Yesterday took place in Sochi in the new course of Formula 1 the Russian road walk championships, which saw the start some athletes returning after forced stop for the known reasons.
Bakulin, Kirdyapkin, Kaniskina, Medvedeva returned into competition after doping ban. The day before championships team doctors recommended to Olympic champion Yelena Lashmanova, World medallist Denis Nizhegorodov and Universiade champion Andrey Krivov to skip the competition because of health problems. Multi-time world medallist Anisiya Kirdyapkina is missing current season because of pregnancy.
All participants signed a anti-doping declaration.
35km men
Crushing victory of Sergey Bakulin who walked the first part of the race up to 20 km with Sergei Kirdyapkin and Roman Evstifeev, and then force the pace and win in 2:28:29.
The second place went to Sergei Kirdyapkin in 2:30:40.
Bronze to Roman Evstifeev in 2:31:39.
50 km race walk London Olympic champion Sergey Kirdyapkin after finishing second at Russian winter walking champs (2:30.40 over 35km) said that he feels like he began his life in athletics all over again. “I didn’t perform for more than three and half years. That is too long period to clock fast time at first event, that’s why I didn’t aim for strong result. I think my coming back into athletics was successful even when I finished only second,” said Kirdyapkin to All-Sports “It was too hard to endure the disqualification’s period and alone trainings. I have been waiting for the moment of return and wanted to prove that we can succeed clean and in fair play. The troubles of the past tempered my character and even more motivated me to decent performances,” said Sergey Bakulin after his victory at Russian winter walking championships.
20km women
Return to racing for Olga Kaniskina, who seemed only having to dedicate to training young people, but instead returned to racing.
The Russian was able to win the 20 km with a high world level time: 1:25:54
In second place Ekaterina Medvedeva (also first in U20) in 1.26:40 in front of Marina Pandakova, bronze in 1:27:19.
20 km race walk Beijing Olympic champion Olga Kaniskina declared that new stage of her athletics career has started. “It was very difficult for me to prepare without a team as well as it was boring to train without competition. I came back because I wanted to prove my innocence and because I cannot imagine my life without athletics. It’s difficult to manage my emotions now but I’m glad I returned into competition atmosphere and my first race was successful,” said Kaniskina to All-Sports after her victory over 20km at Russian winter walking championships with 1:25.54.
20km men
Petr Trofimov won in 1:22:06 in front of Aleksander Ivanov (1:22:25).
Bronze for Alexsey Golovin in 1:22:47.
20km U20 women
Victory to Ekaterina Medvedeva in 1:26:40, silver to Claudia Afanasyeva (1:27:58) and bronze to Nadezhda Sergeeva in 1:29:57.
Victory to Nikolay Markov in 1:24:07, silver to Pavel Parshin (1:24:47) and bronze to Vladislav Maksimov in 1:26:51.
(Foto by Mikhail Sokolovskiy - RUS)