Irina Mikitenko
Mikitenko (born Irina Wolynskaja; born August 23, 1972 in Bakanas in Almaty region ) is a German long-distance runner Kazakh origin. She twice won the London Marathon and even the Berlin Marathon.
Life
Mikitenko turned at the age of 14 years, the long-distance running to. Under her birth name Wolynskaja they competed for Kazakhstan at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta in 5000 -meter run and retired there in the flow. Since she has German ancestors, they moved in 1996 as Spätaussiedlerin with her husband to Hesse.
In 1998, she became German champion in the 10,000 meter race and won the Trier New Year's run. The following year, she broke the 5000 -meter run first with 14:54,32 min the record of Kathrin Weßel, German champion was over this distance, improved in fourth at the World Athletics Championships in 1999 in Seville their record to 14:50, 17 min and placed shortly afterwards on 7 September 1999 in Berlin with 14:42,03 record the min current German on.
A year later she became German champion in cross country, defended their national titles over 5000 meters, broke on 11 August 2000 in Zurich with 8:30,39 min the 17 years old record over 3000 meters of Brigitte Kraus and was at the Olympic Games Sydney 2000 Fifth over 5000 meters. The same place over the same distance she finished in the following year at the World Championships in Edmonton. Also her personal best in the 10,000 meters originates ( 31:29,55 min) from the year 2001.
In 2003, she presented as the winner on the Paderborn Easter Run with 31:28 min the then German record in the 10 - km road race and won the Bietigheimer New Year's run. In the 2004 Olympics she finished seventh over 5000 meters.
After a maternity leave, she returned back to the 2006 competition scene and became German champion in the 5000 and 10,000 meters. At the European Championships in Gothenburg she finished ninth, one place behind their Dauerkonkurrentin Mockenhaupt. This could, however, suggest a short time later, as both gave her half marathon debut at the Cologne Marathon.
In 2007, she was behind Benita Johnson second in the Berlin Half Marathon in her personal best time of 1:09:46 h on September 2, 2007, she was in love Bad Zell German Half Marathon champion in 1:10:03 h at 30 September 2007 were them in the Berlin marathon debut over this distance. She was with a time of 2:24:51 h Second and qualified immediately for the marathon of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. This was the fastest marathon debut a German runner of all time.
In 2008 she presented initially at Paderborn Easter Run 1:08:51 h with a course record and a personal best in the half marathon. Then they won on 13 April at the London Marathon in 2:24:14 h and improved the nine -year-old German record by Katrin Dorre - Heinig. Because of a persistent pelvic injury she said on 1 August 2008 from its start in the Olympics. After her recovery she secured 13 September 2008 in Karlsruhe, the German champion in the 10-km road race. With her winning time of 30:57 min, they improved the held of her German record by 31 seconds, and at the same time occupied the first place in the annual global leaderboard. On September 28, 2008, she won the Berlin Marathon and thereby enhanced their own German record by almost five minutes to 2:19:19 h, this was tantamount to rank four of the global leaderboard.
On November 2, 2008 was $ Mikitenko awarded after Gete Wami and the rating spearheaded jointly, each with 65 points after the completion of the 2007/ 08 series, the jackpot of the World Marathon Majors ( WMM) in the amount of $ 500,000. The balance in favor Mikitenko was the fact that she gained her points in just three races over four of its predecessor.
In 2009, she started in March with a third place at the half-marathon Roma - Ostia in 1:11:01 h in the competitive season. On April 11, she won as last year with the Paderborn Easter Run, this time on the 10 - km route in 31:22 min. Two weeks later, she again won the London Marathon in a time of 2:22:11 hours with a minute ahead of Mara Yamauchi. Then Mikitenko was considered Mitfavoritin for victory in the marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in 2009. However, a few days before the event, she said from their participation. After her father's death two weeks earlier she could not concentrate on their training and stated therefore no longer possess the necessary form for a start at the world championships. Instead, they took two months later at the Chicago Marathon, where she finished in 2:26:31 hours in second place. Thus it secured again the overall victory in the WMM series.
In 2010 she was the London Marathon after the first half of the race because of pain in the foot. A month later she won the Austrian Women's Run. At the Chicago Marathon she finished fifth.
In the Netherlands Mikitenko won the 2011 10 km of the Parelloops. At the London Marathon she finished seventh and second in Berlin. 2012 it reached London again the seventh. At the Olympic Games in London, she came to be the best German in 14th place in 2013 she launched the Tokyo Marathon and finished third. At the Berlin Marathon in the same year they participated as third place with 2:24:54 h a world record in the class of more than 40 years on.
Mikitenko is 1.58 m tall, weighs 49 kg and is married to her coach Alexander Mikitenko, with whom she has two children. Her father was Leonid participants of the Summer Olympics in 1968 in Mexico City with a best time of 13:36 minutes over 5000 meters.
Mikitenko launched for the TV Gelnhausen (until 1998), LG Eintracht Frankfurt (1999-2005 ), TV Wattenscheid (2006-2010), Sports Club Gelnhausen (2011 /12) and again LG Eintracht Frankfurt (since 2013). For 2008, she was awarded by the German Athletics Association award athlete of the year. The title runner of the year they won in 2013.