The morning javelin qualification is a graveyard for some and the title ambitions of the defending World champion, Andrus Varnik, were buried with the minimum of fuss.
After two fouls and a season’s best of 75.96, the Estonian bowed out on a drizzly morning in Osaka.
The top four in the world this year survived, some by the skin of their teeth.
The longest throw came from Latvian Vadims Vasilevskis who threw 87.37, but that only came after a foul and a mediocre 72.80.
Much-fancied Tero Pitkamaki (FIN) was only 10th overall with a best of 80.62 and did not look best satisfied.
World leader, Breaux Greer, needed the full complement of throws before he got it right with 86.78.
“To be honest, qualifying wasn't that hard with the standard at 82m,” explained Greer. “But there were kind of weird conditions. I didn't think of it because we've got longer spikes, but with the rain, the runway had become very soft.
"Hopefully it won't be wet in the final. In the second attempt, the wind caught it. The wind is just a lot stronger than what you'd think. Now the 90m are coming. Hopefully, there'll be three or four of us doing it and that is going to be exciting.”
Olympic champion and World silver medallist, Andreas Thorkildsen, fouled in the first round then qualified with the minimum of fuss in the second, his spear going out to 82.33.
“I was a bit unlucky touching the line on my first attempt,” said the Norwegian. “I saw that Greer slipped about 20cm, so on my second one I slowed down and played cautious. Right now, I feel OK. I'm not really sure yet about my plan for Sunday. Hopefully, I can go for six maximum throws. If not, I"ll give it all on the first one.”
Only three athletes qualified on their first effort: Tero Jarvenpaa (FIN) with a season’s best 84.35, Swedish champion Magnus Arvidsson 84.17 and Cuba’s Pan-American champion Guillermo Martinez 82.99.
“I knew that I'm in very good shape,” said Jarvenpaa, the runner-up in the Finnish championships. “So I tried to throw easy and relaxed.
"Actually the weather conditions were brilliant for me. I don't like to compete in the sunshine. So it was perfect.”
Osaka 2007 News Team/mb
Osaka 2007 New Team/mb
