Opening Day of Russian Athletics Championships Concludes

(MENAFN) The opening day of the 2025 PSB Russian Track and Field Championships wrapped up on Thursday, featuring high-stakes sprints, long-distance races, and field competitions as more than 200 participants launched their pursuit of podium finishes at Kazan’s Central Stadium.

Yaroslav Tkalich secured victory in the men’s 100-meter dash, finishing in 10.15 seconds — just 0.05 seconds short of the Russian all-time best. In the women’s sprint, Yulia Karavaeva retained her national crown, recording a time of 11.16 seconds, mirroring her result from the previous year.

The first day also saw wins in field disciplines: Aliona Dubitskaya dominated the women’s shot put with an 18.21-meter throw, while Violetta Ignatyeva excelled in the discus event with a mark of 59.46 meters.

In the long-distance contests, Svetlana Aplackhina triumphed in the women’s 5,000 meters with a time of 15:12.87. On the men’s side, Vladimir Nikitin — a decorated distance athlete and multiple national record holder — captured the 5,000-meter title in 13:36.63.

The championship program spans 44 medal events continuing through Sunday, featuring over 200 competitors.

Petr Fradkov, president of the Russian Athletics Federation, stated that the competition acts not only as a pinnacle of national sport but also as a platform to support reentry into the global athletics community.

“Our aim is to demonstrate operational excellence, athlete readiness, and total compliance with every technical requirement that may be set before us,” he added.

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