Ester Balassini with her national Hammer record score (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)
The 15th Mediterranean Games athletics programme started in the Mediterranean Stadium in Almería, Spain, on Wednesday (29 June).
The spectators in the state-of-the-art stadium, which was officially opened in July 2004, witnessed another fine series of throws by Ester Balassini. The 27-year-old Italian, who surprised many people last Saturday with her sixth round throw and short-lived world leading mark of 73.59m in the national championships, opened her competition yesterday with a 71.17m winning result. She continued with 70.21m in round two and went on to record to more throws over 68m in the later rounds.
Balassini will be one of the favourites for the Helsinki World Championships, although Erin Gilreath (USA) quickly erased her world leader with 73.87m in the US Championships later. Balassini’s countrywoman, Clarissa Claretti took second place by throwing 69.24m in round five, she has a best of 70.59m earlier this season.
In other finals, Felipe Vivancos (ESP) was quick over the 110m Hurdles winning with a season’s best time of 13.53, just 0.06s off his personal best set in the heats of Athens Olympics Games last summer. Andrea Giaconi (ITA), who fastest in the heats with 13.60, was second in 13.69.
In a tight Triple Jump competition, Hrístos Melétoglou (GRE) recorded a big wind assisted jump of 17.09m in round two, but was seriously challenged by Tareq Bougtaïb (MAR). Bougtaïb, a 8.21m long jumper last season, only started to triple jump in 2005, but his series was still very impressive. He equaled his own national record of 16.84m in round two, then bettered it with 16.95m in the fourth round and again by 17.00m in round five, but was not able to overtake the Greek and took the second place in the competition.
Matic Osovnikar (SLO) won the 200m in 20.75 and Vitoli Tipotio (FRA) was the best Javelin thrower with a 75.20m result.
In women’s events other than the Hammer throw, favourite Vanessa Boslak won the Pole Vault easily with a 4.40m first time clearance before Anna Fitidou (CYP) who took the second place with a 4.25m jump. Alenka Bikar (SLO) won the 200m in 23.65 into a strong headwind (-1.9) and Souad Aït Salem (ALG) was fastest in the 10000m in 32:55.48.
Very promising times were recorded in the 400m hurdles heats, Cora Olivero, the Argentina-born FC Barcelona athlete was fastest with a personal best of 55.27 before two Italians Monika Niederstätter (56.16) and Benedetta Ceccarelli (ITA).
Klodiana Shala broke the Albanian national record with 56.48 and advanced to the final as well.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
