Report08 Sep 2018


Report: women's hammer - IAAF Continental Cup Ostrava 2018

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Deanna Price spins to victory in the hammer at the IAAF Continental Cup Ostrava 2018 (© Getty Images)

DeAnna Price handed Anita Wlodarczyk a rare defeat in the women's hammer throw, the first event contested under the new rules introduced at this year's edition of the IAAF Continental Cup.

The victory of the US record holder, competing for the Americas team, was no fluke, as she bettered the Polish star in each of the three phases of the competition and had the three longest throws of the afternoon. Saving her best for last, the American reached 75.46m in round five to earn a well-deserved, if surprising victory.

Price was the only one to surpass 70 metres in round one with 72.64m, as world record holder Wlodarczyk started with a relatively modest 69.72m. The Pole duly improved to 71.95m in round two, which would have proven sufficient to progress to the final round, as her European teammate Alexandra Tavernier of France ended the first phase of the competition with a best of 70.40m in round three. Wlodarczyk, however, improved further to 73.45m. That mark only took the lead for approximately a minute, as Price, immediately following in the starting order, sent the hammer out to 75.13m.

The other women to advance to round four were the Luo Na for Asia-Pacific with 67.39m and Nigeria's Temi Ogunrinde for Africa with 59.15m.

The two leaders did not disappoint in round four, with Wlodarczyk reaching 73.34m and Price bettering that mark with 74.97m. Those were easily the two best marks, as Luo ensured herself a place on the podium with a throw of 67.00m. 

And so it was on to the final round in the first event ever contested under the new format. Wlodarczyk, going first, put the pressure on her rival with 73.20m, but Price did not cave. Her final throw proved the best of her series at 75.46m.

This was one of two events of day one in which the captain of Team Europe Colin Jackson decided to use the joker, giving the team an opportunity to score double points for a victory. The tactics paid off – despite Price's individual victory, Europe and the Americas tied for first in the team competition. Europe thus emerged out of this competition with 14 points in the team standings.

Pawel Jackowski for the IAAF

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