by Alfonz Juck
Bydgoszcz, August 9, 2019, photo by Stuart Weir
This is the behind the scenes info on the 9th of August 2019, as the Euro team champs was about to begin. Thanks to Alfons Juck.
EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPS
BYDGOSZCZ (POL, Aug 9): With two finals staged on the opening day of the European Team Championships Super League, Germany and Poland remain on course for a tight tussle. Germany’s Julian Weber (who is not selected for Doha) dominated the javelin with a season’s best of 86.86m – more than six metres more than runner-up Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic 79.88. Also in women discus as expected German win for Claudine Vita with 61.09m and second was France’s Melina Robert-Michon (60.61). Surprise performer was Greece’s Hrisoúla Anagnostopoúlou with a season’s best 59.02m in third. In qualification sprints, Poland’s Patryk Dobek led the qualifiers with a season’s best 48.90 amid few surprises in the men’s 400m hurdles. Zuzana Hejnova led on the women’s side with 55.80. The favourites Jimmy Vicaut and Lamont Jacobs were safely through in the 100m with 10.07 (+0.5) and 10.09 (+1.6) respectively. Switzerland’s Saloma Kora, the fastest in the women’s field, ended up last as Britain’s Daryll Neita was quickest (11.19. +0.9) ahead of local star Ewa Swoboda 11.23 and French Carolle Zahi winning the other race in 11.20 (+0.6). Davide Re (45.86) and Justyna Swiety-Ersetic (52.32) were the fastest in the 400 m heats. Italian Luminosa Bogliolo was quickest in the 100m hurdles with 12.83 (+0.3) with Poland´s Karolina Koleczek right behind her 12.85. Orlando Ortega and Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, with 13.38 (+0.6) and 13.39 (+0.6), were predictable heat winners of the men’s 110m hurdles. Richard Kilty was quickest in the 200m, with 20.72 (+0.2) as Poland’s Przemyslaw Slowikowski surprisingly ended up with only a point. Also in women 200 m the fastest time by a Brit, Jodie Williams headed the 200m qualifiers with 22.97 (-0.9).
SANDNES (NOR, Aug 9): In first two events on day one of European Team Championships First League favorites won in throws. European bronze medalist Bence Halasz hammer for Hungary 75.63 ahead of home national record holder Eivind Henriksen 74.55. In women discus Portugal´s European finalist Irina Rodrigues with 58.16 ahead of the Dutch Corinne Nugter 57.10. Heats in sprints were affected by strong winds. In nearly all cases favorites advanced. Dutch sprinters Hensley Paulina 10.51 (-1.3) and Christopher Garia 20.95 (-2.1) were the best in men´s 100/200m heats. Belgian U20 World champion Jonathan Sacoor in the men´s 400 m 46.57 and Dutch Lisanne De Witte 52.19 in women section. Hurdles had Netherland´s Nadine Visser 13.20 (-0.4) and Belarus Vitaliy Parakhonka 13.82 (-1.5) with best times. In the 400 m hurdles Vera Barbosa of Portugal 56.96 and Turkey´s London Worlds bronze medalist Yasmani Copello 49.84. Portugal´s Lorene Bazolo topped the 100 m in 11.52 (+0.7) and after less than 30 minutes was fourth best in the 200 m 23.76 where the fastest time was achieved by Belarus Krystina Tsimanouskaya 23.58 (-0.8). The same sprinting load in the men category in short time only by Slovak Jan Volko, who achieved twice the second fastest 10.59 and 21.00.
SANDNES (NOR): One of Norway top stars, Karsten Warholm has been forced to withdraw from the Sandnes event due to illness. He has been replaced by Fredrik Overeng in the 400m who clocked PB 47.03 and advanced into the finals.
BYDGOSZCZ (POL): Shot putter Christina Schwanitz has been named captain of the German team.
SANDNES (NOR): Norway’s visually-impaired world record holder Salum Kashafali did just enough to qualify for tomorrow’s men’s 100 metres final in Sandnes, despite slowing early after mistaking where the finish line was (8th qualifier in 10.81). “I wanted to execute my race better,” said the 25-year-old refugee from the Congo, who has set successive T12 world records with current one beeing 10.44 after being classified as a Para athlete earlier this year because of a degenerative eye disease. From insidethegames.
