Freitag is back with 2.34m in Salamanca

South Africa’s World High Jump champion Jacques Freitag produced a most remarkable performance at the 32th edition of the “Gran Premio Diputación de Salamanca” - EAA meet -  held yesterday (13 July).

Coming exactly forty days prior to the Olympic High Jump final - to take place on 22 August - his 2.34 clearance provided certain evidence that the 2.07 tall World champion who has been battling with a serious ankle injury will be in the fight for the Olympic title in Athens.

Freitag’s 2.34 is only bettered on this year’s list by Russia’s Andriy Sokolovskiy’2.35. Yesterday’s it was only the third outdoor outing for the 22-year-old South African following a promising start with a 2.27 performance in Potchefstroom (South Africa) on 26 June and a below par result at the IAAF Super Grand Prix in Iráklio (Greece) last 4 July with a 2.20 effort.

The South African, the first athlete to win gold medals at World Youth, Junior and Senior championships, had first time cautious first time clearances over 2.12 and followed with the same over 2.17, 2.22, 2.27 and 2.30, then a season’s best, before going over 2.34 on his second try and failing three times at a would-be PB of 2.38. (2.37, 23 Feb. 02).

Freitag had been sidelined for months due to a recurrence of an ankle injury and only one month ago his presence in Athens was regarded as unlikely.

“After so many problems since February I was afraid of missing the Olympics but my 2.27 result in June and especially today’s 2.34 is an enormous boost for my confidence thinking about Athens.”

”I’m a bit surprised since I only managed 2.20 ten days ago in Iráklio but this is an excellent track and I can now understand how Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor was able to set two World record here”. (Sotomayor jumped 2.43 on 8/9/88 (WR then) and 2.45 on 27/7/93, the current WR).

Freitag was completely unchallenged yesterday as Poland’s Aleksander Walerianczyk came a distant second in 2.22.

Martínez puts 21.06

Spain’s 2003 World Indoor champion Manuel Martínez was a convincing winner in the men’s Shot ahead of America’s Reese Hoffa, who gained selection for Athens at the U.S Trials last Saturday in Sacramento with 21.14. Martínez became the sixth athlete in the world to exceed the 21 metres barrier this summer with a 21.06 fifth-try toss. His complete series was: 20.33 - 20.17 - 20.73 - 20.71 - 21.06 - x. 

American silver medallist Hoffa had to settle for second with a 20.58 release in round 3 and needs some more days to get accustomed to the European time.

An elated Martínez said: “I’m more than happy since my previous season’s best was only 20.19 and I was already a bit worried because the Olympic final (18 August) was approaching and I was not able to throw far enough; this performance gives me confidence for Olympia”.

Asked about Christian Cantwell’s elimination at the U.S trials, Martínez said: “The US now have the four athletes who throw furthest in the world so any of them will be an obvious danger in Olympia. Hoffa’s performance today was logical as he earned selection on Saturday, took the flight on Sunday, arrived Spain on Monday and today is Tuesday!. I’ll next compete this Saturday in Madrid,” confirmed Martínez.

Six Cuban victories but Olympic champion Anier García is only third

Yoel Hernández produced a personal season’s best in the men’s 110 Hurdles with a 13.37 clocking in a 1.7 tailwind, with Ecuador Jackson Quiñones finishing runner-up in 13.54, while the reigning Olympic champion Cuba’s Anier García had to settle for third in 13.74 after a false start.

1999 World 400m Hurdles champion Daimi Pernia lowered her season’s best to 55.18 with a clear win over Spain’s Cora Olivero, who was timed at 55.92. 800m star Zulia Calatayud was untroubled in the women’s 800m in 2:02.03, while Roxana Diaz had no rival in the 200m to win in 23.16 (+1.6).

In the infield Yoandri Betanzos triple jumped to an excellent 17.38 in round 2 but a 2.1 tailwind made his effort useless in terms of the world lists. Another Cuban Yoel García came second in 17.05 (+3.2), while Australia’s Andrew Murphy was third with a best leap of 16.99, which was also wind-assisted (2.4).

Yumileidi Cumba set her season’s best in the women’s Shot with a 19.31 release in round 4 to match the mark which gave her the bronze medal at the last World indoor championships in Budapest. Her compatriot Misleydis González put 18.73 in round 4 for second.

Double win for Jedrusinski

Poland’s European U-23 200 silver medallist Marcin Jedrusinski managed a double 100/200 success with respective times of 10.33 (+1.8) and 20.79 (+2.3), while the evergreen (aged 44!) Slovenia’s Merlene Ottey took the women’s 100m in a season’s best of 11.23 with a legal wind of +0.5. Cuba’s Virgen Benavides was second in 11.26.

Iceland’s Thorey Elisdottir won the women’s Pole Vault on count-back from Poland’s Monika Pyrek with both athletes vaulting over 4.50m on their second attempts. Elisdottir managed 4.40 on her first try, a height that Pyrek didn’t attempt. Spain’s Dana Cervantes reached the Olympic standard of 4.40 while Ukraine’s Anzhela Balakhonova was fourth with a 4.30 clearance.

Spain’s Glory Alozie ran a winning and windy (3.6) 12.67 in the women’s 100m Hurdles, 0.13s ahead of her compatriot Aliuska López, while 1500m specialist (3.31.61) Juan Carlos Higuero won a thrilling men’s 800m in 1:47.04 from Juan de Dios Jurado, runner-up in 1.47.06.

In their search for an Olympic spot (top 16 in the world) the 4x100 Spanish men’s relay squad clocked 39.09 (Mocholí, Berlanga, Beitia and Lino), while on the women’s side Cuba was victorious with a 43.57 performance (Pérez, Díaz, Benavides and Lazo).