| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
Russian Athletes Come in Third in Osaka
The World Championships in Athletics in Osaka has ended badly for the Russian team. It was unable to win a single medal in the final two days of the competition. With four gold medals, nine silver and three bronze, the Russian team finished in third place, behind the United States, as usual, and this time behind Kenya too. Only in mid- and long-distance track events did Russia shine. President of the All-Russia Federation of Light Athletics Valentin Balakhnichev openly characterized his team's performance as unsatisfactory.
Balakhnichev placed the blame for the Russians' bad luck on training conditions in Vladivostok, where the team's hotel was full of noisy Chinese tourists and they had trouble getting access to the local stadium. In addition, chief coach of the team Valery Kulichenko was dismissed shortly before the championship under suspicion of providing drugs to world champion hammer thrower Tatyana Lysenko. Balakhnichev promised that preparations for the Olympics would go better. A special stadium is being built in Irkutsk for that training.
Balakhnichev also mentioned the unfamiliar climate and time change in Japan. He singled out the performances of steeplechase runner Ekaterina Volkova and pole vaulters Igor Pavlov and Evgeny Lukyanenko for particular praise.
Olympic champion Yury Borzakovsky received a bronze medal in the 800-m. dash and high jumper Anna Chicherova received a silver medal, attaining a height of 2.05 m. to Croatian season leader Blank Vlasic's 2.07 m. Russian Olympic champion Elena Slesarenko jumped 2.00 m. Elena Soboleva took a silver medal in the 1500 m. run, finishing 0.24 seconds behind Maryam Yusuf Jamal of Bahrain.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 03, 2007
|
|
|
