At the Kazakhstan Athletics Cup, the gold medal in men’s pole vault went to a rising star who also set a new personal best.
The pole vaulters competed on June 27, the second day of the Kazakhstan Cup, currently being held at the Olympic Training Centre stadium in Almaty Region.
The official national team includes 33-year-old Danil Polyansky from Karaganda Region and 25-year-old Ivan Tovchenik from Almaty. The fact that they weren’t included in Kazakhstan’s squad for the Asian Championships in late May can reasonably be seen as a sign of insufficient competitiveness on the continental level.
The Kazakhstan Cup, then, was their chance to prove otherwise. Unfortunately, they didn’t make that case. Ivan Tovchenik failed on his opening height of 4.90 metres and then missed two more attempts at 5.00.
Danil Polyansky cleared 4.80 on his third try and then 5.00 on his first. He missed twice at 5.10, then passed his final attempt to 5.20 — which he also failed. Still, clearing 5.00 was enough to secure him the silver medal. Bronze went to 21-year-old Vladislav Garbuznyak from Almaty, whose best on the day was 4.90 metres.
The winner was 19-year-old Maxim Balabin, also from Almaty. He confidently cleared four successive heights — 4.60, 4.80, 5.00, and 5.10 — all on his first attempts. He was unable to clear 5.15, but still, his performance marked a significant step forward. The 5.10 mark is a new personal best, and the key now will be to avoid plateauing around that height.
June 27 – Kazakhstan Cup – Men’s Pole Vault
- Maxim Balabin (Almaty) – 5.10
- Danil Polyansky (Karaganda Region) – 5.00
- Vladislav Garbuznyak (Almaty) – 4.90
In the photo: Maxim Balabin – Kazakhstan Cup pole vault champion.
