Ryzhova sets 400m world lead, Sidorova wins pole vault at Russian Indoors
17.02.2014
Four finals were held on the first day of the Russian Indoor Championships at the CSKA Indoor Arena in Moscow, but Kseniya Ryzhova stole the show with a world-leading 400m time of 51.06 on Monday (17).
In the 400m qualifying rounds, the world 4x400m gold medallist and individual 400m finalist Ryzhova sped to a huge personal best and world-leading time of 51.06 in the second race of 11 heats over two laps of the track.
It took a massive 0.67 off her previous indoor best set earlier this month on the same track at the Russian Winter IAAF Indoor Permit meeting and was more than a second quicker than anyone else on Monday.
"Back in the autumn, I decided with my coach that I will prepare for the World Indoor Championships. I would like to confirm my status after the Moscow World Championship, and I love to run indoors. The previous two years, for various reasons, I wasn’t able to do well indoors,” said Ryzhova, who ran an outdoor best of 49.80 last summer.
“My runs here and at the Russian Winter meeting prove that I’m in good shape and I know how to control my running. If I get in the top three in Sopot, I’ll be the happiest woman on earth,” she joked.
In the women’s pole vault, European indoor bronze medallist Anzhelika Sidorova won with an absolute personal best of 4.72m to move her up to equal third on this year’s world list.
It was a nice change of fortunes for the 22-year-old Sidorova, who was fourth at both the Russian indoor and outdoor championships last year and prior to Monday had finished second in all four of her previous competitions this year.
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