Anita Wlodarczyk in action in the hammer (© AFP / Getty Images)
She may still be a few metres shy of her lifetime best, but world and Olympic champion Anita Wlodarczyk was still good enough to comfortably win the hammer at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial, part of the IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge, in Szekesfehervar on Sunday.
The Pole had a bit of a rocky start to her 2018 campaign, finishing an uncustomary ninth with 65.71m on her season debut in Halle as her winning streak of almost four years came to an end. She improved to 75.52m in Chorzow earlier this month but was once again beaten.
Her fortunes changes in Ostrava, where she won with 76.43m, and she followed it up with a 76.17m victory in Madrid.
Tonight, in one of a handful of events held on the eve of the main Istvan Gyulai Memorial competition, Wlodarczyk led from the outset, opening with 70.85m and improving in round two to 73.31m – a mark no other woman would better.
The world record-holder threw 74.05m in round five and ended her series with 74.63m, the best mark of the night.
Hanna Malyshik of Belarus was second with 73.02m while Malwina Kopron was third with 71.94m.
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF
