<h2>European Throwing Cup</h2>
The event which took place for the first time in 2001 under its initial alias of the European Throwing Winter Challenge traditionally marks the beginning of the outdoor season for European throwers.&nbsp;
At the most recent edition of the European Throwing Cup in Leiria, Portugal on 11-12 March, three world leading marks were set across the two days of competition. World champion Kristjan Ceh from Slovenia won back-to-back European Throwing Cup titles in the discus with 68.20m while Germany's Shanice Craft followed suit with 64.88m in the women's discus.&nbsp;
Italy's Sara Fantini also reached out to a world leading mark of 73.26m in the women's hammer.
Ukraine topped the medal table with four gold medals which included an emotional victory for Roman Kokoshko. Now based in Portugal, Kokoshko won the shot put with 21.52m to defeat a field which included last year's winner and recently crowned European indoor champion Zane Weir from Italy.
From the 40 participating nations, an impressive 24 countries left Leiria with medalware for posterity. And the breadth and spread of talent across Europe was demonstrated by athletes from Kosovo, Iceland and Luxembourg all winning medals across the weekend.&nbsp;
Serena Vincent also became the first British woman to win a title at the European Throwing Cup with gold in the U23 shot put while Nicola Tuthill became the first Irish athlete - male or female - to win a medal in the competition with silver in the U23 hammer.
The 2024 edition of the European Throwing Cup will also be held in Leiria on 9-10 March.
&nbsp;

Between training, <a href="https://www.european-athletics.com/historical-data/athletes/ger/steven-richter-014828356" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steven Richter</a> is never more content than with a fishing rod in hand, scouring the sea for his latest catch. But it&rsquo;s in the discus circle where he is already starting to reel in some of the big fish of the event.
Still only 19, he had a significant breakthrough at the European Throwing Cup in Leiria, Portugal, winning the U23 competition with a new personal best of 64.23m. It was a mark that would also have been good enough for second place in the senior men&rsquo;s competition behind only the Slovenian world champion Kristjan Ceh&rsquo;s world-leading 68.30m.&nbsp;
As a European U20 finalist in both the shot put and discus in 2021 when he was still only 18, Richter has already demonstrated his rich potential across the disciplines. But his discus performance in Leiria proved his continued development and was an improvement of more than three metres on his best from last year with the senior implement (61.13m).
He was thrilled with the progress: &ldquo;In training I have thrown this distance a few times, so I am very happy that I threw this in a competition also.&rdquo;
<img src="https://assets.european-athletics.com/4d3e9221-4fda-450a-9b53-95c4c5a119a3?key=q75maxwidth1200" alt="Steven Richter" />
<h2>Eyes on Espoo and beyond</h2>
Now guided by Sven Lang, coach to twice world and three-time European shot put gold medallist David Storl, he is based at the Chemnitz University of Technology where he is studying economics. &nbsp;
His main priority for 2023 is the European Athletics U23 Championships in Espoo, Finland, on July 13-16, but he also has a cautious eye on the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.&nbsp;
When asked of his targets this year, he said: &ldquo;The European Athletics U23 Championships and maybe get close to the norm for the men&rsquo;s World Championships and maybe qualify?&rdquo;&nbsp;
The domestic standard in Germany is remarkable, with world U20 gold and silver medallists Marius Karges and Mika Sosna also vying for honours at U23 level and beyond, this year. Sosna has already extended his personal best to 65.57m this winter, before a disappointing 58.88m in Leiria, which placed him 11th.&nbsp;
Richter concurs, he said: &ldquo;We have very good throwers in Germany and so I am a little bit higher on the ladder now of the German throwing team.&rdquo;
<h2>A sharpening focus on the discus</h2>
As a child, Richter was a keen footballer, before concentrating on athletics. He said: &ldquo;In my younger years I played football, but I wasn&rsquo;t good enough to make it further. I played goalkeeper. After that, I joined the sports school in Germany doing athletics and then I joined throwing.&rdquo;
And with his focus now tightening on the discus, his improvement is accelerating. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;In the last three years I was doing a lot of shot put, but this year we have switched and are doing more discus,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I was doing discus and shot put at the same time, maybe shot put a little more. But the discus is a little bit better now, so we decided to switch to discus throw.&rdquo;
To relax away from the intensity of throws training, he enjoys the contrasting tranquillity of fishing. &ldquo;When I have time, I go to the Baltic Sea and in training camps, after the training, I like to fish a little bit. &nbsp;
&ldquo;I fish for catfish or eels. I caught an 80cm eel once. It was a very strong fish, but we got it!&rdquo; And with a similar approach in the discus circle, he is hoping to net more success and not let the big ones get away in 2023.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics

