Yipsi Moreno of Cuba takes silver in the women's Hammer Throw (© Getty Images)
Banska Bystrica, Slovak RepublicAs expected both the Hammer Throw competitions highlighted of the first part of ‘Athletics Bridge’ double meetings in Central Slovakia on a windless Sunday evening (28).
No warm-up
Helsinki women’s silver medallist and former World champion Yipsi Moreno from Cuba had a sensational competition. Though she missed her warm-up, as she had overlooked the exact start of the event, in the second attempt of a four throw competition, she achieved 72.57.
Yet that was not to be it, she exploded to her season’s best of 74.95 only just shy of her area record of 75.18. This was the best result ever on Slovak territory and 16th best in all-time list. In her last throw she confirmed the shape with 74.40. World record holder Tatyana Lysenko could not find her way with 71.22. In total, four athletes over 70 was a high standard.
Tikhon - favourite for Monaco
In the men’s competition, only Ivan Tikhon from Belarus, the double World champion had throws over 80 metres throws - 80.04; 80.56; 79.90; 80.45 – confirming himself as the favourite for the World Athletics Final to be held in Szombathely, Hungary on Saturday 3 September.
Triple Jump - Last round excitement
The men’s Triple Jump was also very exciting for the public, producing a terrific last round. World champion Walter Davis achieved on his third attempt a solid 16.80 and was leading coming to the last round. But then all changed. First Helsinki silver medallist Yoandri Betanzos from Cuba went to 16.86 and then local hero Dmitrij Valukevic responded with 16.89. Suddenly Davis was third, but he showed why he is the man of the last attempt, producing a sensational 17.30m to win.
In the running events there was a great women’s 400m race. Two Russian relay World champions battled it out with Olympic Games 4th placer Monique Hennagan of the USA. The American had a tough schedule winning some 90 minutes before the 200m race. Russian Olesya Krasnomovets beat her only by 0.02 margin.
There was a surprise winner in the women’s 100m Hurdles which was taken by World University Games champion Tatiana Pavliy from Russia, as two dipped under 13 seconds.
US male sprinters got clear wins - Coby Miller in the 200m and Tyree Washington at the 400m. Polish 800 m runner Grzegorz Krzosek surprised kenyan favourites and won. But that did not happen in the men’s 2000m race where Churchill Kipsang had the decisive lead already coming into the lap.
Olympic Champion Yuriy Belonog from Ukraine confirmed his status in the Shot Put with 20.22. Ainars Kovals of Latvia won the 81.43, and the High Jump was taken by Andrey Tereshin of Russia with 2.26m
All athletes are continuing to another central Slovakian city of Dubnica where they will compete again on Monday afternoon (29). The winners will try to repeat their wins because of 13,000 Euro jackpot. The amount will be divided between athletes who would be able to win twice in their events.
Alfons Juck for the IAAF
Top results
Men
200m (+0.3): 1. Coby Miller, USA 20.75, 2. Jimmy Hackley, USA 20.96, 3. Dmytro Hluschenko, UKR 21.09, 4. Chris Johnson, USA 21.11, 5. Ambrose Ezenwa,NGR 21.18
400m: 1. Tyree Washington, USA 46.07, 2. Marcin Marciniszyn,POL 46.88, 3. Jiri Muzik, CZE 47.43
800m: 1. Grzegorz Krzosek, POL 1:47.98, 2. Justus Koech, KEN 1:48.35, 3. Jebreh Harris, USA 1:48.41, 4. Bernard Kisilu, KEN 1:48.84
2000m: 1. Churchill Kipsang, KEN 5:10.95, 2. Benson Esho, KEN 5:12.62, 3. Nikolay Labovskiy, UKR 5:12.74, 4. Michal Karczmarek, POL 5:13.47, 5. Vladimir Pospisil, CZE 5:13.68, 6. Vasyl Cykalo, UKR 5:14.38, 7. Arkadiusz Sowa, POL 5:14.79
HJ: 1. Andrey Tereshin, RUS 2.26, 2. Ben Challenger, GBR 2.23, 3. Giulio Ciotti, ITA 2.23, 4. Andrea Bettinelli, ITA 2.20
TJ: 1. Walter Davis, USA 17.30, 2. Dmitrij Valukevic,SVK 16.89, 3. Yoandri Betanzos, CUB 16.86, 4. Yevgeniy Plotnir, RUS 16.66, 5. Anders Moller, DEN 15.89, 6. Kenta Bell, USA 15.85
SP: 1. Yuriy Bilonog, UKR 20.22, 2. Petr Stehlik, CZE 19.91, 3. Miran Vodovnik, SLO 19.72
JT: 1. Ainars Kovals, LAT 81.43, 2. Marian Bokor, SVK 75.40, 3. Stefan Wenk, GER 74.43, 4. Mike Hazle, USA 73.78
HT: 1. Ivan Tikhon, BLR 80.56, 2. Krisztian Pars, HUN 78,04, 3. Vadim Deviatovskiy, BLR 76.88, 4. Libor Charfreitag, SVK 76,12, 5. Andras Haklits, CRO 73.26, 6. Miloslav Konopka, SVK 72.30
Women
200m (0.0): 1. Monique Hennagan, USA 23.49, 2. Yekaterina Kondratyeva, RUS 23.72, 3. Natalia Pygyda, UKR 23.79
400m: 1. Olesya Krasnomovets, RUS 51.26, 2. Monique Hennagan, USA 51.28, 3. Tatyana Fireva, RUS 51.87, 4. Grazyna Prokopek, POL 52.22, 5. Lisa Miller, GBR 53.71
100mH (+0.3): 1. Tatyana Pavliy, RUS 12.97, 2. Aurelia Trywianska, POL 12.99, 3. Anjanette Kirkland, USA 13.07, 4. Danielle Carruthers, USA 13.08, 5. Vonette Dixon, USA 13.09, 6. Derval O´Rourke, IRL 13.10
HT: 1. Yipsi Moreno, CUB 74.95, 2. Tatyana Lysenko, RUS 71.22, 3. Kamila Skolimowska,POL 70.73, 4. Ester Balassini, ITA 70.04, 5. Martina Danisova, SVK 67.10, 6. Iryna Sekachova, UKR 66.33, 7. Noemi Nemeth, HUN (86) 60.91
