Koji Murofushi wins the men's Hammer Throw gold medal in Daegu (© Getty Images)
Daegu, Korea - Koji Murofushi of Japan became the oldest winner of the World hammer title here at the age of 36 despite a massive last round effort from the man who was bumped out of the medals two years ago at the same stage, Krisztian Pars.
Needing to beat the 2004 Olympic champion’s third round effort of 81.24m with what was the second last throw of the competition to take the gold, the Hungarian sent the hammer thudding into the turf just six centimetres short. Victory was Murofushi’s, with one throw for good measure.
But if Pars’s coach was shaking his head ruefully in the stands, the 29-year-old from Kormend could afford to feel something other than frustration given what had happened to him in Berlin, when he had come to the event as strong favourite.
Murofushi waited until he had sent his final effort out to 80.83, finishing with a flourish, before raising both hands above his head in triumph.
The defending champion, Primoz Kozmus of Slovenia, took bronze with 79.39. All three medal-winning performances were season’s bests. The other man to gain a season’s best was Olli-Pekka Karjalainen of Finland, but his effort of 76.60 was not enough to make the cut of the eight who took three final throws.
Murofushi, whose father Shigenobu preceded him as national record holder and competed into his 40s, began the final by trading hammer blows with his successor as Olympic champion.
Kozmus took the early lead with what was a season’s best of 77.50, but his Japanese opponent, who had won the qualifying with what was a season’s best of 78.56, responded immediately with 79.22.
The Slovenian regained the lead with a second round effort of 79.39, but once again the Japanese thrower raised him as he reached out to 81.03, and when he achieved his third round peak it seemed there would be no answer to him on the night.
That was true – but only just, as Pars, after a below-par fifth round of 60.34, roused himself to one final effort of 81.18 that fell desperately close.
Pavel Kryvitski of Belarus, who had achieved the second highest qualifying mark with 78.16, upped his game to 78.53 to take fifth place, one behind Markus Esser.
The German, who had sailed through qualifying with an opening effort of 77.60, improved on that to 79.12, but his fifth round effort put him just short of the medal podium.
Pars knows how that feels – and now he will also learn how it feels to be standing on it.
Mike Rowbottom for the IAAF
