At 29, Lyudmila Blonska, of the Ukraine, had hardly made an impression on the women’s multi-events scene before today with her best ever performance being at the European Championships in Munich in 2002 when she was seventh in the Heptathlon.
But she now stands on the verge of her first major gold medal after stretching her lead after the fourth event of five - and by achieving with conviction.
Maybe it was the shock of watching her lead narrowed by Karin Ruckstuhl, of the Netherlands, after the third event, the Shot Put, but Blonska won this discipline with a personal best-equalling effort of 6.50m.
She was only the fourth best on distances beforehand but once again she proved it was all on the day. Blonska was in no mood to mess around. She was third to jump and on her first attempt set the mark which, in the end, the others only followed.
While there was hardly a big crowd in the arena, she made sure she used their support in clapping her down the runway. Her take off looked good, and the height brought her the lead.
Just aswell, too, because her second jump was a foul and her third was 6.33m, the distance which Ruckstuhl jumped for fourth place, but only on her last go. She had fouled on the first and managed only 6.01m on her second.
That was the key for Blonska, staying ahead of her closest rival, which she did in style. Their respective points for the event, 1007 and 953, meant the Ukrainian, was in front by 118 going into the last event, the 800m.
RL
But she now stands on the verge of her first major gold medal after stretching her lead after the fourth event of five - and by achieving with conviction.
Maybe it was the shock of watching her lead narrowed by Karin Ruckstuhl, of the Netherlands, after the third event, the Shot Put, but Blonska won this discipline with a personal best-equalling effort of 6.50m.
She was only the fourth best on distances beforehand but once again she proved it was all on the day. Blonska was in no mood to mess around. She was third to jump and on her first attempt set the mark which, in the end, the others only followed.
While there was hardly a big crowd in the arena, she made sure she used their support in clapping her down the runway. Her take off looked good, and the height brought her the lead.
Just aswell, too, because her second jump was a foul and her third was 6.33m, the distance which Ruckstuhl jumped for fourth place, but only on her last go. She had fouled on the first and managed only 6.01m on her second.
That was the key for Blonska, staying ahead of her closest rival, which she did in style. Their respective points for the event, 1007 and 953, meant the Ukrainian, was in front by 118 going into the last event, the 800m.
RL
