Nadezhsa Ostapchuk of Belarus wins the women's Shot Put (© Getty Images)
Reigning women’s World Shot Put champion Nadezhda Ostapchuk and men’s 2003 World gold medallist Andrey Mikhnevich produced very good results in the Belarussian open indoor championships. The competition was supported by the newspaper "Sportivnaya panorama” and held last weekend (28/29) in a new sports centre called "Alimpiec".
In the women’s Shot competition (29), a high class example was shown early on by the young Natalia Horoneko who pushed her implement out to 19.21m to take the opening lead. But Ostapchuk was not far adrift, with an opening effort just five centimetres behind. However, the youngster improved to 19.25m in the next round which held the gold medal position until the last round when Ostapchuk perfectly, with a technically faultless push, produced a mighty 20.30m, a world indoor season lead. Horoneko could not better that but still responded very well with a release of 19.16m, and so finished second.
“I'm very pleased, that I won and that I made such a good attempt,” confirmed Ostapchuk. “I did not prepare at all for this tournament, and I am still doing very hard training which will continue for another week. And only after that, shall I start to practice my actual throwing movements and sharpen up to be fit for the World Indoor Championship. Probably, before Moscow I shall participate in a tournament in Germany.”
The men’s Shot Put took place a day earlier (28), and Andrey Mikhnevich, produced his best of 20.78m in the third round. However, in the fourth he produced the same distance again, and in total had four 20m efforts.
“I was guided by only one idea: simply to make the first start in a season and to examine the technique of the put,” remarked the winner. “One competition is usually as beneficial for me as doing three good training sessions. I liked the fourth attempt technically the best but it is now necessary to move forward and to go further.”
Elena Nevmerzhitskaja together with Mikhnevich were named the best athletes of the championship. Nevmerzhitskaja became the double winner in the women’s sprints beating Oksana Dragoon in the 60m dash. Nevmerzhitskaja had the better finish of the two, out-dipping her rival 7.29 to 7.30 seconds. She then took the 200m title in overwhelming fashion in 23.29.
Natalia Safronova won the women’s Triple Jump – 14.20m. "I was attempting to adjust to the runway surface (of this new arena) and believe I can reach 14.30m or 14.40m, and in my next few competitions I hope to jump far.”
In the women’s 1500m, Alesya Turova took the lead from the start of the race and was never passed, winning in a national indoor record time of 4:09.51. There was also a national record for the women’s indoor 10km Race Walk by Elena Ginko. Her time was 44:07.43.
Mikhail Dubitski for the IAAF
SELECTED RESULTS
MEN
60m Hurdles
1. Andrey Shalonko – 7.83.
2. Vasily Dmitriev – 8.13.
3. Kyril Zinovenko – 8.26.
10km Race Walk
1. Ivan Trotsky – 40:14.91
2. Sergey Chernov – 40:31.51
3. Nikolay Seredovich – 41:18.07
High Jump
1. Gennady Moroz – 2.24
2. Sergey Kabjak – 2.20
3. Andrey Chubsa – 2.15
Shot Put
1. Andrey Mikhnevich – 20.78
2. Dmitry Goncharuk – 19.77
3. Jury Belov – 19.65
WOMEN
60m
1. Elena Nevmerzhitskaja – 7.29
2. Oksana Dragoon – 7.30
3. Natalia Sologub – 7.46
200m
1. Elena Nevmerzhitskaja – 23.29
2. Natalia Sologub – 24.01
3. Anastasy Shuljak – 24.62
1500m
1. Alesya Turova – 4:09.51
2. Svetlana Klimkovich – 4:19.20
3. Anastasy Starovojtova – 4:19.59
60m Hurdles
1. Eugenys Lihuta – 8.34.
2. Natalia Tsilent – 8.60.
3. Ekaterina Poplavskaja – 8.72.
High Jump
1. Olga Chuprova – 1.93
2. Alesya Gerasimova – 1.83
3. Nadezda Dubovskaya – 1.80
10km Race Walking
1. Elena Ginko – 44:07.43
2. Elena Rusak – 49:22.71
3. Ekaterina Lobashova – 50:21.90
Shot Put
1. Nadezhda Ostapchuk – 20.30
2. Natalia Horoneko – 19.25
3. Tatyana Iljushchenko – 17.88
Triple Jump
1. Natalia Safronova – 14.20
2. Natalia Vjatkina – 13.02
3. Xenia Priemko – 12.78
