Darya Klishina at the 2010 Znamenskiy Memorial (© LOC)
The first record of the 52nd Brothers Znamenskiy Memorial was set before the start of competition. The temperature during the IAAF World Challenge meeting rose to peaks that have never before been registered – 35 degrees above zero in the shade.
Olympic champions (Shot Put, 1992) Svetlana Krivelyova and Olga Kuzenkova (Hammer Throw, 2004) took the moment of this meeting to make their official retirement from the sport, and when introduced were greeted with loud applause by the spectators.
World season lead for Savinova
The first outdoor appearance of the year for Mariya Savinova at 800m witnessed the World and European Indoor champion running in her usual self-assured manner. Her race was faultless. No one dared challenge her and the result – 1:58.11- is the best in the world so far this season was evidence of her serious intentions in the season of the European championships.
Italian Elisa Cusma-Piccione was second in 1:59.26, beating Tatyana Andrianova who made a tremendous effort at the finish line but still lost by two hundreds of second – 1:59.28. So three runners made it better then 2 minutes! The time of Savinova at 400m was 57.80; at 600m, 1:27.
“I’m happy to win,” said Savinova. “I was a bit sleepy the whole day because of jet-lag. It was my first start but my coach told me not to start the season earlier than that. I wasn’t afraid of the heat at all, believe me it’s much better than the cold that threatened me so much last year at the same Memorial meeting. I could have run better but the track was a bit too soft for me and the reason for it is obvious (the heat).”
“As far as my plans for the year are concerned I’ll fly to USA soon (Eugene, Samsung Diamond League, Sat 3 July). Then the Russian Nationals in the city of Saransk will follow and I’ll hope to compete in Barcelona (European Champs).”
The modest Mariya didn’t say “and to win” but her aim is obvious .
Kapachinskaya runs European season best at 200m
Anastasiya Kapachinskaya looked quite satisfied after her victory in the Women’s 200m in 22.67sec. It is the best time of the European season.
“It’s my time to win. Maybe I started too slowly and it was the mistake. But to discover these mistakes and to make the necessary corrections is the target of mine,” gasped Kapachinskaya. “At my age one should clench one’s teeth and just try to do one’s best without any complaints. Now I’ll try to keep my moral and sport form as high as possible and to make the team that will go to Spain (Barcelona Euro Champs).”
Yekaterina Vukolova was the runner-up in 23.05. The guest star from Ukraine Elizaveta Bryzhina was third in 23.06.
Silnov and Shustov match world season lead
The men’s High Jump could have turned into the duel between two Russian champions – World gold medallist Yaroslav Rybakov and the Olympic winner Andrey Silnov. But it didn’t occur. Silnov, who made a long awaited comeback from injury was obviously very well prepared. He cleared 2.33m at his second try. His compatriot Alexander Shustov cleared the same height but it took him one more attempt. These performances matched the current world season lead held by Shustov and American Dusty Jonas.
Dmytro Dem'yanyuk was third with 2.28. Yaroslav Rybakov cleared 2.24 that was enough only for the fourth place.
Watching the contest was Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor, the retired World record holder (2.45m).
Russian Junior record in Women’s Long Jump
Darya Klishina, won the Long Jump with a Russian junior record of 7.03m (+1.3 m/s wind). The 19-year-old had set the previous national mark of 6.94m on 11 June.
The European champion Ludmila Kolchanova leaped 6.96m and Yelena Sokolova was third, 6.90m. Tatyana Lebedeva was a below par 6th (6.64) in an above par competition.
Ethiopia’s Roby Gary (ETH) was the winner of the 3000m Steeplechase beating World record holder Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar with a magnificent turn of speed at the finish, clocking 8:10.59. Shaheen was the runner-up 8:16.90. Brahim Taleb (Mar) got the bronze. The unknown Russian Ivan Lukyanov was fourth, 8:22.11.
William Kolasso from Cuba set a new Brothers Znamenskiy Memorial meet record in the Men’s 400m, 45.27sec. Vladimir Krasnov (RUS) was second in 45.27 and Yusif Rabah from Sudan was third, 45.99.
Mike Rodgers from the USA was the unchallenged beat in the men’s 100m: 10.18 (-1.6 m/s), while Alexis Copello of Cuba won the Triple Jump equally easy with 17.55m (+0.3).
Borza beaten
No wonder the 800m is always in the focus of attention of the local crowd. Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy is the ‘boy next door’ to many of the inhabitants of Zhukovslkiy. But this time the local man was defeated by Morocco’s Amin Laalou in a fast 1:43.76, with Borzakovskiy a well beaten second in 1:44.65, his season’s best. Third went to Ivan Tukhtachev, 1:45.78.
Pavel Shalin proved to everybody that he is the new rising star in Russian long jumping winning the event with the extremely encouraging 8.18m (nil wind). His compatriot Alexander Menkov also surpassed 8m (8.09m; 0.6m/s).
Tatyana Lysenko won the IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge contest with 76.03m. Yipsi Moreno from Cuba was left behind in second in 75.19. Stéphanie Falzon from France took the third position – 72.37.
Meskerem Assefa (ETH) won the Women’s 1500m in 4:07.27. Yelena Zadorozhnaya from Russia was challenging her during the whole race but could not keep up with the Ethiopian’s finishing speed, closing out in 4:07.69. And Yelena Korobkina finished third in 4:07.82.
The 2003 World champion, the now 37-year-old Sergey Makarov won the Javelin Throw with 80.57m, while the Women’s Shot Put was dominated by Russian Anna Avdeeva with 19.14m.
Nevin Yanit from Turkey was the quickest in the Women’s 100m Hurdles with 12.77 sec into a head wind (-1.6m/s) with Jamaica’s Delloreen Ennis-London second in 12.81.
Aberu Kebede (ETH) was the fastest in the heat exhausting 10,000m in 32:17.74. Zakiya Mohamed Mrisho from Tanzania was second (32:20.47) and Elena Sokolova (RUS) was third taking the Russian title and winning what was the national selection race for Barcelona.
Nickolai Dolgopolov and Rostislav Orlov for the IAAF
