Ostapchuk, Tsikhan produce world leaders in Grodno – Belarus national championships

Ostapchuk, Tsikhan produce world leaders in Grodno – Belarus national championships

12 July 2008 - Grodno, Belarus – Shot putters Nadzeya Ostapchuk and Natallia Mikhnevich and hammer thrower Ivan Tsikhan provided the key highlights at the Belarus Open Championships, held  on 8-10 July at the renovated Neman Sports Center in Grodno.

Ostapchuk prevails over Mikhnevich in strong Shot Put competition

Mikhnevich, who recently impressed at the Olympic Champion Prize meeting in Minsk, continued her solid momentum. She took control of the competition with an opening round 20.70m throw. Ostapchuk responded with a nearly identical throw in the third round, taking the lead with a 20.71m effort. Ostapchuk, however, wasn’t finished. In the final round she added 19cm to her throw, to extend the world lead to 20.90m. It was too much for Mikhnevich, who nonetheless finished the competition with a solid 20.18m toss.

“The rain had a big influence on the competition,” the winner said. “Only the first attempts were on a dry circle.” Mikhnevich said that approaching the 21m line wasn’t a direct aim of the competition. “- The aim was just to gain the competitive experience. And that I also won the championship, is certainly pleasing. I accomplished everything I wanted to at this competition.

While the leading pair were certainly “on” at the competition, the same can’t be said for Sydney Olypmic champion Yanina Karolchyk-Pravalinskaya. Slipping and sliding across the circle, she fouled three times, and twice threw just beyond 18 metres. Her best, an 18.02m effort, was enough to finish third.

Tsikhan debuts with 84.51m

Reigning World champion Ivan Tsikhan made his 2008 debut a notable one, reaching 84.51, also a world lead. Two throws, his fourth and fifth, sailed beyond 84m and in the second he reached a solid 83.31m.

“It was my first start in the season, Tsikhan said, addind, “The reserve is there for farther throws.”

Another local standout, Valeriy Sviatokha, improved his season best by 3 cm to 80.73m, to finish second. Andrei Varantsou from Mogilyov took third (79.60m).

Mikhnevich over Bialou  in men’s shot

The fiercest competition was in the men’s Shot Put. Andrei Mikhnevich produced a solid series, with six throws reaching beyond 20.70m, topped by his 21.33m in the final round.

But he was under constant pressure by Yuriy Bialou, who in the third round reached 21.00m, a mark Mikhnevich didn’t surpass until his winner in the final round. One more apprentice of trainer Edita Gurskaya, Pavel Lyzhyn, reaced 20.81m in the second round, to finish third.

As far as the weather was concerned, the male hammer throwers were much luckier than the women. World leader Aksana Miankova, who has thrown 77 metres, and Volha Tsander, the Belarusian No. 2, decided to skip the championship. In their absence, Darya Pchelnik took over temporary leadership, along with Mariya Smaliachkova. Everything was resolved in the first round when Pchelnik reached 72.16m, a lead which she extended by 75cm to 72.91m to take the commanding victory. Smaliachkova (70.47m) and Nadzeya Pauliukouskaya (69.01m) followed.

After her success in Minsk, Iryna Yatchenko decided against competing in Grodno. But her husband and the trainer of the national team, Igor Astapkovich, insisted that she needed the competitive experience and took part after all. In the first round she reached 63.45m, despite a slippery throwing circle, to take the win.

There appears to be a changing of the guard in the women’s Javelin Throw. Not long ago, Natallia Shymchuk had set the national record but in Grodno, it was Maryna Novik who won the title with a 62.04m throw, not far from the national mark.

Elsewhere, after a rough start, Maksim Lynsha nonetheless took the 110m Hurdles title, coming close to his PB with a 13.68 performance. Leading from the start, Volha Krautsova won the 5000m in 15:24.40.

Mikhail Dubitski for the IAAF

Leading Results: 

MEN -
100m:
1. Ivan Dymar 10.70
2. Leonid Mezhenov 10.81
3. Yuri Bogdanovich 10.94

200m:
1. Aliaksandr Korzun 21.95.
2. Raimondas Turla (Lithuania) 22.01.
3. Siarhei Fiyas 22.21.

400m:
1. Siarhei Kazlou 48.09.
2. Roman Golovashchenko  (Ukraine) - 48.15
3. Mikhail Ratnikau 48.29.

800m:
1. Igor Kachura 1:50.83.
2. Sergey Peshko 1:51.35.
3. Aliaksandr Ivanou 1:52.08.

1500m:
1. Siarhei Chabiarak 3:45.75
2 Roman Pasechnik (Ukraine) 3:46.58
3 Vasili Gurenko 3:48.69

5000m:
1. Siarhei Chabiarak 14:12.97.
2. Ihar Tsetserukou 14:18.29.
3. Ilya Slavensky 14:28.14.

10,000m:
1. Stepan Rogovtsev 28:58.38
2. Ihar Zhavaranak 29:38.33
3. Pavel Mashey 29:54.99

3000m S/C:
1. Siarhei Berdnik 8:45.52.
2. Ilya Slavensky 8:50.14.
3. Siarhei Litovshik 9:12.79.

110m Hurdles:
1. Maksim Lynsha 13.68
2. Mikalai Shubianok 14.36
3. Kirill Zinovenko 15.17

400m Hurdles
1. Andrey Kozlovskiy 52.11.
2. Nikita Yakovleu 52.66.
3. Sergey Serkov 53.09.

