World Youth best for Stefanidi in Athens

 A sensational Pole Vault World Youth best by 15-year-old Katerina Stefanidi, and several other world class performances were the highlights of the IAAF Indoor Permit Meeting “Athina 2005”, held today in Peania.

World All-time Youth Best for Stefanidi

By tradition, the women’s Pole Vault has been one of the most exciting events of the IAAF Permit Meeting “Athina”, where last year Yelena Isinbayeva set one of her World record marks.

The world’s top stars of the event were not present in “Athina 2005”, but it was a 15-year-old Greek vaulter who made the show. Katerina Stefanidi, born in February 1990, cleared 4.32m with her third attempt, to replace Monica Goetz at the top of the all-time youth performers list. The German had cleared 4.31m in 1998.

But Katerina didn’t stop. A few minutes later, she needed only one attempt to clear 4.37m and break the record again, but also to equal the women’s indoor record for Greece and make the qualifying standard for the European Indoor Championships.

“I was very relaxed in this competition”, Katerina said to the Greek television after the end of the meeting. “I wanted this record. Now I want to participate in the European Championships, I need the experience of competing in such an important meeting.” she added.

Heshko defeats Africans

Although he mainly specialises in the 1500m, Ukraine’s Ivan Heshko also proved his strong capabilities in the 800m. Today in Athens he started the race taking the lead in the first metres, so no-one could doubt his dominance.

Both Kenya’s Wilfred Bungei and Burundi’s Youssef Saad Kamel, the faster 800m runners in 2004, but also Morocco’s Amine Laalou stayed behind Heshko during the race and when they tried to overtake him it was too late.

The Ukrainian accelerated in the last metres, crossing the line in 1:46.49, the fifth best performance of the season and a time that could have been even better if the Africans had pressed Heshko earlier.

Flying Freeman

The expected close competition between Jamaica’s Michelle Freeman and Russia’s Irina Shevchenko did not materialise, as the Jamaican was in excellent shape, while the Russian was as in Stockholm last week way off her usual form.

It was a Cuban hurdler, Anay Tejada who exerted the strongest pressure on Freeman pushing her to the 4th best mark of the season with 7.94. Tejada clocked 7.96, to take the second place, in front of Greece’s Flora Redoumi, while the Russian champion was fourth in 8.05.

8m jumps for Tsatoumas and Tudor

The Long Jump was dominated by Greek champion Louis Tsatoumas, the former European under-23 Champion. Tsatoumas fouled four times in an attempt to improve his personal best of 8.22m he set this year. Finally, he won with his last attempt at 8.03m, leaving behind Romanian Bogdan Tarus who jumped 8.00m, also at his last attempt.

Phillips defeated by Olusoji - Fedorova and Garcia win easily

The Long Jump Olympic champion, America’s Dwight Phillips, participated in the 60m dash race, where he placed second in 6.59, a mark close to his personal best. Nigeria’s Fasuba Olusoji clocked 6.55 to equal his personal best and his 6th place in the season’s world performers list. Cuba’s Freddy Mayola was third with 6.64.

The 2005 Russian champion Olga Fedorova dominated the women’s 60m with 7.23, followed by Ljubov Perepelova who ran in 7.31 and Vukosava Djapic Vukosava who placed third in 7.34.

Anier Garcia of Cuba won the 60m Hurdles in 6.57 without difficulty, a season’s best for the Sydney Olympic champion and the 6th best performance of the year. Canada’s Charles Allen was second, leaving Haiti’s Dudley Dorival third.

Trecia Smith jumps 14.49m

Despite the withdrawal of Yamile Aldama, which reduced the interest in the women’s Triple Jump, the spectators saw some good performances. Jamaica’s Trecia Smith was the winner with 14.49m, while two young Greek followed. Athanassia Perra jumped 14.27m and Irene Dimitraki 14.23m; both set personal bests and met the standards for the European Indoor Championships.

