European Athletics (EAA) – News – How the women’s ‘Class of 2005’ fared as seniors

The 18th edition of the European Athletics Junior Championships took place in Kaunas, Lithuania, in 2005.

European Athletics looks back on how some of the Class of 2005 has fared since then, and the results prove that the European Athletics Junior Championships definitely provides a glimpse into athletics' crystal ball.

This article highlights some of the biggest success stories after these women graduated with honours from Kaunas.

 

Sprints

Russia’s 200m gold medallist Yuliya Chermoshanskaya of Russia carried her success to the next level and won another gold medal at the 2007 European Athletics U23 Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, and is currently a regular member of Russia’s international teams.

The bronze medallist Angel Morosanu, from Romania, switched over to hurdles two years later and proved her talent over the barriers by taking the 400m hurdles gold medal in Debrecen.

The 100m hurdles line-up that assembled in Kaunas can easily be dubbed as one of the finest in the last decade or so.

Belgium’s Eline Berings, who took the honours in the Lithuanian city went on to become European indoor champion in Torino in 2009, while Norway’s silver medallist Christina Vukicevic is among the best European runner over the hurdles today.

She has been setting national records regularly and won a bronze at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Paris in March.

Turkey’s Nevin Yanit failed to make it to the final in Kaunas but redeemed herself by taking the European title as a senior with a blistering national record of 12.63 in Barcelona last year.

Another star from the class of 2005, Zuzana Hejnová of the Czech Republic is arguably the best European over 400m hurdles today.

The gold medallist from Kaunas won the title at the SPAR European Team Championships in Stockholm last month with a national record 53.87 and improved that mark when she ran to 53.29at the Samsung Diamond League meeting in Paris earlier this month.

 

Endurance

Among the endurance runners, Romania’s Acunta Bobocel grabbed the headlines when she won the 3000m steeplechase in Kaunas and four years later she returned to the same venue and took another gold medal at the 2009 European Athletics U23 Championships.

 

Field Events

Svetlana Shkolina, the high jump winner, immediately stepped up to the higher level taking gold medal at the European U23 championships in Debrecen two years later.

The training partner of Ivan Ukhov continues to make rapid progress at the senior level and finished fourth at the World Indoor Championships in Doha last year.

German pole vaulter Silke Spiegelburg was the gold medallist in Kaunas and went on to win silver medals at two consecutive editions of the European Athletics Indoor Championships in 2009 and 2011; as well as taking another silver at European Athletics Championships in Barcelona last year.

Silkeburg’s compatriot Denise Hinrichs, the shot put winner at the same European Athletics Junior Championships, took the silver medal at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Debrecen two years later and – like Bobocel – confirmed that Kaunas is one of her favourite cities when she improved to a gold medal two years.

Hinrichs also claimed a silver at the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Torino.

One of the most remarkable success stories from the Class of 2005 has been that of Russia’s Mariya Abakumova.

She stunned many when she came up with a national record 70.78m to win the silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

A year later she once again finished on the podium at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin and she has continued to be one of the very best javelin throwers in the world ever since.

 

Heptathlon

Jessica Ennis announced her arrival at the international stage when she took the gold medal in Kaunas with a national junior record 5891. The Briton has never looked back since then and has gone on to become the face of 2012 Olympics in London.

After the disappointment of pulling out from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games due to an injury, Ennis has won almost everything the sport has to offer.

She followed her World Championships gold medal in Berlin with the European title in Barcelona and the world indoor title in Doha last year and she lead the world rankings in 2009 and 2010 as well.

Estonia’s Ksenija Balta finished third in heptathlon in Kaunas but has since decided to concentrate on individual events and won the European Athletics Indoor Championships long jump title in Torino two years ago.

 

Walk

Russia’s Vera Sokolova, the 10km walk winner in Kaunas, claimed a bronze at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona last year.

However, it’s 2011 that is proving to be a historical year in her career.

She clocked a 20km walk world record of 1:25:08 at the Russian Winter Walking Championships in Sochi and also claimed the European Cup Race Walking title in the Portuguese town of Olhao in May.

The question remains, and one that will get resolve just a few weeks from now, how many of the Class of 2005 be on the podium at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, later this month.

 

European Athletics (EAA) – News