German javelin thrower Julian Weber (© AFP / Getty Images)
Germany’s Julian Weber sent his javelin flying out to 85.85m at the European Throwing Cup in Las Palmas on Saturday (11).
His winning throw came in the second round and was just 2.44m shy of his lifetime best. It was the fourth best competition ever for the 22-year-old Olympic finalist and 2013 European junior champion, who backed up his winning throw with 84.73m and 84.37m efforts. Italy’s Roberto Bertolini was a distant second with 78.78m.
Moldova’s Adrian Mardari broke new ground in the U23 javelin contest on Sunday. The 2014 world U20 bronze medallist threw beyond 80 metres for the first time in his career, smashing his own national record by almost four metres with 82.34m.
Lukas Weißhaidinger of Austria, another 2016 Olympic finalist and 2011 European junior champion, won the discus with a 65.73m best, likewise the fourth best effort of his career.
Andrius Gudzius of Lithuania finished second, more than a metre and a half back with a 64.18m best.
Olympic javelin champion Sara Kolak of Croatia opted for Saturday’s U23 competition and barely eked out a win in the weekend's closest competition. The Croat reached 61.01m in the third round to edge Turk Eda Tugsuz by just three centimetres.
Both athletes, however, ended up throwing farther than everyone in the senior contest. Martina Ratej topped the senior women’s javelin with a fifth-round throw of 60.66m.
Alexandra Tavernier of France won a close battle in the women’s hammer, beating German veteran Kathrin Klaas 71.71m to 71.06m. One day later, Quentin Bigot made it a French hammer double as he won the men’s competition with 76.55m.
Hungary’s Anita Marton, winner of the European indoor shot put title one week ago, prevailed here as well in a modest competition with an 18.05m toss.
European finalist Mesud Pezer of Bosnia and Herzegovina won the men’s shot put with a lifetime best of 20.69m. In a competition where all three podium finishers set PBs, Spain’s Carlos Tobalina was second with 20.57m, just five centimetres ahead of Portugal’s Francisco Belo.
Bob Ramsak and Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF
