On 21 June at the Gennady Arzumanov Memorial in Tashkent, Kazakhstani sprinter Aleksandra Zalyubovskaya claimed first place in the women’s 200 metres, breaking her personal record on this distance, which had stood for more than three years.
At this international meet in memory of Uzbekistan’s honoured coach Gennady Arzumanov, the women’s 200 metres final drew particular attention due to a head-to-head showdown between Pavlodar’s Aleksandra Zalyubovskaya and Uzbekistan’s top sprinter, Zhonbibi Khukmova.
Both had posted the fastest times in the preliminary heats: Zalyubovskaya with 23.69, Khukmova with 24.08.
Khukmova proved she had more to give in the final—but Zalyubovskaya was ready for the challenge. She crossed the finish line first, improving on her own earlier time from just two hours prior. Zalyubovskaya’s final time was 23.61. Khukmova followed in second with 23.79, while another top Uzbek runner, Lailo Allabergenova, claimed third in 23.84. Almaty’s Viktoriya An finished fourth with 24.09—an improvement from her 24.24 in the heats.
However, this striking and confident win wasn’t all that marked Zalyubovskaya’s day on the track. On 21 June in Tashkent, she twice improved her personal best in the 200 metres—first in the heats, then in the final. Her previous record of 23.88 was set in Almaty over three years ago, in May 2022.
Incidentally, at the 26th Asian Championships in Gumi, South Korea, at the end of May, none of the Kazakhstani participants advanced to the 200 metres final. Judging by Zalyubovskaya’s current form, she likely could have made it—had she competed in that event.
In the photo: 21 June 2025, Tashkent. Women’s 200 metres podium ceremony. Aleksandra Zalyubovskaya stands on the top step.
