Tatyana Lysenko competing in Helsinki (© AFP/Getty Images)
A new national junior record was set in the women’s Hammer Throw at the Russian Winter Championships, in Adler, Russia (17-18 Feb).
The 17-year-old Anna Bulgakova first set the record with 64.36m in the junior competition, and then two hours later when taking part in the senior event she improved improved again to 67.79m, which at the same time secured the bronze medal.
Only two of Russia’s best known throwers could do better than the youngster, senior World record holder Tatyana Lysenko and Gulnara Khanafeeva, with the latter winning the golden medal with the world season's best of 71.60m. In second, Lysenko released her implement to a best of 68.36m.
The name ‘Sadova’ was at the centre of everybody’s attention in the women's Discus Throw but on this occasion it was not Natalya, the reigning Olympic champion, but her daughter Victorya nicknamed ‘Vica’. The result of the 12-year-old was 41.10m which permitted her to take second place in her youth age group, where she was beaten by Ekaterina Strokova (45.33) who is four-years-older.
But there was no stopping Vica Sadova who despite her age made up her mind also to compete in the junior competition with athletes five or even six years older than her age. This time her result was 43.38m and so she secured a remarkable fourth place. Yelena Panova won the competition with an excellent Discus Throw of 50.34m.
In the senior women's Discus Throw, the two-time Olympian Oksana Yesipchuk won the golden medal with 61.83m. Olga Olshevskaya took silver (61.31m) and the 20-year-old Darya Pilshikova got the bronze - 59.92m.
Unfortunately, the men’s Discus Throw was a relatively low-key event with 35-year-old Aleksandr Borichevskiy winning with 60.50m, as was the Hammer Throw, which Vadim Khersontzev, 31, won with 77.44m. This is practically the same level of result as when he last won the title 7-years-ago.
Sergey Makarov as usual missed the winter season, but in his absence the usually next best Russian, Aleksandr Ivanov, could only manage third place with 76.19m. Vladislav Shkurlatov won with 78.06m.
Nickolai Dolgopolov and Rostislav Orlov for the IAAF
