Discus thrower Mykhailo Brudin uncorked a huge world U20 lead to head the final qualifiers at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Jerusalem on Monday (7) evening.
The Ukrainian athlete, who was leading the world U20 standings heading into the event, showed he means business right from the off, landing 65.48m with his first effort.
The men’s discus is one of the highest quality events of the whole championships, containing the current world’s top ten U20 athletes but Brudin confirmed he was cream of the crop, adding 1.63 metres to his lifetime best and finishing nearly four metres clear of the next best qualifier - Jan Svozil of the Czech Republic - who left it late, landing a final round personal best of 61.65m.
Brudin will now look to Wednesday’s final to add to his growing medal tally that already includes European U18 gold and world U20 bronze from last year.
Afterwards, Svozil said: “Brudin managed to throw 65 metres in the first attempts, so it looks he is in a big shape and 2-3 levels above us. But anything is possible in the final and we can only hope for the best result.”
Injury forces gold medal favourite Koscak out of the heptathlon
In contrast, it was a day of huge frustration for Jana Koscak in the heptathlon.
Earlier in the day, the precocious 17-year-old Croatian won both the 100m hurdles in 13.17 (+1.0m/s) and the high jump in 1.86m.
But last year’s European U18 champion was more subdued in the shot put where she could only muster 11.93m, 49 centimetres down on her best and seventh overall in the discipline. She clutched her hamstring after her third attempt and although she was leading the overall standings going into the 200m, she withdrew from the competition.
It left the door ajar for several other contenders. Having landed personal bests in the 100m hurdles (13.75) and the high jump (1.83m), Germany’s Sandrina Sprengel now looks most likely to take advantage. Aligned with a solid 12.41m in the shot put and 24.73 (+1.2m/s) in the 200m, she leads the field with 3630 points heading into day two.
It leaves Estonia’s Liisa-Maria Lusti (3507 points) and Austria’s Sophie Kreiner (3484 points) occupying the medal positions overnight with the long jump, javelin and 800m to come on Tuesday (8). But with just 100 points separating third from eighth place, there are still plenty of twists and turns to come.
On a mixed evening for the Koscak family, Jana’s elder sister Klara breezed through the 100m hurdles heats winning in a wind-assisted 13.19 (+2.2m/s). The 18-year-old shares Jana’s multi-layered talent. She finished fifth in the heptathlon at the 2021 World U20 Championships and is also entered for the 400m hurdles and 4x100m relay later in the week.
But, as impressive as Koscak was, she was slightly overshadowed by Germany’s Rosina Schneider who set a European U20 lead in winning her heat in 13.13 (+1.4m/s), slicing 0.29 off her previous best to head the qualifiers.
Laros confirms his plans for Jerusalem
Dutch distance running prodigy Niels Laros made his first appearance at the championships. Having elected to miss the 3000m in the morning, he raced confidently through the men’s 1500m heats.
Hanging off the pace for much of the race, he made his move at the bell and although he was momentarily inconvenienced by a stumbling Regi Thibert of Belgium, he confidently strode clear to win in 3:53.59 to safely book his passage to Wednesday’s final.
It is the first of another bid for a golden double. The European U18 champion over 1500m and 3000m confirmed he is now chasing a 1500/5000m brace in Jerusalem, having also been originally entered for the 800m.
“I think I like the 1500m the most because it is just in the middle of everything,” he said. “This event is not only about the speed but it is nice to have a good speed and a good kick.
“I will also do the 5000m here - I will do these two to not to waste too much energy before the World Championships. Of course, competing as a senior is something different. So this is a sort of nice step up towards Budapest. This is about rolling in through the rounds and it does not cost too much energy.”
In the women’s 1500m heats, Denmark’s Sofia Thøgersen, European U20 silver medallist over 3000m two years ago, showed her strength by easing through her heat in second place in 4:29:02, just on the shoulder of race winner Dilek Koçak of Turkey, who clocked 4:28.67.
The other semi was won by Italy’s Matilde Prati in 4:22.03 with Turkey’s European U18 silver medallist Ayca Fidanoğlu content to take second in 4:22.16.
Hungary’s Gyorgy Herczeg couldn’t replicate his European U20 record breaking form in the men’s javelin qualification. He was well down on the 84.98m mark he set last month in Austria. But his relatively modest throw of 70.70m in windy conditions was still enough to head qualification group A for Wednesday’s final.
Germany’s Max Dehning, last year’s silver medallist at the World U20 Championships, led the overall qualifiers, topping group B with a best of 73.05m.
Afterwards, Herczeg said: “This qualification was a bit difficult because of the wind. I had a lower javelin target and I have to figure out how to throw like that. I hope on Wednesday, it will be better. I know that the expectations are high, I can feel a little bit of the pressure. But we will see in the final.”
Last year’s U18 champion Zakrzewski qualifies fastest for 100m final
The men’s and women’s 100m heats and semi finals took place in the same session. In the men’s competition, the stage is set for a rematch of last year’s European U18 Championships. Poland’s Marek Zakrzewski, winner of the gold medal last year, won his semifinal in 10.25 (+2.5m/s) having won his heat in a Polish U20 record of 10.29.
But Sweden’s Isak Hughes looks hungry for an upgrade on the silver medal he won in 2022. The bandana-wearing sprinter hardly broke sweat as he won his semi in 10.27 (+1.8m/s).
The women’s competition only confirms the conveyor of British female sprint talent with Joy Eze and Renee Regis winning their respective semi finals in 11.37 (+1.1m/s) and 11.36 (+1.2m/s). Both were new personal bests. Eze won bronze at the same event two years ago in Tallinn and Regis took European U18 bronze last year. Gold looks the more likely colour for one of the Brits this time.
In the men’s 110m hurdles, top ranked Austrian Enzo Diessl powered his way through the heats winning in a wind-assisted 13.13 (+2.3m/s) to top the qualifiers.
In the women’s triple jump, France’s Clémence Rougier returned to the scene of her European U18 title last year in style. She needed only one jump to heading the qualifiers with a brilliant personal best and European U20 lead of 13.72m (+0.9m/s).
The women’s shot put qualifiers was led by world U20 bronze medallist Zuzanna Maślana. The Polish athlete underscored her championship credentials with a first round 16.22m to automatically book her place in Tuesday’s final.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics