Robert Harting of Germany achieves automatic qualification for the final in the men's discus at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics (© Getty Images)
In a high standard men’s Discus Throw qualification all of the favourites went easily to the final and most of them with their first throws too. A total of seven throwers got over the automatic qualifying standard 64.50 metres with Finn Frantz Kruger qualifying as the 12th best with a 62.29 result.
Top names seemed very relaxed with German Robert Harting topping the competition with a 66.81 throw with his first try to the delight of the home crowd. Reigning Olympic and World champion Gerd Kanter of Estonia was close behind with his 66.73 toss and Hungary’s Zoltan Kovago threw 65.82 to head Group B with the first two competing in Group A.
American’s Jarred Rome (65.51) and Casey Malone (65.13) also hit automatic qualifers with Lithuania’s most decorated athlete in this sport, Virgiljus Alekna also making his way to the final with a first throw of 65.04. Spanish Mario Pestano was the seventh thrower with automatic mark 65.03 and Polish Piotr Malachowski was only two centimetres below the qualifying standard with a 64.48 result.
Most notable non-qualifier was Estonia’s 2004 Olympic bronze medallist Aleksander Tammert who was also the best athlete not to make the final in 13th place with 62.24 result, just five centimetres shy from Kruger’s 62.29 mark at 12th.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
