On 21 June, Kazakhstan’s Vitaly Zems was the fastest in the 200 metres final at the Gennady Arzumanov Memorial in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
The Karaganda sprinter took to the track twice that day in one of the key events of this international competition, held in memory of Uzbekistan’s honoured coach Gennady Arzumanov.
First, Zems posted the best time in the preliminary heats—21.10 seconds. Just a couple of hours later, he stepped up the pace in the final, claiming victory with a time of 20.88. He faced stiff competition from Turkey’s Batuhan Altintas, who finished in 20.91—just two hundredths of a second behind. Umid Nabiev placed third with 21.53 seconds.
The final also featured two more athletes from Uzbekistan, along with one competitor each from Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. In total, 18 athletes competed in the 200 metres, including the heats.
Notably, both of Zems’ performances in Tashkent outpaced his previous efforts at the 26th Asian Championships held in Gumi, South Korea, in late May. There, he ran 21.38 in the prelims to advance to the semifinals, where he improved to 21.25—but that wasn’t enough to reach the final eight.
However, with his Tashkent time, Zems would have comfortably made the final at the Asian Championships. Also worth noting: 20.88 isn’t just his best time of 2025—it’s a new personal record.
In the photo: 21 June 2025, Gennady Arzumanov Memorial, Tashkent. No. 114 – Vitaly Zems.
