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Russia going for a double at the European Cup in Malaga - Day One report
Wednesday 28 June 2006
Malaga, Spain - Russia’s women are on their way to defend their title and win the Spar European Cup for a record tenth time in a row.
After day one of the two day event in Malaga the Russians are leading with 83 points. Poland is in second place (64), but already well behind. Again the Polish women already have an advantage of eleven points on third placed Spain. France (52), Germany (51) and the Ukraine (50) follow close behind. The race for second place will be a vital one since the first two teams from Malaga will qualify for the IAAF World Cup in Athens in September.
Monika Pyrek of Poland
(Getty Images)
The amazing dominance of Russia’s team became obvious in the heat of Southern Spain when Svetlana Feofanova produced no result in the Pole Vault. Even that had no effect on the overall scoring. Russia stayed in the lead.
And maybe the Russian men can make it a double on Thursday! They are leading with 71 points after day one. They have opened quite a big gap to Poland (54) with the Ukraine (53), Italy (52), Great Britain (51) and France (50) close behind. It does not look good here for the defending champions. Germany had a disastrous first day. Trailing in eighth position their dream of winning the cup for a third time in a row is over.
After final calculation, the Finnish men’s team and the Romanian women’s squad are in ninth position after day one and face relegation on Thursday, as do two other nations in both matches.
Andrew Howe (ITA)
(Getty Images)
Pyrek - 4.75m world lead
Two jumping events were among the highlights of day one in Malaga.
The women’s Pole Vault became a high class affair although the 2003 World champion Svetlana Feofanova had no valid attempt at her first height of 4.40m. But it was another one who unexpectedly put pressure on Monika Pyrek (Poland). Vanessa Boslak (France) jumped 4.70m on her second attempt, with which she improved her personal best by ten centimetres and set a French record. Pyrek only cleared that mark on her third attempt. But she went on to jump 4.75m on her second attempt to finally win the competition with a new world season lead.
Russia’s Olesya Syreva (l) temporarily goes past Britain’s Jo Pavey ® - Malaga
(Getty Images)
“It was hot and windy – but I used a good moment when there was less wind and jumped 4.75m,” said Pyrek. She tried 4.85m afterwards. “But there was more wind so I had no chance this time – still I am very happy to have improved my season’s best which had been 4.60 metres.”
8.29m PB for Howe
In the men’s Long Jump, Italy’s Andrew Howe produced a personal best of 8.29m to win the competition in front of Salim Sdiri (France, 8.15m) and Marcin Starzak (Poland, 8.09m PB).
Yuliya Gushchina of Russia after winning the women’s 100m in Malaga
(AFP/Getty Images)
Even with his second best jump of 8.16m, the 21-year-old Italian, who was born in the US and moved to Italy when he was a child, would have won the competition.
“I am very happy with this result. I had felt no pressure although I would have liked to have jumped 8.30,” said Howe. His personal best had stood at 8.26 before the Spar European Cup. Two years ago the Italian had won the World Junior Championships at 200m and in the Long Jump, and last winter he took the World Indoor Championships bronze medal in the latter event.
Pavey takes a gutsy win
Ronald Pognon (FRA) powers away to 100m win in Malaga
(AFP / Getty Images)
Besides these two jumping events the women’s 3000m was also a good competition. In the end Britain’s Jo Pavey, who with great courage and determination had forced the pace from the first lap, ended up the victor, clocking 8:52.54 minutes. She was almost six seconds ahead of Russia’s Olesya Syreva (8:58.27) but it was closer than the times suggest.
Coming into the final bend Syreva, who had been on Pavey’s right shoulder for nearly the entire race seemed to have the race won. The Russian eased past the Briton, but it was quickly evident that the new leader had no strength left in her legs. Sensing her opponent’s weakness Pavey quickly closed again at the top of the bend, and powered away down the home straight for an impressive victory.
