Raymond Hecht in action (© Getty Images Allsport)
Königs Wusterhausen, GermanyAs they so often have done in the past at this small pre-ISTAF meeting, the throwers ruled the day, with Raymond Hecht’s 86.66 javelin standing as the pinnacle for the sun-drenched crowd of 3000 packing the Stadion der Freundschaft.
The fourth-placer at the last two Olympic Games, Hecht had held the lead virtually throughout after his leadoff 85.49. But it was his penultimate throw which stood out as the day’s best, also being the German champion’s second-best performance of the year.
Nearly 34 years old, the resident of Magdeburg was making his first appearance in Königs Wusterhausen, and he made the (almost) obligatory promise to the crowd that he’d be back next season.
More than 3 ½ metres behind Hecht were two other Germans, Boris Henry (82.98) and Björn Lange (82.68).
Atlanta gold medallist Balázs Kiss of Hungary flirted with the 80-metre mark on two of his hammer throws, the final one an all-out effort of 79.86 coming after he had already won the competition.
“I hope to throw farther at the Grand Prix Final in two weeks,” he told the audience. “I’ve been really consistent this year, hovering around eighty metres. But I’d like to move up to the next level before the season ends,” he said, moments after receiving his winning prize from another Olympic champion, German shot-putter Udo Beyer.
European U23 champion Nicolas Figère of France was a distant second at 76.47, just ahead of Seville World champion Karsten Kobs of Germany (76.31), as current Olympic and World champion Szimon Ziolkowski of Poland could fling the ball-and-chain only 75.52 for fourth.
The men’s 110 hurdles brought together Germany’s top two exponents of that event, but it was American Greg Richardson who came away with a photo-finish win, as he clocked 13.48 along with Mike Fenner.
Four-time Olympian Florian Schwarthoff, nearing the end of an international career of more than fifteen seasons, made perhaps his final race on German soil, placing third in 13.71.
With one starting position of Friday’s ISTAF meeting hinging on today’s outcome, the men’s 1500 metres attracted an unwieldy field of eighteen runners. That, plus the absence of a pacemaker, precluded a fast time.
Kenyan Willy Rotich had the lead off the final curve, but a phalanx of three Polish runners was bearing down on him.
Just at the last moment, Leszek Zblewski clipped the Kenyan, 3:47.44 to 3:47.60, to win an extension of his stay in Berlin until Friday night.
Michael Campbell also captured a spot in the ISTAF 400 metres, being unchallenged in his leisurely 46.37 one-lap run, more than a full second ahead of German Andreas Wickert.
Standing out among the four events on the women’s programme were the 1500-metre win by Wioletta Janowska of Poland in 4:13.22, and the 13.14 of countrywoman Anete Sosnowska in the 100 hurdles. .
RESULTS:
MEN:
100 METRES(0.4): 1. König (GER) 10.45; 2. Németh (HUN) 10.51; 3. M Blume (GER) 10.51; 4. Gilpin (JAM) 10.52; 5. Angouono-Moke (CGO) 10.53; 6. Ostwald (GER) 10.56; 7. Settle (USA) 11.06.
400 METRES: 1. Campbell (JAM) 46.37; 2. Wickert (GER) 47.76; 3. Breitenstein (GER) 47.87; 4. Kuschewitz (GER) 47.96; 5. Hanzl (CZE) 48.32; 6. Seitz (GER) 49.14.
1500 METRES: 1. Zblewski (POL) 3:47.44; 2. W Rotich (KEN) 3:47.60; 3. Formela (POL) 3:47.63; 4. Graczyk (POL) 3:47.88; 5. Bandi (SUI) 3:48.64; 6. Kühn (GER) 3:48.87; 7. Kibet Mutei (KEN) 3:49.27; 8. Nejedly (CZE) 3:49.40; 9. Poplawski (POL) 3:49.65; 10. Förster (GER) 3:49.76; 11. Wendler (GER) 3:50.28; 12. Rapp (GER) 3:50.50; 13. Köhler (GER) 3:51.19; 14. Jaworski (GER) 3:52.54; 15. Kałdowski (POL) 3:56.38; 16. Dertmann (GER) 3:56.82; 17. Dessi (GER) 3:59.22; 18. Walker (GER) 4:00.49.
STEEPLECHASE: 1. Wojcik (POL) 8:38.45; 2. Mwangi (KEN) 8:39.63; 3. Kaczmarek (POL) 8:45.01; 4. Walaszek (POL) 8:54.41; 5. van Dijke (NED) 8:56.30; 6. Wojtczak (POL) 9:24.92.
110 HURDLES: Race 1 (-0.2): 1. Edorh (GER) 14.02; 2. Händschke (GER) 14.54; 3. Riekmann (GER) 14.77.
Race 2 (0.3): 1. Richardson (USA) 13.48; 2. Fenner (GER) 13.48; 3. Schwarthoff (GER) 13.71; 4. Crews (GER) 13.87; 5. Schindzielorz (GER) 13.96; 6. Burkhardt (GER) 14.10.
TRIPLE JUMP: 1. Gregório (BRA) 16.47 (0.6); 2. Kazimierowski (POL) 15.61 (1.0).
HAMMER: 1. Kiss (HUN) 79.86; 2. Figère (FRA) 76.47; 3. Kobs (GER) 76.31; 4. Ziolkowski (POL) 75.52; 5. Palyszko (POL) 75.51; 6. Klose (GER) 75.20; 7. Esser (GER) 74.81; 8. Bielecki (DEN) 74.51.
JAVELIN: 1. Hecht (GER) 86.66 [85.49 – x – 82.69 – 83.94 – 86.66 – 80.72]; 2. Henry (GER) 82.98; 3. Lange (GER) 82.68; 4. Frank (GER) 81.81; 5. Kolko (POL) 81.31; 6. Horvath (HUN) 81.14; 7. Nicoley (GER) 74.89; 8. Blank (GER) 72.41; 9. Safar (CZE) 64.89.
WOMEN:
100 METRES (0.3): 1. Habel (GER) 11.79; 2. S Möller (GER) 11.88; 3. Gachevska (BUL) 11.92; 4. Dydo (POL) 11.98; 5. Hoffmann (GER) 12.27.
1500 METRES: 1. Janowska (POL) 4:13.22; 2. Pedersen (NOR) 4:15.81; 3. Schulz (GER) 4:18.38; 4. Svanhalová (CZE) 4:22.99.
100 HURDLES(0.4): 1. Sosnowska (POL) 13.14; 2. Vis (NED) 13.43; 3. Frankowska (POL) 13.52; 4. Oleksy (POL) 13.61. Disqualified: Kola (KEN).
HIGH JUMP: 1. Janků (CZE) 1.83; 2. Rath (GER) 1.83; 3. Skotnik (GER) 1.83; 4. Herzenberg (GER) 1.83; 5. Berghäuser (GER) 1.70.
