PoleVaultPower.com

http://en.rian.ru/sports/20050902/41281823.html

U.S-Russian track and field tournament to take place in Moscow September 4

18:07 | 02/ 09/ 2005

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A one-day track-and-field competition, Russian Challenge 2005, between Russian and American athletes will be held at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow September 4.

At a press conference Friday, Vyacheslav Fetisov, head of the Russian Federal Agency for Physical Culture, and U.S. Ambassador to Russia William Burns acknowledged the importance of the event for relations between the countries.

A similar tournament may take place in the U.S. in the future and may also include China, a Russian sports official said.

The prize pool at Russian Challenge 2005 will total $350,000, with a special prize for world records - a racing motorcycle. Upon learning this, Russian pole vault record- holder Yelena Isinbayeva joked: "I do have a motorcycle license."

The competition includes 13 events. The women's program includes the long jump, the 100-, 200-, 400-, and 800-meter races, the 100-meter hurdles, the 4 x 400 relay, and the pole vault.

The men's program includes the 100- and 800-meter race, the 110-meter hurdles, the 4 x 400 relay, and the pole vault.

Although a quick search of google would have it that RIA Novosti is a legitimate news source, it's a little hard to believe that there wouldn't have been more discussion of this meet, if the report is genuine. I can't find any mention of it on the USATF website, although the site is current enough to include condolences to Hurricane Katrina victims and information about the USA participants in today's DecaNation (national team decathlon) in Paris. And for the first official announcement of a major Sept. 4 meet to be made on Sept. 2??

Strange.

I can't find anything about it either which is weird. I wonder who we have jumping in it? The Golden League finale is tomorrow, and I know Brad, Tim, and Nick are jumping in that. Daniel just jumped today, so I don't see him getting to Moscow in time for that meet. Who's left? Toby? Jeff?

Do we even have any other US women in Europe right now besides Jillian?

The US doesn't normally send "A" caliber athletes to those "VS." meets. So the people who go, will fly over a few days before the meet, do the meet and then head home. I don't even know if they were planning on having mens vault there? I think the reason that big names don't show up is because all the top people are busy with Golden League and Grand Pre stuff.

I just went and watched the USA vs. Holland Heptathlon and I there weren't even any Dutch girls there. I don't think that there is a strong apeal to go to those vs. meets.

When I asked subscribers to t-and-f darkwing whether they'd heard anything of this meet, Mike Takaha replied that apparently it had been held, because result were posted at http://www.russianchallenge.ru/results.php?lang=1

There are, indeed, results there, but no scores and no way even to know how many places were counted. Competitors range from two for each country in some events, to three for each, to four for each, 3 and 2, 4 and 4, 5 and 3 . . .

I guess for our purposes it's enough to know that there wasn't a men's vault, although one had been announced, and that the competitors in the women's vault for Russia were their #1 and #2 vaulters and for the USA their #7 and a Canadian.

The finish:

1. Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) 4.60 (tried 5.02)
2. Tatyana Polnova (RUS) 4.50
3. Dana Ellis (USA)?? 4.35
-- Lindsay Taylor (USA) NH

They Kept calling Dana every hour for a week. They gave Dana an offer that she couldnt refuse. No americans wanted to jump. She was going back to europe for the GP Final anyways.

Ayre Rosenor reports that:

The men's PV is not scheduled in Moscow.
The USATF has nothing to do with this meet. There's no Team USA competing there. The
list of American athletes is entirely the meet promoters' choice.
In some events there are 6 competitors (3 +3) but only 4 in women's PV and few other
events.

http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=31981.html

Isinbayeva 'only' 4.60m

Yelena Isinbayeva was striving for the record in women’s Pole Vault. But this time the 18 time World record breaker cleared only 4.60. She tried to clear 5.02 but failed to break the record that time. The wind was changing its direction and strength all the time. Tatyana Polnova was the runner-up with 4.50 and Dana Ellis (USA) was 3rd - 4.35.

There were 10 events in the running programme of the match. In the women’s 100m Hurdles, the World champion Michelle Parry (USA) occupied the 6th and the last place. It was Irina Shevchenko (RUS) who finished first clocking 12.82. Marya Koroteeva (RUS) was 2nd – 12.89 and Lola Jones (USA) was 3rd – 12.90. Her compatriot Kirkland clocked the same time but remained 4th.

Ron Bramlett from the USA won the men’s 110m Hurdles – 13.44. The champion of Russia Igor Peremota was 2nd - 13.67 and Mika Harris (USA) finished 3rd – 13.99. The same time was clocked by Yevgeniy Borisiv (RUS) who turned out to be the 4th.

And here is the AP story that appeared in many newspapers...



http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/ ... 562079.htm

Posted on Sun, Sep. 04, 2005

Russia beats U.S. in track and field

Associated Press


MOSCOW - Yelena Isinbayeva won the pole vault to help Russia beat the United States in a head-to-head track and field meet Sunday.

Reviving a Cold War tradition, the two countries participated in Russia's Challenge. It was the second revised edition of the competition, which was held from 1958-82 and dubbed the "Match of the Giants" or "Match of the Continents."

Russia took nine of 13 events to tally 143 points, winning for the second straight year. The United States had 107 points. The event has yet to regain its former popularity and attract the best athletes from both nations.

At the world championships in Helsinki, Finland, last month, the United States beat Russia in the medal count with 25, including 14 golds. Russia finished with 20.

Isinbayeva, the world and Olympic champion, won the pole vault with a height of 15 feet, 1 inch. She missed three attempts at 16-5 1/2, which would have broken her world record of 16-5 1/4.

"I've tried my best, but the wind was too strong and I felt a bit tired," Isinbayeva said.

Americans Coby Miller, Dwight Phillips and Marcus Brunson swept the 100. Miller clocked 10.17 seconds, Phillips timed 10.30 and Brunson was third in 10.31.

Phillips won the long jump with a leap of 25-8 3/4, while fellow American Ron Bramlett clocked 13.44 to win the 110 hurdles.

Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia won the 800 (1:46.61). Yuliya Nosova-Pechonkina of Russia clocked 54.21 to win the 400 hurdles, while Russia's Irina Shevchenko and Mariya Koroteeva tied for first in the 100 hurdles in 12.82. World champion Michelle Perry of the United States tied for third with compatriot Anjanette Kirkland in 12.90.

Pictures of Isinbayeva

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... 2309041839
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... 1609041733
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... 1509041725
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... 224291.jpg
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... 434709.jpg

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... 1609041733

A failed attempt at a WR haha!