Lisbon world indoor athletics championships - 12 March, 2001 - News

Russia’s women won two golds, two silvers and two bronze medals in yesterday’s World Indoor Athletics Championship at Lisbon’s Atlantic Pavilion. Olga Yegorova won the 3,000m final in 8.37.48, easily beating the favourite, Romania’s Gabriela Szabo by two seconds (8.39.65), while the other Russian Yelena Zadorozhnaya came third to win the bronze medal in a time of 8.40.15 In the women’s shot putt final, Larisa Peleshenko won the gold medal with a distance of 19.84m, Belarus’ Nadezhda Ostapchuk won the silver (19.24m.) and another bronze was won for Russia by Svetlana Kriyelyova, with a throw of 19.18m. Tatyana Kotova won the silver medal in the women’s long jump final, with a jump of 6.98m, beaten by Dawn Burrell (USA, 7.03). In third place, Nuirka Montalvo of Spain won the bronze with 6.88m On a more negative note, Russian pole-vaulter Pavel Gerasimov was taken to hospital after falling badly on his pole, fracturing 4 ribs. He had managed to increase his personal best to 5m70 and was trying for 5m80 when the accident happened. Portuguese doctors who assisted Pavel Gerasimov on the scene said he was lucky not to have died, which could have happened if the pole had hit him in the centre of his chest. He continues to be hospitalised but fortunately is not in a dangerous condition. More Russian athletes will be involved in today’s finals.

TIMOTHY BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.RU LISBON