Richter hopes to reel in the competition ahead of Espoo and Budapest

Nicola Tuthill became the first Irish athlete ever to win a medal at the European Throwing Cup, when she took silver in the women&rsquo;s U23 hammer competition in Leiria, Portugal at the weekend.&nbsp;
It was a courageous performance from the 19-year-old, returning to the same competition and venue where she was stretchered away from 12 months earlier with an injury in the hammer cage.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;I am delighted with it,&rdquo; she said afterwards. &ldquo;I had a tricky run in here last year, I got my leg caught and fell and dislocated and fractured my elbow. So definitely a better result this year. So, to get out this year and throw a good distance, I can&rsquo;t really complain. It&rsquo;s nice to bring something home for Ireland.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Asked whether she was still carrying psychological scars from last year, she dismissed the notion. &ldquo;It could have happened anywhere last year, so I wasn&rsquo;t too nervous of it.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Her brilliant second round throw of 64.44m in Sunday's competition (12) was underscored with a 64.02m in the fifth round and, were it not for a final round effort of 65.51m by Ukraine&rsquo;s former European U18 and U20 Champion Valeriya Ivanenko-Kyrylina, Tuthill could have been celebrating gold.&nbsp;&nbsp;
However, it still puts the Irish athlete firmly in the frame as a contender at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Espoo, Finland from 13-16 July. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s my first year as an U23, so that will be a nice one to get out to in Finland and see what I can do. Hopefully get another few PBs and build on the distance a bit,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/Cps3C9ZM2vB"]
Growing up on a dairy farm in Cork, she first discovered her taste for the throws by attending an athletics camp hosted by local club Bandon AC. Her commitment to her new vocation was secured when her parents created a training area on the farm dedicated to her sport.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;My dad built a cage for me to train in on the farm. Every day I am down there, my mum comes down there to watch me training and tell me what I am doing wrong - keeping me on my toes,&rdquo; she smiles.&nbsp;
Progression has been swift and since representing Ireland at the 2021 European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia aged 17, she reached the final at last year&rsquo;s World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia placing eighth.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Her upward trajectory has continued in 2023. &ldquo;Training has been going very well. Plenty of throwing, plenty of gym. I&rsquo;m getting a bit stronger and I am in college now in University College Dublin. It&rsquo;s a bit of a change, but I am happy there. Everything seems to have come on a bit.&rdquo;&nbsp;
She has built a team of coaches to support her technically and in strength and conditioning in the form of Killian Barry, Kevin Warner and Roland Korom. Her meticulous approach is also extended to her academic life where she is studying Biological, Biomedical, Biomolecular Science in Dublin.
With her attention to detail aligned with her talent and commitment, Tuthill is primed to go a long way, just like the hammer, which she is launching ever farther.&nbsp;
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics

