Irina Mikitenko
Encyclopedia
Irina Mikitenko, née
Volynskaya ' onMouseout='HidePop("29729")' href="/topics/Bakanas">Bakanas
, Kazakh SSR
), is a Kazakhstan
-born German
long-distance runner
. She is a former winner of both the Berlin and London marathons.
at the 1996 Olympic Games, but failed to make the finals. Since she has German ancestors, she and her husband immigrated in 1996 to the German state of Hesse
.
In 1998, she became the German record holder in the 10,000 metres, and the year after, in the 5,000 metres. In the 5,000 metres, she bettered Kathrin Weßel
's time of 14:54.32 with her fourth-place time of 14:50.17 at the 1999 World Athletics Championships. On 7 September of the same year, she set the current German record of 14:42.03 minutes in Berlin
.
A year later, Mikitenko became the German champion in cross-country running, defending her national title over 5,000 metres. She won twice consecutively at Luxembourg
's prestigious Eurocross
meeting in 1999 and 2000. In August 2000, she broke the 17-year-old record of Brigitte Kraus
in the 3,000 metres
. She placed fifth in the 5,000 metres at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney
, and finished in the same position at the 2001 World Athletics Championships in Edmonton
.
In 2003, she won the Paderborner Osterlauf, a 10-km road-running
race in Germany
, finishing in a record time of 31:28 minutes. She also won the Bietigheimer Silvesterlauf race that year, and participated in the 5,000 metres at the 2004 Olympic Games.
, she placed ninth, one place behind long-time rival Sabrina Mockenhaupt
.
In 2007, she placed second behind Benita Johnson
in the Berlin Half Marathon
, achieving a personal-best time of 1:09:46 hours. In September 2007 she made her marathon
debut at the Berlin Marathon, finishing second and qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
In April 2008, at only her second international marathon, she won the women's London Marathon
in a time of 2:24:12. She withdrew from the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing due to hip problems causing pain whilst running on 1 August 2008. Healthy again, on 28 September, she improved her own German record at the Berlin Marathon
almost by five minutes to 2:19:19, making her number four on the women's marathon all-time list.
On 2 November 2008, Mikitenko won the jackpot prize of 500,000 $US of the World Marathon Majors
(WMM) for the best performer in New York, London, Chicago, Berlin and Boston within the last two years. After twelve competitions she was in a tie with Ethiopia's Gete Wami
with 65 points each, but was awarded the prize because she had competed in only three races, compared to Wami's four.
She repeated her performance at the London Marathon in 2009, finishing with a time of 2:22:11, one minute ahead of Britain's Mara Yamauchi
. Following the death of her father in July, Mikitenko struggled to find form in the build up to the 2009 World Championships
. Jurgen Mallow, director for the German athletics team, said her withdrawal was a blow for the team hosting the championships, stating that she "did not manage to hit World Championship form in the St. Moritz altitude training camp. We are very, very sad about this". Finally she finished the Chicago Marathon
in October 2009 second with a time of 2:26:31 and won the half-million dollar WMM jackpot for a second year running.
She had a seven-month lay-off after the Chicago run and decided not to run at the Paderborn 10K, which was her preparation for the 2010 London Marathon
, due to sore shins. She attempted to defend her London title but her shin problems persisted and she dropped out mid-race – a fate which also befell defending men's champion Samuel Wanjiru
. She signed up for the 2010 Chicago Marathon
but, despite having the fastest time in qualifying, she faded in the second half of the race and ended up in fifth place, with race winner Liliya Shobukhova
succeeding her to the WMM jackpot.
She claimed victory at the 2011 Parelloop
10K in April. Running at the 2011 London Marathon
, she could not keep pace with the race leaders and ended the race in seventh while Mary Keitany won the race with a time equal to Mikitenko's best.
in Mexico City
, with a personal-best time of 13:36 minutes over 5,000 metres.
Irina Mikitenko is 1.58 metres tall, weighs 49 kg, and is married to her trainer Alexander Mikitenko, with whom she has had two children. In 1999, she switched from TV Gelnhausen to LG Eintracht Frankfurt. Since 1 January 2006, she has competed for TV Wattenscheid 01.
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Volynskaya ' onMouseout='HidePop("29729")' href="/topics/Bakanas">Bakanas
Bakanas
Bakanas is a town in Balkhash District in the Almaty Province of south-eastern Kazakhstan. It is the capital of the district....
