by Larry Eder
Russia wins again
GATESHEAD (GBR, Jun 23): Russia defended their title at the 4th European Team Championships with 354.5 points. In close contest second Germany 347.5 and third home Great Britain 338. Fourth France 310.5 over Poland 305.5. Sixth with margin Ukraine 291.5 another space in-between for 7th Italy 260.5 and 8th Spain 251. Turkey as 9th avoided relegation 197.5. Down to First League Belarus 155.5, Greece 152 and Norway 137. With the heavy rain meaning the women’s high jump was moved indoors on the complex here, those in the main arena were glued to the big screen to see the outcome as it had a big say on the final result. In the end, Maria Kuchina’s personal best of 1.98m gave her team 12 final maximum points to rubberstamp their glory over Germany. But as Kuchina finished four places ahead of Germany’s Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch who had a best of 1.92 (second Trost and third Stepaniuk 192): Russia’s men finished second and ahead of fourth placed Germany in the final track event, the 4x400m. But gradually Russia moved close to victory as they achieved important late wins with Dmitriy Tarabin in the javelin 85.99 PB and then Daria Klishina finished second in the long jump with 6.43m as Germany’s Sostehene Taroum Moguenara was back in fifth (winner Lesueur 644). Russia cut the lead to just half a point in the women’s 4x400m relay as, anchored by Ksenia Zadorina, they finished second in 3:29.46, with Germany back in sixth in the race in 3:31.90. Britain clocked 3:28.60. Russia’s first win of the day came in the 110m hurdles as Sergey Shubenkov defied the wet track to record an excellent victory in 13.19 (+2.4). The triple jump went to Russia’s Aleksey Fyodorov who won with 16.70m from Teddy Tamgho with 16.62. It was Russia’s day in the 5000m as Olga Golovkina, who won gold at the distance a year ago at the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki, triumphed in a season’s best of 15:32.45. And Russia won another 12 points in the women’s 1500m as Yekaterina Sharmina, the European Athletics Indoor bronze medallist in Paris in 2011, ran a brilliant final lap to triumph in 4:08.86. Germany looked strong throughout and they won the first event of the day with Betty Heidler reaching 74.31 (third Briton Hitchon 72.97 NR). Robert Harting won the discus for Germany with 64.25m for their third win of the day but Russia just had enough overall. Britain won both 4 x 400m relays while their 100m hurdler Tiffany Porter flew to victory in 12.62 (+2.6) while France, who were fourth, had Christophe Lemaitre retain his 200m crown as he won in 20.27 (+2.4) and 13 years on from finishing first in the 3000m steeplechase here when this competition was the European Cup, Bouabdellah Tahri won the 3000m 8:05.31. And with the pole vault moved indoors because of the rain, it was a familiar outcome as it brought another French victory with Olympic and European champion Renaud Lavillenie taking the glory with 577. German Christine Schwanitz won the shot 19.30, Turkish Tarik Langat steeple 8:36.25 and Kszczot from Poland the 800 m 1:47.27. Ukrainian sprinting win for Marya Ryemyen 22.80 (+0.7).
Czech Republic from start to finish
DUBLIN (IRL, Jun 23): The Czech Republic lead from start to finish and marched into the Super League after emerging as the overall winner at the European Athletics Team Championships 1st League in Dublin, with 351.5 points. Sweden and the Netherlands will join Czech Republic at the 2014 European Athletics Team Championships Super League to be held in Braunschweig, Germany, after finishing second and third with 311 and 299 points respectively. At the other end of the spectrum, Bulgaria and Switzerland were relegated to the second league finishing 11th and 12th with 208 and 206 points respectively. A brilliant finish by the Dutch 4x400m relay team 3:10.46 which helped them bag 10 vital points made the difference in the end as Romania were left trailing in the sixth place in 3:11.33. The relay was won by local heroes who finished in 3:08.12 to beat fancied Belgium 3:10.25. The hosts finished seventh with 242 points, behind Portugal (269) and Finland (250.5) who completed the top six. Belgium finished eighth with 236.5 points, while Hungary (225) and Estonia (211) managed to avoid relegation finishing in ninth and 10th place respectively. Pavel Maslak, the European 400m champion, both indoors and outdoors, showed why he is among the most exciting runners on the cont
inent today winning the 200m ahead of Jonathan Borlee of Belgium in 21.20 +0.4) over 21.31. Other Czech wins for Vitezslav Vesely 80.44 in javelin and 550 by Jan Kudlicka in pole vault. Romanian Angela Morosanu had a brilliant run 23.48 (+1.4) while Ivet Lalova finished almost a meter behind in 23.85. European 400m championMoa Hjelmer finished third in 23.88. For Netherlands 19-year-old Jip Vastenburg’s stunning upset of European 10,000m champion and favourite Ana-Dulce Felix of Portugal in the women’s 5000m race in 16:12.88 and also Maureen Koster 4:22.66 in the 1500 m and Rosina Hodde 13.17 (+1.3) in the hurdles. One of the best performances of the day came from Hungarian hurdler Balazs Baji when he set a stadium record and personal best time of 13.45 (+0.8) to win the men’s 110m hurdles ahead of former European indoor champion Gregory Sedoc of the Netherlands who finished second in 13.50. Two technical surprises. Romanian Sergiu Ursu won the discus 63.02 over Gerd Kanter 61.56 and Nafi Thiam high jump for Belgium 189 on count-back over Sweden´s Emma Green-Tregaro 189.
