Anita Wlodarczyk at the press conference for the Irena Szewinska Memorial (© Pawel Skraba)
Hammer phenomenon Anita Wlodarczyk has ruled out an 80-metre throw this year, but still believes a third Olympic gold is within her grasp.
Speaking at the press conference ahead of Wednesday’s Irena Szewinska Memorial in Bydgoszcz, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, Poland’s double Olympic and four-time world champion noted the performance of Deanna Price, who followed her as only the second woman to breach the 80-metre line in the women’s hammer at the US Olympic Trials last weekend.
“It is a motivation,” she said of the 80.31m throw Price uncorked in Eugene on Saturday. “It shows that I have to improve myself and get better every day. It has been such a break of training and competition, but I can still compete with the girls at the same level. I think it is impossible for me to reach 80 metres in this season for me after such a long break. But I believe 78 metres is the top for me this season.”
It has been a long road back for the Polish heroine after knee surgery in July 2019. “The most important thing is that I am back,” she stressed. “I was working hard for two years to recover and get fit again. I am on my way towards the Olympic Games and I believe I will get my season’s best at Bydgoszcz. You will always find a solution to stay positive and work. I still believe I will get the gold medal in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.”
But she is also taking nothing for granted. “Athletes like Malwina Kopron are still getting better,” she said of her international team-mate and likely rival in Bydgoszcz. “It won’t be an easy competition here and in the Olympic Games.”
Another close battle is anticipated in the men’s pole vault featuring recent US Trials winner Chris Nilsen, Poland’s decorated duo Piotr Lisek and Pawel Wojciechowski and Olympic champion Thiago Braz of Brazil.
Nilsen is yet to clear the magical six-metre mark and is hopeful it can be breached this season. “I think six metres is definitely a possibility,” he said. “It’s a very high bar. Only 24 people in the world have cleared it. Period. So, it’s very hard to do. I think the longer the season goes on, the better we get with our technique – just like in any other sporting event.”
Three-times World Championships medallist Lisek is also relishing a close competition. “It’s not so easy to compete in Poland, because there are so many good athletes in this event. My goal is to improve the height before the Olympics because that will be the main event for all of us. There won’t be any favourites [there], apart from Armand (Duplantis).”
New Zealand’s Tom Walsh is keen to kick-start his season after the enforced absence from the international scene. “I haven’t thrown as well in the May and June competitions as well as I thought I could have and should have. So, I was frustrated around that,” said the two-time world indoor champion.
“But I have got to remind myself that I haven’t competed outside the nation (New Zealand) for 18 months. So, it’s just getting used to it again and getting back into the swing of it,” added Walsh, the 2017 world champion. “I’ve had some of the best training sessions of my life in the last six weeks. So now I have just got to figure out to get that shot right in competition.”
Meanwhile, the women’s 400m remains a showcase event in Poland and European champion Justyna Swiety-Ersetic believes the collective success of her international teammates is critical with one month to go until the Olympics.
“I wish the other Polish girls will run fast too and improve themselves – it will help our relay team in Tokyo,” she said.
Wednesday evening will be the third edition of the Irena Szewinska Memorial, paying tribute to the legendary Polish sprinter.
Chris Broadbent for World Athletics
