Star of the morning qualifier was Brazil’s Jadel Gregorio with a second round 17.46m, equalling his own Area record and best for this year. But Romanian world leader with 17.74 coming into these championships, Marian Oprea was first to qualify as he floated to a first round 17.25 to confirm his favourite tag.
Cuba’s Yoandri Betanzos pulled out a season’s best of 17.22 in the second round while Portugal’s 2003 European Junior champion, Nelson Evora, needed only one effort of 17.11 to go through.
There were PBs for Russian Igor Spasovkhodskiy, 17.31, and Britain’s Nathan Douglas who opened with a season’s best 16.73, but then took the direct route to the final by improving on that with 17.01.
Reigning World outdoor champion, the USA’s Walter Davis, finally got it together in round three with 17.09 after just missing the 16.95 qualifying mark in round one by two centimetres.
Momchil Karailiev of Bulgaria and Greece’s Dmitrios Tsiamis hit the qualifying mark of 16.95 to be the eighth and ninth final qualifiers.
MB
