Kristjan Ceh in discus action in Zagreb (© Kristian Kovac for World Athletics)
Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh strengthened his position at No.6 on the world all-time list in the discus, impressing with a 72.34m national and meeting record at the Boris Hanzekovic Memorial – this season’s fourth World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting – in Zagreb on Saturday (24).
The 2022 world champion set his previous best of 71.86m in Johvi in 2023 and had previously been joint sixth in history. But the 26-year-old now sits solo in that position, behind only world record-holder Mykolas Alekna, Matthew Denny, Jurgen Schult, Virgilijus Alekna and Gerd Kanter.
Any of Ceh’s four valid throws would have been enough to secure his fourth consecutive win in Zagreb and he backed up his 72.34m – released with a roar in the final round of the competition – with marks of 70.06m, 69.05m and 64.92m. Romania’s Alin Firfirica placed second with 64.80m.
“I’m not surprised with the result because I was just waiting for this,” said Ceh. “The training was so good, compared to last year. I’m preparing for the World Championships in Tokyo, but it’s still a long way – four months to go – a lot of time to prepare even more.
“(Mykolas) Alekna set the world record in Oklahoma, but I think this is the farthest throw in Europe in 35 years. It’s a great achievement and a very long distance.”
In the women's event, home discus star Sandra Elkasevic secured her 12th victory at this meeting. The multiple world and Olympic champion threw 65.03m with her opening attempt and won by almost a metre ahead of her compatriot Marija Tolj (64.04m).
France’s Yann Chaussinand improved his PB and world lead from 81.56m to 81.91m to win the hammer, his performance adding 14cm to a meeting record that had been set in 2009. Mykhaylo Kokhan also surpassed 80 metres and was runner-up with 80.36m.
USA’s Olympic fourth-place finisher Payton Otterdahl won a close shot put contest at the Zagreb fountains on Thursday. Both Otterdahl and New Zealand’s multiple world indoor champion Tom Walsh threw 21.71m, with Otterdahl clinching the crown on countback thanks to his superior second-best mark - 21.12m to 21.09m.
The women’s high jump also took place ahead of the main meeting and that competition – held indoors on Friday due to the weather – was won by Serbia’s world U20 champion Angelina Topic with a 1.94m clearance.
Jamaica’s Olympic silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts topped the triple jump back in the stadium on Saturday, leaping 14.54m to win ahead of Slovenia’s Neja Filipic with a PB of 14.42m, while Japan’s Yuki Hashioka won the long jump with an eight-metre leap. He retired from the competition in the third round but held on to victory by two centimetres ahead of Croatia’s Filip Pravdica (7.98m).
New Zealand’s Tori Moorby denied Sara Kolak a home win in the javelin, throwing 61.96m to the 2016 Olympic champion’s 61.20m.
Sprint wins for Alfred and Walaza, Tsegay runs meeting record
Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred and double world U20 champion Bayanda Walaza dominated their sprint races.
Saint Lucia’s Alfred cruised to 200m triumph in 22.15 (-0.8m/s) and was followed by Spain’s Jael Bestue in 22.92, while South Africa’s Walaza continued to impress in the 100m, improving his PB to 9.94 – also into a headwind of -0.3m/s – to win ahead of Germany’s Owen Ansah in 10.20.
"I was hoping to run a bit faster, to be honest," said Alfred. "But it is not about time, it is a long season and we are still in May. It was like a fight against the wind. I tried to finish strong but to finish healthy is all that matters right now."
Walaza was understandably delighted with his own time. "It was something my coach and I were planning, to come here and show up and show that South Africa is one of the strongest countries," said the 19-year-old. "But we were not expecting this result – maybe 9.98, but it was 9.94.
"To be one of the fastest juniors feels like an honour and makes me want to work more, be strong and win. If I could put myself together, I could be one of the fastest in the world."
Ethiopia’s world 10,000m champion Gudaf Tsegay was racing her first 1500m since taking the world indoor title over the distance in Nanjing in March and she made a winning season debut. Responding to a final lap surge by her 19-year-old compatriot Birke Haylom, Tsegay kicked around her off the final bend and couldn’t be caught, winning in a meeting record of 3:58.14 to Haylom’s 3:59.19.
Kenya’s 18-year-old Denis Kipkoech surprised his fellow teenage rivals to win the 5000m. Seemingly out of the equation with 100 metres to go, he chased down his compatriot Andrew Kiptoo Alamisi and Ethiopia’s Biniam Mehary – who were locked in battle ahead of him – and pipped them both at the finish line, which the world U20 3000m silver medallist crossed in a big PB of 13:03.17.
Alamisi also set a PB, the 17-year-old securing the runner-up spot in 13:03.30 ahead of 18-year-old multiple world U20 record-holder Mehary in 13:03.57. World 1500m bronze medallist Narve Gilje Nordas was fourth, finishing 10 seconds back.
USA’s Alaysha Johnson powered to 100m hurdles victory, passing her rivals in the closing stages to win in 12.82 (1.1m/s). Denisha Cartwright of The Bahamas got a strong start but hit a couple of barriers and was put under pressure from Johnson, while Luca Kozak and Nika Glojnaric also finished well to respectively secure second and third, with Cartwright finishing fourth.
USA’s Dylan Beard also knocked multiple barriers but managed to maintain his form to win the 110m hurdles memorial race in 13.20 (0.3m/s), holding off a fast-finishing 2016 Olympic champion Omar McLeod in 13.40.
Norway’s Amalie Iuel opened her 400m hurdles season with a win, pipping Germany’s Elena Kelety to triumph by a tenth of a second in 55.06.
Paula Sevilla, who helped Spain to a 4x400m win and 4x100m second place at the World Relays earlier this month, won her first outdoor 400m of the year. The 27-year-old clocked 51.00 ahead of runner-up Sharlene Mawdsley of Ireland (51.14).
Great Britain’s Justin Davies won the men’s 800m in 1:44.87 ahead of Algeria’s Slimane Moula in 1:45.05. Slovenia’s Anita Horvat strode away from Great Britain’s Isabelle Boffey to win the women’s race – 2:01.29 to 2:02.09.