Tuthill puts Ireland on the throwing map with historic hammer silver in Leiria

Ukraine topped the medal table at the European Throwing Cup in Leiria on 11-12 March.
The Ukrainian team accrued four gold medals across the weekend including gold in the men&rsquo;s shot put in which Roman Kokoshko -&nbsp; who is based in Portugal under the tutelage of Volodymyr Zinchenko&nbsp; - improved on his breakthrough bronze medal at the Istanbul 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
Kokoshko launched the implement out to an early season European leading mark of 21.52m - also an outdoor lifetime best and the third longest throw of his career - to defeat one of the strongest line-ups of the weekend and land the fourth Ukrainian gold of the weekend.
Luxembourg&rsquo;s Bob Bertemes, who led at halfway with 21.21m, was eventually shunted down into silver by Kokoshko&rsquo;s fifth-round winning throw while recently crowned European indoor champion Zane Weir had to settle for third (20.98m). His fifth round throw landed around the 22 metre-mark but Weir could not stay in the circle and the throw wasn&rsquo;t measured.
The Ukrainian teams also excelled in the U23 competitions which bodes well for the European Athletics U23 Championships which take place in Espoo, Finland later this summer.
Still only 19, Artur Felfner won the U23 javelin by almost eight metres with 80.09m, an effort which also surpassed the winning mark in the senior competition.&nbsp;
And there were also expected Ukrainian victories in the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s U23 hammer competitions.&nbsp;
Mykhaylo Kokhan, who has won European titles at U18, U20 and U23 level, defended his U23 title at the European Throwing Cup with 75.80m while his teammate Valeriya Ivanenko-Kyrylina followed suit in the last event of the weekend, winning the U23 women&rsquo;s&nbsp; hammer with her sixth round throw of 65.51m.
By far the youngest athlete in the field at the age of 18, European U18 champion Mykhaylo Brudin also performed exceptionally well to win silver in the U23 discus with a lifetime best of 58.60m behind Germany&rsquo;s Steven Richter who set the standard with a lifetime best of 64.23m in the third round.
Full results from the European Throwing Cup can be found <a href="https://leiria23results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. The entire Leiria 2023 European Throwing Cup was live streamed on the European Athletics YouTube channel and both days can be replayed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@EuropeanAthletics/streams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Ukraine tops medal table with four gold medals at European Throwing Cup in Leiria

European bronze medallists Shanice Craft and Sara Fantini both set early-season world leads on their way to victory in Sunday&rsquo;s second day of the European Throwing Cup in Leiria, Portugal on Sunday (12).
For Germany&rsquo;s Craft, she closed out the winter unbeaten as she won the women&rsquo;s discus. Last month she set an indoor world best at the ISTAF Indoor in Berlin and also won the German Winter Championships in Halle. At Portugal&rsquo;s National Throwing Centre, she uncorked one of the longest throws in her career to win with a first round 64.88m, an outdoor world lead for the three-time European bronze medallist (2014, 2016, 2018).
Home hope and 2021 European Throwing Cup winner Lilliana Ca of Portugal opened with three fouls, but finally came to the party with a best of 64.82m which was good enough for second place. &nbsp;France&rsquo;s highly experienced 2016 Olympic silver medallist Melina Robert-Michon - a three-time winner in the Cup - was third with 61.70m.
&ldquo;I am very happy with the result,&rdquo; commented Craft. &ldquo;The first one was for the team and the next throws, I tried to improve my technique. We were working on some things and it was good. I am very happy with the winter season.&rdquo; Norway&rsquo;s Lotta Flatum won the U23 competition with 56.54m.
<h2>Fantastic Fantini upgrades to gold</h2>
