ByBrian Sacks, Brian Sacks
Hanna Knyazyeva-Minenko became the first-ever Israeli woman to reach a final in the IAAF World Athletics Championships when she qualified for the women’s triple jump final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
Knyazyeva-Minenko, 23, finished fourth in the event in the London Olympics last summer representing Ukraine with a leap of 14.56 meters. Since then she has emigrated to Israel to be reunited with her husband Anatoly Minenko, a former Israeli decathlon champion, and taken Israeli citizenship.
The last Israeli to reach a final in the World Athletics Championships was pole vaulter Alex Averbuch in Osaka in 2007.
Meanwhile, Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier Nathan Bloom, 15, cut his 800m time to 2:09.49, while team-mate Leo Kaye, 17, returned from injury to post a 100m PB of 11.61, at the Open Graded Meeting in Watford.
Highgate Harrier Ben Hatch, 15, reduced his 1500m best to 4:39.8 in the Southern League match at Parliament Hill while Maccabiah relay medallist Daniel Gubbay,15, came second in the 400m in the Eastern Young Athletes’ League meeting. Chelmsford, recording 54.9.