On July 3, just two centimetres separated the winner and the runner-up in the men’s long jump at the Kazakhstan U-20 Athletics Championships, held at the Olympic Training Centre stadium in Almaty Region.
The event featured 14 athletes representing five regions – Pavlodar (3), East Kazakhstan (2), Akmola, North Kazakhstan, and Almaty Region – as well as the cities of Almaty (2), Astana, and Shymkent (3).
The battle for gold came down to two athletes from East Kazakhstan – Asan Azamatuly and Ivan Sening. Azamatuly took the lead with a 6.71-metre jump in his second attempt and held that position until the end. Sening came closest, reaching 6.69 metres in the fourth round. He attempted to surpass that in his remaining jumps, but both ended up at the same distance – 6.62 metres.
Asan Azamatuly specialises in the long jump, while Ivan Sening is a decathlete. The bronze went to Azamat Batyrbayuly from Almaty with a best of 6.51 metres. All three medalists achieved second-category qualification results.
Looking ahead, Azamatuly is listed on East Kazakhstan Region’s roster for the senior national athletics championships, set to take place next week – from July 10 to 12.
Kazakhstan U-20 Athletics Championships. Long Jump. Juniors
- Asan Azamatuly (East Kazakhstan Region) – 6.71
- Ivan Sening (East Kazakhstan Region) – 6.69
- Azamat Batyrbayuly (Almaty) – 6.51
