Track and field: Averbukh easily wins Israeli title

The double European pole vault champion easily defeated his Israeli competition and had no trouble getting the better of Russian jumpers.

By ALLON SINAI
alex pole vaulting 88 (photo credit: )
alex pole vaulting 88
(photo credit: )
Alex Averbukh needed just two successful jumps to claim yet another Israeli championship in the pole vault competition at Hadar Yossef Stadium on Tuesday night. The double European champion easily defeated his Israeli competition and had no trouble in getting the better of Russian jumpers, Pavel Burlachenko and Yevgeniy Lukyanenko. Averbukh cleared 5.50 meters with his first jump and 5.70m with his second and, despite failing three times at 5.80, was once again crowned the Israeli champion. "I'm very pleased that I managed to clear 5.70m," Averbukh said. "I feel that in my current form I can even clear 5.90m and I hope to do so in the World Championships in Osaka." Michael Ayalin won the 110m hurdles in a time of 13.95 seconds, but missed out on the World Championship criteria by 33 hundredths of a second. World Championship hopeful Irina Lanski won the women's 100m hurdles in 13.30 seconds, but just like Ayalin failed to meet the IAAF criteria. Sivan Jan's domination of the women's discus throw continued on Tuesday, with the 22-year-old winning the event with a throw of 51.00m. Sivan Aballi finished second with a throw of 45.83m. Rita Pogarelov won the women's 100m sprint with a new personal best time of 11.84 seconds, with Alexander Trembic winning the men's showcase event in 10.80 seconds. "I'm a much better runner when I run alone and I believe that I'll be able to run 11.70s this year," Pogarelov said. Also on Tuesday, Esar Yasbin won the men's hammer throw with a 62.34 meters attempt. In the women's competition Yevgenia Zvolotni came in first with a throw of 42.14m. Niva Ziv claimed the triple jump competition, jumping 12.65m, with the men's title going to Vladimir Borisenko with a jump of 15.41m. Yossef Gizacho won the men's 1500m in a time of three minutes and 50.52 seconds, but 15-year-old Daniel Molaco stole the show with a fourth place finish and a new Israeli Under-17 record of 3:58.11. Irina Weingarten took the women's contest in a time of four minutes and 42.51 seconds. Yuri Safai won the men's 400m in 48.05 seconds, with Liat Anav taking the women's 400m hurdles in a time of 57.24 seconds. Shay Shalev claimed the men's shot put with a throw of 16.23m and announced his retirement after clinching the title. Ma'ayan Forman recorded a new personal best of 1.80m to take the women's high jump title. "I didn't expect to finish in first position. I prayed and it happened," Forman said. "I was thinking of making a change in my life and leaving the athletics world to go and study, but now I know that my place is here and nowhere else." Daniel Charles contributed to this report