1.95 UK High Jump record for Jessica Ennis in Desanzano (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)
The highlight of the European Cup Combined Events competition held in Szczecin over the weekend (7 – 8 July), was the duel in the Heptathlon between two Britons – the Olympic bronze medalist Kelly Sotherton and the 21-year-old emerging star Jessica Ennis.
After a tight contest for most of the two days, in the end it was the youngster Ennis winning clearly with 6399 points, a new personal best and the fourth highest score in the world this year, as Sotherton finished second, 170 points adrift. The British team also scored a runaway victory in the team event to lift the European Cup for the first time ever.
The two British multi-eventers dominated from the very beginning of the competition. In the first event, 100m Hurdles, Sotherton, aided by tail wind of 2.5m/s, won her heat in a swift 13.28. In the next heat, however, Ennis went even better on the wet track, running 13.05, just 0.01 off her personal best.
Spells of rain and strong wind made life very difficult for the heptathletes during the High Jump competition, but despite these obstacles, the two British stars showed impressive form. Kelly Sotherton was the first to clear 1.87 on her first attempt by a clear margin to set a new personal best. Her compatriot, the British record holder with 1.95, joined her in clearing the same height on her third attempt. Neither woman managed to go higher, although Sotherton came close to clearing 1.90 on one attempt, taking the bar down with her hand.
After an impressive start, Sotherton, 34 points behind after two events, was expected to take over the lead in the Shot Put. This was not to be, as she only managed 12.97, over a metre down on her season’s best, while Ennis, untroubled by rain, set a new PB of 12.78 to lose only 5 points on her rival. The 200mrace had an outcome similar to that in the 100m Hurdles. First, Sotherton recorded the fastest time with 23.97, then Ennis duly beat it in the next heat with 23.65, to bring a lead of 60 points into day two. Ganna Melnychenko, in third place after four events, was already a full 240 points behind the leader.
With no rain on Sunday (8), the scene was set for even better performances than on day one. This time, however, both lead performers were some way down on their best in the initial event of the day, the Long Jump. Kelly Sotherton proved better than her younger colleague, jumping 6.36, while Ennis only managed 6.20. The latter’s lead was thus cut to only 10 points, and there was high expectation of an exciting finale.
This was not to be, as Javelin Throw, as on other occasions in the past, proved to be Sotherton’s downfall. While she has never been the most accomplished specialist in the event, she had a particularly bad day in Szczecin, finishing dead last in this event after three throws well below 30 metres, with a best of just 28.59.
The Javelin Throw has not been Ennis’ favourite event, either, but this time a new personal best of 37.38 left her with a big lead of 169 points after six events ahead of Melnychenko, who took over the second place, 8 points ahead of Sotherton.
Both British athletes ran well in the 800 metres, with Sotherton finishing in 2:10.43, just ahead of Ennis’ 2:10.91. Thanks to this performance, Ennis just managed to improve her personal best with a score of 6399 points, while Sotherton’s total came up to 6229. Melnychenko finished third with 6143, and there was one more finisher over 6000, as Karolina Tyminska of Poland ran the fastest 800 metres of all the competitors to take fourth place with 6044.
With the two stars of the competition on the squad, the winner of the team event was never in doubt. The British team moved well ahead of their rivals after the first event and kept on increasing the lead over the two days, finishing over 1000 points ahead. The Russian team, down in third place for most of the competition, ran a strong two lap race to move into the runner-up position, ahead of Ukraine, who took third.
Finland, who initially looked set for a podium finish, were set back by the disqualification of Salla Rinne in the 200 metres and placed seventh, ahead only of a Carolina Klüft-less Swedish team. The two Nordic teams were thus relegated to compete in the First League next year.
“The team win at the European Cup means a lot to me”, declared the happy winner Ennis after the competition. “I could have done better if it wasn’t for the rain on Saturday. At the World Championships, I’m hoping for a score over 6400. I can score higher, especially in the Long Jump.”
Belgium triumph in Decathlon
Along with the women’s Super League, the men’s Decathlon European Cup First League was also held in Szczecin. The competition for individual honours was very tight for most of the two days, with the top five separated by less than 90 points after eight events.
In the end, however, three Belgians set themselves apart from the rest of the field by a clear margin. Hans van Alphen proved the best with a score of 7930 points, a massive personal best by over 500 points. Finishing just behind were the pre-event favourite Francois Gourmet with 7908 and Frederic Xhonneux with 7874 points.
Belgium were naturally also the winners of the team event and they, along with second placers Poland, advanced to next year’s European Cup Super League competition.
Pawel Jackowski for the IAAF
Belarus win men's Super League Decathlon in Tallinn
8 July 2007 - In mild sunshine, Belarus won their men's Super league debut with 23,749 points while the Dutch women, led by individual star Karin Ruckstuhl, took the women's title at the European Cup Combined Events First league at the end of two days competition in Tallinn, Estonia today.
