Croatia&rsquo;s Sandra Perkovic took a comfortable victory in the women&rsquo;s discus to highlight the second day of competition at the Mediterranean Games on Thursday (28) in Tarragona, Spain.
Despite breaking the championships record, the reigning Olympic, world and European champion only recorded one valid throw, her opening effort. Everything seemed ready then for her trademark festival of heaves in the 70-metre region but the 28-year-old had technical problems in all her remaining attempts and could not go further.
Perkovic, who has thrown no less than 11 times beyond the 70-metre mark throughout her illustrious career, remains unbeaten so far this year after six outings. In the fight for the minor podium spots Portugal&rsquo;s Liliana Ca grabbed silver thanks a 60.05m performance ahead of Greece&rsquo;s Chrysoula Anagnostopoulou (58.85m).
<h3>Artymata prevails over Grenot</h3>
The women&rsquo;s 400m promised to be a fierce battle between the championships record holder Libania Grenot and Cyprus&rsquo; Eleni Artymata. The 34-year-old Italian went out quickly and soon caught the Cypriot who ran just to her outside in lane four. However, in the second bend Artymata managed to approach the European champion and finally overtook her some 70 metres before the finish to romp home in a massive PB of 51.19 for Grenot&rsquo;s 51.32, still a season&rsquo;s best for the Cuban-born athlete. Artymata is a former 100/200m specialist who made the final at the latter distance at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.
The men&rsquo;s event was taken by Italy&rsquo;s Davide Re in 45.26, a competition record, well clear of Spain&rsquo;s Lucas B&uacute;a, runner-up in 45.91. The Spaniard was the fastest entrant fresh from a recent PB of 45.25 but Re became a clear winner and improved his career best by 0.05. On a blanket finish, Mamoudou-Elimane Hanne of France landed bronze ahead of Italy&rsquo;s Michele Tricca, both credited with 46.35.
<h3>Gun to tape win for Gega in steeplechase</h3>
Albania&rsquo;s Luiza Gega was a commanding winner in the women&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase. The 29-year-old took charge of the race from the early stages with a 3:03.32 opening kilometre, with none of her rivals daring to join her at such a frantic pace. Not even Tunisia&rsquo;s 2012 Olympic champion Habiba Ghribi, who travelled 30 metres behind the Albanian by then.
Gega, a former 4:02.63 1500m specialist who moved to the steeplechase a couple of years ago, kept on her solo run, passing 2000 metres in 6:15:08, still on schedule to break the 9:22.00 national record she had set earlier this season. As no challenge emerged, Gega slowed over the closing laps to reach the finish in a fine 9:27.73, another competition record. Ghribi kept Marusa Mismas at bay to capture silver in 9:34.62 for the Slovenian&rsquo;s 9:35.57.
<h3>Harvey in winning mood</h3>
The fastest event of the program witnessed a Turkish double in the men&rsquo;s section thanks to the European silver medallist Jak Ali Harvey and Emre Zafer Barnes. Harvey, who boasts a 9.92 lifetime best, dominated from the gun in 10.10, head and shoulders above his compatriot Barnes who timed 10.32. Italy&rsquo;s Federico Cattaneo managed bronze with 10.37.
France&rsquo;s Orlann Ombissa-Dzangue conquered women&rsquo;s 100m gold by the handsome margin of 0.24 seconds on Greece&rsquo;s Rafailia Spanoudaki-Chatzieiga, 11.29 to 11.53. Anna Bongiorni of Italy was third in 11.59.
Finally, France&rsquo;s Ninon Guillon-Romarin won the women&rsquo;s Pole Vault thanks to a second attempt clearance at 4.46m with Slovenia&rsquo;s Tina Sutej (4.41m) Greek Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou (4.31m) completing the podium.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
&nbsp;

Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic took a comfortable victory in the women’s discus to highlight the second day of competition at the Mediterranean Games on Thursday (28) in Tarragona, Spain.

Perkovic’s 66.46m throw highlights second day at Mediterranean Games

Sweden’s Abeba Aregawi showed just why she is one of the most prohibitive favourites for a gold medal in Sopot when she ran away from the rest of the runners halfway through her 1500m heat and clocked the fastest time of the evening in 4:08.74.<o:p></o:p>Taking the second heat with ease, the newly-minted European indoor record-holder was more than two seconds quicker than the next fastest woman from the other heats, Morocco’s Rababe Arafi, who had a few minutes earlier won the first heat in 4:10.95.<o:p></o:p>The women immediately behind Aregawi had reason to be grateful for acting as the hare. <o:p></o:p>Ethiopian teenager Axumawit Embaye took the second automatic spot in Saturday’s final with 4:09.46 and, in a battle down the home straight, Canada’s Nicole Sifuentes, Morocco’s Siham Hilali and Svetlana Karamasheva followed the leading pair home in that order to qualify for the final.<o:p></o:p>In contrast to Aregawi, Arafi only took the lead 40 metres from the line, the USA’s Heather Kampf having led from the gun until just after the last bend.<o:p></o:p>Nevertheless, Kampf, a late addition to the US team, hung on to finish second and was rewarded not only with an indoor personal best of 4:11.25 but also with an unexpected place in the final.<o:p></o:p>In the third and final heat, Albania’s Luiza Gega made the pace until the USA’s Treniere Moser swung past her 30 metres from the bell, the latter winning in 4:12.63 in the slowest of the three races as Gega came home behind her to become the first ever Albanian finalist at the World Indoor Championships.Trailing in sixth and last in this race was Turkey's London 2012 Olympic Games silver medallist Gamze Bulut<o:p>, who set a national record of 4:07.94 on home soil in Istanbul last month but was more than 15 seconds outside that time on this occasion.</o:p>Phil Minshull for the IAAF&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

Sweden’s Abeba Aregawi showed just why she is one of the most prohibitive favourites for a gold medal in Sopot when she ran away from the rest of the runners halfway through her 1500m heat and clocked the fastest time of the evening in 4:08.74.

Perkovic’s 66.46m throw highlights second day at Mediterranean Games

Report: women's 1500m heats – Sopot 2014