Robert Harting of Germany rips his vest off in celebration of winning the men's Discus Throw in Berlin (© Getty Images)
In a real surprising men’s Discus throw final the top two places were decided in the first round by a duo not thought to finish at the top. First Pole Piotr Malachowski, who had to use all of his three throws, hit a cracking 68.77 national record opener which seemed to take others by surprise. The only one not shell shocked was German Robert Harting who also opened well with a 68.25 season’s best throw.
Malachowski went on to set a second national record of the day in round five, but the real cracker in this competition came in the last round. 24-year-old Harting smashed his personal best with a 69.43 winning throw for the World title bettering his earlier best 68.65 from 2008 by 78 centimetres. Harting had won the silver medal in Osaka 2007, but was left to fourth place in Beijing last summer. 26-year-old Malachowski got his first medal from World championships in addition to the Olympic silver he won last summer.
Estonian world leader and reigning Olympic and World champion Gerd Kanter didn’t get his throws to flow like usual getting five throws over 65 metres, but with the best landing at 66.88 which was enough for the bronze medal. Two times World champion 2003 and 2005, Lithuanian Virgiljus Alekna had a very even series with three throws over 66 metres, but the final touch was missing with the double Olympic champion ending up with a fourth place this time with a best throw of 66.36 from round one.
American Casey Malone threw 66.06 for the fifth place recording a good series with six measured throws. Zoltan Kovago of Hungary was sixth with a 65.17 and Bogdan Pishchalnikov of Russia was the seventh man over 65 metres today with 65.02 final result.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
Malachowski went on to set a second national record of the day in round five, but the real cracker in this competition came in the last round. 24-year-old Harting smashed his personal best with a 69.43 winning throw for the World title bettering his earlier best 68.65 from 2008 by 78 centimetres. Harting had won the silver medal in Osaka 2007, but was left to fourth place in Beijing last summer. 26-year-old Malachowski got his first medal from World championships in addition to the Olympic silver he won last summer.
Estonian world leader and reigning Olympic and World champion Gerd Kanter didn’t get his throws to flow like usual getting five throws over 65 metres, but with the best landing at 66.88 which was enough for the bronze medal. Two times World champion 2003 and 2005, Lithuanian Virgiljus Alekna had a very even series with three throws over 66 metres, but the final touch was missing with the double Olympic champion ending up with a fourth place this time with a best throw of 66.36 from round one.
American Casey Malone threw 66.06 for the fifth place recording a good series with six measured throws. Zoltan Kovago of Hungary was sixth with a 65.17 and Bogdan Pishchalnikov of Russia was the seventh man over 65 metres today with 65.02 final result.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
