To win the Ukrainian Championship, Vitya Palamar needed a jump of 1.95 m

Athletics

The Ukrainian Athletics Championship started in Donetsk yesterday. In the women's high jump, the winner of the competition was Vita Palamar, ahead of the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Victoria Stepina. The 100m race was won by Irina Shtangeeva. Dmitry Glushchenko won the men's 100-meter dash.

The first day of the Ukrainian Championship began with qualifications, which determined the finalists in six types of the competition program. The shot putters were the luckiest. There were fewer than 12 participants in this event, and according to the championship regulations, selection was not required. All athletes, including 2004 Olympic champion Yuri Bilonog, were automatically admitted to today's final. But another famous Ukrainian athlete, long jumper Alexei Lukashevich, unlike Bilonog, still had to work a little to prove his status as a medal contender. The pass to the decisive part of the competition for each participant in this event was a jump of 7.60 m. The bronze medalist of last year's European Championship in qualifying flew to 7.83 m - a very modest result for Lukashevich. However, there was no need to give all his best, since his strength would come in handy in the final, where his main rival would be Vladimir Dzyuskov, who with a result of 7.86 m became the best in qualification.

Last night the first winners and prize-winners of the national championship were determined. The most interesting fight for awards promised to be between Vita Palamar and Victoria Stepina in the high jump sector. They have not competed together since 2004, when in the finals of the Athens Olympics Stepina won bronze with a score of 2.02 m, and Palamar, jumping 1.98 m, became sixth. After Athens, both athletes were out of action for a long time due to injuries. Stepina underwent two operations, and Palamar managed to get in shape faster. Currently, she is number one on the national team and was considered a favorite at the Ukrainian Championship. Although one important fact still spoke in favor of Stepina - her best result in her career - 2.02 m - exceeds Palamar's personal record - 2.01 m. It should be noted that both athletes are far from the national record of Ukraine - 2.05 m, and in 1995, established by Inga Babakova, who, by the way, now trains Stepina. Palamar won her first head-to-head competition in several years against Stepina, but the result of the new Ukrainian champion was not impressive. To win, it was enough for her to reach a height of 1.95 m in her first attempt. She didn’t even try to jump higher - thus eliminating the possibility of injury and saving strength before participating in the second stage of the Golden League, which will take place on Friday in Paris and will bring together all the best High jumper today. Stepina flew over the bar at a height of 1.92 m and became second. Irina Kovalenko had the same result, but she lost the fight for silver due to more attempts and took third place. Based on the results of the competition, Stepina and Palamar qualified for participation in the World Championships, which will be held in Osaka, Japan from August 25 to September 2.

In the women's 100 m race, Irina Shtangeeva became the winner of the national championship. True, with her result - 11.50 seconds. - You can’t count on a license to participate in the World Championship. To obtain such a license, you must run the distance in less than 11.30 seconds. For men at this distance, the standard for participation in the World Championships is 10.21 seconds. Ukrainian sprinters don't run that fast. Thus, Dmitry Glushchenko, who won the 100-meter dash yesterday, covered the distance in 10.39 seconds.

SERGEY Kommersant-TSUKILO

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