Italy&rsquo;s European bronze medallist Sara Fantini - third 12 months ago in the Cup at the same venue - turned the tables on her fellow medallists from Munich 2022, winning the women&rsquo;s hammer with a world-leading 73.26m in the first round.
European champion Bianca Ghelber of Romania had to settle for second on this occasion. She too produced her best in the first round with 71.52m.
Denmark&rsquo;s Katrine Koch Jacobsen was third with a fifth round 71.08m while Poland&rsquo;s Ewa R&oacute;żańska, European silver medallist last year, was sixth, her best throw of 69.18m coming in the first round.
Afterwards, a beaming Fantini said: &ldquo;The first throw was very long, so that&rsquo;s perfect. The others, I had some problems. But we will fix it for the outdoor season.
&ldquo;The best thing about today is that I came into the circle very, very present. I really knew that I could do this distance. I think the bond between the mentality and my body was really good.&rdquo;
The U23 competition was won by former European U20 champion Valeriya Ivanenko-Kyrylina with a final round 65.51m. Ireland&rsquo;s Nicola Tuthill was second in an U23 national record of 64.44m and world U20 champion Rachele Mori of Italy was third with 62.79m.
<h2>Kokoshko shocks Weir in shot put</h2>
European indoor bronze medallist Roman Kokoshko upgraded to gold with a crowd-pleasing win the men&rsquo;s shot put. The Ukrainian has made Portugal his adopted home in the last year and he thrived off a supportive crowd as he landed victory with a fifth round 21.52m throw.
Recently crowned European indoor gold medallist and defending Cup champion Zane Weir was not able to replicate his best form and had to settle for third with 20.98m. Luxembourg&rsquo;s Bob Bertemes, a disappointing fifth in Istanbul after leading the European lists ahead of the championships, was second with a third round 21.21m.&nbsp;
European U20 champion Muhamet Ramadani of Kosovo won the men&rsquo;s U23 shot put with a solid 19.28m, going one place better than his result at the same meeting last year.
<img src="https://assets.european-athletics.com/b28e9b83-d06c-4a40-b463-e956ae4373b1?key=q75maxwidth1200" alt="Leandro Ramos Leiria 2023 European Throwing Cup" />
<h2>Ramos wins javelin on home soil</h2>
The men&rsquo;s javelin saw a home victory for Portuguese record holder Leandro Ramos in the nearby Leiria Municipal Stadium. He gave a high-energy performance, frequently tumbling upon release, but he couldn&rsquo;t breach the 80 metre line. His best was 78.57m which gave him a narrow one centimetre victory over Iceland&rsquo;s Dagbjartur Dadi Jonsson. Spain&rsquo;s Manu Quijera was third with 78.42m. &nbsp;
The best performance of the day actually came in the men's U23 javelin. Ukraine's reigning world U20 champion Artur Felfner justified his status as pre-meeting favourite. He was the only competitor to go over 80 metres with a first round throw of 80.09m and it was more than good enough to see off second placed Lenny Brisseault of France with a best of 72.55m.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I need some work with the technique and I think we will get more metres. Next time will be better because I am ready and I know it,&rdquo; said Felfner, who is still only 19. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t have power, but I throw well because I have technique and speed.&rdquo;
Felfner's impressive win also means that he will enter consideration as a serious title contender at this year's European Athletics U23 Championships in Espoo, Finland in July.
Ukraine topped the medal table with four gold medals and one silver, ahead of Germany with two golds, two silvers and one bronze. Hosts Portugal were third with two golds and one silver.
Full results&nbsp;<a href="https://leiria23results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
The entire Leiria 2023 European Throwing Cup was live streamed on the European Athletics YouTube channel and can be replayed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@EuropeanAthletics/streams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics

