Tatyana Polnova (RUS) (© Nikolai Ivanov)
In the second of the Finnish Federation’s annual Elite Games series meetings last night, a mixture of international and domestic competition produced some world class marks.
Russian Tatyana Polnova won the women’s Pole Vault with a 4.62 clearance, after having a had a three attempt scare at 4.32m, and a second time success at 4.52. The 23 year-old Russian who burst to prominence with a 4.70m clearance this winter (11 Feb), replicated that mark outdoors in Ostrava on 12 June, so confirming her place in the world’s jumping elite as one of only six women to have reached or bettered that height.
Polnova after two failures at 4.72, then had one failed attempt at a World record of 4.82m.
Olympic bronze medallist Llewellyn Herbert of South Africa produced his quickest time of the summer with a 48.69 clocking in the men’s 400m Hurdles, behind which Finn Ari-Pekka Lattu who turned 25 years of age eleven days ago improved Janne Mäkelä’s less than year old Finnish record from 49.59 down to 49.36.
In the men’s 100m, another South African was also successful, as Sherwin Vries in 10.21 (+2.7m/s) beat Finnish record holder Tommi Hartonen (10.30), and European 100m finalist Markus Pöyhönen (10.31) into second and third.
There was a 22.97 win in the women’s 200m for 1997 European Junior 100m champion Johanna Manninen, who was a World 200m semi-finalist in Edmonton 2001. Manninen who has been in good form already this summer beating Belgium’s European silver medallist Kim Gevaert over 100m at the European Cup “A” Final (21 June), took her win last night in front of South Africa’s Heide Seyerling-Quinn, who was second in 23.23.
In other notable results, 2001 World Championships finalist Conny Karlsson took the men’s Shot Put with a best of 20.60m, and had another two releases over 20m too.
The men’s 100m Hurdles was taken in a 13.57 PB for Matti Niemi, Russian Ruslan Gataullin long jumped 7.95m (+1.1), Johan Meriluoto tripled out to 16.71m.
Finally, in a marvellous domestic Hammer throw showdown, Finland’s former World and European Junior champion Olli-Pekka Karjalainen with a season’s best throw of 78.13m, had to give way to David Söderberg’s 78.83m personal best. Karjalainen the Finnish record holder has a best of 81.70m from last summer.
NB. all athletes are Finnish unless stated
