Continuing her European tour, Kazakhstani high jumper Kristina Ovchinnikova took part in the international competition "Konopacka Warsaw Classic" held in the Polish capital, Warsaw.
The event took place on Sunday, June 22. The "Konopacka Warsaw Classic" holds a high "C" category, as assigned by World Athletics – the global governing body for athletics. Moreover, the competition is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour and has a bronze level status.
The women's high jump at the "Konopacka Warsaw Classic" featured 9 athletes. The most well-known among them were Ukraine’s Yuliya Levchenko and Michaela Hruba from the Czech Republic, both 27 years old. Levchenko’s resume includes a World Championship silver medal, as well as silver and bronze from European Indoor Championships. Hruba, in turn, is a former champion at both the U18 and U20 World Championships. Among the potential podium contenders was also 24-year-old Kristina Ovchinnikova from Kazakhstan. The remaining six participants were from Poland.
Two of the trio of favorites indeed made it onto the podium. Levchenko claimed victory with a jump of 1.92 meters. Ovchinnikova took second place with a routine result of 1.85. Kristina cleared 1.74 and 1.78 on her first attempts, then managed 1.82 on her second try, and succeeded at 1.85 on her first go. The next height, 1.88, proved insurmountable after three attempts. Third place went to Alicja Wysocka of Poland, who also cleared 1.85 but needed one more attempt than Ovchinnikova. Czech athlete Michaela Hruba finished fourth with 1.82.
It’s worth noting that this was already the sixth European competition for the Kazakhstani athlete since May 10. Previously, she competed in three events in Germany, as well as in Cyprus and Greece. Her best performance came in Greece on June 1, where she won with a jump of 1.90.
In the photo: June 22, Warsaw. Yuliya Levchenko (left) and Kristina Ovchinnikova.
