by Larry Eder
Svetlana Feofanova, WIC-Valencia, 2008, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Svetlana Feofanova has been around since the pole vault for women was in its’ infancy. Her main competitor then was Stacy Dragila, who retired at the end of last year. Feofanova won the Russian Indoor Champs today! Feofanova has more competitive skills than most countries-this women knows how to compete at the highest levels in her sleep. She has to compete against her countrywomen: Yelena Isinbayeva. Should be very interesting competition in Doha! Tatyana Firova blasted a pb 51.2 for a world leader!
FEOFANOVA WINS, WL FOR FIROVA
MOSCOW (RUS, Feb 26): The most expected final of first day of Russian Indoor Championships in CSKA Hall saw former world record holder Svetlana Feofanova winning the pole vault with 475 cm clearance. She passed before 470 a height which was cleared by Tatyana Polnova who was second. But Feofanova had a scary minute after not jumping 460 in first she went to 465 and mastered in first try. She will accompany title defender Yelena Isinbayeva in Doha. The world record holder had a bye from the championships. Third Aleksandra Kiryashova improved equaled her overall PB with 465, fourth Yulia Golubchikova achieved 460. Another top mark was the 7.91 life-time best by relay olympic winner Aleksandra Fedoriva at 60 m hurdles. It is fastest time by a European this year. She did not had before today sub 8 and clocked already in semifinals 7.96. Second Tatyan Dektyareva had 8.02 and third former European indoor champion Aleksandra Antonova 8.05. Torino gold medalist Yevgeniya Polyakova fulfilled her favorite role in the 60 m with 7.19 ahead of Svetlana Nabokina (7.20) and Yulia Katsura (7.21). In men´s sprints surprise 60 m winner was Aleksandr Vashurkin in life-time best 6.66 closely ahead of Roman Smirnov who had the same 6.66, third Mikhail Idrisov also with them (6.67). Yevgeniy Borisov achieved 7.59 to win the hurdles when Igor Peremota his main rival was disqualified for false start. In the 3000 m races the titles for Yelena Zadorozhnaya (8:55.36) and Aleksandr Orlov (7:57.63). Fastest of the year 400 m time in heats by relay world medalist Tatyana Firova who improved her indoor PB to 51.22. Yelena Migunova was also pretty fast with 51.79. European indoor champion Mariya Savinova posted the fastest 800 m heat time 2:00.04. Junior and world leading long jumper Darya Klishina was best in the qualification with 669 cm.
NAUDE JUST 38 CM BEHIND AFRICAN RECORD
DURBAN (RSA, Feb 26): Elizna Naude came close to her own African discus record with 64.49 m mark during second meet of South African Yellow Pages Series at Kings Park stadium in Durban. It is her second best mark ever and just 38 cm shy of the record (64.87 in 2007). World champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi won the 1500 m in 3:43.88. Mulaudzi said per SA Federation website that very strong wind did not help the runners and confirmed his intention to compete at World Indoors in Doha. Impressive shape was showed also by reigning world indoor champion Khotso Mokoena who leaped to 822 in long jump. Steeple record holder Ruben Ramolefi achieved in his event despite the wind very solid 8:25.50. LJ Van Zyl posted fast 49.49 at 400 m hurdles. Tumelo Thagane registered would-be PB 16.81 in triple jump, but the wind speed information was not immediately available from a meet where wind played a role. Ofentse Mogawane won the 400 m in 46.55 ahead of paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius (47.66).
MULTI-EVENTS COMPLETED
MONTE CARLO (MON): IAAF confirmed today start lists for World Indoor Championships in Doha for combined events. Both competitions will have high quality fields ready to attack even the championships bests and world indoor records. The last unknown name for EME NEWS was the second wild-card in women pentathlon which went to French Antoinette Nana-Djimou. Both world champions from Berlin are invited along with both Beijing gold medallists. The fields – heptathlon: Hardee, Suarez, Pogorelov (based on 2009), Drozdov, Kasyanov, Kravchenko (based on 2010), Clay, Sebrle (wild cards). Pentathlon: Ennis, Dobrynska, Grabuste (2009), Chernova, Fountain, Tyminska (2010), Goncharova, Nana-Djimou (wild cards). Only Ashton Eaton of the United States who currently stands in second on the 2010 World Indoor lists declined the IAAF’s invitation as it clashes with the NCAA Championships at which he is scheduled to compete.
KORIR AGAIN IN LA
LOS ANGELES (USA): Surprise last year winner Wesley Korif of Kenya will return on March 21 to Los Angeles Marathon wearing number one. Writes Race Results Weekly. The then 26 year-old had not only beaten a solid men‘s field, but had caught women‘s champion, Tatyana Petrova, who had been given a 16 minute and 57 second head start. He „drove“ away from the event, recently renamed the Honda LA Marathon, with 160 000 USD in cash and a 2009 Honda Accord EX-L V6 sedan valued at 28 705 USD. He had run a personal best 2:08:24, the fastest-ever marathon in the state of California. He had only been seeded 14th with a 2:13:53 coming into the race. „I think this race this year will be complicated,“ Korir told event organizers earlier this week. „Mostly, the racing normally starts at the half-marathon, 20 miles in, 21, 22, 23, that‘s where the race starts. But when you look at this course, from the half-marathon, 20 miles in, 23 miles in, it‘s downhill. Everybody can push themselves downhill. So this race will be won in the first 10k, or in the first 10 miles.“ The new course starts at Dodger Stadium and then runs downhill into downtown Los Angeles during the first five kilometers, but then includes a challenging climb up 1st Street, Grand Avenue and Temple Street out of downtown and into Echo Park in the next 5-K. From that point, a little more than six miles in, the course is fairly flat through the halfway mark (13.1 miles/21.1 km) before a long descent to the finish on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, with only one small hill in the 21st mile.
RESULTS
YALTA (UKR, Feb 26): Roman Avramenko achieved 79.07 in javelin during last day of Ukrainian Winter Throwing championships. Second 20-years old Dmytro Kosynskiy improved to 78.20 over Oleksandr Pyatnytsa (77.54). Discus titles for Sergey Pryglo (60.52) and Katerina Karsak (58.70). Super-talented Mykyta Nesterenko started his final junior year with discus win 60.70 (1.75 kg implement).
TEHRAN (IRI, Feb 26): Last day of 4th Asian Indoor Championships registered in women events triple jump win for Chinese Liu Yanan (13.66). Munira Al-Saleh won for Syria the 400 m in new national indoor record 53.79. India clocked 3:43.83 to win the 4×400 m relay. In men competitions new Indian indoor record for Mathew Bibin with 47.83 at 400 m. Two solid Chinese wins for Jiang Fan at 60 m hurdles (7.75 PB) and Dong Bin in triple jump (16.73). Ali Abubaker Kamal won the 1500 m for Qatar (3:51.78) and Iran clocked 3:15.2 to win the 4×400 m.
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