, Kazakh SSR
Kazakh SSR
The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Kazakh SSR for short, was one of republics that made up the Soviet Union.At in area, it was the second largest constituent republic in the USSR, after the Russian SFSR. Its capital was Alma-Ata . Today it is the independent state of...
), is a Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
-born German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
long-distance runner
Long-distance track event
Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else...
. She is a former winner of both the Berlin and London marathons.
Early career
Mikitenko began participating in long-distance running at the age of 14. Under her maiden name of Volynskaya, she represented Kazakhstan in the 5,000 metresAthletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Women's 5000 metres
These are the official results of the Women's 5.000 metres at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. There were a total of 48 competitors, with two non-starters.-Final classification:-Non-qualifiers:-See also:...
at the 1996 Olympic Games, but failed to make the finals. Since she has German ancestors, she and her husband immigrated in 1996 to the German state of Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
.
In 1998, she became the German record holder in the 10,000 metres, and the year after, in the 5,000 metres. In the 5,000 metres, she bettered Kathrin Weßel
Kathrin Weßel
Kathrin Weßel, née Ullrich is a retired German long-distance runner who specialized in the 10,000 metres...
's time of 14:54.32 with her fourth-place time of 14:50.17 at the 1999 World Athletics Championships. On 7 September of the same year, she set the current German record of 14:42.03 minutes in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
A year later, Mikitenko became the German champion in cross-country running, defending her national title over 5,000 metres. She won twice consecutively at Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
's prestigious Eurocross
Eurocross
Eurocross is an annual international cross country running competition which takes place in Diekirch, Luxembourg in February. It is one of the IAAF permit meetings which serve as qualifying events for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships....
meeting in 1999 and 2000. In August 2000, she broke the 17-year-old record of Brigitte Kraus
Brigitte Kraus
Brigitte Kraus is a retired West German middle distance runner who specialized in the 1500 and 3000 metres.She competed for the sports clubs LG Rhein-Berg and ASV Köln during her active career.-Achievements:- References :...
in the 3,000 metres
3000 metres
The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
. She placed fifth in the 5,000 metres at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and finished in the same position at the 2001 World Athletics Championships in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
.
In 2003, she won the Paderborner Osterlauf, a 10-km road-running
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
race in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, finishing in a record time of 31:28 minutes. She also won the Bietigheimer Silvesterlauf race that year, and participated in the 5,000 metres at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Marathon running
After having a baby, Mikitenko returned to competition in 2006, again becoming the German champion in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres. In the 2006 European Championships2006 European Championships in Athletics
The 19th European Athletics Championships were held in Gothenburg, Sweden, between 7 August and 13 August 2006. The competition arena was the Ullevi Stadium and the official motto "Catch the Spirit"...
, she placed ninth, one place behind long-time rival Sabrina Mockenhaupt
Sabrina Mockenhaupt
Sabrina Mockenhaupt is a German long-distance runner who specialises in long-distance track events and the marathon. She is a two-time winner of the Cologne Marathon and has also won the Frankfurt Marathon and the Berlin Half Marathon...
.
In 2007, she placed second behind Benita Johnson
Benita Johnson
Benita Willis is an Australian distance runner, who is a three-time national champion in the women's 5,000 metres....
in the Berlin Half Marathon
Berlin Half Marathon
Berlin Half Marathon is an annual half marathon race held in early Spring in Berlin, Germany. The race was first held in 1984. A total of 23,799 runners took part in the half marathon in 2010...
, achieving a personal-best time of 1:09:46 hours. In September 2007 she made her marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
debut at the Berlin Marathon, finishing second and qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
In April 2008, at only her second international marathon, she won the women's London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
in a time of 2:24:12. She withdrew from the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing due to hip problems causing pain whilst running on 1 August 2008. Healthy again, on 28 September, she improved her own German record at the Berlin Marathon
Berlin Marathon
The Berlin Marathon is a major running and sporting event held annually in Berlin, Germany. The official marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers is set up as a city-wide road race where professional athletes and amateur runners jointly participate...
almost by five minutes to 2:19:19, making her number four on the women's marathon all-time list.
On 2 November 2008, Mikitenko won the jackpot prize of 500,000 $US of the World Marathon Majors
World Marathon Majors
The World Marathon Majors is a championship-style competition for marathon runners that started in 2006. It comprises five annual races for the cities of Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, and New York City. Two other races are also included in the series: the IAAF World Championships Marathon and...
