Bydgoszcz 2008 logo (© c)
Uzbekistan’s Grigoriy Kamulya put the shot to a personal best 19.96m to claim the first gold in the 13th Asian junior championships which commenced at Madya Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta on Thursday (12 June).
Kamulya (19), fourth at Macau in the previous edition in 2006, pulled a surprise victory later that year over some fancied shot putters by setting out the 5 Kg iron ball to 19.76m to win the youth boys’ gold in AFI-Salwan International Throws meet at New Delhi.
Kamulya’s teammate Sergey Dementev was a distant second for silver in 18.43 while the bronze went to India’s national youth champion Jasdeep Singh Dhillon (18.04).
China opened its campaign through their junior women as they secured top spots in Triple Jump and Discus Throw. Chinese duo of Xi Shangxue and Jin Yuanyuan were 1-2 in discus throw. Jin Yuanyuan, the bronze medallist from last year’s World Youth Championships at Ostrava , could not throw beyond 52.40m which was 23 cm short of her compatriot’s gold winning performance here.
Local girl Natalia Londa Marie prevented another Chinese double as she got the better off Hu Qian to earn a silver medal in triple jump (13.24 to 13.01m). China ’s Li Yianmei won the gold in 13.60m.
Japan’s Michi Numata had an easy win over Indian Savita Dhankhar in the 3000m. Numata, holding a pb of 9:10.89, clocked a moderate 9:33.86 for the gold. On the contrary, Savita timed a career best 9:39.83 for the silver.
The bronze went to Kyrgyzstan ’s Victoria Baludina (9:41.21).
Bahrain’s distance star Majed Saleh Bashir had won the 10,000m in 33:08.17, which was four minutes outside his best.
Ram. Murali Krishnan for the IAAF