Slovenia over Lithuania
KAUNAS (LTU, Jun 23): Slovenia ended as a clear winner of Second League with 221 points. Also promoted home team which was leading overnight with 209 points. Serbia and Croatia followed 192 and 178.5. Fifth Denmark 171.5 and sixth Austria avoided relegation with 161 points. Way down to Third League for 7th Cyprus 155 and 8th Israel 150. Kaunas witnessed the best weather from all groups (around 27 degrees and sunny). Slovenia scored only four wins on Sunday but was the best on average. Jan Zumer got the 200 m (21.22, 0.0), Matija Kranjc javelin 73.36, Marina Tomic the hurdles 13.28 (+0.8) and Barbara Spiler hammer 68.22. Home team only one win (in the women relay 3:35.11) but excellent on average. Croatian Ana Simic cleared high quality 193 in the high jump (also tried at 196), Valentina Muzaric shot 17.29 was the other Croatian top place. Serbia scored a number of wins, but had also weak points. Mirko Petrovic won tactical 3000 m8:27.75, 4×400 m men 3:08.73, Amela Terzic the 1500 m 4:26.83, Olivera Jevtic 5000 m 15:59.94. Denmark had men running winners Nick Jensen at 800 m 1:52.40, Ole Hjesselberg in steeple 8:44.55 and also Rasmus Jorgensen with 565 pole vault PB. Cyprus had Milan Trajkovic winning the 110 m hurdles in national record 13.67 (+0.8, second Andreas Martinsen Danish record 13.68). Other Cyprus three top positionst for Eleni Artymata 200 m 23.15 (-0.4), Nektaria Panagi 646 (+0.5) in long jump and Apostolos Parellis discus 60.17. Remaining win for Israel and Yochai Halevi 16.73 (+0.5) in triple. Only Austria did not score a win on Sunday.
Slovaks at home clearly
BANSKA BYSTRICA (SVK, Jun 23): Slovakia as host fulfilled its goal to achieve the promotion to Second League winning clearly the Third League on home soil in too warm temperatures and some rain with 531.5 points. Also promoted second Latvia 484.5 who were third after first day with Moldova going down to third 455.5. Also Iceland improved to fourth 430.5 with Luxembourg fifth 396.5. Bosnia and Hercegovina had a good day improving to 6th 352 over Georgia 338 and Azerbaijan 312.5. Positions 9 to 12 remained the same with Armenia 301, Montenegro 275, Malta 243.5 and Macedonia 190.5. Andora improved to 13th 149 over Small States 130.5. Albania is rounding the ranking 65.5. Slovaks had top sprinters Roman Turcani 21.12 (+0.9) and Lenka Krsakova 24.03 (0.0) in the 200 m and also women 4×400 m 3:38.95, also their top names ruled Martina Hrasnova in hammer 71.49 (over Zalina Marghieva 71.36) and Jana Veldakova long jump 641 (-0.8). Iceland´s running talent Anita Hinriksdottir clocked another national junior mark in winning the 1500 m 4:16.51. For the second team Marek Arents won the pole vault 540, Rolands Strobinders javelin 79.14, heptathlete Laura Ikauniece hurdles 13.63 (+0.9) and Undine Dindune high jump 181. Moldova had only one winner Vitalie Gheorghita in steeple 9:05.43. Other teams not fighting for promotion had more winners. Georgia David Iliariani over the hurdles 13.99 (-0.8), men 4×400 m 3:12.38 and Salome Rigashvili women shot 15.95 PB. Azerbaijan two wins by Murad Ibaullayev triple 15.76 (-0.3) and Tseheynesh Tsenga 16:29.29 women 5000 m. Danijel Furtula dominated discus 56.52 for Montenegro and David Karonei (of Kenyan origin) the 3000 m for Luxembourg 8:19.34. One win also for Bosnia and Hercegovina by Amel Tuka in the 800 m 1:51.11.
OTHER RESULTS
GATESHEAD (GBR, Jun 23): British internationals Ryan McLeod and Gemma Steel – defending her title – scored determined victories at the fifth staging of the Bupa Great North 10k Run in Gateshead in 30:28 and 33.26.
BOSTON (USA, Jun 23): A warm and sunny morning with temperatures reaching the low 80s (F) by the race’s conclusion welcomed runners for the Third B.A.A. 10K. Kenya’s Stephen Sambu won the men’s title in a time of 28:06 over 2013 Boston Marathon champion Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia, who finished in 28:15. Ethiopia’s Mamitu Daska led from the start to run away with the women’s race, breaking the tape in 31:45. Daska’s time was the second-fastest time among women in race history (Kim Smith, NZL, 31:36, 2012) and is a world lead 2013.
TELESE TERME (ITA, Jun 23): Kenyan wins at the Trofeo Telesia 10 km race Simon Cheprot 28:45 and Joyce Kiplimo 33:00.
HAMBURG (GER, Jun 23): Abraham Gebregziabher Sium from Eritrea won the 19th Hamburg Half Marathon in 1:03:39. Ethiopian Alemtsehay Demse won the women category in 1:14:33.
KARLSRUHE (GER, Jun 23): At regional championships Julian Howard 813 (+3.0) in the long jump, in Landau Lisa Ryzih 445 in the pole vault.
NIEDERRODENBACH (GER, Jun 21): Josephine Terlecki attacked the Moscow standard in the shot put with 18.36 m.
