SPORTSLINE

SOCCER

In its most recent match, Ukraine's World Cup team left its Group Nine qualifying chances in a holding pattern, settling for a 0-0 tie with European Champion Germany.

On June 7, the blue and yellows took to the field at Kyiv's Olympic Stadium before 50,000 spectators, hoping to make up for a damaging 1-1 tie with fifth-place Armenia on May 7, but again failed to capitalize on home advantage.

The Germans could play it safe, since they have played two fewer games than Ukraine and had comfortably won their home meeting between the two teams (2-0, in Bremen in April). And play it safe they did, allowing the Ukrainians to control the center pitch, but stifling most attacks before they neared the penalty area.

The Ukrainians gave their visitors a heart-stopping moment (and their fans a thrill) just before half-time, however. At the 44th minute, Andrii Shevchenko intercepted a Martin Basler relay and sprung striker Serhii Rebrov with a pass. Rebrov rang a 50-foot blast off the post.

To their credit, the Ukrainians did hold the potent German offense in check, not giving ace Jurgen Klinsmann much room to maneuver or opportunities to score. His only chance came early in the first half when he headed a ball wide of netminder Oleksander Shovkovskyi's goal.

Possible reasons for Ukraine's lack of potency in offense? The side played without captain Yurii Kalytvyntsev, who suffered extreme kidney pains on the eve of the game; Dynamo Kyiv striker Vitalii Kosovskyi, who underwent surgery on his leg the day before; Odessa Chornomorets midfielder Timerlan Guseinov, out with a leg injury; and Hennadii Orbu, who was kicked off the team by coach Joszef Sabo for dissent.

In other Group Nine news, also on June 7, Portugal won a home match against Albania, 2-0. The Portuguese have only one game in hand, which makes them less of a threat.

Nevertheless, the Kyiv-based side is now no longer in control of its fate. It has a home match against Albania (August 20) and an away game against Armenia (November 11). It obviously needs to win both, and preferably by wide goal margins. If Ukraine fails to win, the early qualifying successes will have gone for naught.

Everything depends on Germany's results in matches against Northern Ireland (on August 20 in Northern Ireland) and Portugal (September 6 in Germany). If both can hold the powerful Teutons to a tie, and both have already done so, this improves Ukraine's chances for a first-place tie. Even so, the Germans thus far have a much better goal differential (11-4, to Ukraine's 7-6), so this would likely work in the three-time World Cup champions' favor.

Best strategy: root for a glorious Irish upset on August 20.

Group Nine standings, as of June 8
	GP	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Ukraine	8	4	1	2	7	6	14
Germany	6	3	2	0	11	4	12
Portugal	7	3	3	1	9	2	12
North. Ireland	7	1	4	2	5	5	7
Armenia	6	0	5	1	4	8	5
Albania	6	0	1	5	3	12	1

TRACK AND FIELD

Long-time world beating pole vaulter Sergey Bubka recently reappeared in competition after a 10-month fallow period. At a Grand Prix event in Helsinki on June 18, the Donetsk-born world record holder finished fifth with a height of 5.60 meters. Riaan Botha of South Africa won the event with a mark of 5.90 meters, almost a full nine inches under the record of 6.14 meters (20 feet, 1.75 inches) established by Mr. Bubka in Italy in 1994.

Mr. Bubka had been slated to return to the field at the June 1 "World's Best" competition in Toronto (featuring the showdown between Canada's Donovan Bailey and U.S. sprinter Michael Johnson), but the Ukrainian withdrew due to injury.

The 33-year old, 33-time record setter has been plagued with serious ailments of the Achilles' tendon and back for about two years, and pulled out prior to last year's Olympic games in Atlanta due to related problems.

Mr. Bubka maintained his performance a few weeks later, on June 25 at the Gaz de France meet in Paris, where he finished fourth, also with a vault of 5.60 meters.

* * *

Tetiana Tereshchuk won the 400-meter hurdles at the Zipfer Grand Prix in Linz, Austria, on July 9, with a time of 54.83 seconds over Gudrun Asmadottir of Iceland. This was not her season's best time however. That came when she finished third in a time of 54.41 behind the winner, Jamaica's Deon Hemmings (53.18, the second fastest time posted this season) four days earlier, at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway.

On July 2 at the Atletissima competition in Lausanne, Switzerland, Ms. Tereshchuk clocked 54.54 in coming second to Ms. Hemmings (53.77).

Inga Babakova won the women's high jump event in two meets in succession. The first gold came at the June 25 Paris meet, where she cleared a height of 1.99 meters (the third highest achieved so far this year), withstanding a strong challenge from a group of Russian and Romanian competitors. In Lausanne, she overcame not only her competition, but erratic winds as well, taking the event with a height of 1.92 meters. Ms. Babakova is currently second in the world in the International Amateur Athletics Federation's season point standings for her event.

Zhanna Pintusevych has been on the podium twice thanks to her efforts in the 100-meter sprint, placing third behind the U.S. superstar tandem of Gail Devers and Marion Jones. In the Lausanne final that featured this season's top times, she finished 0.08 of a second behind Ms. Devers (10.89), who edged Ms. Jones by 0.01.

Shotput's 1996 Olympic bronze medalist, Oleksander Bohach, took the gold on June 5, at the Golden Gala competition in Rome, with a throw of 20.91 meters that bested Kevin Toth of the U.S., and Germany's Sven Buder.

Also at that meet, in the women's shot put, Viktoria Pavlysh (fourth at the Atlanta Olympics) finished second, with a heave covering 20.24 meters, behind Ms. Kumbernuss's 20.34. Ms. Pavlysh would probably prefer if the German simply went away. The Ukrainian has been second to her counterpart three times this season.

Ms. Pavlysh took gold in her event at the Znamensky Memorial meet in Moscow on June 8, with a distance of 19.59 meters, because Ms. Kumbernuss wasn't there. However, Valentyna Fedyushina was, and she took bronze with a toss of 18.20 meters.

In the women's triple jump, world record holder Inessa Kravets has been sighted just as rarely as Mr. Bubka. In only her second appearance this season Ms. Kravets took fourth at the Gaz de France meet facing a relatively thin field. Olena Hovorova has been more visible. She placed second in Lausanne (14.39 meters) and was fourth in Linz.

In the "soldiering on" department, Vitalii Sidorov has seemingly established a lock on ninth place in the world discus throw standings, as he's ended up in that position for four meets running by consistently topping 58 meters (season best 59.5). Hard to argue with top-10 consistency.

Another honorable mention is Andrii Bulkovskyi who finished last (ninth) in the 800-meter final of the Znamensky games, with a time of 1:47.83 (winner: David Kiptoo of Kenya, 1:44.57), and seventh in a field of 15 in Paris, with a time of 3:39.32 (winner: El Gueraj of Marrakesh, 3:31.87, in an upset of Moroccan star Noureddine Moricelli).

- compiled by Andrij Kudla Wynnyckyj

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, July 27, 1997, No. 30, Vol. LXV

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