The Universiade 2013 Herald
U are the World
Monday, July 8, 2013
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THE STRONGEST ATHLETES CROSSED THEIR SWORDS Ilnaz FAZULLIN
Frankly, despite uncertainty about the rules of fencing, this sport attracts visitors with its aristocratism. Imagine living in the ancient times, when people had to defend themselves from enemies with a sword. Now times have changed, and the swords are in the women’s hands. But not to worry: they get their weapons only during competitions, and put on special equipment beforehand. Over the upcoming days in the Kazan Equestrian Complex Indoor Hall will be decided who the best fencers are. “These world-level competitions are the first to take place in Kazan and in Russia. That is why everyone should come see them. I’ve already bought tickets to fencing competitions, volleyball matches, wrestling, rowing and basketball. Maybe my children will like watching, and they will start doing these sports,” said Iliya Shamsutdinov. He came to watch competitions with his three children. The number of fencers at these summer games is outstanding.
BY THE WAY Fencing is in Universiade program since 1959. In 2011 in China the biggest number of medals among fencers were gained by the representatives of Ukraine. On individual championship Kamila Gafurzyanova from Kazan won the gold medal. In a team tournament among foil fencers the Russian national team with Elena Shasharina from Kazan won the bronze medals.
12 sets of medals will be divided among athletes of 49 countries. Participants will fence with foils, swords and sabers. The first medals were administered yesterday. Kamil Ibragimov from Russia won the sabre fencing competition. Alam Shin from South Korea won a gold medal in the épée fencing competition for women. Photo by Ramil GILVANOV.
VOLLEYBALL
OVERVIEW
Medal Count Begins Iliaz FAZYLOV
(woman’s, 78 kg, Brazil), Cho Guham (men’s, 100 kg, South Korea).
Yesterday, the first medals found their owners.
ATHLETICS
ROWING
In the shot putting Russian athletes (Alex Lesnoy - 1st place, Valery Kokoyev - 3rd place) were joined at the podium, by Indian Inderzhet Singh who took the silver medal. Among the women’s 10,000m race winners were two Japanese athletes: Ayuko Suzuki got the 1st place (32 min 54.17 sec) and Mai Tsude took 3rd place. Alina Prokopieva (Russia) became the silver medalist.
Despite the fact that the hot weather has created some difficulties for the athletes, competitions were well organized. Yesterday the names of the first rowing champions became known. Rowers from Germany won two gold and one silver medals in three disciplines.
Liliya ZAGIDULLINA
Russia’s first opponent in volleyball was the team of South Korea. Saint-Petersburg Sports Complex was filled with fans. The cry “Go on Russia!” rang out from the stands. The support of the fans bore fruit, the Russian players, who at first were losing to the Koreans, defeated them with the score 3:0. The South Korean head coach, Chankho Kim talked to us after the match: “In our team we have two professional athletes, but this time, the Russian squad was stronger than us. Their players are very tall and they hit the ball well. Maksim Zhigalov plays especially well. I enjoyed this match. I think we took the right strategy.” The head coach of Russian national team, Sergey Shlyapnikov noted that the first game is always a hard one. In order to get used to the tactics of the Asian players, a friendly match was specially organized.
“At first they lost their nerve, but then they adapted to our play,” said the coach, explaining the early difficulties of the Russian team. The US and Estonian men’s teams were also competing on that day. The game ended with the score of 3:0 in favor of the Estonians. This astonished the audience. “The match was a huge surprise. We didn’t thing that the US team could be beaten so easily,” said Ilsur, one of the spectators. Another two strong teams that met on the volleyball ground are the teams of China and Brazil. The score was 3:0 in favor of the Brazilians. Incidentally, the men’s volleyball teams of Brazil won the bronze at the Universiades of 2009 and 2011.
Ksenia Afanasyeva, Anna Dementieva, Aliya Mustafina, Tatiana Nabiyeva and Maria Paseka Apiary in the women’s team gained another gold for Russia.
WEIGHTLIFTING Chinese athlete Xiao Hongyu set two Universiade records in the 48 kg weight category. First she lifted an 85kg barbell. Then she managed a weight of 87 kg. As a result, she won the gold in her weight category. Hu Jingu from China won the gold in the men’s 56 kg weight category. And Yagi Kanae from Japan became the winner in the 53 kg weight category.
BADMINTON Badminton finals were played. Interestingly, all medalists were from Asian countries. In first place is South Korea, in the second is China, and in joint third were Thailand and Taiwan.
BASKETBALL The men’s basketball games began. Previous Universiade champions, the Serbian team, defeated Mongolia with a score of 110:56. The US Basketball team defeated the United Arab Emirates with 140:46.
JUDO Photo by Ramil GILVANOV.
GYMNASTICS
Gold medalists in judo are Jo Abigail (woman’s, 78 kg, Vegra), Lucas Krpalek (men’s - 100 kg, Czech Republic), Nunes Rochelle
PHOTO BY RAMIL GILVANOV.
