Slovenian Hammer Throw record holder Primoz Kozmus (© Bob Ramsak)
Bydgoszcz, Poland The 7th European Athletics Festival held in Bydgoszcz took place under the title of the Dolcan Cup 2007 yesterday (10). Its two main stars were Lithuanian Virgilijus Alekna and Croatia’s Blanka Vlasic and neither disappointed, winning their events. Yet despite their presence the best results of the day came in the men’s Hammer Throw.
The 7th European Athletics Festival, Bydgoszcz is one of a select group of Area meetings at which points can be acquired by athletes to qualify for the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final.
Kozmus - national record and world lead
Five men went beyond 80m but Slovenia’s Primoz Kozmus 82.30m heave was enough to win the men’s Hammer Throw by a metre, setting a Slovenian record and establishing a new world season’s lead. Hungarian Krisztian Pars had a better series of throws in all with 4 of them above 80 metres but had to settle for second place and a result of 81.40.
Also, satisfied was Slovak Libor Charfreitag (80.87), and Poland’s former World and Olympic champion Szymon Ziolkowski (80.70) who in his fourth competition this year fulfilled the Polish Federation's standard for the World Championships in Osaka. The fifth above 80 metres was 2005 World Championships silver medallist Vadim Devyatovsky from Belarus.
After the competition Kozmus praised the conditions especially the 30C temperature and a very fast surface on the circle. Asked about his chances in Osaka, Primoz said that after today’s competition he is starting to think that standing on the medal podium is now realistic. This year for the first time since 2003, when Kozmus was the 5th at the World Championships, he has had no injuries.
Alekna throws 69.43m and Vlasic again clears 2m
Double World and Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna, who hasn't lost a competition since the IAAF World Athletics Final in 2004 won the Discus Throw with an excellent result of 69.43m with three other throws above 68 metres. He beat Polish national record holder Piotr Malachowski who produced 65.84 metres. Behind them were Hungarian Gabor Mate (64.18) and Zoltan Kovago (62.85m). But USA’s Ian Waltz (62.38) and Jarred Rome (60.07) performed below par despite their third and fourth place in the current world leading season lists.
The women’s High Jump was dominated by Vlasic, the twice World Indoor medallist, who cleared 2.00m with a wonderful jump and was very close to bettering her personal best (2.04m, 11 May) with a close attempt at 2.05m. The Polish spectators were also satisfied with Karolina Gronau’s result, as she cleared 1.90m for the second time in her career.
Plawgo back from surgery with a victory
European 400m Hurdles silver medallist Marek Plawgo’s run made a big impression. It was the Pole's season debut after having minor surgery in March. With 100 metres to go Plawgo was third with Japanese Dai Tamesue and Jamaican Kemel Thompson holding a two metres advantage but by the time the line was crossed Plawgo had carved out his own four metres victory. Considering there was a strong headwind in the back straight, the Pole’s result of 48.88 promises much for the season. Tamesue was second in 49.42 with Thompson, 49.62, in third.
In the men’s High Jump, Aleksander Walerianczyk from Poland was close to clearing 2.30m, but he had to settle for 2.27m to take the win on countback from Czech Tomas Janku, the European silver medallist, who also finished with a best result of 2.27m.
In a hard-fought finish in the men’s 200 metres, first place went to Jamaican Dwight Thomas ahead of Clement Campbell - 20.32 to 20.35. Swede Johan Wissman’s 20.40 was the best so far in Europe this season. The fastest Pole, Marcin Jedrusinski was satisfied with his result of 20.68, although he was only 6th.
Durst sprint double
American Stephanie Durst won both women’s sprint races with 22.51 in the 200m and 11.12 in 100m, but the wind in the shorter race was too strong (+2.5 m/s). Bulgarian Ivet Lalova ran 11.15 and Joyce Maduaka (GBR) clocked 11.19 behind Durst in the dash, while in the 200 metres following Durst home came Laverne Jones from the Virgin Islands (22.64), and Cydonie Mothersill from the Cayman Islands 22.73.
The wind spoiled the women’s 400 metres Hurdles. First in the lead was Andrea Blackett from Barbados, but then USA’s Sandra Glover took over winning in 55.00. Pole Anna Jesien finished in third with 55.44.
In the women’s 100m Hurdles, American Kallie Wells, for the first time in her career ran below 13 seconds – 12.93 – to take the honours. The men’s 110m Hurdles was much more dramatic. Experienced Tomasz Scigaczewski was disqualified after two false starts and after another one, European silver medallist Thomas Blaschek from Germany was also disqualified. Finally the winner was American David Payne with 13.49, beating by only 0.04 of a second Briton Andy Turner and by 0.06 Ukrainian Serhij Demydyuk.
Worth mentioning were also the results of Polish 100m flat sprinters: 10.21 Kamil Masztak and 10.23 Przemyslaw Rogowski, unfortunately with a +2.1 m/s wind.
Surprise loss for Chojecka
In the last race of the day, the women’s 1500m, home favourite Lidia Chojecka, European Indoor 1500m / 3000m champion wasn’t able to catch Irina Lishchynskaya from Ukraine. With one lap to go Chojecka was third, some 6 metres adrift of the leader and that was too much to make up. Lishchynskaya’s winning time was 4:06.19, second was Chojecka, 4:06.71, and third was Britain’s Lisa Dobriskey, 4:06.85.
After the meeting the stadium began a 12 month closure for refurbishment. The next – 8th European Athletics Festival will take place 28 June 2008 and will be a dress rehearsal before the World Junior Championships held in the city two weeks later.
Janusz Rozum for the IAAF
Click here for FULL RESULTS
