Andrey Kravchenko and Marina Arzamasova won gold medal in the European Athletics Championships-2014
Andrey Kravchenko’s victorious score of 8,616 points was just one point smaller than his personal best. Following the results of the rounds, the Belarusian was 95 points ahead of the silver medallist, Frenchman, Kevin Mayer. The bronze went to Russia’s Ilya Shkurenev. The German all-rounder, Kai Kazmirek, who was in the lead for a long time, did not manage to preserve his position over the last few events and ended in 6th place.
Andrey Kravchenko celebrates after the 1,500 metre event of the men’s decathlon
The 2008 Olympic silver winner did not start the games in Zürich confidently, lying in 23rd place after the 100m sprint, even though his finishing time was his best this season. He finished 5th in the long jump and 4th in the shot-put, setting a new personal best. In the following discipline — the high jump — Kravchenko surpassed the competition with the best result of the European Championships, and adding 1,012 points to his total. However, he was less successful in the final event of the day, the 400m, where he finished 20th. At the close off the day, Andrey sat in 2nd place.
Andrey Kravchenko competes in the men’s long jump decathlon discipline
The new day started with the 110m hurdles. Kravchenko took 7th place, while in the following event, the discus, he was third. Then the weather brought an alteration to the remaining events for the participants. During the pole vault, the organisers were compelled to twice interrupt the event — once because of rain, and again because of strong wind. When they could finally restart, Kravchenko managed to improve on the height which he had set before the enforced break, managing a height of 5m 10cm, taking 5th place, and becoming the leader on points. The future champion of Europe won the javelin, breaking another personal record. In his final event — 1,500m — he finished 14th; however it was enough to keep his advantage, and the gold medal.
In former years, Andrey Kravchenko’s best decathlon result at the European Championships was third position in Barcelona.
Marina Arzamasova celebrates here victory in the European Athletics Championships
In the European Athletics Championships, held in Zürich, Belarusian athlete, Marina Arzamasova, took gold in the final of the 800 metres with a time of 1 minute 58.15 seconds. Marina achieved not only a new personal best, but also the fastest time of the season in Europe. Silver place was won by Britain’s Lindsay Sharp, with Poland’s Joanna Jozvik taking the bronze.
Marina Arzamasova’s gold was the second for the Belarus team at the European Championships, which took 10th place in the overall medal standings with its two gold medals.
