Russian athletics combined events team championships kick off in Kazan
The Russian Athletics Combined Events Team Championships 2018 launched today at the Central Stadium in Kazan. Russia’s best athletics teams will be contesting medals during three competition days. The Kazan tournament features a total of 96 athletes.
Each team includes 4 men and 4 women. Men are competing in decathlon (100 metres sprint race, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 metres, 110 metres hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, 1500 metres), and women – in heptathlon (100 metres hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 metres, long jump, javelin throw, 800 metres). The winning team is decided based on the sum up of the three best men and women's results.
Today was the first competition day. Maria Pavlova of the Republic of Tatarstan collected the largest number of points – 2730 – after competing in the women’s 100 metres hurdles, high jump and shot put. Aleksandra Butvina, representing the Rostov Oblast and Saint-Petersburg, is second with 2628 points. Marina Pshichkina gained 2531 and placed third.
The men’s tournament featured the 100 metres sprint race, 400 metres, long jump, high jump and shot put. Artyom Lukyanenko (Moscow, Rostov Oblast) leads Day 1’s standings with 4041 points. He's followed by Andrey Fomichev of the Kemerovo Oblast who placed second (3989). Evgeny Likhanov (Moscow, Krasnoyarsk Krai) is third with 3973 points. The Russian athletics combined events team championships is held annually under the umbrella of the Russian Athletics Federation.