Craft and Fantini light up Leiria on second day at the European Throwing Cup

World champion Kristjan Ceh laid a marker in the ground that he fully intends to repeat his golden year of 2022, as he dominated the discus at the European Throwing Cup in Leiria, Portugal on Saturday (10).&nbsp;
Taking place at the National Training Centre adjacent to the main Leiria Municipal Stadium, Ceh repeated his victory from 12 months ago at the same venue where he laid the foundations for global success with 66.11m.&nbsp;&nbsp;
This year, in a quality series, he had the three longest throws overall and won by more than four metres with his third-round effort of 68.30m.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It could be better, but I am really happy,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We lowered the training a little for the last three weeks and now again, full training on. So, a little bit prepared for the winter season, but not too much.
&ldquo;Training is going really well. Much better than last year at the same time. So, I have high hopes for this season.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The single blot on his copybook was falling a little short of coach Gerd Kanter&rsquo;s championship best from 2009 of 69.70m. &ldquo;I said to him &lsquo;I&rsquo;m going to get your record&rsquo;, but sadly, maybe next year?&rdquo; smiled the bespectacled giant afterwards.&nbsp;
Romania&rsquo;s world finalist Alin Alexandru Firfirica was the best of the rest with a fourth round 63.78m, former world U20 champion Martin Markovic of Croatia was third with 62.20m.
Meanwhile in the main stadium, there was a breakthrough performance in the U23 competition, won by Germany&rsquo;s Steven Richter in a new personal best of 64.23m.&nbsp;
<h2>Tzengko in sharp form on Saturday evening&nbsp;</h2>
In the women&rsquo;s javelin, European champion Elina Tzengko of Greece underscored her position as one of the continent&rsquo;s most exciting talents.&nbsp;&nbsp;
She led the women&rsquo;s javelin right from the second round with a solid 61.78m. But it was in the final round, with victory secured, where the 20-year-old showed her best form. She unleashed a mighty throw of 63.65m to finish a clear victor from Serbian duo Marija Vucenovic and Adriana Vilagos.
Vucenovic's best of 60.56 came in the fifth round and European silver medallist Vilagos produced a best of 59.83m in round three.
Afterwards, a delighted Tzengko said: &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t really well prepared for this competition because our training programme is really heavy. That&rsquo;s why I had a lot of ups and downs. But I tried to fix the technical thing we had to fix and in the last throw I did it and I&rsquo;m really happy.&rdquo;
<img src="https://assets.european-athletics.com/794889ff-d5d0-4f1c-b95c-4c5833476547?key=q75maxwidth1200" alt="Elina Tzengko Leiria 2023 European Throwing Cup" />
The women&rsquo;s U23 javelin event was later won by Croatia&rsquo;s Veronika Sokota with a fourth round effort of 56.82m.&nbsp;
By contrast, the men&rsquo;s hammer competition never quite ignited with most athletes still deep in winter training and it showed with the 80 metre line under no threat.&nbsp;
Nonetheless, Hungary&rsquo;s world bronze medallist Bence Halasz got his season off to a solid start, producing a consistent series of five throws over 73 metres. His second-round effort of 74.65m was good enough for gold.&nbsp;&nbsp;
With summer&rsquo;s World Athletics Championships taking place on home soil in Budapest, this year takes on even greater significance for Halasz. Afterwards, he said: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a very important year. We are organising the World Championships in Hungary, it&rsquo;s pretty exciting.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Many people are talking about it, they are excited, they can&rsquo;t wait for it. My main goal is to improve my personal best at the World Championships and see what result I can achieve.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
He also revealed he had suffered with illness and injury in January, and given the circumstances, he was satisfied with his performance.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;I wanted to throw further, but knowing I was sick, I was injured, it was a good effort. It could be better. But I am very proud of the technique. The technique was very good, but the shape could be better,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;
Former NCAA champion Thomas Mardal of Norway took a creditable second place with a fifth round best of 73.94m and Yann Chaussinand of France third with a final round effort of 73.25m.&nbsp;
Five-time world champion Pawel Fajdek was sixth with a best of 72.57m.&nbsp;
In the men&rsquo;s U23 competition Olympic and world finallist Mykhaylo Kokhan of Ukraine produced the throw of the day to win with a final round effort of 75.80m. In a high-quality competition, European U20 champion Dawid Pilat of Poland was second with 72.42m and Turkey&rsquo;s Halil Yilmazer was third in a personal best of 70.45m.
With home favourite Auriol Dongmo taking a break following her gold medal winning performance at the European Indoor Championships, it was left to Jessica Inchude &ndash; fourth in Istanbul &ndash; to carry the Portuguese challenge.&nbsp;&nbsp;
She came through with a second round throw of 18.14m to take gold, a significant upgrade from sixth place last year.&nbsp;
Germany&rsquo;s Yemisi Ogunleye and Sweden&rsquo;s Sara Lennman completed the podium with 18.09m and 17.95m respectively.
Great Britain&rsquo;s Serena Vincent won the women&rsquo;s U23 shot put with 16.90m.
Full results <a href="https://leiria23results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
The first day of Leiria 2023 European Throwing Cup was live streamed on the European Athletics YouTube channel and can be replayed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@EuropeanAthletics/streams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics

