Schultz
saunters, Olsson bounds, Ceplak solos, Sebrle battles and Baala edges to gold
Patrick F. Merle for the
IAAF
8 August 2002 – Munich, Germany – As an all-round package of performances the
third night of the 18th European Championships was the best yet. The
expected home victory for Ingo Schultz in the men’s 400m and Olsson's triple
jump win were just two of the memorable moments in the Olympic stadium this
evening.
Today's competition will be etched in the memories of most spectators, as in the morning session the first world best of these championships was set in the 50km walk when Poland's Robert Korzeniowski broke the tape in 3:36.39, 47 seconds quicker than the previous world mark set in 2000 by Russia's Valeriy Spitsyn.
In the evening session, the round of applause grew much louder when, in a packed stadium, before 48,000 spectators, Ingo Schultz offered the host nation their first gold medal.
Superficially what also marked the event out was that for the first time since these championships began the spectators didn't have to wear their rain jackets and instead of trying to keep warm they were able to put all their energy into waving their flags to applaud the German's achievement.
The tall Schultz, silver medallist in Edmonton, rose to the occasion, surviving the pressure of expectation to romp home in 45.14 seconds. Pushed home by the crowd, Schultz outpaced Spain's David Canal, second in 45.24, and Great-Britain's Daniel Caines, third in 45.28.
"The pressure was tremendous. But I can tell you that this is a unique feeling to cross the line in such an atmosphere," he said after ending his lap of honour with a rose in his hand. "I really heard the crowd all the way through and even though I felt tired from the previous round, it really pushed me," Schultz added.
However, the German party was spoiled in the women's 400m final, as Russia's Olesya Zykina defeated Grit Breuer, another crowd favourite. The Russian runner was in the lead after 300m and resisted Breuer's final assault and won in 50.45 seconds, the slowest winning time since 1971.
Sweden will most certainly remember this day for their European indoor champion at the triple jump Christian Olsson, defeated Britain’s world record holder, world and Olympic champion Jonathan Edwards for the first time in an international championship. The 2001 silver medallist secured his crown with a fifth round jump over 17.53 m, while Edwards could "only" manage to jump 17.32. Germany's 1999 World Champion Charles Friedek captured the silver medal with 17.33.
Olsson had been poised, since last year, to follow in Edwards' illustrious footsteps. In Munich, the 22-year-old lived up to his talent.
"This victory is very sweet. This is my first major title and to win ahead of Edwards means a lot to me. I knew I was capable of doing it," Olsson commented. "This season has gone so well that I am not surprised," he added.
Moreover, Sweden added a silver and a bronze medal to their count as Stefan Holm and Staffan Strand finished respectively second and third behind Russia's Yaroslav Rybakov in the high jump contest which the Russian won with a leap of 2.31m.
In the decathlon, Roman Sebrle of Czech Repulic, the world record holder, set new personal records in shot put, 400 m and in pole vault (clearing 5.10m) to claim his first European title. Outside the world record pace after a slow 100m on the first day, he remained on course to break the championship mark held by Great-Britain's Dailey Thomson since Stuttgart in 1986 until the final event, the 1500m.
Unable to go under 4.30 minutes - he finished in 4.42.51- and therefore score enough points, the 27-year-old athlete had to content himself with a total of 8800 points, a mere 11 points outside Thomson's mark. "I really had a difficult first day with the rain. So I am very delighted with this result. This was an important title for me to get," Sebrle confirmed.
The championship record did go for Greece's Mirela Manjani in the women's javelin final. The 26-year-old athlete threw over 67.47 on her second try, the longest throw in the world this year. She defeated Germany's Steffi Nerius and Finland's Mikaela Ingberg, who repeated her 1998 performance with a bronze giving her country their first medal in Munich.
The third day had something special also because of the 1500m. In a very tactical final, France's Mehdi Baala and Spain's Reyes Estevez both broke the tape in 3.45.25 - the slowest time in 52 years – after battling through the last 200m together. They had, however, to wait for more than ten minutes to know who had been awarded the gold medal, the jury having to study the photo-finish. It was only after both athletes had finished their lap of honour that the French runner was declared European champion.
"I don't know what to say really," Baala said with tears of joy running down his face. "I think about Hicham el Guerrouj with whom I trained. I was hoping for this victory. I really was," he added.
As for his Spanish rival, Estevez was still stunned by the result as he later told the reporters. "I really thought I had won. The race went fine tactically speaking but the result is different."
