News28 Feb 2009


Majewski puts 21.10m national record in Chemnitz

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Tomasz Majewski at the 2008 Polish indoor champs (© Adam Nurkiewicz / Mediasport)

Tomasz Majewski produced a Polish record of 21.10m in the men’s Shot Put, and Germany’s Sebastian Bayer added to his own career best with an 8.17m in the men’s Long Jump to highlight the 14th Erdgas Indoor Meeting in Chemnitz on Friday evening (27). 

Turin now on the target list

Majewski, the Olympic Shot Put champion, broke through the stranglehold by an American trio heading the year list in that event during this indoor season with a spectacular 21.10 to move into the number-two spot.  Besides being a national record, it was Majewski’s first time over the 21-metre mark indoors.  Only American Christian Cantwell, at 21.47, has thrown farther this year. 

The big toss came on Majewski’s third attempt, as he already had the lead at 20.47 and would end as the only competitor over 20 metres.  Ralf Bartels took second at 19.71, just a centimetre ahead of Hungary’s Lajos Kürthy at 19.70. 

“Yes, 21 metres was a clear goal for me this season,” he later revealed, “and I finally did it.  I’m extremely glad.” 

The effort proved to be a pivotal point in the indoor season for the affable Polish athlete.  “My technique was good this winter, but I really did not have any thoughts about the European Indoor Championships (in Turin)” he admitted.  “But now, I’m sure I will go.” 

Previously announced were Majewski’s later winter training plans, which include three weeks at the US Olympic Training Centre near San Diego.  “This is a really important time for me,” he continued.  “I think a lot about Berlin this summer.  I will need a lot of work, because it’s going to take a really long throw to win there.” 

Majewski will return to Poland from Turin on 9 March, and the following day he will depart for his California training camp. 

Recovered from muscle strain Bayer lands PB

The other headliner tonight had the near-sellout crowd captivated the entire evening.  A member of Germany’s Beijing squad last year, Bayer surprised even himself as he sped down the Long Jump runway in the third round to the crowd’s rhythmic clapping for an 8.17m PB.  It capped a splendid week for the 22-year-old, after he had twice jumped a PB 8.13 in winning the German title last weekend.  Only Louis Tsatoumas of Greece has jumped farther this season. 

“I approached tonight’s competition as if it were a training session in front of an audience,” Bayer said.  “I was hoping for something like 8.10, but I really wasn’t going to put pressure on myself to surpass a certain mark.” 

During the past month, Bayer has been working to overcome a small adductor injury suffered in January.  “I had a muscle strain, and I had to fight through some pain in recent weeks.  Even the 8.13 last weekend was not a totally comfortable achievement,” the Bremen athlete said.  “But tonight, I was probably reacting positively to the first totally pain-free jumping I have had this season.   Now, I need to transfer my success here to the next level in Torino.” 

Marcin Starzak of Poland leaped 7.92 on his final attempt for second, while Oliver König was third at 7.79.

In the women's competition Sophie Krauel jumped 6.50m on her final attempt, and so leap-frogged over Melanie Bauschke (6.49) and Sosthene Moguenara (6.48) for victory. 

Bednarek (2.27m); Hinrichs (19.05m); Scherbarth (5.60m)

For Sylwester Bednarek, the 2.27m which won the men’s High Jump was a confirmation of his 2.30 leap almost a month ago in his Polish home town of Lodz.  Despite suffering a minor calf strain on his final attempt at the event-ending 2.32 here, the 19-year-old reigning World Junior silver medallist will also journey to Italy next week. 

A pair of African jumpers took the next two places at 2.21, with Kabelo Kgosiemang of Botswana besting Egypt’s Karim Lotfy on a countback, with Robert Wolski of Poland fourth, also at that height. 

The women’s Shot Put event, contested concurrently with the men, was won by 21-year-old Denise Hinrichs of Germany at 19.05m, ahead of the 18.65 of three-time Olympian Nadine Kleinert. 

The men’s Pole Vault turned into a five-jumper logjam at 5.60m, with Tobias Scherbarth’s clean record giving him the win over his clubmate Malte Mohr.  Britain’s Steven Lewis seemingly came to Chemnitz more intent on raising his PB than scoring a win.  The Stoke jumper, who cleared 5.75 six weeks ago, needed three attempts to stay alive at 5.60, but then passed to 5.80 without avail.  He tied for third with Leonid Andreyev of Uzbekistan. 

Kuc and Anim best at the dash

Standing as the last full-programme meeting on the European schedule before the European Championships next week in Turin, the Erdgas Indoor Meeting presented an opportunity for sharpening form.  Making the most of this was Polish sprinter Dariusz Kuc, who recorded a pair of 6.60 times in the heats and final to win the event.  The 22-year-old Krakower ran a PB 6.59 two weeks ago in Valencia, and is currently in the top six among Europeans this season.  Peter Emelieze of Nigeria finished second with 6.65, ahead of Kuc’s countryman Jacek Roszko at 6.71.  

The women’s 60 metres was a tight affair won by Vida Anim of Ghana over Austria’s Bettina Müller-Weissina, both timed in 7.28. 

Gun to tape for Bungei

It isn’t often that Wilfred Bungei runs an 800m race from the front from start to finish, but the Kenyan did just that last night, coming from a 1:45.91 performance in Prague only the night before, he clearly was enlisted here to provide a hot pace for the others.  Responding best to the Olympic champion’s tempo - which won the contest in 1:49.91 - was Sebastian Papuga of Poland with 1:50.25, ahead of Justus Koech of Kenya (1:50.32). 

The women’s 800 metres was an easy win for Janina Goldfuss in 2:04.82, with Annett Horna almost a second behind as the runner-up with 2:05.76. 

Numerous timed sections of the 200 metres were offered, some with only two competitors to avoid using the inside two channels of the four-lane track. 

Emerging with the best clocking after four sections of the men’s event was Germany’s Sebastian Ernst with 21.00 sec, as Marcin Jedrusinski of Poland circled the hall in 21.07 for the next-best time.  Alexander Kosenkow, whose 20.78 last weekend leads Europe this season, came in third with 21.08. 

Maike Dix’s PB 23.66 easily was the best of the women’s sections. 

The men’s 400 metres saw a hard-fought win by Poland’s Marcin Marciniszyn whose 47.56 sec barely held off the 47.69 of a resolute Thomas Goller.  In the women’s contest, Claudia Hoffmann had a much easier time in her 53.55 conquest of Florence Ekpo-Umoh (54.34).

Ed Gordon for the IAAF

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