Ceh launches a world leading 68.30m at the European Throwing Cup in Leiria 

Freshly minted European indoor shot put gold medallist Zane Weir has delayed celebrating his success in Istanbul as he hones in on this weekend&rsquo;s European Throwing Cup in Leiria, Portugal on 11-12 March.&nbsp;
Speaking at the official press conference on Friday (10), the Italian said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve remained pretty focussed on this competition, I take it very seriously. I&rsquo;ve delayed [celebrating] a little bit, but I am sure Sunday evening will hopefully be an opportunity to celebrate both competitions.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Last weekend he set a national record on his way to winning gold with 22.06m. This same competition last year also saw Weir in record-setting form with a championship best of 21.99m, so he is looking for another rewarding weekend.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;This competition is a celebration of all of the hard work we have done to this point. It&rsquo;s been a difficult period. I came back from a finger injury last year. So, this season has been tough, but very rewarding.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was a great atmosphere at my first competition here last year. So, we are going to have some fun and I&rsquo;m looking forward to the atmosphere the competition provides.&rdquo;&nbsp;
He also believes the move back outdoors could unlock a little more distance before he closes his winter season.&nbsp;
&ldquo;There is a slight difference between the (shot put) circles of outdoor and indoor. But I actually prefer the outdoor circles, so I am really looking forward to being out there on Sunday.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot more grip. You can be a lot more confident in the movement, you don&rsquo;t have to hold back a little bit and I think that definitely favours the distance of throws.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h2>Tzengko tempering expectations ahead of her international debut&nbsp;</h2>
In contrast to the busy indoor schedule faced by Weir, Greek javelin star Elina Tzengko is tentatively stepping back into competition in the midst of intense training. She enjoyed a phenomenal 2022, when she became the youngest ever winner of a European javelin title last year aged 19.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Now 20, expectation has risen on her and European silver medallist Adriana Vilago&scaron; of Serbia, who is still only 19. Sitting alongside Weir, Tzengko was keen not to place too much emphasis on the result this weekend between the two rising stars.&nbsp;
She said: &ldquo;I think for us, for the javelin throwers, it is really early yet. If I win tomorrow, it doesn&rsquo;t mean anything for Adriana. If Adriana wins tomorrow, it doesn&rsquo;t mean anything to me. We have a lot of months yet in training. We have really important competitions in the summer, so we have to be ready for the summer competitions.&nbsp;
&ldquo;For me and my coach, this competition is part of training. I know we are not yet ready for a 65 metre throw. Our training programme is still really heavy &ndash; a lot of throws and a lot of weights. We just came here to fix some technical issues we have and to feel again the competition atmosphere. So, I can&rsquo;t wait to throw tomorrow.&nbsp;
&ldquo;In Greece, we have a saying that is: &lsquo;health is above all&rsquo;. So, I want for this year to be healthy, to enjoy my training and competitions without injuries and that&rsquo;s enough. In my first competition of the year, I threw 61 metres in Greece so a 61 metres throw again would be a great performance for me, for now.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The European Throwing Cup will be live streamed (Senior A events and selected other events) with English-language commentary on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/EuropeanAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Athletics YouTube channel</a> from 1.05pm local time (CET -1)
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics

