Natalya Nazarova of Russia dominates the 400m semi-final (© Getty Images)
Moscow, RussiaThe third and final day of the Russian Indoor Championships were of course topped by the women’s World 1500m record* of Yelena Soboleva, though her performance was by no means the only highlight of the competition on Saturday in the Vladimir Kuts Sports Hall, as Olga Kotlyarova and Natalya Nazarova admirably demonstrated.
Click here for the FULL STORY of Yelena Soboleva’s World Record
Kotlyarova shows preference for 800m with 1:57.51
At the end of January in Glasgow, Scotland, Olga Kotlyarova was a member of the Russian squad that improved* the World Indoor record for 4x400m, and the 29-year-old also has several major relay medals to her credit including the 1999 World Champs title. However, it is clear after today’s run that the 800m is now her most cherished distance. Kotlyarova won the race with a world season’s best of 1:57.51 which registered her as the eighth fastest athlete of all-time. In doing so she improved her personal best from the 1:58.94 which she set on 24 January in Moscow. The World Indoor 400m silver medallist of 2001 now looks sure to change her specialty to the 800m for good. Today, the first lap was run in 27.23; 400m 58.63; 600m 1.29.05.
The 200m may no more appear in the programme of either the World or European Indoor championships but this discipline is somehow adored by Russian fans of athletics and so it has been retained in the Nationals.
The men’s 200m was dominated by the 20-year-old Ivan Titov with a time of 21.32. Roman Smirnov was the runner-up (21.49), and Maksim Mokrousov finished third (21.78). In the women’s division, the well-known 400m runner Natalya Ivanova won the gold, clocking the equal 5th best result of the current world indoor season – 23.13. The 20-year-old Yelena Novikova was second (23.19) and Ludmila Zuenko got the bronze, (23.28).
Nazarova runs seventh fastest 400m of all-time indoors – 49.98
Reigning two-time World Indoor champion Natalya Nazarova won the women’s 400m with an excellent run of 49.98 seconds to indicate she is very much on course to defend her title in Moscow at the 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships (10-12 March). It was of course the best result in the world of the current indoor season, and more importantly the seventh fastest run of all-time indoors. Last year seemed to be rather disappointing for the 26-year-old but now all those troubles seem to be behind her.
Olesya Krasnomovets was second (50.04) and Natalya Antyukh was third (50.37). The result of the fourth finalist, Tatyana Levina was also very good – 51.17.
The relatively unknown runner Dmitriy Petrov won the men’s 400m with his personal best of 46.28. Vladislav Frolov was second (46.60) and Yevgeniy Lebedev, third (46.69). The runner who finished fourth is naturally also included in the World Indoor Champs relay team. It was Konstantin Svechkar – 46.90.
Bogdanov loses out to Aritkulov
Everybody was sure that in the absence of Yuriy Borzakovskiy in the 800m that his friend Dmitriy Bogdanov, the European Indoor champion would dominate but it was not to be. Bogdanov was only the runner-up (1:47.46), with the gold instead going to Ramil Aritkulov – 1:47.08.
The men’s 3000m was won swiftly by Sergey Ivanov in 7:48.18, with Pavel Naumov (7:50.44) in second, a notable level of performances which gurantees both men will participate in the World Indoor Championships.
The 4x200m relays are always popular in Russia. The winning result of the women’s quartet from the region of Sverdlovsk was 1:34.85. The men’s relay was also won by their teammates – 1:25.47.
Easy win for Slesarenko
The women’s High Jump was won rather easily by the Olympic champion Yelena Slesarenko who is doing better and better with every competition. The 23-year-old’s 1.98m was her best of the indoor season so far, two centimetres higher than her win in Samara on 4 February. Two other high jumpers cleared 1.95m, with Anna Chicherova, 23, the European Indoor champion, winning on count back from Anna Savchenko.
Nobody expected Dmitriy Starodubtsev to win the men’s Pole Vault. His result was rather modest, a vault of 5.65m but the World Junior champion was the youngest among all participants. The World and European Indoor champion Igor Pavlov could only manage 5.60m for silver, while Dmitriy Kuptzov was third on count-back with the same result.
The women’s Long jump was won by Oksana Udmurtova with 6.77m, Ludmila Kolchanova was second (6.69) and the 19-year-old Yelena Kremneva was the bronze medal winner on 6.51m.
The men’s Triple Jump was dominated by Viktor Guzshinsky, who is currently the man in-form athlete. The second furthest jumper of this winter (17.33 – 4 Feb) produced another large leap of 17.22m for the win. It was too good for European Indoor champion Igor Spasovkhodskiy (17.09) or Olympic bronze medallist Danila Burkenya (17.08m).
Women’s Shot Put was won by 2005 World Championships silver medallist Olga Ryabinkina - 19.07m.
Rostislav Orlov and Nickolai Dolgopolov for the IAAF
*World Indoor record pending ratification
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RESULTS
Men
200m
1. Ivan Teplykh 21.32
2. Roman Smirnov 21.49
3. Maxim Mokrousov 21.78
400m
1. Dmitry Petrov 46.28
2. Vladislav Frolov 46.60
3. Yevgeny Lebedev 46.69
800m
1. Ramil Aritkulov 1:47.08
2. Dmitry Bogdanov 1:47.46
3. Ivan Nesterov 1:47.81
3000m
1. Sergey Ivanov 7:48.18
2. Pavel Naumov 7:50.44
3. Yury Bordukov 7:54.70
Triple Jump
1. Viktor Gushchinsky 17.22 m
2. Igor Spasovkhodsky 17.09
3. Danil Burkenya 17.08
Pole Vault
1. Dmitry Starodubtsev 5.65 m
2. Igor Pavlov 5.60
Dmitry Kuptsov 5.60
Women
200m
1. Natalia Ivanova 23.13
2. Yelena Novikova 23.19
3. Lyudmila Zuyenko 23.28
400m
1. Natalia Nazarova 49.98
2. Olesya Krasnomovets 50.04
3. Natalia Antyukh 50.37
800m
1. Olga Kotlyarova 1:57.51
2. Natalia Tsyganova 1:59.64
3. Svetlana Cherkasova 2:00.87
1500m
1. Yelena Soboleva 3:58.28*
2. Yulia Chizhenko 4:01.26
3. Yelena Kanaris 4:03.53
Long Jump
1. Oksana Udmurtova 6.77 m
2. Lyudmila Kolchanova 6.69
3. Yelena Kremneva 6.51
High Jump
1. Yelena Slesarenko 1.98 m
2. Anna Chicherova 1.95
3. Yekaterina Savchenko 1.95
Shot Put
1. Olga Ryabinkina 19.07 m
2. Olga Ivanova 18.14
3. Oksana Gaus 18.08
