| | |
|
Russian’s perfect start in Kaunas.
21.07.2005
The outstanding performance on the first day of the European Athletics Junior Championships in Kaunas was a new world junior record of 43:11.34 in the women’s 10000m track race walk final for Vera Sokolova. She was followed - albeit almost two and a half minutes later - by her teammate, Olga Mikhailova, who won the Silver in a PB 45:31.49.
Sokolova had lead the competition from the start, and she hit every kilometer check point as the front runner. The three Russians moved to the front early in the race and it appeared that they were heading for a clean sweep of the medals.
That would have been the outcome, had Yelena Ladanova, who crossed the line first not been disqualified after the race as she received two red cards on the final lap. She had overtaken Sokolova in the final half kilometer and crossed the finish in a time just under 43 minutes. It was a high quality competition, with ten of the thirteen finishers setting personal bests.
After the finish, Vera Sokolova said, “I understood that I am a winner only after the finish,when my competitor was disqualified. I am happy to be a winner. I worked hardly,in order to reach my best”.
But the first medal for Russian had come from Irina Tarasova, who placed second in the women’s shot put with a personal best of 16.53 meters.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| | |
|
