by Alfonz Juck
Mariya Lasitskene, photo by PhotoRun.netLasitskene 200 and good tries at 207
MINSK (BLR, Dec 22): World champion Mariya Lasitskene showed great early indoor season shape with nice two meters clearance at the special high jump meet Christmas Starts in Stolitsa Shopping Center. She also tried at her would-be PB 207 and the attempts were promising. Lasitskene equaled her meet record from last year and also equaled her own best ever result in the month of December (also Anna Chicherova 200 in December 2002). Both second and third Ukrainians Kateryna Tabashnyk (overall PB) and Yuliya Levchenko (indoor PB) cleared superb 198 in first and third attempts respectively. World and European U18 champion and Youth Olympic Games gold medalist Yaroslava Mahuchikh set new European indoor U20 record with 196 clearance. There is better mark of Mariya Kuchina 197 in 2011 in Trinec but was not ratified by EA for the U20 category. Mahuchikh was fourth and improved also the World U18 All-time indoor best (previous 195 by Marina Kuptsova 1998 and Iryna Kovalenko 2003) and equaled the overall U18 best when we take into account outdoor marks. In the men competition, reigning European silver medalist Maksim Nedosekau won with 230 meet record after two fouls at 228 and also tried at 234 national record. His compatriot Andrei Skabeika and Ukrainian Dmytro Demyanyuk shared second place with 220.
