Qazathletics.kz draws special attention to several key women’s events at the Kazakhstan Athletics Cup, set to take place from June 26 to 28 in the Almaty Region.
100 and 200 Metres
The two shortest sprint events are attracting interest this year, particularly because one of Kazakhstan’s most renowned and decorated athletes, Viktoriya An, will be competing. This year, she returned to competition after a four-year break.
In fact, the 100 metres will mark her debut in this event for the current season. As for the 200 metres, Viktoriya has been improving her performance with each start. There’s a good chance the Kazakhstan Cup could turn out to be a real breakthrough for her. By the way, she now represents Astana.
High Jump
Though the lineup is small, it’s certainly worth watching. The high jump sector will feature 2022 World Indoor Championships bronze medallist Nadezhda Dubovitskaya and silver medallist of the 2023 and 2025 Asian Championships Yelizaveta Matveyeva. Among the rising stars, 19-year-old Faina Meirmanova is the one to watch. She’s expected to give Kazakhstan’s top high jumpers some serious competition.
Interestingly, all three athletes represent the East Kazakhstan Region.
Pole Vault
In this event, fans hope the rivalry between two athletes from Almaty – Anna Cherkashina and Polina Ivanova – will push both to new personal bests, potentially leading to the best Kazakhstani performances in women’s pole vault in recent years.
In May, 17-year-old Anna Cherkashina cleared 4.05 metres, setting a new national record across three age groups – under 18, under 20, and under 23. Meanwhile, 22-year-old Polina Ivanova placed third at an international pole vault event in Korea in mid-June, once again matching her personal best of 4.00 metres.
Hammer Throw
In the women’s hammer throw, the spotlight will undoubtedly be on 23-year-old Anastasiya Kaloshina. In recent years, she has been living and training in Belarus, where she recently set a new Kazakhstan national record with a throw of 63.80 metres. Last year, Kaloshina won both of the country’s major domestic competitions – the national championship and the Kazakhstan Cup – and was the top local performer at the traditional Gusman Kosanov Memorial. It’s safe to say that she has even bigger ambitions for this season.
In the photo: pole vaulter Faina Meirmanova from East Kazakhstan.