Surprises in the preliminary rounds
WOMEN’S DOUBLES 1 Lithuania 7:17.43 2 Belarus 7:24.63 3 Ukraine 7:29.84 WOMEN’S SINGLES 1 Natalia Dovgodko (Ukraine) 8:16.68 2 Jitka Antosova (Czech Republic) 8:17.01 3 Elza Gulbe (Latvia) 8:23.32 MEN’S FOUR WITHOUT COXSWAIN: 1 Germany 6:27.51 2 Italy 6:30.56 3 Russia 6:37.01 WOMEN’S LIGHTWEIGHT DOUBLES 1 Belarus 7:49.83 2 Germany 7:57.98 3 Russia 8:00.66 MEN’S FOUR WITHOUT COXSWAIN AT LIGHTWEIGHT: 1 Germany 6:46.41 2 France 6:49.17 3 Japan 6:50.83
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The Universiade 2013 Herald
Monday, July 8, 2013
VIEW Questions by Ilnaz FAZULLIN
ALEXANDER ZHUKOV, PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
There are many Olympic champions in the Russian team at the Universiade. Will they find taking part easier than athletes who have not received this highest award? “Many teams have Olympic champions, not just us Russians. This confirms a team’s strength. Just look at the American and Chinese selections. The Russian team has a chance of victory. But we must not forget that worthy contenders have come from other countries. The fight will not be easy. What event are you planning to visit at the Student Games? “I have already been to several competitions. I can’t assure you that I will watch every game from the start till the end, but I plan to see a few more sports in the final days of the competition.” What are your impressions of the city? “I think all the guests appreciate the beauty of Kazan, which has been carefully prepared to a high standard for the Games. In the future, international competitions in athletics, weightlifting and ice-hockey may be held here, as well as in many other kinds of sports. The level of interest in sports, here in Tatarstan, is just unparalleled.”
MARAT SAFIN, A WINNER OF THE DAVIS CUP, RUSSIAN HONORED MASTER OF SPORTS AND FORMER WORLD TENNIS NUMBER 1.
Do you often come to Kazan, and what are your favorite places in the town? “Unfortunately, I cannot be here very often. The last time was 2 or 3 years ago. At that time the city was an enormous construction site. Today Kazan has turned into a splendid city. This has redefined the image of the city and the Tatar Republic. If living standards in the city can reach European or American levels, it will be easier to attract foreign tourists to the city.” What do you feel during the Universiade? You’ve just ended your tennis career, would you like to get back onto the court? “Not really, right now I feel comfortable being off the court. The Universiade is a delightful holiday for me. The preparations are impressive. I think it is going to be fun.” Are you planning to visit any competitions? Which team do you support? “Unfortunately, I have to leave, but I will be cheering for the Russian team. It does not matter what the sport is, the main thing is to win. Judging by the preparations, we should exceed all expectations.”
Shamil TARPISHCHEV:
“I’M NOT WORRIED.” Jaudat ABDULLIN
Shamil Tarpishchev, member of the executive board of the Russian Olympic committee and the International Olympic Committee, president of the Russian Tennis Federation and the head coach of the Russian national tennis team, was in Kazan for a short time. Today, he’s already on his way back to Paris, yet he found time yesterday evening to talk with his charges from the Russian national team and he was also able to sit down with The Universiade Herald. Shamil Anvyarovich, in the winter you announced the possibility that Maria Kirilenko, would join the Russian national team. Why didn’t it go through? “Injuries, injuries, unfortunately. They also prevented Ekaterina Makarova from come to this event. Instead, Margarita Gasparyan will play. All the other Kazan tennis players, like Ekaterina Yashina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Elena Vesnina, are in the selection. Also, there are male players taking part who are familiar to local fans from their performances at the Kazan Cup international tournament, such as Konstantin Kravchuk, Andrey Kuznetsov, Evgeny Donskoy and Victor Baluda.” At the last Universiade, in general, the Asian tennis players emerged as leaders, especially the Thai players. Are they Russia’s main rivals in Kazan? “Well, don’t forget about the powerful U.S. squad, which has always
been famous for good tennis players. On the whole I am optimistic about the prospects for the Russian team at the start of the tournament in Kazan. The team ready for a hard fight. During construction, we chose the most suitable court surfaces for local conditions, and our players are best on courts these. With regard to the overall level of the opposition, we’ll find that out after the draw.” Are you worried? “What about? The upcoming draw? I see no reason to be worried. ‘Larissa, are you worried about the draw?’” he asks the head coach of the Russian student team, Larisa Savchenko-Neiland. “Not at all,” responds Larissa, without the slightest doubt. “I’m not worried either,” Tarpishchev continues. “Because our sportsmen aren’t going to play against each other, they have been separated in the play schedule.” The results of the recent tournament at Wimbledon, where Marion Bartoli, from France, met the German Sabine Lisicki in the final, once again demonstrating that surprises at tennis tournaments can occur even at the highest level. “Yes, before the start of Wimbledon, no one could have imagined this pair would become the finalists. There the organizers were over diligent with the court surface. But the great thing about tennis is that it’s unpredictable.”
