If not at the height of last month’s World Championships Final, tonight’s series of four throws still produced an entertaining competition. Olympic and World champion Osleidys Menendez of Cuba, the World record holder, who set that current mark in that final (71.70m), blasted out a comfortable opening round lead of 64.58m today. This as expected held pole position for round two as well, but with a mighty heave, the seemingly permanent global ‘bridesmaid’ of this event, Steffi Nerius of Germany, who is Olympic silver and twice World bronze medallist, snatched the lead on her third, with 66.35.
Menendez’s response was 63.21, a performance which would have sent most of the world’s elite home happy in any competition this season, but for a thrower with the pedigree of the 25-year-old Cuban it was but an average effort.
Still we should never have doubted such a star, and in the fourth and final effort of her competition Menendez sealed the win with a scream of delight. The spear landed at 67.24, and despite Nerius still having another throw we sensed it was all over. Nerius did her best in the circumstances, the spear landed well over 60m but, with what seemed a little despair, she then intentionally fouled the throw by putting one foot over the throwing line when she knew it had not gained her the win.
Cuban Sonia Bisset was third, 63.56m
“It wasn’t an easy win,” confirmed Menendez. “I thought I had won it on my first. It was more difficult than I expected. I am tired but am glad I stood up to the challenge.”
CT
