European Cup, Women - Russia win as expected - Radcliffe runs 14:29.11

The Russian women ran away with the women's team crown at the 25th edition of the SPAR European Cup competition which concluded today. Ed Gordon reports -

Russia romps home

There was no way to stop the Russian women's juggernaut as they amassed 142 points in taking their eighth team crown.  Far behind them was a relatively close battle for second, won by Ukraine (97) over France (92.5) and Germany (92).

Moving out of the elite division for the first time ever will be the women’s team from Great Britain as a result of their eighth-place finish.  Additionally, the seventh-place Spanish women will compete in the First League in 2005. 

With the Russian women romping to an easy team win, it was important that luminaries such as Britain’s Paula Radcliffe and Yelena Slesarenko of Russia were present to add spice to the women’s proceedings.

Radcliffe - 14:29.11 - third fastest 5000m ever

In the run-up to the start of the cup competition, Radcliffe had declared her goal to be an improvement of her own personal best in the women’s 5000 metres, which at 14:31.42 was already superior to yesterday’s winning time in the men’s version of the event.

The European 10,000 champion had not seen track action in almost two years, but it was obvious she forgot very little during her time away.  Taking the lead right at the gun, Radcliffe found the season 3000 leader, Liliya Shobukhova of Russia, dogging her every step. The pair separated themselves from the rest of the field immediately, and Shobukhova continued to cling to Radcliffe’s shoulder through the end of the second kilometre. 

After that, the Briton sped away, continuing for several laps at her initial pace which would have threatened the recent World record by Elvan Abeylegesse at the Bislett Games (14:24.68).  The pace slackened somewhat during the third kilometre, making a World record, which was never in Radcliffe’s stated plans, no longer an issue.  Clicking off the final lap in 68.3, Radcliffe ended up with 14:29.11, the third-fastest performance of all-time and a Commonwealth record.  Shobukhova meanwhile was left to finish second, almost by default, registering a PB14:52.19, with Germany’s Sabrina Mockenhaupt in third at 15:23.50. 

2.04 High Jump season’s lead

Although Slesarenko was the heavy favourite in the women’s High Jump, it was assumed that she would have more competition than materialised today.  The World Indoor champion found herself a declared winner at 1.95, and after that she continued her mistake-free series with first-jump clearances of 2.00, 2.02 and 2.04, the last two standing as season leaders.  Three failures at 2.06 were her only misses of the day. 

Finishing behind Slesarenko were Ukraine’s Iryna Mykhalchenko and Ariane Friedrich of Germany with 1.92. 

Impressive Hurtis

Muriel Hurtis ran impressively from lane two in the women’s 200 metres, somehow figuring out how to defeat the laws of physics and hold a lead after the curve.  The reigning European champion did have to use all of her reserve power during her 22.78 win, as Russia’s Natalya Antyukh was bearing down at the end and finished second with 22.83.  Anzhela Kravchenko of Ukraine, running to Hurtis’ immediate outside, was third in 23.10. 

Although the women’s 1500 metres was highly tactical, with the field staying bunched through most of the first three laps, the pace was still quick, as evidenced by the 4:08.05 winning time of Iris Fuentes-Pila.  The Spanish runner moved far to the outside on the final straight to overtake Maria Martins of France (4:08.12) who had spent much of the race in the lead.  Yuliya Kosenova of Russia appeared to be in position to also make a strong move at the end, but she appeared surprisingly ineffective despite being close to the lead pair in 4:08.59 for third. 

Another French runner who did not let the lead get away was Elodie Olivares.  She kept Russia’s Lyubov Ivanova well under control during her win in the Women’s Steeplechase, 9:41.81 to 9:44.95. 

In the women’s 100 Hurdles, Olena Krasovska was one of the quickest away at the gun, and she did not lose anything on the way to a season-best 12.78, despite the handicap of a 1.0 headwind.  Irina Shevchenko of Russia took second with 12.91 ahead of European champion Glory Alozie of Spain (12.91) and fast-improving Greek hurdler Flora Redoumi (12.99).  Noticeably off her usual high standard was Linda Ferga-Khodadin of France, who finished only sixth in 13.06.

Simagina out on her own

As expected, Irina Simagina had no real challenger in the women’s Long Jump as her second-round 6.91 was the easy winner over the PB 6.68 of Britain’s Kelly Sotherton.  Yiannoula Kafetzi of Greece took third with 6.56.

71.91 Hammer win for Sekachova

With world-leading marks in her two most recent appearances this year in the women’s Hammer, Iryna Sekachova (UKR) was almost expected to dominate the talent-laden event, which she won with 71.91.  European champion Olga Kuzenkova of Russia had a season-best 70.89 for second, well ahead of the 70.05 of Germany’s Betty Heidler and the 69.68 of Sydney champion Kamila Skolimowska of Poland. 

With four athletes clustered together in the women’s Shot Put, Olga Rybinkina of Russia used a second-round 18.92 to spring ahead of the remaining three and register a win.  Kalliopi Ouzouni of Greece (18.45), two-time world silver medallist Nadine Kleinert of Germany (18.44), and former European Cup champion Krystyna Zabawska of Poland (18.42) were tightly packed for the next three places. 

Running the 4x400 relay with less than its best runners, Russia may have been celebrating its team victory early.  As 400 champion Olga Kotlyarova watched from the tribune, her teammates were challenged at various points by Greek and British runners.  Final runner Tatyana Levina barely held on with a 50.81 for a 3:26.04 win against the pressure of Nataliya Pygyda running for Ukraine (3:26.28) and Fani Halkia’s eye-popping 49.75 finish for the Greek team (3:26.33). 

Ed Gordon for the IAAF


FINAL Team Standings click here


For FULL RESULTS from EUROPEAN CUP,  Bydgoszcz, Poland click here

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European Cup First League, Group A, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Full Results click here

Women

1   ROM 130 Promoted      
2   BUL 122         
3   BLR 104        
4   CZE 94       
5   SWE 90         
6   BEL 81         
7   EST 48  Relegated       
8   LAT 45 Relegated

European Cup First League, Group B, Istanbul, Turkey

Full Results click here 
  
Women
 
1 ITA 126.5 Promoted
2 FIN 104
3 HUN 101
4 POR 88
5 NED 82
6 SLO 79
7 SUI 77 Relegated
8 TUR 62.5 Relegated