Andreas Thorkildsen throwing for gold in Gothenburg (© Getty Images)
MonteCarloIn the second part of their eight peice review of the highlights of the 2006 Athletics year, A. Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava survey the THROWS.
MEN – Throws
Shot Put
Christian Cantwell (USA) had an impressive season including a world leading mark of 22.45m in Gateshead in June. In his 21 finals he never finished outside the top three with his only failure coming at the World Indoor Championships where he was unable to progress to the final.
Cantwell climbed back to 22m performances. The 26-year-old American had thrown 22.54m in 2004 and came close to that again this year. Following his disappointment in Moscow at the World Indoors, Cantwell started his outdoor campaign in April with 21.43m and immediately followed that with a 22.10m performance in the Drake Relays later in April. Cantwell came up with three more 22m competitions, he won the Prefontaine meeting in Eugene with a 22.17m toss, then had the world leading 22.45m in Gateshead and once more 22.04m in Århus, Denmark, in July. He was also strong in head-to-head competition against other top two Americans, Reese Hoffa and Adam Nelson, although he did lose to these two at the US Championships. Cantwell was 6-1 against Nelson and 6-7 against Hoffa, but Hoffa was 4-0 during the indoor season so Cantwell scored 6-3 against him outdoors. Nelson had his first 22m throw since 2002 when he won the US Championships with a 22.04m toss. Ralf Bartels was the top European, he peaked at the right time winning the European Championships in Gothenburg with a season’s best of 21.13m. In 2006 there were 25 athletes over 20.50m, in 2005 we had 23, 30 in 2004 and 22 in 2003. USA is the absolute power in this event with 30 athletes in the world top 100, Russia second with seven and Germany third at six.
Shot Put World Ranking
Shot Put Performance List
Discus Throw
Virgilijus Alekna (LTU) recorded a clean sheet in his 18 finals of the season. The double Olympic and World champion has now won 24 straight competitions. In 2006 Alekna added a European title and wins at the World Athletics Final and the World Cup as well.
Although Gerd Kanter (EST) led the world with a 73.38m national record which he threw in favourable wind conditions in Helsingborg, Sweden, it was Alekna who was again the clear number one in the event. Kanter, who is now third on the World all-time list behind World record holder Jürgen Schult (GER 74.08m in 1986) and Alekna (73.88m in 2000), could not defeat Alekna during 2006. The Lithuanian won meetings between these two 8-0 and is now 40-1 (!) all-time against Kanter. In fact Alekna is very powerful against other top throwers as well, he is 64-7 against Aleksander Tammert (EST) and 36-2 against Zoltán Kövagó (HUN) during career. As Alekna won all the important meetings of the season, others were left to fight for the second places. Kanter took the silver at the European Championships and also finished second at the World Athletics Final. Fellow Estonia Tammert took the third places in these important meetings. In 2006 there were only 17 athletes over 65m, 21 in 2005, 23 in 2004 and 16 in 2003. USA is the best country with 21 athletes in the world top 100, Russia is second with seven.
Discus World Ranking
Discus Performance List
Hammer Throw
The hammer throw season was quite thin with the top athletes only meeting on a few occasions. Vadim Devyatovskiy (BLR) lead the world with his 82.95m performance in Belarus in July, but he wasn’t able to perform well against the other top names. Koji Murofushi (JPN) returned to top action after a quiet 2005 season, the Japanese won all of his eight competitions including the World Athletics Final and the World Cup where he set his season’s best of 82.01m. The reigning World champion Ivan Tikhon (BLR) just edged Olli-Pekka Karjalainen (FIN) at the European Championships to take the title. Tikhon also finished second behind Murofushi at the World Athletics Final and the World Cup. Karjalainen was having a tough season before finally finding his form in Gothenburg and was unlucky to see his 6th throw being a narrow foul when it would have easily won him the gold medal there. Overall depth continued to dip in this event. There were 22 athletes over 78m in 2006, 25 in 2005, 30 in 2004 and 36 in 2003. Russia is the best country in this event with 12 athletes in the world top 100, USA has 11 and Belarus nine.
Hammer Throw World Ranking
Hammer Throw Performance List
Javelin Throw
Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) was clearly the number one man in the Javelin. The Norwegian became a member of the 90m club leading the world with his national record of 91.59m.
Although the season saw many new names emerge to the top level, it’s really a two-man show right now. Thorkildsen and Tero Pitkämäki (FIN) seem to be the only names expected to win anything these days. Thorkildsen was the better during the 2006 season. The Norwegian started his season by achieving his first career 90m throw in his first meeting of the season in Doha setting a national record of 90.13m. Thorkildsen progressed to 91.59m on home turf winning the Bislett meeting in early June and once more threw over 90m Rome in July (90.34m). Thorkildsen took wins in the important competitions - European Championships, the World Athletics Final and the World Cup. The Norwegian won the season meetings 6-3 (12-12 career) against Pitkämäki. The Finn did take some good wins as well. Pitkämäki won the European Cup Super League, Paris, and Zürich meetings. He also finished second at the European Championships and the World Athletics Final and recorded a second consecutive 90m season with a season’s best of 91.11m in Kuortane in June. Vadims Vasilevskis (LAT) was the third 90m thrower setting the national record 90.43m in Riga in May. The Latvian had a strong early season, but stood no chance against the two best throwers. He was 0-9 against Thorkildsen and 1-8 against Pitkämäki. 40-year-old world record holder (98.48m in 1996) Jan Zelezny (CZE) concluded his career and did it with style. He once more showed his incredible competitive skills taking the bronze medal at the European Championships. The overall depth took a big leap forward, there were 25 athletes over 82m, in 2005 only 19, 30 in 2004 and 21 in 2003. Finland is clearly the best country with 13 athletes in the world top 100, Russia second at eight and Germany third with seven.
