Chris Tomlinson wins the LJ in Birmingham (© Getty Images)
There were national records for Chris Tomlinson of Great Britain and Karen Mey of South Africa at the long jumpers’ meeting of Bad Langensalza, Germany on Saturday (7). Perfect conditions with a steady following wind helped athletes achieve fine marks. Sometimes the wind was too strong but often it was just below the limit of 2.0 m/s.
Gable Garenamotse of Botswana won the men’s competition with a leap of 8.34 metres. He was unlucky that the wind was a bit too strong (2.5) otherwise he would have improved his national record of 8.27m. The two time silver medallist of the Commonwealth Games had a second best leap of 8.18m in legal wind conditions.
Chris Tomlinson had more luck when he jumped 8.29m for second place. With the help of a legal 1.7 tail wind he achieved a British record, improving his own mark from 2004 by two centimetres. James Beckford (Jamaica) was third with 8.19, but the wind was blowing 3.5 during this jump. Beckford had a second best of 8.17 with a 1.9 wind. Tony Allmond (USA) was third with 8.10 (0.7).
Karen Mey produced a South African record of 6.93m with a following wind of 1.6. She improved the 17-year-old record by Karen Krüger, who had jumped 6.85m in 1990 in Johannesburg. There was a personal best for Bianca Kappler as well. The German took second with 6.90 (1.9,) while Keila Costa (Brazil) was third with 6.76 (1.8), and amazingly all three women had their best jumps in the last round.
Fine puts and throws in Bad Köstritz
There was some fine throwing at the Bad Köstritz meeting in Germany on Sunday (8). Ralf Bartels took the Shot Put with 20.73 m. Ming-Huang Chang (TPE) was second (19.50) while Petra Lammert won the women’s with 19.26. Here Nadine Kleinert was second (18.80) while Jillian Camarena (USA/18.47) took third.
In the women’s Discus Throw World champion Franka Dietzsch was beaten by two Cubans. Yania Ferrales won the event with 64.43m from Yarelis Barrios (63.27). Dietzsch was third with 62.63. Robert Harting took the men’s event with 63.85.
Betty Heidler showed fine form in the Hammer Throw. She achieved 72.42 m to win this competition. Arasay Thondike (Cuba) was second with 69.97 and Katharina Klaas took third (69.79).
Anna Battke won a women’s Pole Vault meeting in Weissach on Sunday with 4.56 m. Julia Hütter took second with 4.46 and April Steiner (USA/4.36) was third.
Jörg Wenig for the IAAF
