Christian Cantwell in Dubnica, Slovakia (© organisers)
The 8th Athletics Bridge (EA Classic) meet in Slovakia on Sunday 22 brought with it meeting records in 10 out of 15 main events, albeit in the young history on this competition, and another full house of spectators (5000).
The summer weather was favourable, the only problem was the head-wind for the sprinters.
Both Shot Put competitions registered excellent results. First in the women’s event Valerie Adams-Vili registered two 20m+ efforts in the last two rounds (20.16 and 20.37). The second was a meet record and season’s best for the New Zealander. “ A new technique with my new coach since April is starting to bring results,” said Adams-Vili.
In second Cleopatra Borel-Brown improved her Trinidad and Tobago record to 19.30m.
World champion Christian Cantwell after two fouls improved with every attempt in the men’s event and ended-up with a meet record and Slovak All-comers record 21.91m (his fourth best of the season).
The best results might have been with the putters but the main focus of the meeting was of course on home star European Hammer Throw champion Libor Charfreitag who ended up third with 77.71n as he was beaten by his rival Hungarian Krisztian Pars (78.03 and 77.96 both enough to win) and surprisingly also by Kuwaiti record holder Mohamed Al-Zankawi (77.93).
“I was hoping for a win, but in a tough battle centimetres decided it,” commented Charfreitag. “I think my shape will grow in next days and hope to come again close to 80m. For today 77 was not bad as I did not had enough training after returning from Barcelona.”
Slovak athletics did not celebrate a win at the meeting, but still could be happy from new national record in the 1500m women race. Russian pacemaker Olga Soldatova posted a solid pace (65sec and 2:12) and Ukrainian Olympic finalist Anna Mishchenko finished with meet record 4:07.86. With a huge finish European 800m 4th placer Lucia Klocova in her first serious 1500m was second with national mark 4:08.86. The former national record of Andrea Sollarova 4:11.91 was achieved in 1993 in Bratislava.
“I will still remain at 800m for the next two years, I’m not switching, but I must admit I’m also surprised with my time,“ said Klocova.
Diamond Race winner Wallace Spearmon also clocked a meet record in the 200m on the tight curves of the track where he was up against -3.3m/s wind with 20.57. Hopes for Slovak all-comers record in 100m (10.07) were ruined by a -1.5 wind, still in these conditions Ryan Bailey posted a fast 10.13 ahead of Michael Frater (10.19) and Mike Rodgers (10.21).
Poland’s 800m European champion Marcin Lewandowski won a crowded 1000m in 2:17.29, a time which is a meet record and Slovak All-Comers best, but he missed the national mark of Pawel Czapiewski by only 0.07. Young Kenyan Job Kinyor was second (2:17.53) with Australian Ryan Gregson third (2:17.69) and Czech Jakub Holusa fourth (2:17.82). Top 9 went under 2:20.
Olympic medallist Micah Kogo was the clear winner of 5000m (13:26.03, meet record).
Czech European leader Petr Svoboda repeated last year’s win in the 110m Hurdles with the same time of 13.39sec, again against wind (-0.5). In the B-race legendary Allen Johnson raced for last time (14.22sec) and had a farewell ceremony in the stadium at the end of the meet with fireworks.
“I want to coach now somebody to medals and records,“ said Johnson about his plans.
European silver winner Maksim Mazuryk cleared a new meet record of 5.66 in Pole Vault and tried unsuccessfully at his PB height (5.83m).
Honorary guest, the legendary Jan Zelezny was satisfied with his javelin throwers as both returned to 80 metres shape. Vitezslav Vesely twice improved the meet record (81.99m and 82.89) and Petr Frydrych was second (81.23).
Elsewhere in the women’s 400m, USA’s Shana Cox clocked 51.82sec in B-race and was the overall winner in changing wind conditions when Denisa Rosolova was slower by 0.01 in the A-race (51.83). The expected meet record came as planned in the 400m Hurdles, won by European champion Natalya Antyukh in 55.30 sec.
Croatian Ana Simic was the surprise of the afternoon in the high jump as she cleared in third attempt 1.92, her improvement by 3cm, so Blanka Vlasic finally has a solid home rival.
Cuban World champion Yargelis Savigne was a clear triple jump winner with 14.5m7. All her valid marks would have been enough to win.
Special guests at the meet were Olympic Race Walk winner Jozef Pribilinec and Czech Triple Jump World champion Sarka Kasparkova.
Alfons Juck for the IAAF
