Krisztian Pars winning in Lahti (© Paula Noronen)
Hungary’s Krisztian Pars strengthened his claim to be a candidate for medals at the Beijing Olympics by throwing a new world season lead in the men's Hammer of 81.96m at the 4Athletics GP meeting in Lahti, tonight (9).
Pars improved Slovenian Primoz Kozmus’ previous season leader (81.46m) by 50 centimetres with his last round throw. He also backed up with efforts of 80.27 and 80.91m after some difficulties at the beginning of the competition.
“This brand new ring is very slippery, and it doesn’t suit my very fast beginning to my throwing style,” said Pars.
Pars, 25, is perhaps the most consistent hammer thrower in the world this year so far. He has now thrown over the 80m line in five competitions, and admitted that everything is looking good for him right now:
“I’ll have two more competitions before the Olympics. Then I’ll have a short power training session and then rest and relax.”
“It’s all up to my technique; if it will work in Beijing, I can throw 81 - 82 metres, and that would possibly guarantee a medal,” commented the Hungarian who was European Junior champion in 2001 and U23 winner in 2003.
2006 European silver medallist Olli-Pekka Karjalainen of Finland set his season’s best of 77.68m but was far from satisfied.
“My left calf cramped in the second round, but I went on after passing the third throw. Technically my longest throw was awful,” said Karjalainen.
Klüft has trouble in the wind
Sweden’s Carolina Klüft was only in fourth place after five round in the women’s Long Jump, but showed again that she’s a hard competitor to beat.
Klüft leapt 6.53m on her last attempt and beat Korea’s Jung Soon-ok by 3cm. Klüft, who will not compete in the Heptathlon in Beijing, the event at which she is the current champion, said that the wind was very tricky on a quite warm and half-cloudy evening.
“In the beginning I had a good tail wind and I stepped over my first and second jumps. The second one was long: near 7 metres, I think. Then the wind changed in direction and I lost my technique,” said Klüft.
Klüft believes Great Britain's Kelly Sotherton will inherit her Olympic Heptathlon title in Beijing.
“Hyleas Fountain of the USA has good events, but also some worse, and I think that that will be decisive.”
Elsewhere...
In other events tonight in Lahti, La Ron Bennett of the USA was the fastest in the Men’s 400m Hurdles in 49.57 seconds against Saudi Arabia's Yahya Al Shrahili Bandar's 49.85.
Silas Sang won the Men’s 3000m in 7:59.10 ahead of his compatriot Lewis Korir’s 7:59.98 and Finland's Matti Räsänen’s PB of 8:02.86.
Minna Nikkanen, Finland’s 2007 European Junior champion, won the women’s Pole Vault with 4.30m on her third attempt, but couldn’t succeed in setting a new Finnish Record and Olympic “A” Entry Standard of 4.45.
Ski jumping with Athletics
The 4Athletics GP meeting was also the farewell competition for a Finnish Ski Jumping legend Janne Ahonen, who showed his skills in the Standing Long Jump team competition.
"Team Janne" beat "Team World" and Ahonen got the two longest jumps - both 3.10 metres.
The legendary Skiing Stadium of Salpausselkä was full of people: as many as 11,500 spectators made the atmosphere very good during the athletics event, as well. In Salpausselkä the distance between the track and the jumping hills is only 100 metres.
A-P Sonninen for the IAAF