Javelin Throw World Ranking
Javelin Throw Performance List
WOMEN - Throws
Shot Put
Another quite quiet year in this event. The standards on all levels and the personnel involved remained more or less unchanged: Three over 20 metres, 10th place just over 19 metres, and 25th place in just under 18.50. As for the athletes involved it is striking that the top-7 in 2006 all were in the top-9 in 2005 (the other two have retired).
Looking ahead it could however be assumed that there might be a slight rise in the top standard because four of the top-5 are born in the 1980's which should indicate that they have not yet reached their full capacity.
Especially interesting is New Zealand’s Valerie Vili who has just turned 22 and who has progressed steadily by some half metre per year since 2002: 18.40 – 18.93 – 19.29 – 19.87 – 20.20! But it should remembered that her two main opponents for the No 1 position – Nadzeya Ostapchuk and Natallia Khoronenko of Belarus – also are young enough to probably have room for further improvement.
Shot Put World Ranking
Shot Put Performance List
Discus Throw
While a younger generation has taken over the Shot Put the old guard is still dominating in the Discus Throw. Franka Dietzsch (GER) who has been a major factor on the international scene for over 15 years remained the "market leader" one more year thanks to her consistency at 64-66 metres and she also was the statistical leader with her 68.51.
But perhaps 2006 brought about a first indication of an upcoming change of guard because Dietzsch had to settle for the silver at the European Championships losing to Darya Pishchalnikova (RUS) who was not even one-year-old when Dietzsch made her first 60m-throw in 1986.
The young Russian couldn't yet match Dietzsch on "level" – Pishchalnikova was a couple of metres behind being consistent at 62 to 63m – but on the big day in Gothenburg she had the competitive ability to improve her personal best by over one metre to 65.55 which turned out impossible for the German to surpass.
So even though Pishchalnikova, 21, might need a couple more years to take over the event – remember that her PB coming into 2006 was just over 60 metres – the future most likely will be hers. Especially as we know that Discus throwers usually peak in their thirties.
The event remains dominated by eastern European nations which demonstrates the strength of tradition in our sport. Somewhat surprising in that perspective is that Greece with three throwers in the top-10 as late as 2004 haven't managed even one thrower in the top-35 in the last two years.
Discus Throw World Ranking
Discus Throw Performance List
Hammer Throw
The brisk pace of progress in recent years continued through 2006 which established new records at every level. The number of 70m-throwers reached 29 (previous four years it went 8-17-20-24) and the number of 73m-throwers 12 (last four years 1-3-6-10).
Another striking illustration is given by the World All-Time list where athletes with marks from 2006 occupy positions 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 6. But that will most likely be just a very temporary situation that will be completely overhauled in 2007, as five 2006 throwers among the top-6 All-Time were all born in 1982 or 1983, i.e. they were 24 years or younger and compete in an event where we from the male history know that you seldom reach your peak until around age 30. Given that perspective the first 80m-throw might be and more or less inevitable within four years.
The only question seems to be who will get their first. The current record holder Tatyana Lysenko (RUS) is of course the most likely answer but actually she was the one in the top group of 76/77m-throwers with the smallest improvement upon her PB in 2006: Lysenko added a 74 centimetres, while Yekaterina Khoroshikh (RUS) improved by 3.55m, Betty Heidler (GER) by 4.36m, Gulfiya Khanafeyeva (RUS)by 6.50m and Oksana Menkova (BLR) by a huge 6.71m! So the first 80m-thrower might very well be none of the above but some current 67m-thrower we haven't yet noticed on the international scene.
Hammer Throw World Ranking
Hammer Throw Performance List
Javelin Throw
Osleidys Menéndez (CUB) has been dominating this event for the better part of the last decade but in 2006 she was hampered by injuries which held her down to the 62/63 metres level and made her end her season in July. Instead Germany's Steffi Nerius and Czech Republic's Barbora Spotakova duelled intensively for the No 1 position through the whole summer.
Both of them were very consistent around 65 metres – Spotakova averaged 65.25 for her ten top meets, Nerius 64.95 – and they faced each other seven times with Spotakova (at 25 Nerius’ junior by 9 years) coming out slightly on top 4-3 on win-loss but Nerius being slightly ahead on distance (on average 18 centimeters better). The two most prestigious encounters – European Championships and World Athletics Final – were also evenly divided: Nerius won in Gothenburg, Spotakova in Stuttgart.
The big sensation in 2005 was Christina Obergföll's 70.03 at the World Championships, a throw over five metres better than her second best. Obergföll didn't manage anything similar in 2006 but proved her potential for great distances when she won in the Athens Super Grand Prix with 66.91 which was to become the World leading mark of the year.
Only one of the top-15 in the World list was under 25 years illustrating that the Javelin Throw is an event where it takes time to develop to full potential. This is underlined by the fact that throwers like Christina Scherwin and Barbara Madejczyk at 30 both set new national records (Denmark and Poland) with 64m-throws.
This of course must be inspiring news for Spotakova who begun as a heptathlete (4th in World Juniors in 2000) and who only has been focusing on the Javelin for a few years. And it should be even more inspiring for 21-years-old South African Justine Robbeson, who has switched even more recently from the heptathlon (World Junior Champion in 2004!). This didn't stop her from having a summer of consistent 60+ throwing topped by a 62.80.
