Margarita Kosinova capped off her performance at the Kazakhstan U-16 Athletics Championships with wins in both the 200 and 400 metres finals.
The competition took place at the Olympic Training Centre stadium, located about 20 kilometres from Almaty.
For 14-year-old Kosinova from Almaty, victory was expected — she has already proven her competitiveness beyond her age group. In May, she won gold in the 400 metres at the Kazakhstan U-18 Championships, competing against athletes born in 2008 and 2009.
So the real intrigue was how fast she would run now. Experts especially noted her time in the 200 metres — 25.52 seconds — which meets the Candidate for Master of Sport standard. And it’s worth repeating: she’s only 14.
It’s also encouraging to see promising new talent emerging in Kazakhstani women’s sprinting. On June 27, Kosinova took gold in a close contest with Yuliya Dyomkina from Karaganda Region, who finished second with 25.70 seconds.
Third place went to Milana Kim from Almaty with 27.06 seconds, narrowly beating Nadiya Kerimova from East Kazakhstan, who clocked 27.22.
A day earlier — on June 26 — Kosinova had already won the 400 metres, finishing in 57.97 seconds. She once again confirmed her dominance in the event, setting the pace for her competitors.
Silver in the 400m went to Darya Potocheskaya from East Kazakhstan Region (1:00.94), and bronze to Dayana Golovchenko from Zhambyl Region (1:01.34).
June 26 – Kazakhstan U-16 Athletics Championships – Girls’ 400 Metres
- Margarita Kosinova (Almaty) – 57.97
- Darya Potocheskaya (East Kazakhstan Region) – 1:00.94
- Dayana Golovchenko (Zhambyl Region) – 1:01.34
June 27 – Kazakhstan U-16 Championships – Girls’ 200 Metres
- Margarita Kosinova (Almaty) – 25.52
- Yuliya Dyomkina (Karaganda Region) – 25.70
- Milana Kim (Almaty) – 27.06
In the photo: The medalists of the U-16 girls' 200 metres final (left to right) — Yuliya Dyomkina, Margarita Kosinova, Milana Kim. The award ceremony was attended by Olga Shishigina, the 2000 Olympic champion in the women’s 100m hurdles.
