Andrey Silnov of Russia celebrates winning the men's High Jump in Gothenburg (© Getty Images)
The city Yekaterinburg in the Urals was the host of the first important indoor tournament of 2007, "Christmas Starts” on Sunday 7 January, which was the first European Athletics Permit Meeting of the year.
The 7 January is Christmas Day for the Russian Orthodox Church but still a lot of athletes participated in the 16th International Tournament “Memorial of Ylamov” in Yekaterinburg.
The main attractions of this indoor tournament were the High Jumps and the 5000m Race Walking.
Ukhov – 2.30m
It was an excellent line-up that gathered on the High Jump fan to do battle including Sergey Klyugin, the 2000 Olympic champion, Andrey Silnov, the 2006 European title winner, and Andrey Tereshin, the 2006 World Indoor silver medallist. But it was the 20-year-old Ivan Ukhov who turned out to be the winner clearing 2.30m. Silnov jumped 2.24m for second place, while Aleksandr Shustov, Mikhail Tzvetkov, Tereshin were successful at 2.20.
In the women’s event, the European Indoor champion Anna Chicherova and Victorya Klugina (known before as Slivka) both cleared 1.96m. But Klugina won on count-back. The 22-year-old Yekaterina Kuntzevitch was 3rd – 1.92m.
Two Race Walking World champions left behind
It was the 1999 World 20km champion Ilya Markov who invited his friend and opponent Francisco Javier Fernandez of Spain, the European champion, to attend the meeting. The invitation was accepted and the Spanish walker clocked for the 5000m Race Walk in 18:39.58, a new national record. But he only finished third. Markov was 4th (18:56.31) with two ‘unknown’ athletes - Aleksandr Yargunkin (18:30.91) and Ivan Kuznetzov (18:33.95) - their betters on the day.
Age doesn’t mean much for Khabarova
Irina Khabarova is now 40-years-old but clocked 7.24 seconds for victory in the women’s 60m to defeat her constant rival Larisa Kruglova (7.28). Yevgeniya Polyakova who is 17 years younger then the winner was third in 7.30.
Olesya Zykina, 2002 European 400m champion on a comeback was the fastest at 300m in 37.19 seconds. Tatyana Veshkurova was second (37.51). But Veshkurova won the 500m in 1:10.28. Anastasya Ovchinnikova, 22, was second (1:11.10), while Natalya Khruzheleva who is returning to the track after giving birth to a baby was third in 1:11.50.
The women’s 1000m was dominated by Natalya Shipitsyna (2:41.61) and Tatyana Paliyenko (2:41.84). Elena Kanales won the 2000m (5:46.60), leaving behind Natalya Pantelyeva (5:48.13).
In the men’s running programme, Mikhail Yegorychev won the 60m dash (6.72). The 20-year-old Artem Antonov was the runner-up (6.77). The 22-year-old Konstantin Svechkar was the fastest at 300m (34.31), and was followed home by Anton Galkin Samitov (34.35) with the 19-year-old Anton Kokorin, third (34.38).
Mikhail Lipskiy won the 500m (1:02.75) with the experienced Yevgeniy Lebedev in second (1:03.18). Yuriy Koldin won the 1000m in 2:26.64, and Sergey Ivanov was first at 3000m in 8:01.52.
Nobody expected the victory of the 22-year-old Yevgeniy Borisov in the 60m Hurdles in a time of 7.61m which left Russian champion Igor Peremota well defeated in 7.69.
Nickolai Dolgopolov and Rostislav Orlov for the IAAF
