiy, is from Zhukovskiy. But Yepishin, on the mend from injury, appeared only out of respect to his townsfolk and was far from his best. Collins who won easily and without resistance in 10.27, well ahead of Slovenia’s 2007 World championships finalist Matic Osovnikar (10.54) and Aleksandr Volkov (10.63).

Running against a strong headwind – on top of the rain and chill - Svetlana Nabokina clocked 11.48 to win 100m ahead of Juliya Katsura (11.51). Katsura doubled back to win the 200m in 23.14, an unlikely personal best given the conditions.

Julya Katsura was the one who wasn’t  afraid of cold. After finishing second at 100m she didt it even better at Women’s 200 m – 23.14. The winner admitted that the worse the weather conditions were the better she was feeling. And as a result she set her personal best running in paddles. Yulya Guschina was just a hair behind in 23.16.

Elsewhere, the women’s 100m Hurdles were dominated by Anastasiya Solovyova in 13.06. Likewise the men’s Triple Jump was absolutely dominated by the guest from Bulgaria, Momchil Karailiev who leaped 17.18m.

Nickolai Dolgopolov and Rostislav Orlov for the IAAF
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