Report29 Jun 2013


Mayer and Melnychenko lead overnight in Tallinn – IAAF Combined Events Challenge

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Kevin Mayer of France competes during the Men's Decathlon Discus Throw on Day 13 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 9, 2012 (© Getty Images)

France’s Kevin Mayer and Ukraine’s Hanna Melnychenko are the individual leaders after the first day of the European Cup Combined Events Super League in Tallinn on Saturday (29), which is part of the IAAF Combined Events Challenge.

Mayer has 4284 points in the Decathlon with Belarus’ Eduard Mikhan second with 4284, and Estonia's Kaarel Joevali third with 4127.

"I have lots of points and I can do something good, maybe I can do 8500," said Mayer, the 2010 World junior champion who has a personal best of 8447 points. "I was really satisfied with my Long Jump and it was a long time for a personal best."

After four events in the Heptathlon, Melnychenko leads with 3794 points from Poland's Karolina Tyminska with 3671 and Ukraine's Alina Fyodorova, who is third overnight with 3613.

In the separate team competition, the Cup has a new look to it this year with the competition now decided on the joint total of the men's and women's team points.

France lead overall after this first day with 17,954 points from Ukraine with 17,794 and Russia who won both the men's and women's Cup 12 months ago, third with 17,546. The best three men’s and women’s scores from each country count towards their final total.

However, it was Great Britain who started the day well in both the Decathlon and Heptathlon.

Heat four of the men's 100m brought the quickest time when John Lane won in 10.78 and then his teammate Karla Drew won the 100m Hurdles in 13.39.

Ukraine won the next event in the Decathlon as Vasyl Ivanytskyy triumphed in the Long Jump with 7.78m, adding six centimetres to his previous best, from Mayer who also got a personal best of 7.63m. France’s Florian Geffrouais then won the Shot Put for France with 15.39m, with Mayer in fourth with 14.95m.

The second Heptathlon discipline, the High Jump, proved to be a great event for Ukraine as they took three of the first five places. Fyodorova had the edge over the rest as she won with 1.90m from Russia's Uliana Aleksandrova with 1.84m. Belarus’ Yana Maksimava, Ukraine's Anastasiya Mokhnyuk and her compatriot Melnychenko all went over 1.81m.

The women's Shot Put was won by Tyminska, who reached 14.48m in the first round but Melnychenko remained first overall thanks to her final effort of 13.69m, which took took her tally after three events to 2829 points. The afternoon became even better for Tyminska as she had the quickest time in the 200m, the final women's event, with 23.77, winning her heat from Melnychenko in 24.16.

Estonia's Hendrik Lepik won the men’s High Jump with 2.13m but Mayer extended his lead, and France's, when he finished second with of 2.04m ahead of Italy's Simone Cairoli, who was third with the same height.

France then ensured they were in pole position overnight as their men were superb in the 400m. In the second heat, Jeremy Lelievre won in a personal best of 47.83, the fastest time in all four races. Geffrouais won the third heat in 48.64 and, in the final race, Mayer was third in 49.50.

In the European Cup Combined Events First League in Nottwil, Switzerland, The Netherlands’ 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships Heptathlon winner Eelco Sintnicolaas leads the way with 4112 points, with Spain’s Jonay Jordan second with 3908.

Another Dutch multi-events exponent, Nadine Broersen, leads in the Heptathlon there with 3696 points, her score aided by a personal best Shot Put of 14.34m. Czech Republic’s Eliska Klucinova is second with 3572.

The European Cup Combined Events Second League on the Portuguese island of Madeira in Ribiera Brava sees Norway’s Lars Vikan Rise lead the Decathlon with 3938 points while Romania’s Beatrice Puiu is in a commanding position in the Heptathlon and leads by 390 points with 3661, after starting the day with personal bests in the first three events.

Individual scores in the First and Second League also count towards the IAAF Combined Events Challenge.

European Athletics for the IAAF

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