Aleksey Drozdov in Gothenburg (© Getty Images)
The Russian Nationals in Decathlon and Heptathlon were held in Cheliabinsk in the stadium which is named after Yelena Yelesina, the 2000 Olympic champion in women's High Jump.
Not only were the medals of the National Championships (14/15 June) at stake as it was announced that the two winners would get the final squad places for the Beijing Olympics.
Even before the Champs had begun four representatives had already been officially granted the honour of selection for the Russian team for China. Their names were Decathlon: Aleksei Sysoev and Aleksandr Pogorelov, and Heptathlon: Tatyana Chernova and Anna Bogdanova.
And today, 18 June, the two newly crowned national champions, Aleksei Drozdov and Olga Kurban were selected too.
In the Heptathlon, Olga Kurban, 20, won in Cheliabinsk with 6559pts (13.29 +06 m\sec —1.77 —13.71 — 24.04 +0.5 m\sec.— 6.51 — 49.23 — 2:12.42).
Yana Panteleyeva who took second place with 6430pts (13.79 — 1.77 — 14.77 — 25.33 — 6.47 — 50.64 — 2:13.82) celebrated her 20th birthday only on 16 June, while 21-year-old Marina Goncharova was third with 6289pts (13.67 — 1.71 — 12.87 — 24.73 — 6.43 — 48.69 — 2:11.34).
The experienced 24-year-old Aleksei Drozdov, the European bronze medallist, left no chances to his opponents in the Decathlon, succeeding with 8130pts (11.15 — 7.60 — 16.34 — 2.03 — 50.21 — 15.02 — 48.94 — 4.80 — 60.54 — 5:02.66).
Mikhail Logvinenko (7811) and Aleksandr Kislov (7643) remained far away from the leader.
Nickolai Dolgopolov and Rostislav Orlov for the IAAF
