The Hindu : Sport / Athletics : Russian women set world records

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004

Sport

Sport - Athletics

Russian women set world records

IRAKLION (GREECE), JULY 5. Two Russian women set world records within a half-hour span on Sunday night, one in the pole vault and the other in the steeplechase, and a third compatriot had the second longest triple jump in history.

Svetlana Feofanova broke the world record in the pole vault, becoming the first woman to clear 4.88 metres and bettering the mark set a week earlier by a Russian countrywoman.

Her left knee rubbed the bar as she went up and made it wobble, but it stayed on. Feofanova celebrated with a back flip in the landing area, then took a victory lap around the nearly empty stadium.

Feofanova's record, on her second attempt at that height, broke the mark of 4.87 metres set on June 27 by Yelena Isinbayeva in Gateshead, England.

Feofanova, Isinbayeva and American Stacy Dragila have been taking turns breaking world indoor and outdoor marks in the pole vault the last couple of years — and all three will be vying for the gold medal at the Athens Games in August.

Feofanova, the reigning world champion, said she thinks the barrier of 4.90 metres will ``be quickly broken by either me or Isinbayeva or Dragila, since we have the potential to do so.''

A few minutes earlier, Russia's Gulnara Samitova shattered her own record in the 3,000 metres steeplechase by nearly seven seconds.

Running a half lap ahead of the field for the second half of the race, Samitova finished in 9 minutes, 1.59 seconds and raised her arms in triumph. Her previous mark, set last August, was 9:08.33.

The women's steeplechase is not contested in the Olympics. Samitova said she expects to run the 5,000 at the Athens Games.

Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia solidified her status as the overwhelming favourite for Olympic gold in the women's triple jump with a leap of 15.34 metres, the second-longest jump in history.

The results: Men: 100m: 1. Deji Aliu, Nigeria (10.21secs), 2. Aziz Zakary (Ghana), 3, Vicente de Lima (Brazil). 200m: 1. Kostas Kenteris (Greece, 20.24), 2. Stephane Buckland (Mauritius), 3. Dominic Demerittem (Bahamas). 800m: 1. Yuriy Borzakovskiy (Russia, 1:43.92), 2. William Yiampoi (Kenya), 3. Michael Rotich (Kenya). 1,500m: 1. Paul Korir (Kenya, 3:31.10), 2. Tarek Boukensa (Algeria), 3. Timothy Kiptanui (Kenya). 110m hurdles: 1. Redelen dos Santos (Brazil, 13.33), 2. Duane Ross (US), 3. Mateus Facho Inocencio (Brazil). 400m hurdles: 1. Chris Rawlinson (Britain, 48.19), 2. Naman Keita (France), 3. Boris Gorban (Russia). 3,000m steeplechase: 1. Saif Saaheen (Qatar, 8:01.97), 2. Wesley Kiprotich (Kenya), 3. David Chemweno (Kenya). High jump: 1. Stefan Holm (Sweden, 2.33m), 2. Jaroslav Baba (Czech Republic), 3. Tomas Janku (Czech Republic), Yaroslav Rybakov (Russia). Long jump: 1. Joan Lino Martinez (Cuba, 8.25m), 2. Vitaliy Shkurlatov (Russia), 3. Yann Domenech (France).

Women: 100m: 1. Yuliya Nesterenko (Belarus, 11.06secs), 2. Natasha Mayers (St. Vincent and Grenadines), 3. Zhanna Block (Ukraine). 800: 1. Jolanda Ceplak (Slovenia, 1:59.94), 2. Natalya Khrushchelyova (Russia), 3. Sultana Ait Hamou (Morocco). 400m hurdles: 1. Jana Pittman (Australia, 53.52), 2. Yuliya Pechonkina (Russia), 3. Fani Halkia (Greece). 3,000m steeplechase: 1. Gulnara Samitova (Russia, 9:01.59 — WR; OR: 9:08.33, Samitova, Aug. 10, 2003, Tula, Russia); 2. Inzikuru Dorus (Uganda), 3. Bouchra Chaabi (Morocco). Pole vault: 1. Svetlana Feofanova (Russia, 4.88m — WR; OR: 4.87, Yelena Isinbayeva, Russia, June 27, 2004, Gateshead, England); 2. Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia), 3. Anna Rogowska (Poland). Discus throw: 1. Franka Dietzsch (Germany, 64.80m), 2. Vera Pospisilova (Czech Republic), 3. Aretha Hill (USA). Javelin throw: 1. Osleidis Menendez (Cuba, 67.99m), 2. Nico Tomeckova-Brejckova (Czech Republic), 3. Felicia Tilea-Moldovan (Romania). Triple jump: 1. Tatyana Lebedeva (Russia, 15.34m), 2. Kene Ndoye (Senegal), 3. Yanile Aldama (Sudan). — AP