Lebedeva and Korolchik
with top results
Alfons Juck
for IAAF
12 June 2001 – Bratislava – 3000
spectators watched the traditional Bratislava Grand Prix II meeting that was highlighted by two women, who are leading
the current world lists.
Russian Triple Jumper Tatyana Lebedeva achieved the 2nd best mark of the year with 14.82 in her second series.
She showed no signs of tiredness after traveling from Athens and also did 14.60, 14.66 and 14.63 in her other three jumps, confirming her excellent shape.
As at other GP II Meets also in Bratislava in technical events there were only four attempts in throws and jumps and two attempts per height in high jump and pole vault. Some of the events were due to this fact very short, lasting around 30 minutes.
Olympic shot put champion Yanina Korolchik of Belarus confirmed her number one position in the world with attempt of 20.10 and beat by more than a metre the Atlanta Olympics winner Astrid Kumbernuss of Germany (19.02). The third Olympic gold medallist in the field Svetlana Krivelyova of Russia (gold in Barcelona) was fourth with 18.47 m.
In the men’s events, Senegalese record holder Oumar Loum won the 200 m in 20.81 against a wind of -2.8 m/s.
"You cannot run faster against such a wind", he said.
US World Indoor Silver medallist Milton Campbell was a convincing winner in the men’s 400 m with 45.89: “My main aim is to be in top shape next week at the US Trials."
Another favourite, Jiri Muzik (Czech Republic), took the 400 m Hurdles in a respectable 49.33.
"I started very fast and then had some difficulties," commented Muzik.
In the men’s high jump Jan Janku of Czech Republic just arriving from Athens (where he came 4th, beating Voronin, Klyugin and Sotomayor) jumped easily 2.22 and then went directly for an unsuccessful attempt at 2.30. It would have meant for him an outdoor PR and the qualifying standard for Edmonton.
"I was little bit tired after all the travel. But I hope I will be able to jump 2.30, hopefully next Sunday in Lille," he said.
In a family duel in the shot put, this time Milan Haborak was the better, with 20.26, which meant for him an outdoor season’s best. His brother-in-law Mikulas Konopka, who has generally been the better performer so far this season, didn’t make it over 20 metres and must be satisfied with 19.97 for second.
From a Slovak point of view, two results were very promising: World Junior Championships bronze medallist from Santiago de Chile Lucia Klocova (born 1983) won the 800 m in a personal best of 2:03.06 for a fantastic start to the season. In the women’s high jump Diana Laznickova came to the event with a personal record of 1.84. But at the end of the day she had improved on this twice with 1.85 and 1.87.
Marcel Lopuchovsky also bettered his PR at 400 m Hurdles to 50.
