Kazakhstan Winter Championship. Lyubov Nikitenko: 7.34 – a very good start to the season
One of the strongest hurdler athletes of the Soviet Union in the 1970s, now a recognized Kazakhstani sprint specialist, Lyubov Nikitenko, commented on the women’s 60-meter results at the national winter athletics championship in Ust-Kamenogorsk.
The victory in the race was claimed by one of Lyubov Ivanovna’s students – three-time winner of the 2014 World Universiade, Viktoria Zyabkina from Almaty. Her result, 7.34, exceeds the standard for an international-class Master of Sport. Second place went to Rimma Kashafutdinova – 7.43 (in the preliminary heats, she ran 7.45). The gold and silver medalists noticeably outpaced the other competitors in the 60 meters.
“Of course, I am pleased with Zyabkina’s result, because after the break we only resumed training very recently – on January 6,” explains Lyubov Nikitenko. “Last year, at the Asian Winter Championships, Viktoria Zyabkina ran 7.24, having specifically prepared for that competition. This year we have no major winter competitions, so we are not forcing preparation. Therefore, 7.34 is very good for the very beginning of our training.”
— You are the head coach of the Kazakhstan national sprint team. Which competitions in 2017 do you consider a priority for women sprinters?
— This year, the Summer World Championships will be held in London. The highest competition and the largest number of participants are in sprint events. Therefore, the goal for the World Championships is primarily to meet the qualifying standards. The Summer Asian Championships and the World Universiade are a different matter. There, the focus is on achieving the maximum result. (At the previous Universiade in Kazan, Viktoria Zyabkina won three gold medals – in the 100 m, 200 m, and the 4×100 m relay – author’s note).
— Lyubov Ivanovna, you look great!
— Thank you. The students don’t give me time to think about rest (laughs).
Kazakhstan Athletics Federation
Photo: vksport
