The athletics competitions at the VI National Youth Games kicked off on June 19 with the women’s 20-kilometre race walk — the first set of medals to be contested.
The events are taking place in the Almaty region at the Olympic Training Center stadium. Athletes are all under 23 years old, meaning born in 2003 or later.
The women’s 20 km race walk around the stadium began at 7:45 a.m. Only three athletes were entered in this discipline, and the results unfolded as expected.
First to finish was 20-year-old Yasmina Toksanbayeva from Almaty — the bronze medallist at the recent Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. She completed the 20 km distance in 1 hour, 41 minutes, and 13.43 seconds. In second place was 18-year-old Sabrina Arziyeva, also from Almaty, finishing in 1:58:27.33. Third was 18-year-old Inkar Ganikyzy from Almaty region with a time of 2:16:00.22.
It can be assumed that the lack of strong competition somewhat influenced Yasmina Toksanbayeva’s performance. Nevertheless, she demonstrated her level well. Her result exceeds the Master of Sport standard. Expectations may have been higher for Sabrina Arziyeva, who set a new junior national record and met the Master of Sport standard at the “winter” national championships in March — though that was over 10 kilometers.
This time, Sabrina completed the 20 km at the level of Second-Class Athlete. The bronze medallist of the Youth Games posted a Third-Class result — a rank given to those who complete the 20 km walk but do not meet higher standards.
Youth Games. Athletics. June 19. Women’s 20,000 meters walk:
- Yasmina Toksanbayeva (Almaty) – 1:41:13.43
- Sabrina Arziyeva (Almaty) – 1:58:27.33
- Inkar Ganikyzy (Almaty region) – 2:16:00.22
In the photo: June 19, 2025. Yasmina Toksanbayeva with her gold medal as Youth
