Report30 Aug 2011


Women's Heptathlon - Javelin Throw - Strong javelin throw propels Chernova into the driver’s seat

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Hyleas Fountain in the Javelin Throw of the Heptathlon (© Getty Images)

30 August 2011Daegu, Korea - Tatyana Chernova delivered a spear to the heart of Jessica Ennis’s ambition as a season’s best javelin throw of 52.95m enabled her to take over the Heptathlon lead with only the 800m remaining following the defending champion’s failure to do better than 39.95m – almost seven metres down on her best.


The 23-year-old Russian’s margin of 133 points over the defending champion looks virtually insurmountable, given that she has a personal best almost two seconds faster than that of the Briton – 2:06.50 to 2:08.46 – and now has an effective cushion of nine second over her closest rival over the two-lap race.


She has 5887 points, with Ennis on 5754 and Germany’s Jennifer Oeser, is in bronze medal position with 5613, two points ahead of Hyleas Fountain of the United States.


Oeser, the silver medallist of two years ago, took fourth place with a personal best of 51.30m, while Fountain achieved a season’s best of 43.42m.


Chernova had to wait a couple of hours to see how the overall leader, throwing later in the weaker group, could respond.


Ennis didn’t need the TV camera stalking her around the throwing area before competition started to know that the focus was on her. She was impassive, eyes hidden behind reflective shades.


Having thrown her personal best of 46.71m in winning the European title last year, the Briton has subsequently managed 43.83m in Gotzis and 42.93m at the national trials, but she knew she needed to send the javelin into new territory to have a realistic chance.


Her first effort was well down, 38.17m, and she turned immediately for the perimeter of the bottom bend, there to consult with her coach Toni Minichiello.


The second didn’t get much better – 39.95m.


And when she misfired again on her third and final attempt, which reached 39.14m, the 25-year-old Sheffield athlete raised her eyes to the sky and put her hands on her head before trotting off once again for a consoling word with her coach. As she waited for him to come down from his seat, she rested her forehead disconsolately on the side wall.


The Russian’s personal best of 54.49m dates back 2006, when she was 18. But she gave more recent evidence of her prowess in June with a throw of 52.00m en route to her personal best of 6773 points in Kladno.


Her first throw was a relative disappointment as she reached only 46.73m, six places behind the first round leader in group A, Antoinette Nana Djimou Ida of France, who threw a personal best of 55.79m which eventually won the event ahead of Margaret Simpson of Ghana, who achieved 53.13m.


But Chernova got down to business proper with her second event, making a statuesque, almost stately progress to a point well before the line before launching the spear way out beyond the 45 metres marker.


The 23-year-old went down on her haunches as she waited for the result to arrive on the scoreboard in front of her. When the numbers came up, she rose to her feet and punched the air with her right fist. It looked like the decisive moment of the competition. And Ennis’s disappointing effort soon confirmed that impression.


Apart from Chernova there were season’s best’s from Austra Skujyte of Lithuania, who reached 49.19m, and Natallia Dobrynska of Ukraine, who recorded 48.00m.


Mike Rowbottom for the IAAF


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