Romania’s Adelina Gavrila, who is currently the World leader for this season, jumped only 13.87m to take fourth place.

Other results

Good marks in the other events were set by Russia’s Aleksey Dmitrik who cleared 2.30m to defeat Serbia’s Dragutin Topic who until then had led the competition after clearing 2.28m with his first attempt. Romania’s Stefan Vasilace was third with 2.26m, leaving behind Jamie Nieto of the USA and Cypriot Kiriakos Ioannou who both cleared 2.26m, the latter a new national indoor record.

Olessya Krasnomovec, was the expected winner in the 400m with 52.17, while Carlos Santa from the Domenican Republic clocked 46.49 in the men’s race.

Finallly, Iryna Lishchinska of Ukraine won the 1500m in 4:14.71 and two Kenyan runners dominated the 3000m: Daniel Komen Chipchirchir was the winner with 7:53.89, followed by Mark Bett who clocked 7.55.03

Michalis Nikitaridis for the IAAF

Leading Results
Men
60m
Heat 1: Nicconor Alexander TRI 6.68; 2. Nemeth Ronald HUN 6.76; 3. Konstantinidis Savas GRE 6.78
Heat 2: Olusoji Fasuba NGR 6.55; 2. Dwight Phillips USA 6.59; 3. Mayola Freddy CUB 6.64

200m
1. Emedolu Uchenna NGR 21.13; 2. Sarris Panayotis GRE 21.17; 3. Osonvikar Matic SLO 21.35

400m
1. Santa Carlos DOM 46.43; 2. Davis James USA 46.85; 3. Lloyd Chris DMA

800m
1. Heshko Ivan UKR 1.46.49; 2. Bungei Wilfred 1.46.90; 3. Laalou Amine  MAR 1.47.11

3000m
1. Komen Chipchirchir Daniel KEN 7:53.89; 2. Bett Mark 7:55.03; 3. Goumri Abderrahim MAR 7:55.29

60mH
Heat 1: Mihailescu Alexandru ROM 7.73; 2. De Souza Marcio BRA 7.77; 3. Economopoulos Christos GRE 7.93
Heat 2: Garcia Anier CUB 7.57; 2. Allen Charles CAN 7.61; 2. Dorival Dudley HAI 7.65

High Jump
1. Dmitrik Aleksey RUS 2.30; 2. Topic Dragutin SCG 2.28; 3. Vasilache Stefan ROM 2.26

Long Jump
1. Tsatoumas Louis GRE 8.03m; 2. Tarus Bogdan ROM 8.00m.; 3. Gaspar Araujo POR 7.85m.

Shot Put
1. Cantwell Christian USA 20.31m; 2. Guset Gheorghe ROM 20.25m.; 3. Taylor Dan USA 19.95m.

Women
60m
1. Fedorova Olga RUS 7.23; 2. Perepelova Ljubov UZB 7.31; 3. Djapic Vukosava SCG 7.34

400m
Heat 1: 1. Yevremova Antonina UKR 53.04; 2. Mbacke Thiam SEN 54.04; 3. Papadopoulou Maria GRE 55.95
Heat 2: Krasnomovec Olesia RUS 52.17; 2. Pigida Natalya UKR 53.17; 3. Papadopoulou Eleftheria GRE 55.55

1500m
1. Lishchinska Iryna UKR 4.14.71; 2. Alminova Anna RUS 4.14.82; 3. Roman Sonja SLO 4.15.36

60mH
1. Freeman Michelle JAM 7.94 WL; 2. Tejeda Anay CUB 7.96; 3. Rentoumi  Flora GRE 8.04

Pole Vault
1. Stefanidi Ekaterini GRE 4.37 World Youth All time best, =NR; 2. Fitidou Anna CYP 4.32; 3. Sauer Mary USA 4.27

Triple Jump
1. Smith Trecia JAM 14.49m; 2. Pera Athanassia GRE 14.27m pb.; 3. Dimitraki Irene GRE 14.23m.