Weir puts Istanbul celebrations on ice for European Throwing Cup title defence

Zane Weir will open his outdoor campaign at the European Throwing Cup in Leiria, Portugal, on Sunday (12) just nine days after setting an Italian indoor shot put record of 22.06m to win the gold medal at the Istanbul 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://downloads.european-athletics.com/87e35556-501e-400b-97a9-234c3d038717/ETC%202023%20-%20Final%20Entries%20Athletes%20List%20By%20Event%20&amp;%20SB.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Final entries</a> for the European Throwing Cup 2023.</li>
</ul>
Now, Weir&rsquo;s attention will turn to improving his outdoor best of 21.99m, a mark achieved when he set a Cup record at the same venue 12 months ago, as well as &nbsp;retaining his title.
&ldquo;It feels good to be finally where I am. The previous season was difficult because of the broken finger but here I am now. I am happy that I am at this level which is higher than usual,&rdquo; reflected Weir in the wake of his triumph in T&uuml;rkiye, looking ahead to both Leiria and the World Athletics Championships later in the year after having to miss last year&rsquo;s global gathering due to his damaged digit.
&ldquo;It speaks volume for my coach [former European indoor champion Paolo Dal Soglio]. I am just really thankful. I still live with my coach and I manage to see my family for maybe three weeks a year. Without Paolo there is absolutely no way I would be here now,&rdquo; he added.
Weir will have some familiar faces among his rivals in what promises to be a high-quality competition in Leiria.
The men&rsquo;s shot put entry list includes Ukraine&rsquo;s Roman Kokoshko, who took the bronze in Istanbul, as well as Luxembourg&rsquo;s Bertemes and Weir&rsquo;s training partner and friend Leonardo Fabbri.
<h2>Redemption on the menu for Bertemes and Fabbri</h2>
For Bertemes and Fabbri, Leiria offers a quick chance of redemption after below-par performances in Istanbul.
Bertemes led the European indoor lists prior to the championships with 21.93m but was almost a metre adrift of that distance when finishing fifth while Fabbri made the final only to have no less than six consecutive fouls.
Also in the field is Poland&rsquo;s 2018 European champion Michel Haratyk who had an equally miserable time in Istanbul and failed to register a valid mark in qualifying.
Slovenia&rsquo;s reigning world champion Kristjan Ceh is the big name in the discus and like Weir will be defending his Cup crown having also won in Leiria 12 months ago.
<img src="https://assets.european-athletics.com/40a884c8-7c83-42c6-986b-211fd843e0a0?width=3100&amp;height=2067" alt="European Throwing Cup - Day 1" />
Ceh could well have in his sights the prodigious Cup record of 69.70m set by his coach, the former Olympic and world champion Gerd Kanter, which the Estonian threw in 2009 to take the last of his six Cup victories.
Eight other men have lifetime bests of 65 metres or better including Great Britain's 2022 European Athletics Championships bronze medallist Lawrence Okeye.
A lot of eyes will be on&nbsp;Germany&rsquo;s emerging talent Mika Sosna, who took the World U20 silver medal last summer and improved his personal best with the senior 2kg implement to 65.57m last month.
<h2>Kokhan chooses U23 event</h2>
In the men&rsquo;s hammer, no less than 11 men have thrown over 77 metres in their careers but star billing goes to the five-time world champion Poland's Pawel Fajdek who will compete in the Cup for the first time since he won in 2018.
Hungary's Bence Halasz, who won world championships bronze and European silver in 2022, is also in the field. Another&nbsp;man to look out for could be France&rsquo;s Yann Chaussinand, who showed that winter training has gone well when he won his national winter throwing title with 76.92m last month.
<img src="https://assets.european-athletics.com/89a84f19-9a35-489f-b219-8d9b51131e70?width=5256&amp;height=3504" alt="Getty Images 1415647931" />
However, Ukraine&rsquo;s reigning European U23 champion Mykhaylo Kokhan, who only turned 22 in January, has opted to compete in the U23 competition even though he is an 80-metre-plus thrower on his day and finished seventh at the World Athletics Championships and fifth at the European Athletics Championships last summer, superb performances achieved despite all the upheavals to his preparations inevitably wrought by the war in his country.
Portuguese javelin record holder Leandro Ramos, who threw 84.78m last year, is the best thrower by a distance in his specialist event and could give the home crowd a win.
Ramos is certainly familiar with Leiria and has returned to win three times in domestic meetings since he finished second in the U23 Cup competition 12 months ago.
In the men's U23 javelin, Ukraine's reigning world U20 champion Artur Felfner will be the big favourite to take the title with a personal best of 84.32m - more than 10 metres better than anyone else in the field -&nbsp; and he has already thrown over 80 metres this year. A win in Leiria would be the perfect confidence boost for Felfner, who will be looking to add a European U23 gold medal in July to his growing list of accolades.
The European Throwing Cup (Senior A events and selected other events) will be live streamed with English-language commentary on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@EuropeanAthletics/streams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Athletics YouTube channel</a>.
Phil Minshull for European Athletics

Preview | European indoor champion Weir looks to retain his European Throwing Cup crown

