Ashgabat athlete Valentina Meredova updated the national record of Turkmenistan in the 60-meter sprint race, bringing it to 7,44 seconds.
Meredova achieved such a high result at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tehran. This figure permitted her to enter the top six strongest sprinters on the continent, writes the “Neutral Turkmenistan” newspaper.
It is worth noting that the new record surpassed Valentina’s previous achievement, set almost 7 years ago, by 0,03 seconds. In 2017, at the V Asian Games in Ashgabat, she showed a result of 7,47 seconds, taking seventh place.
According to the Chairman of the Athletics Federation of Turkmenistan Hajimyrat Rahmanov, other athletes of the national team also distinguished themselves in the 60-meter sprint race:
• Alisher Sadullayev 6,94 seconds • Lukman Gurbandurdiyev 6,98 sec • Enejan Esenova 8,06 sec
In the men's 800 m race, Pena Babaniyazov set a personal best of 1 minute 57,44 seconds.
According to Rahmanov, the main international competitions for Turkmen track and field athletes are still ahead. The results of these competitions will determine the participation of athletes in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
In March-April, the national team will take part in training camps in Tashkent. Master classes by Olympic champions Dilshod Nazarov and Andrey Abduvaliyev in hammer throwing are planned.
The main contender for participation in the Olympics from Turkmenistan is the master of sports Mergen Mammedov. His personal and national record in the hammer throw, set in 2012, is 74,01 m. According to Rahmanov, Mammedov is in excellent shape, and the help of eminent mentors will serve as an additional incentive in preparing for the Games.
Qualifying tournaments will be held in May in Tashkent. In June, the Republic of Korea will host the Asian Athletics Championships in the push and throw disciplines (hammer, shot, discus, etc.), where Mergen Mammedov will try to fulfill the Olympic standard and win a ticket for Turkmenistan.
Valentina Meredova, as well as sprinter Alisher Sadullayev, also have a chance to make it to the Olympics. They will also take part in the upcoming competitions.