The Russian Athletics Cup in Bryansk, which will take place on July 1 and 2, is in fact the main test of the readiness of Russian athletes before the next Russian championship.
The calendar of Russian athletics this year, like all sports, is exclusively internal, the maximum is a trip to the Belarusian championship, and it is still not clear whether our athletes, even those who received neutral status, can participate.
Bryansk is overall the third major start in all of Russia after the Russian Team Championship, held in Sochi at the end of May, and the Znamensky Memorial, which opened Moscow Athletics Week in June . After that, the “Ignatiev Memorial” was also held in Cheboksary, but not all of our leaders were there. So why follow the Bryansk tournament?
Sidorova opens the season
The reigning world champion and Tokyo Olympics silver medalist in the pole vault did not jump this winter, retiring from the Russian championship in February. She was also not seen at the first spring competitions, so the athlete should enter the sector for the first time at the Russian Cup after a very long break. In 2022, Angelica has a jump of 4.87, which she did in France on February 19. In fact, this is the best result of the winter season in the world, but after that Sidorova did not jump.
Given that, it’s hard to say how prepared Angelica, who celebrated her birthday on June 28, is. Specifically, how ready for competition. More precisely, is he ready to immediately reach the level of the best result of the summer season in the world.
For reference, the world ranking is led by American Sandy Morris, who took a height of 4.82 on June 24. The leader of the European ranking is Slovenian Tina Sutei, the day after Morris faced the bar at a height of 4.72. Well, Tatyana Kalinina has the best result of the season in Russia, and it is much, much more modest than the world and European – 4.30. It was enough to win at Znamensky in the absence of Sidorova.
Ivanyuk defends his lead
Ilya, like last June 7, gave the best result of the season in the world (2.34), and three weeks later remains on the first line of the ranking. The closest to him got, in absentia, of course, American Shelby McEwen, who took a height of 2.33 on June 26.
Ilya was waiting for his main rival in Russia, Mikhail Akimenko, at the “Height Day” in Luzhniki, but did not wait – he is not yet so ready to enter the sector. In fact, the absence of Akimenko and the rainy weather also affected Ivanyuk’s jumps – he won, but with a score of 2.23.
In any case, Ivanyuk is now, although not too heavy, but the burden of world leadership, and between 2.34 and Ilya’s personal record set last year, only three centimeters, not so much. Ivanyuk must somehow strengthen his leadership position, otherwise, without a doubt, someone closer to the World Cup will jump higher.
Lasickene is looking for himself
Maria started the season with a victory in Team CR, taking 1.94. It was May 29 in Sochi. The next starter, Znamensky, was also victorious, but with a score of 1.91. Six days later, in the same place, in Luzhniki, on the “Day of Heights”, Maria lost. Lost in Russia for the first time since June 23, 2016, if we take outdoor tournaments. Then it was the Czech Republic in Cheboksary, Anna Chicherova won. Almost six years later, in Luzhniki on the “Day of Heights”, Maria took 1.85 and became only third. Nadezhda Andryukhina won with 1.91. After that, Lasitskene went to Cheboksary, won there with a score of 1.91, taking all the heights at the first try, and now on July 2 she will start in Bryansk.
In fact, Maria is now thirteenth in the world rankings, which is led by Ukrainian Yaroslav Maguchy with a score of 2.03, and that’s very, very high. The second is another Ukrainian, Irina Gerashchenko, 1.98, and this, of course, is lower, but still far from even the 1.94, submitted by Maria at the first start of the summer season. Moreover, it is not known how Maria spent the last days before the Russian Cup. It is only known that she went to Serbia, where she trained and received an American visa. On June 30 she returns to Russia, on July 2 she should jump to Bryansk.
Will Shubenkov keep adding?
Sergei is consistent. He won Team CR with a score of 13.59, after failing the early barriers and, as he himself admitted, was nervous. At the final in Znamensky it was already 1:41 p.m., and three days later at the Sprint Festival it was 1:33 p.m. With this result, Shubenkov is still 28th in the world rankings, 0.49 behind leader Devon Allen, who on June 12 delivered 12.84 with a tailwind of +1.6 m/s. But even before the third row, where Daniel Roberts is, Sergey is exactly 0.3 seconds away.
It seems that if Shubenkov exchanges 13.3 in Bryansk, it will be a very good series at the beginning of the summer, a demonstration of stability and the desire to get closer to the Chechen Republic and the Spartakiad already noticeably faster. The problem, after all, is that Sergey’s strength has always run in intense competition at major competitions, and his potential and opportunities are best judged there. In absentia, with Russian rivals, watching some of the top rosters – that’s not what excites Shubenkov, who has generally admitted that he stopped following the world barrier scene after Russian athletes again been removed from official launches and larger commercial launches. Strictly speaking, this season, again, according to the athlete himself, he will run as he runs. If it’s fast, great. If no, then no. Do not forget about the serious injury at the Olympics and the fact that Sergey is already 31 years old, and this is not the age when you drop everything in a row, recovering overnight.
Waiting for a Russian record from Savlukov?
The adult national record for the 400 meters (44.60) was set by Viktor Markin on July 30, 1980 during the final of the Moscow Olympics. The Russian under-23 record is 45.12, shared by two athletes, Nikolai Chernetsky and Vladimir Krasnov. Chernetsky raced like this in 1979 in Mexico City, Krasnov – in 2010 in Erino. Savely Savlukov was 10 years old when Krasnov ran away.
Savlukov started the season trading 46 seconds in Sochi on Team CR – 45.74. Then it seemed that even he was still far from the record for his age group, but on June 7 at Znamensky, Savely gave 45.18 and, in his own words, he ran easier than in Sochi. Everyone was waiting for the “Sprint Festival”, which took place on June 10, but running 400 meters so often and so fast, and even so young, of course, is difficult. Savlukov won, but the seconds were more modest – 45.49. Savely missed the start in Cheboksary.
And now, three weeks after the Sprint Festival, Savlukov will start the Russian Cup, with the following line-up: Savely confidently leads the European youth rankings, the closest pursuer is 0.2 seconds ahead of him; Savlukov, if we take his best result of the season, is seven hundredths of a second from a new Russian youth record. This is, in principle, real. Will Savely be able to run faster than 45.12? We will find out on July 1.
Source : MatchTV