With the World Athletics Championships returning to European soil in Budapest this summer, there is massive motivation for the continent&rsquo;s finest throwers to set down a marker of intent at this weekend&rsquo;s European Throwing Cup in Leiria, Portugal.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://downloads.european-athletics.com/87e35556-501e-400b-97a9-234c3d038717/ETC%202023%20-%20Final%20Entries%20Athletes%20List%20By%20Event%20&amp;%20SB.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Final entries</a> for the European Throwing Cup 2023.</li>
</ul>
The women&rsquo;s disciplines will see a typical depth of proven championship quality across the board, with athletes raring to go and check progress from a hard winter&rsquo;s training.
In the women&rsquo;s javelin, the gold and silver medallists from last year&rsquo;s European Athletics Championships in Munich will be looking to launch their seasons in style in Leiria. As two of the most exciting throws prospects worldwide, Elina Tzengko of Greece and Adriana Vilagos of Serbia, are expected to put on a great show.&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.european-athletics.com/fc552d94-c51d-463d-8ac9-483a4975f695?key=q75maxwidth1200" alt="Vilagos" />
Aged just 19, Tzengko became the youngest ever gold medallist in the javelin at the European Championships last year, with Vilagos, just a year younger, taking silver. A year older and likely stronger, it should be a fascinating contest to kick off 2023.
<h2>Munich medallists reunite in high-quality hammer field</h2>
The women&rsquo;s hammer throw will see a full-scale reunion of the medallists from Munich in action. Gold medallist Bianca Ghelber of Romania, silver medallist Ewa Rozanska of Poland and bronze medallist Sara Fantini of Italy are all in a high-quality field.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UBA8PGkWJGw" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h2>Schilder aims to go one better in Leiria</h2>
World bronze and European gold medallist Jessica Schilder of the Netherlands will be seeking to bounce back from a disappointing result at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, where she finished fifth. The Dutchwoman was second in this same competition last year and will be looking to go one better this time.
<img src="https://assets.european-athletics.com/9f8927a5-5079-43e8-8370-815aaceead65?key=q75maxwidth1200" alt="Athletics - Day 5 - European Championships Munich 2022" />
In the absence of Auriol Dongmo, who successfully defended her European Indoor Championships at the weekend, Jessica Inchude &ndash; fourth in Istanbul - will lead Portugal&rsquo;s challenge in the shot.&nbsp;
<h2>Could there be a home medal in the discus?</h2>
The women&rsquo;s discus is teeming with pedigree. And local hopes will be pinned on Portugal&rsquo;s Liliana Ca. The Olympic, World and European finalist won this event in Split, Croatia, in 2021, but was third in Leiria last year.
<img src="https://assets.european-athletics.com/963f9a4c-74bd-455d-b52e-64725f43f3f7?key=q75maxwidth1200" alt="European Throwing Cup - Day 2" />
Her opposition includes 2022 winner Daisy Osakue of Italy, three-times European bronze medallist Shanice Craft of Germany and France&rsquo;s experienced Melina Robert-Michon, a former Olympic silver medallist and three-time winner at the European Throwing Cup (2014, 2016 and 2017).&nbsp;
Craft has already showed her prowess this year, setting a new world best for the rarely contested indoor discus in Berlin in February with 65.23m and will be seeking to translate her form outdoors.
<h2>Mori, Ndubuisi and Alanen among favourites for under-23 title</h2>
Since its introduction to the event in 2007, the under-23 competition has provided an excellent development opportunity and this weekend promises to be no different.
Among the names to watch are Italy&rsquo;s Rachele Mori &ndash; winner of the women&rsquo;s hammer throw at last year&rsquo;s World under 20 Championships, Germany&rsquo;s 2021 European under 20 bronze medallist Nina Ndubuisi in the shot put and Finland&rsquo;s 2021 European under 20 bronze medallist Anni-Linnea Alanen in the javelin.
The European Throwing Cup (Senior A events and selected other events) will be live streamed with English-language commentary on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@EuropeanAthletics/streams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Athletics YouTube channel</a>.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics

Preview | Tzengko and Vilagos set for javelin rematch in Leiria

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Day two replay (part two) | Leiria 2023

Day two replay (part one) | Leiria 2023

Day one replay | Leiria 2023

Dongmo's big shot in Leiria | Leiria 2022

Ukrainian resilience in Leiria | Leiria 2022

Vetter goes big in Split | Split 2021

Andrejczyk amazes with 71.40m | Split 2021

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Videos

Day two replay (part two) | Leiria 2023

Day two replay (part one) | Leiria 2023

Day one replay | Leiria 2023

Dongmo's big shot in Leiria | Leiria 2022

Ukrainian resilience in Leiria | Leiria 2022

Vetter goes big in Split | Split 2021

Andrejczyk amazes with 71.40m | Split 2021

European Throwing Cup