Hungary's Adrian Annus ** see note below amassed one of the greatest series of hammer throws ever seen in Olympic competition to overawe Japan’s Koji Murofushi who waited until the last round before finding the way to unlock his best form in a marvellous but unsuccessful last ditch challenge for gold. Finishing in bronze was a lack lustre World champion Ivan Tikhon of Belarus.
The first three rounds which decided the final cut of eight throwers - from this twelve man final - who would proceed to the last three throws, was highlighted because of the contrasting fortunes of two of the competition’s main players.
On the one hand, there was the unapproachable dominance of European champion Annus, while on the other, sneaking into the last eight with his third throw was a below par Tikhon.
Annus, 31, who is the Hungarian record holder (84.19), was a picture of power and fluency, roaring loudly on each occasion he released the hammer. The force of the shouts denoted his great form – 80.53, 82.32, 83.19 – quite enough to keep him in front of Murofushi, who throwing immediately after the Hungarian in the first three rounds – played an unsuccessful game of catch up in each round – 79.90, 81.60, 81.16.
At the bottom end of the form table, Tikhon after two fouls eventually displayed a glimmer of his usual form (84.46 world lead), with a 78.55 effort which lifted him safely inside the qualifying positions in fifth.
Not making the cut were two of the medallists from Sydney – Igor Astapkovich of Belarus (76.22) and Italy’s Nicola Vizzoni (73.02).
Annus continued in the same delightful vein of form in the fourth and the fifth rounds with 82.64 and 82.04, which with his earlier efforts added up to the best series of throws seen on an Olympic stage since Sergey Litvinov’s impeccable six (all above 83m) when he defeated Yuriy Sedykh for the 1988 Olympic title in Seoul.
With Tikhon improving to 79.81 in the fifth round, the Belarussian suddenly found himself in a bronze medal position - which he was to keep - as it catapulted him past Turkey’s surprising Esref Apak.
The 22 year-old former World Junior champion is an absolute diamond for the future of Turkish athletics, as in his first major senior final he showed the nerves of a veteran, in an event which is traditionally dominated by throwers who are aged in the late 20s to mid-30s. Apak’s two 79m plus efforts were ultimately good enough to gain him fourth place – his best being 79.51 in the second.
Fouling out his fifth effort when the hammer hit the cage gate, up-stepped Murofushi for his final effort, and the 29 year- old who has taken a silver and bronze from successive World championships, gave it everything. A personal season’s best was greeted with a huge roar from the packed 70,000 strong stadium crowd but it was still not quite enough to unseat Annus. The scoreboard displayed 82.91, just 28 centimetres short of the Hungarian’s lead.
Annus immediately indicated that he would pass his remaining effort, and so the magnificent Hungarian hammer throwing tradition had another luminary to add to its long list of heroes.
This was the country’s fifth hammer gold medal in Olympic history, following on from Balazs Kiss (1996), Gyula Zsivotzky (1968), Jozsef Csermak (1952), and the ‘father’ of them all, Imre Nemeth (1948).
With his historic task fulfilled, Annus, as per his usual post event ritual, pulled on a T-Shirt adorned with a photograph of his daughter Franciska.
"This victory is of course for the Hungarian hammer tradition, our fifth win but I dedicate my win to my daughter Franciska," confirmed Annus.
"This is not the end of the season for me, as I go to Szombathely (Hungary, 5 September) for the World Athletics Final (WAF) and I want to win there with a big throw. My form today does not reflect the actual form I am in and I hope that in the final (WAF) that I will set a new personal best which would be a new Hungarian record."
CT
NOTE - On 29 August 2004, the IOC Executive Board annouced that after an IOC hearing that Adrian Annus from Hungary who competed in the Men's Hammer Throw, in which he placed first, has committed an anti-doping rule violation, and is disqualified.
IAAF World Athletics Final
Murofushi shoots up to first place (from third) in the previous IAAF World Ranking for the event Tikhon falling back to second.
The top seven in the new Rankings automatically proceed to the IAAF World Athletics Final for the Hammer in Szombathely, Hungary on 5 September.
Click here for the latest IAAF World Rankings