“It was a tactical race with a pretty hard struggle with the Russian until the final home straight,” said Pavey. “The wind was a bit annoying for me”, Jo Pavey said and added: “The time was a bit poor but I am confident about performing better in the 5000m in Gothenburg (European Champs) in August.”
Ivan Heshko (UKR) celebrates his 1500m win - Malaga
(AFP/Getty Images)
Pognon never challenged
The focus in the sprints was on Britain’s Dwain Chambers in the men’s 100m. It was the first start in an international championship for the British sprinter since the end of his suspension, and in the end six hundredth of a second was missing for victory.
Not getting out of the blocks fast enough, Chambers always trailed French record holder Ronald Pognon. The defending champion produced a fine performance, and was never seriously challenged and took a 10.13 seconds win. Chambers closed the gap in the final part of the race, just managing to secure second place in 10.19 seconds. Andrey Yepishin (Russia) who had the same time took third.
“I felt good during the race after a fine start. Tomorrow I am going for the 200 metres,” confirmed Pognon.
The women’s dash was taken emphatically by Russia’s Yuliya Gushchina in 11.13 seconds.
The men’s Hammer Throw was won by Poland’s Szymon Ziólkowski with 79.31m, while Andriy Skvaruk (Ukraine) took second place with 78.71m, and Finland’s Olli-Pekka Karjalainen was third (77.08).
Germans lose ground
Germany lost some vital points here. The Hammer was one of the events where Germany lost some vital points on their mission to defend the Spar European Cup. Markus Esser placed fourth with 77.05m.
“To be honest my performance was not a very good one although I was feeling fine. But in the end I managed to win. At the European Championships in Gothenburg I expect to throw over 83 metres,” said the winner Ziólkowski.
Franka Dietzsch was the only German winner on day one. The World Discus Throw champion from Helsinki 2005 had opened her competition with a foul. “But I was not getting nervous because I knew I would have another three attempts.”
She took the lead on her second attempt (63.83) and then improved to 65.54m in the third round. Darya Pishchalnikova (Russia) was second with 64.24, while Nicoleta Grasu (Romania, 61.91) took third. “It was difficult with the windy conditions but the most important thing today was to secure maximum points for the team,” said Dietzsch.
The men’s High Jump was taken by Russia’s Andrey Silnov with a second time clearance at 2.31m, he had cleared his five previous heights all on the first attempt.
Heshko and Lebid – double track joy for Ukraine
Back on the track there were a pair of fine - if typically slow and tactical European Cup - men’s middle distance race wins for Ukraine. World Indoor champion Ivan Heshko won the 1500m, and Sergey Lebid, the multiple winner of the European Cross Country title, out-sprinted Juan Carlos de la Ossa of Spain in the 5000m.
In the women’s 800m, a collision on the back straight saw Ukraine’s Tetyana Petlyuk take a terrible fall which also brought down Britain’s Rebecca Lyne. From that point onwards there was never any catching Russia’s Svetlana Klyuka who was not involved in the incident and came home a comfortable winner in 2:01.99.
There were no incidents in the women’s 400m but a Russian was just as dominant, with Svetlana Pospelova winning in 50.77. France’s Marc Raquil took the men’s one lap victory (45.89).
Of other highlights, Russia’s Pavel Sofin took a 20.59m victory in the men’s Shot Put, beating Spain’s Manuel Martinez by a centimetre. Olympic champion Yuriy Bilonoh of the Ukraine was a distant fifth. In the other throw of the day there was a national record for Poland’s Barbara Madejczyk in the women’s Javelin Throw, her 64.08m also taking the win.
The other victories on day one were as follows…
MEN: 400m Hurdles, Naman Keïta (FRA) 50.20; 4x100m Poland (39.07). WOMEN: 400m Hurdles, Tasha Danvers-Smith (GBR) 55.65; 3000m Steeplechase, Yelena Sidorchenkova (RUS) 9:45.73; TJ:Olha Saladuha (UKR) 14.10m; 4x100m Russia (43.71).
Jörg Wenig for the IAAF