Hanna Knyazyeva-Minenko took the triple jump silver medal at the
World Athletics Championships in Beijing, for the finest ever success by a
female Israeli athlete. Defending champion Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia took
gold with a jump of 14.90m, while Knyazyeva-Minenko’s mark of 14.78m beat
Kazakhstan’s Olga Rypakova by a single cm. The jump was a personal best and
Israeli national record.
Knyazyeva-Minenko, 25, emigrated to Israel from the Ukraine two
years ago in order to marry Anatoly Minenko, a former decathlete she had met at
a training camp in Yalta. Minenko himself had moved to Israel from Khazakhstan
at the age of 10.
Knyazyeva-Minenko, representing the Ukraine, had placed 4th in the
Olympics in 2012, while the following year, wearing Israel’s colours, she
placed 6th in the last World Championships. Earlier this year she took bronze
in the European Indoor Championships.
Reflecting on her decision to change her nationality for love,
Knyazyeva-Minenko said, " People in Ukraine said there were lots of
problems, it’s dangerous, there’s conflict and war. But when we got married and
I came here, I was very surprised to see how different life is in Israel. I’m
very happy with Israelis, with Israel, and with our home in Tel Aviv.” After
winning the silver medal, she told Israeli President Reuven Rivlin of her
determination to stand on top of the rostrum. “I want to hear Hatikva —We’ll
get there soon.”
Whlie locally....
Eden Davis placed second in the 100m in the South
of the England U17 Championships at Ashford, recording 10.94. Matti Harris, 12,
set an 800m PB of 2:27.09 in taking victory in the Eastern Young Athletes’
League at Hendon.