8 JULY SPORT DISCIPLINE
PLACE
TIME
COMPETITION
ROUND/PHASE
Rowing
Rowing Centre
9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Men/Women
Final
Basketball
Basket Hall, Olymp Sport Hall, Miras Sports Complex, Biek Tau Sports Complex
10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Men/Women
Group phase
Boxing
Boxing Centre
12:00 pm – 5:15 pm
Men
Preliminary fights
12:00 pm – 8:10 pm
Women
Preliminary round, consolation round and final
Belt wrestling Ak Bars Wrestling Palace Water polo
Burevestnik Swimming Pool, Olymp Swimming Pool
12:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Men/Women
Group phase
Volleyball
Bustan Sports Complex, Zilant Sports Complex, Tulpar Sports Complex,Saint Petersburg Volleyball Centre
1:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Men/Women
Group phase
Judo
Tatneft Arena
10:00 am – 6:05 pm
Men/Women
Preliminary and consolation rounds, finals
Athletics
Central Stadium
9:00 am – 9:45 pm
Men/Women
Preliminary round, qualification, semi-final and final
Table tennis
Sport Palace
10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Men/Women (team round)
Preliminary round
Beach volleyball
Kazanka Beach Volleyball Centre
9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Women
Preliminary round
Diving
Aquatics Palace
11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Men/Women
Preliminary round, semi-final and final
Synchronized Aquatics Palace swimming
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Women (duet/ Final group)
Artistic gymnastics
Gymnastics Centre
10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Men (team round)
Subgroups 1,2,3 and 4
Tennis
Tennis Academy
9:00 am
Men/Women (individual)
Round 1
Weightlifting Ak Bure Sports Complex
12:30 pm – 9:15 pm
Women/Men
Final
Fencing
Kazan Equestrian Complex Indoor Hall
9:00 am – 8:35 pm
Men/Women
Preliminary round, quarterfinal, semi-final and final
Football
Olymp Stadium, Raketa Stadium, Rubin Stadium, Trudovye Reservy Stadium
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Men
Group phase
Field hockey
Field Hockey Centre
10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Men
Group phase
9 JULY SPORT DISCIPLINE
PLACE
TIME
COMPETITION
Badminton
Tennis Academy
8:00 am – 6:30 pm
Men/Women round, rounds 2 (duet, individual Preliminary and 3 round)
Basketball
Basket Hall, Olymp Sport Hall, Miras Sports Complex
10:00 am 9:00 pm
Men/Women
Group phase
Boxing
Boxing Centre
4:00 pm 9:00 pm
Men
Semi-final
10:00 am 9:00 pm
Men
Preliminary round, consolation round, semi-final and final
Belt Wrestling Ak Bars Wrestling Palace
ROUND/PHASE
Volleyball
Zilant Sports Complex, Tulpar Sports Complex,Saint Petersburg Volleyball Centre
3:00 pm 8:00 pm
Women
Group phase
Judo
Tatneft Arena
10:00 am 6:05 pm
Men/Women
Preliminary and consolation competitions, final
Athletics
Half Marathon and Walking Course, Central Stadium
8:00 am – 9:45 pm
Men/Women
Preliminary round, qualification, semi-final and final
Table tennis
Sport Palace
10:00 am 6:00 pm
Men/Women (team round)
Preliminary round/qualification round
Beach volleyball
Kazanka Beach Volleyball Centre
9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Men/Women
Preliminary round
Diving
Aquatics Palace
1:15 pm 5:35 pm
Men/Women
Preliminary round and semifinal
Synchronized swimming
Aquatics Palace
10:00 am 12:15 pm
Women (solo/ combi)
Final
Artistic gymnastics
Gymnastics Centre
Men/Women 1:30 pm -8:30 pm (Individual all around)
Tennis
Tennis Academy
9:00 am 2:00 pm
Men/Women (individual/duet) Rounds 1 and 2
Weightlifting
Ak Bure Sports Complex
1:00 pm 9:15 pm
Women/Men
Final
Fencing
Kazan Equestrian Complex Indoor Hall
9:00 am – 8:35 pm
Men/Women
Preliminary round, quarterfinal, semi-final and final
Football
pm Olymp Stadium, Raketa Stadium, Rubin 5:00 Stadium, Trudovye Reservy Stadium 8:00 pm
Women
Group phase
Field hockey
Field Hockey Centre
4:00 pm 6:00 pm
Women
Group phase
Chess
Kazan Equestrian Complex
4:00 pm
Women/Men
Final tournament
Final