Ivana Spanovic of Serbia on her way to the 2008 World Junior gold medal in the Long Jump (© Getty Images)
Belgrade, SerbiaThe home crowd celebrated its first gold medal in athletics during this 25th. Universiade thanks to junior Ivana Spanovic, who leapt in her fifth attempt of the Long Jump to 6.64m on day two of the track and field progamme.
The 2008 World Junior champion missed her personal best with only 1 centimetre. Spanovic started her series with 6.41 and took the lead from Russian Irina Kryachikova (6.42) in the second round with 6.52, a mark she equalled with the fourth effort. One jump later she produced her winning distance.
On the second day of the World University Games in the Serbian capital of Belgrade six finals were scheduled. As on the first day less than 500 visitors were in the immense Marakana stadium. Not really circumstances for athletes to perform at their best.
The final of the men’s Hammer Throw started one hour later due to heavy rain. The Belarussian athlete Yury Shayunou took the lead in the competition with his second throw of 76.77m, and bettered this to 76.92 in the fifth round. Second was Canadian James, who had his best throw in the last round with 74.88m.
Lithuanian Lina Grincikaite took the gold in the women’s 100m in 11.31sec. More than 0.2 seconds ahead of Momoko Takahashi from Japan. Grincikaite’s bettered her PB from Beijing last year with 0,02 seconds.
In the earlier men’s 100m semis, the Egyptian Amr Ibrahim Seoud and Japanese Masashi Eriguchi impressed most but in the final, 22-year-old, Rolando Palacios Cruz from Honduras was ahead of everyone in 10.30. The Egyptian and Japanese followed in 10.31 and 10.33.
20 athletes started the men’s 10,000m with South African Mzazi Sibabalwe winning in a very close sprint in 28:21.44 with Frenchmen Mayaud Denis, who in the last 100 metres of the race closed most of the 10 meters gap between them (28:21.50).
Australia’s 2006 World Junior champion Dani Samuels who was an Olympic finalist last summer won the women’s Discus Throw with 62.48.
On the first day of the Decathlon, which is also counting for the IAAF Combined Events Challenge, 2 athletes passed 4000 points Filipp Britner (RUS) and Brent Newdick (NZL) with Belarus Mikalai Shubianok is following with 3994 points. He normally is a better second day athlete.
Qualifications – World champion Heidler looking good
The Belgian Michael Bultheel was the fastest in the four heats of the 400m Hurdles. In the morning session he improved his personal best by 1 second to 49.78sec.
The best of Javelin qualification group ‘A’ was Stuart Farquhar (NZL) with 79.49m. In the other group Olympic silver medallist Ainars Kovals (LAT) threw 77.76.
In Hammer Throw women the qualification standard of 63m turned out to be too low. 14 athletes passed this line with World champion German Betty Heidler throwing 73.75m.
Hans van Kuijen for the IAAF