(WMM) for the best performer in New York, London, Chicago, Berlin and Boston within the last two years. After twelve competitions she was in a tie with Ethiopia's Gete Wami
Gete Wami
Getenesh Wami is a female Ethiopian cross country and track runner....
with 65 points each, but was awarded the prize because she had competed in only three races, compared to Wami's four.
She repeated her performance at the London Marathon in 2009, finishing with a time of 2:22:11, one minute ahead of Britain's Mara Yamauchi
Mara Yamauchi
Mara Rosalind Yamauchi is a British long distance track, and road running athlete. She currently holds the second fastest time by a British woman over the marathon, behind the world-record holder, Paula Radcliffe....
. Following the death of her father in July, Mikitenko struggled to find form in the build up to the 2009 World Championships
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
. Jurgen Mallow, director for the German athletics team, said her withdrawal was a blow for the team hosting the championships, stating that she "did not manage to hit World Championship form in the St. Moritz altitude training camp. We are very, very sad about this". Finally she finished the Chicago Marathon
Chicago Marathon
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a major marathon held yearly in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Alongside the Boston, New York, London and Berlin Marathons, it is one of the five World Marathon Majors. Thus, it is also an IAAF Gold Label race...
in October 2009 second with a time of 2:26:31 and won the half-million dollar WMM jackpot for a second year running.
She had a seven-month lay-off after the Chicago run and decided not to run at the Paderborn 10K, which was her preparation for the 2010 London Marathon
2010 London Marathon
The 2010 London Marathon took place on Sunday, 25 April 2010. Up to 36,000 people are thought to have taken part, a record for the event. The men's event was won by Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia with a time of 2:05:19 and the women's event by Liliya Shobukhova of Russia with a time of 2:22:00...
, due to sore shins. She attempted to defend her London title but her shin problems persisted and she dropped out mid-race – a fate which also befell defending men's champion Samuel Wanjiru
Samuel Wanjiru
Samuel Kamau Wanjiru was a Kenyan athlete, who specialized in long distance running. He became a professional at a young age and broke the world record in the half marathon when he was 18 years old...
. She signed up for the 2010 Chicago Marathon
2010 Chicago Marathon
The 2010 Chicago Marathon took place on Sunday, October 10, 2010. Over 38,000 runners took part, the most in the race's history.Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru won the men's event with a time of 2:06:24, beating Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede by 19 seconds. Russian Liliya Shobukhova won the women's event with a...
but, despite having the fastest time in qualifying, she faded in the second half of the race and ended up in fifth place, with race winner Liliya Shobukhova
Liliya Shobukhova
Liliya Bulatovna Shobukhova is a Russian long-distance runner who competes in marathon races. She previously specialized in the 3000 and 5000 metres track events....
succeeding her to the WMM jackpot.
She claimed victory at the 2011 Parelloop
Parelloop
Parelloop is an annual 10 kilometres road running competition usually held in late March or early April in Brunssum, the Netherlands. The inaugural edition was held in 1989....
10K in April. Running at the 2011 London Marathon
2011 London Marathon
The 2011 London Marathon took place on Sunday, 17 April 2011. The men's elite race saw Emmanuel Mutai win in a course record time to become the fourth fastest ever over the distance. Runner-up Martin Lel sprinted to the line to beat Patrick Makau, completing a Kenyan sweep of the podium...
, she could not keep pace with the race leaders and ended the race in seventh while Mary Keitany won the race with a time equal to Mikitenko's best.
Personal life
Her father-in-law Leonid Mikitenko participated in the 1968 Summer Olympics1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, with a personal-best time of 13:36 minutes over 5,000 metres.
Irina Mikitenko is 1.58 metres tall, weighs 49 kg, and is married to her trainer Alexander Mikitenko, with whom she has had two children. In 1999, she switched from TV Gelnhausen to LG Eintracht Frankfurt. Since 1 January 2006, she has competed for TV Wattenscheid 01.
External links
- Profile at leichtathletik.de
- Profile at TV Wattenscheid 01
- Profile at the NDRNorddeutscher RundfunkNorddeutscher Rundfunk is a public radio and television broadcaster, based in Hamburg. In addition to the city-state of Hamburg, NDR transmits for the German states of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein...
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/feedarticle/7976842 the World Marathon MajorsWorld Marathon MajorsThe World Marathon Majors is a championship-style competition for marathon runners that started in 2006. It comprises five annual races for the cities of Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, and New York City. Two other races are also included in the series: the IAAF World Championships Marathon and...
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