Nikolay Ivanov for the IAAF
The final team selections for Sevilla 99 were made at the Russian championships held in Tula on 29 July-1 August. The coaches were satisfied with the results as the 86 Russian athletes selected are in great shape, and for the first time there have been no serious losses to the team and no injuries. The team leaders have their hopes set on 12 medals and a second overall medal placing behind the United States.
The Russian women’s team will be particularly strong in Sevilla. Despite heavy rain in Tula, Irina Privalova ran 100m in 11.05 for her first race of the season. She is aiming for medals from the 100m and the 4x100m relay.
"I feel very good, my preparations have gone according to plan, but my result today was not helped by the rain. My next race will be at the World Championships," said Privalova.
Yulia Nosova over 400 metre hurdles and the Russian 4x400m relay team are two other strong medal contenders for Sevilla.
However the main force of Russian team remains Svetlana Masterkova, who is looking to repeat her double 1996 Olympic victory at 800 and 1500 metres. She was disappointed about placing fourth in Paris at the Golden League meeting, but put it down to being tired and making tactical mistakes during the race. She remains optimistic as she is still in a good shape and will continue to compete as planned before the World Championships.
Having entered the elite 800m group recently, Natalia Tsiganova is also hoping to win a medal and has become a serious threat for her famous rivals.
"I am no longer afraid of competing with Masterkova and (Maria) Mutola," said Tsiganova. "My next race will be August 11 in Zurich. It’ll be my final test."
High jumper Yelena Yelesina won in rainy Tula with 1.95m. She is looking forward to making her big break and hoping for a world title in Sevilla. The last gold medal hope of the Russian women’s team is Natalia Sadova who threw the discus a season best of 70.02m.
Vyacheslav Voronin was the leading high jumper in Tula. He managed 2.28m despite deteriorating weather conditions with cold and rain, and has the potential to become world champion. Voronin, pole vaulter Maksim Tarasov and 20km-50km walker Nikolai Ivanov are considered the leading stars of the men’s team with strong medal contentions.
Russian National Championships, Tula, Russia – Selected Results
Friday 30 July
Women
100 m:1. Irina Privalova 11.05 2. Natalia Ignatova 11.20 3. Irina Khabarova 11.38
400 m 1. Natalia Nazarova 50.55 2. Svetlana Goncharenko 50.83 3. Olga Kotlyarova 51.10
800 m: 1. Natalia Gorelova 1:59.52 2. Yulia Kosenkova 2:00.71
400 m haies: 1. Yulia Nosova 54.60 2. Yekaterina Bakhvalova 54.93 3. Olga Salnikova 57.43
Shot Put: 1. Svetlana Krivelyova 20,26 m 2. Anna Romanova 18,39 3. Yulia Zaginai 18,07
Pole Vault: 1. Yelena Belyakova 4,40 m 2. Yelena Isinbayeva 4,20 3. Anastasia Kuznetsova
4,00
High Jump: 1. Yelena Yelesina 1,95 m 2. Olga Kychanova 1,92 3. Yekaterina Alexandrova 1,92
Long Jump: 1. Tatiana Kotova 6,98 m 2. Olga Rublyova 6,82 3. Tatiana Ter-Mesrobyan 6,53
Heptathlon: 1. Irina Tyukhai 5998 pts 2. Svetlana Parfyonova 5876 3. Alyona Ivleva 5846
Men
100 m: 1. Sergei Slukin 10.37 2. Denis Nikolayev 10.47 3. Alexander Smirnov 10.47
400 m: 1. Daniil Shekin 46.43 2. Valentin Kulbatsky 46.57 3. Andrei Semyonov 46.57
800 m: 1. Sergei Kozhevnikov 1:46.34 2. Boris Kaveshnikov 1:46.54 3. Dmitry Bogdanov
1:46.61
Javelin: 1. Yury Rybin 79,00 m 2. Vladimir Ovchinnikov 74,09 3. Vladimir Chizhov 72,31
Shot Put: 1. Sergei Lyakhov 19,54 m 2. Sergei Nikolayev 18,86 3. Alexander Salnikov 18,44
Long Jump: 1. Andrei Ignatov 8,14 m 2. Vladimir Malyavin 7,98 3. Yury Naumkin 7,88
Saturday 31 July
Women
100 m hurdles: 1. Irina Korotya 12.85 2. Yulia Graudyn 12.90 3. Svetlana Laukhova 12.95
5000 m: 1. Olga Yegorova 15:23.57 2. Maria Pantyukhov 15:24.74 3. Klara Kashanova 15:25.99
3000 m steeple: 1. Yelena Motalova 9:48.88 2. Yekaterina Volkova 10:04.46 3.
Svetlana Rogova 10:14.67
Triple Jump: 1. Tatiana Lebedeva 14,56 m 2. Yelena Lebedenko 14.37 m 3. Maria Sokova 14.21
m
Discus Throw: 1. Natalia Sadova 64,20 m 2. Larisa Korotkevich 62,11 m 3. Oksana Yesipchuk
60,87 m
Men
5000 m: 1. Sergei Lukin 14:03.26 2. Mikhail Minyukhin 14:03.62 3. Sergei Samoilov 14:03.78
3000 m steeple: 1. Vladimir Pronin 8:40.71 2. Alexei Palagushin 8:42.76 3. Alexei Gorbunov
8:45.43
Hammer Throw: 1. Ilya Konovalov 80,51 m 2. Vasily Sidorenko 77,81 3. Vadim
Khersontsev 76,29
Triple Jump: 1. Vasily Sokov 16,98 m 2. Vyacheslav Taranov 16,96 3. Gennady Markov
16,94
High Jump 1. Vyacheslav Voronin 2,28 m 2. Sergei Krysin 2,24 3. Sergei Klyugin 2,24
Decathlon: 1. Sergei Nikitin 7861 pts 2. Nikolai Afanasiev 7702 3. Roman Razbeyko 7569
Sunday 1 August
Women
200 m: 1. Marina Trandenkova 22.86 2. Irina Khabarova 22.92 3. Oksana Ekk 22.93
1500 m: 1. Ludmila Rogacheva 4:04.19 2. Olga Nelyubova 4:05.00 3. Natalia Gorelova 4:05.12
Hammer Throw: 1. Olga Kuzenkova 71,83 m 2. Tatiana Konstantinova 62,71 3. Alla Davydova
60,63
Javelin Throw: 1. Tatiana Shikolenko 63,64 m 2. Valeria Zabruskova 60,98 3. Ekaterina
Ivakina 60,91
Men
200 m: 1. Sergei Slukin 20.78 2. Denis Nikolayev 20.85 3. Andrei Fedoriv 20.95
1500 m: 1. Andrei Zadprpzhny 3:43.63 2. Mikhail Yeginov 3:44.44 3. Boris Kaveshnikov
3:45.36
110 m hurdles: 1. Andrei Kislykh 13.47 2. Sergei Vetrov 13.77 3. Sergei Manakov 13.86
400 m hurdles: 1. Vladimir Shiryayev 49.69 2. Igor Frolov 51.00 3. Erkin Isakov 51.79
Discus Throw: 1. Dmitry Chevchenko 65,68 m 2. Sergei Lyakhov 61,59 3. Alexander
Borichevsky 61,53