High Jump:
1. Andrei Chubsa 2.24
2. Artsiom Zaitsau 2.24
3. Gasel Menzid (Syria) 2.20

Pole Vault:
1. Stanislav Ivolga 4.60
2. Aliaksandr Hilimon 4.60
3. Mikalaj Narivonchik 440

Long Jump:
1. Uladzimir Kobets 7.61
2. Aliaksei Pastupaila 7.35
3. Andrey Paulau 7.33

Triple Jump:
1. Aliaksandr Varabei 16.55
2. Dmitriy Detsuk 16.44
3. Dzmitry Platnitski 16.20

Shot Put:
1. Andrei Mikhnevich 21.33
2. Yury Bialou 21.00
3. Pavel Lyzhyn 20.81

Discus Throw:
1. Dzmitry Sivakou 63.23
2. Pavel Lyzhyn 58.98
3. Aliaksandr Malashevich 58.22

Hammer Throw:
1. Ivan Tsikhan 84.51
2. Valeriy Sviatokha 80.73.
3. Andrei Varantsou 79.60.

Javelin Throw:
1. Aliaksandr Ashomka 80.51
2. Anatoli Adakhovski 69.97
3. Daniil Bliniayeu 65.71

20 Km Race Walk:
1. Aliaksandr Kuzmin 1:22.30
2. Vitaliy Talankou 1:24.59
3. Aliaksei Lytvynchuk1:28.05

4x100m Relay:
1. Mogilyov region (Yuri Bogdanovich,  Roman Mironov, Alexander Potienko, Leonid Mezhenov) 41.89.
2. Brest region 42.04.
3. Grodno region 42.50.

4?400m Relay:
1. Vitebsk region (Nikita Yakovleu, Siarhei Kazlou, Andrey Syritsa, Andrey Kozlovskiy) 3:15.62.
2. Mogilyov region 3:17.49
3. Minsk 3:17.61

WOMEN -
100m:
1. Hanna Bahdanovich 11.56
2. Aksana Drahun 11.62
3. Nastassia Shuliak 11.64

200m:
1. Volha Astashka 23.90
2. Alena Daniljuk 23.94
3. Yulia Balykina 24.55

400m:
1. Anna Kozak 53.06
2. Katsiaryna Bobryk 53.92
3. Hanna Tashpulatava 54.27

800m:
1. Maryna Katovich 2:03.68
2. Aina Valatkeviciute 2:06.02
3. Darya Borisevich 2:08.99

1500m:
1. Natallia Kareiva 4:20.22
2. Tatsiana Suprun 4:20.93
3. Aliaksandra Duliba 4:25.79

5000m:
1. Volha Krautsova 15:24.40
2. Tatyana Golovchenko (Ukraine) 16:10.35
3. Volha Minina 16:14.65

10,000m:
1. Volha Salevich 34:37.31
2. Alla Yaskovich 37:31.00
3. Katsiaryna Labashova 37:31.27

3000m S/C:
1. Iryna Bakhanouskaya 10:21.34
2. Natallia Hryhoryeva 10:30.19
3. Volha Kaminskaya 10:51.67

100m Hurdles:
1. Katsiaryna Paplausksya 13.24
2. Yauhenia Valadzko 13.25
3. Anna Kuptsevich 14.08

400m Hurdles:
1. Anastasiya Buldakova 58.50
2. Krystsina Viadzernikava 58.98
3. Alena Kuptsova 1:00.11

High Jump:
1. Volha Chuprova 1.83
2. Alesia Herasimava 1.80
3. Iryna Iskryk 1.75

Pole Vault:
1. Yulia Taratynava 3.80
2. Sviatlana Makarevich 3.60
3. Zhanna Bayandzina 3.60

Long Jump:
1. Volha Sergeenka 6.69
2. Veronika Shutkova 6.59
3. Iryna Charnushenka-Stasiuk 6.49

Triple Jump:
1. Kseniya Pryiemka 13.89
2. Natallia Safronava 13.84
3. Maryna Samborska (Ukraine) 13.61

Shot Put:
1. Nadzeya Ostapchuk 20.90
2. Natallia Mikhnevich 20.70
3. Yanina Karolchyk-Pravalinskaya 18.02

Discus Throw:
1. Iryna Yatchenko 63.45
2. Hanna Mazgunova 62.30
3. Ellina Zvereva 59.38

Hammer Throw:
1. Darya Pchelnik 72.91
2. Maryia Smaliachkova 70.47
3. Nadzeya Pauliukouskaya 69.01

Javelin Throw:
1. Maryna Novik 62.04
2. Maryna Buksa 51.34
3. Viktoryia Snytkina 51.20

20 Km Race Walk:
1. Sniazhana Yurchanka 1:31.50
2. Lyudmyla Shelest (Ukraine) 1:33.44
3. Zhanna Halaunia 1:35.25

4x100m Relay:
1. Brest region (Ekaterina Shumak, Nastassia Shuliak, Alena Daniljuk, Volha Astashka) 45.40
2 Minsk Region 48.30.
3. Grodno region 48.92.

4?400m Relay:
1. Brest region (Maryna Boika, Alena Daniljuk, Anastasiya Buldakova, Hanna Tashpulatava) 3:36.90.
2. Minsk 3:45.99.
3 Grodno region 3:48.89.