Fourth in Sydney, Baala offered France their first gold medal in this event since Michel Jazy claimed the title back in 1962. Portugal's Rui Silva completed the podium, finishing third in 3.45.43.
There were certainly no need for a photo-finish in the women's 800m as Slovenia's Yolanda Ceplak covered the distance on her own. Basically in the lead from the start, after 400m runner, which she covered in 57.61, the European indoor record holder continued her own race to cross the finish in 1:57.65, more than a second ahead of the runner-up, Spain's Mayte Martinez and two seconds clear of Great-Britain's Kelly Holmes.
"I wanted to run as hard as I could so nobody would be able to catch me up," Ceplak simply admitted with a smile. "This is another title and I am very happy."
Amidst the euphoria, Romania's Ionela Tirlea retained her 400 hurdles title covering the distance in 54.95, almost a second quicker than the local hero Heike Meissner. Poland's Anna Olichwierczuk completed the podium.
In the men's event, France's Stephane Diagana will enter the final with another victory. The 1997 World champion, winner in 49.01, unveiled a strong performance and sent a message to his rivals for the final, Italy's Fabrizio Mori and Poland's Pawel Januszewski. "I never really felt good in this race," Diagana admitted. " I didn't sleep well at all last night. I also had a bad night back in 1997."
Great Britain's Chris Rawlinson, second behind Diagana in 49.48, admitted that he was suffering from a knee injury.
In the men's 200 m, the world and Olympic champion, Konstadinos Kederis remains injury-free. He indeed confirmed the form he showed in the first round – he ran in 20.55 - as he crossed the line in 20.29 despite cutting down his effort in the last 20 metres before the finish. The leading European this year (with 20.18 run in Trikala, Greece on June 16th) he gave the most confident performance of all the contenders.
"Tomorrow is another day really," he said afterwards. "I feel good but I am afraid of Obikwelu," he added.
The Nigerian-born Portuguese Francis Obikwelu, silver medallist behind Dwain Chambers in the 100m, also had an easy day. Winner of his first heat in 20.55, he contented himself with the second spot in 20.60 behind the surprising Marcin Jedrusinski.
"I am ok. I thought I would be tired and it's not the case yet," Obikwelu explained.
Britain, who had swept the podium four years ago can only count on world and Olympic finallist Christian Malcolm, who is still fighting with lingering leg and back problems, because the Olympic silver medallist Darren Campbell, who captured the European 100m bronze yesterday, was disqualified for running out of his lane in his heat.
In the women's 200m event, France's European indoor champion Muriel Hurtis, who bids to become the first French woman to clinch this event in the championship's history, eased through her heat, running 22.86 the fastest time of the field.
"Before entering the stadium, I talked to my coach and he asked me to take it easy and that's what I did," Hurtis explained.
The French runner may have to hold off Kim Gevaert's assault. The Belgium also had a strong 200m heat, winning in 22.96 seconds.
"Everything went fine for me but I am impressed by Hurtis. She is really strong," Gevaert confessed.
In the opening round of the women's 100m hurdles, the reigning champion Bulgaria's Svetla Dimitrova easily advanced to the semi-final as she claimed her heat in 13.02 seconds. The veteran athlete who is the reigning double European champion, is expected to face a strong challenge from France's Patricia Girard, winner of her heat in 13.00 and Spain's Glorie Alozie, second behind Sweden's Susanna Kallur in 13.03.
"My goal remains the hurdles," Alozie said after her race. "I'm not feeling tired after the 100 flat. I have used the 100 to improve my speed that's all.” Alozie finished fourth in the 100m final on Wednesday.
In the men's Pole Vault, the German crowd applauded the early qualification of Tim Lobinger and Lars Brogeling, both of them clearing 5.60 m. The disappointment came from France's Romain Mesnil. Bronze medallist at the world indoors in Lisbon, and the only French representative in the absence of Jean Galfione, failed to clear at 5.45 m.
"This is a total failure,' he admitted. "I didn't feel good and this is a logical result. I wouldn't have been able to clear a lower bar, I think," he added.
In the women's triple jump qualification, the European leader, Great Britain's Ashia Hansen, who was recently crowned Commonwealth champion, jumped 14.22 m to advance to the final. Yet, Italy's Magdelin Martinez proved she is a potential medallist, as she had the best jump at 14.30m.
