The European Masters Athletics Championship ended in Izmir, where 2800 athletes from 47 countries competed for medals. Irkutsk athletes took part in such a tournament for the first time and won four medals, gold, two silver and bronze, despite extreme heat and difficult conditions. Vera Izmodenova stood out, winning gold in the team marathon and silver individually, as well as Nikolai Aptekarev and Yulia Yatsevich, who helped Russia succeed.

The European Athletics Championships for Masters athletes have concluded in Izmir, the third most populous city in Turkey. A total of 2,800 athletes from 47 countries took part in the international competition. A six-member team of track and field athletes from the Irkutsk Region decided to travel to the Turkish city of Izmir for the European Masters Championships.
The region was represented by athletes Dmitry Belikov, Nikolai Aptekarev, Yevgeny Goncharuk, Mikhail Lyakh, Yulia Yatsevich, and Vera Izmodenova. Dmitry Belikov, president of the Irkutsk Region Masters Athletics Federation, initially did not believe that any of our athletes would manage to get into the fight for medals. – “At the very least, they must fight for awards!” – Dmitry Valeryevich cautiously predicted. The tournament itself, as planned, took place from August 22 to 31. Everyone knew it would be hot in Turkey, but they were not prepared for the fact that in the morning at the stadium the temperature would already reach +36°C and during the competition rise to +50ºC. During the competition there were some setbacks: due to heatstroke, Dmitry Belikov was forced to miss the start of the 200-meter race, and our long-distance runner Vera Izmodenova was let down by her shoes, so she had to finish almost barefoot, in just socks. However, the athletes coped with all the difficulties, and this did not prevent them from performing with dignity. The Irkutsk Region team won 4 medals of various denominations at the championships. One gold, two silver, and one bronze medal.
“Track and field competitions are the most popular in the masters community. And the fact that the Irkutsk Region team won prize places, being at the European Championships for the first time, is an indicator of the high level of preparation of athletes in our region. I believe that many Russians and our fellow countrymen, seeing the athletes’ success, will join the masters sports movement. After all, this is a unique chance to see the world, make friends, and exchange invaluable experience with athletes from other countries,” said Dmitry Belikov, president of the Irkutsk Region Masters Athletics Federation.
In the 42 km 195 m marathon, Vera Izmodenova won gold in the team standings. In the same distance, Vera Izmodenova placed second in the individual competition. Nikolai Aptekarev won a silver medal. He successfully handled the 4x100 m relay as part of the Russian team. Yulia Yatsevich won bronze in the 4x100 m relay as part of our country’s team. It is also worth noting Yulia Yatsevich’s good performance, Dmitry Belikov says, who managed to reach the final in the 100-meter race and took fifth place. Mikhail Lyakh, competing in the pole vault, showed an excellent result in qualification, with a jump of 3 meters 20 centimeters. If he had repeated this result in the final, our team would have had another prize-winning place, but alas, the heat unusual for Siberians greatly interfered here. In addition, Dmitry Belikov managed to reach the semifinals in the 100 m sprint. According to Dmitry himself, this is his personal success, and this distance is not his signature event in track and field. Based on the results of the championships in the overall team standings among the 47 participating countries, Russia took third place, and the athletes from the Irkutsk Region contributed to this success as well. Great Britain took second place. German athletes came first.
Based on materials from the press service of the Ministry of Physical Culture, Sports, and Youth Policy of the Irkutsk Region.