Robert Harting roars after releasing the discus to victory in Ulm in 2009 (© Getty Images)
Germany’s reigning World Champion Robert Harting confirmed his fine form. The Discus Thrower achieved the best performance of two meetings that took place in Cottbus and Biberach (Germany) in the past few days. Harting won his event with 68.51m in Cottbus on Saturday (25).
Biberach, 28 June
On Tuesday evening (28) it was a junior athlete who produced two fine results in Biberach. Germany’s sprint hurdler Gregor Traber won both of the 110 m Hurdles races, which took place within an hour. First the 18-year-old clocked 13.67 seconds running into a slight head wind of 0.4 m/s. This already was a personal best for Traber, who was ahead of Alexander John (13.72). In the second race he then improved to 13.55, again with a head wind (1.0). This time Marlon Odom was second in 13.75. Although Gregor Traber achieved the German B standard for Daegu his focus this summer will be on the European Junior Championships.
One of the best results of the night in Biberach came in the 400m Hurdles. Here Kurt Couto (Mozambique) ran 49.43 seconds. Georg Fleischhauer was close behind with 49.50. There was a Cuban double triumph in the Discus Throw, while Jorge Fernandez won with 63.8 m from Martin Wierig (62.88) the women’s winner was Yarelis Barrios (62.46).
A day earlier the men’s Shot Put had taken place in the city centre of Biberach. Here David Storl was the dominant figure. He won with 20.88 m. All his four valid attempts would have been good enough for victory (20,73 - x - 20,88 - 20,53 - 20,41 – x) and he remained the only competitor to go beyond 20 metres. Candy Bauer was second (19.98) while Ralf Bartels took third (19.96).
Cottbus, 25 June
Meanwhile, Robert Harting had produced the second best throw of the year so far in Cottbus on Saturday. Only the 26 year-old himself has so far thrown further this season. Harting leads the world lists with 68.99m. The World champion established a meeting record in Cottbus with 68.51m, which he had thrown in the second round (64,59 - 68,51 - 65,50 - x - 65,54 – x). But the final round belonged to another German: Markus Münch achieved a personal best of 66.87m and moved up to second place. Jorge Fernandez was third with 65.89m.
Two more meeting records were recorded in Cottbus. Abdelaati Iguider (Morocco) clocked 3:33.84 in the 1500m. He left behind three Ethiopians, who also finished inside 3:35 – Zebene Alemayehu (3:34.59), Soresa Fida (3:34.72) and Dawit Wolde (3:34.89). In the 400m Hurdles Omar Cisneros (Cuba) clocked 49.26 seconds. Here Cornel Fredericks (South Africa/49.43) and Aleksandr Derevyagin (Russia/49.95) took second and third.
Kenya’s dominance in the Steeplechase was obvious in Cottbus as well: Abel Mutai took the event in 8:21.02 from Birhan Getahun (Ethiopia/8:23.64) and Steffen Uliczka (8:26.43). The German achieved the B standard for Daegu.
In the women’s events Zahra Bouras (Algeria) took the 800m in 2:01.54 from Ilona Usovich (Belarus/2:01.65) while Phara Anacharsis (France) was the winner of the 400m Hurdles with 56.59. Katharina Molitor won the Javelin Throw with 63.68m from Goldie Sayers (Great Britain/62.91).
Jörg Wenig for the IAAF
