Yevgeniy Labutov claimed victory in the men’s discus throw on June 28 at the Kazakhstan Athletics Cup, held at the Olympic Training Centre stadium in Almaty Region.
Labutov’s win was expected. What truly mattered was the result he delivered. His best throw of the day reached 58.70 metres — his top mark since resuming his competitive career in 2021.
Representing Mangystau Region, Labutov had placed second less than a week earlier — on June 21 — at the Gennadiy Arzumanov Memorial in Tashkent with a throw of 56.53 metres. At the Kazakhstan Cup, he improved that by over two metres.
Notably, 58.70 came in Labutov’s fifth attempt. His other legal throws measured 53.87, 55.19, and 56.18 metres.
Second place went to Ivan Ivanov of East Kazakhstan Region, who threw 53.43 metres. The 33-year-old is Kazakhstan’s top shot putter and is inching closer to the Master of Sport standard in discus, which stands at 54.00 metres.
Bronze went to 34-year-old Alexander Mamontov from Almaty, a seasoned and well-known athlete, with a throw of 52.53 metres.
What makes Labutov’s performance even more remarkable is that he’s also an active coach. At 40 years old, he continues to set an example for his athletes by improving his own results. In fact, with his 58.70 mark, he would have placed fourth at the 2025 Asian Championships in Gumi — just shy of the bronze medal, which went to Malaysia’s Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin with 58.82 metres.
June 28 – Kazakhstan Cup in Athletics – Men’s Discus Throw
- Yevgeniy Labutov (Mangystau Region) – 58.70
- Ivan Ivanov (East Kazakhstan Region) – 53.43
- Alexander Mamontov (Almaty) – 52.53
In the photo: Medal ceremony for men’s discus throw (left to right) – Ivan Ivanov, Yevgeniy Labutov, Alexander Mamontov. Medals presented by Kazakhstan Athletics Federation President Olga Rypakova.
