Christian Cantwell in Denmark (© Hasse Sjogren)
As expected the men’s Shot Put competition at Thursday’s Aarhus Games turned out to be pure World class throwing. The first round provided the field's best efforts with Christian Cantwell’s opening put of 22.04m – only 14cm short of Werner Günthör’s 19-year-old Meeting record - ensuring him the first prize of 4000 Euros.
The home crowd favourite, reigning European Indoor Champion Joachim Olsen, also produced a massive first round throw by setting a season’s best of 21.33m. It was his tenth consecutive competition over 21 metres, thus making him arguably the most consistent shot putter in the world. Reigning IAAF World Indoor Champion, Reese Hoffa, came in third with his first round put of 21.04 metres.
But the highest roar from the 2200 spectators came when IAAF’s Event Ranked nr.6, Christina Scherwin, in the women’s Javelin stunned the competition when improving her own National Record to 64.06 metres. Just before that Goldie Sayers of Great Britain had improved Scherwin’s own Meeting Record with a season’s best of 60.41m. Then in the fifth round the second National record was set when USA’s Kim Kreiner improved her own mark by one centimetre to 62.44.
With another three Meeting records set during this beautiful summer evening, the warm conditions obviously made the athletes perform well. In the men’s 400m Hurdles Gregory Little of Jamaica won in a SB of 49.42 when coming in strong in the last 50 metres to push USA’s LaBronze Garrett down to 2nd place.
His fellow countryman, Nestar Carter, had a successful European debut when winning the close battle in the men’s 100m with 10.31 in front of Brazil’s Vicente de Lima (10.32) and USA’s John Woods (10.34).
Christy Ekpukpon of Nigeria won the women’s 400m in 52.04 but most surprisingly Denmark’s best 800m runner, Rikke Rønholt, took third place when improving the National record by 5 hundredths of a second. The time 52.82 took more than one second off her personal best!
Also close to a fifth Meeting record was Vyktor Yastrebov of Ukraine in the men’s Triple Jump with his second round effort of 17.10w (16.92).
Welshman Jimmy Watkins showed strength when winning the men’s 800m comfortably in 1:48.30. As did France’s Adil El Oualadi in the last event, the men’s 3000m Steeplechase, his winning time being 8.29.93. More remarkable was perhaps the 20-year old Alex Genest of Canada who came in second in 8.30.82 – improving his PB with 7 seconds.
Jeppe Weinreich for the IAAF
