With the European Athletics Team Championships Super League in Silesia less than a fortnight away, Michal Haratyk will begin as the red-hot favourite for maximum points in the shot put for hosts Poland on 29-30 May.
Haratyk set two European leading marks on his outdoor season’s debut in Warsaw on Saturday (15) afternoon. After beginning his series with back-to-back efforts of 21.22m and 21.51m, Haratyk threatened the 22 metre-line with his third attempt which landed at a European leading mark of 21.92m.
But Haratyk, who won at the 2019 European Team Championships with an event record of 21.83m, saved his best until the end, smashing the 22 metre-line with his sixth throw which was measured at 22.17m - just 15 centimetres shy of his lifetime best and national record.
Such is the calibre of shot putting globally, Haratyk is still only fourth on the 2021 world outdoor list behind the US trio of Joe Kovacs (22.72m), Ryan Crouser (22.69m) and Darrell Hill (22.34m).
Four-time world hammer champion Pawel Fajdek was back in form after only finishing fourth at the European Throwing Cup in Split last weekend. He won the hammer with a European leading mark of 78.77m - the second best throw in the world this year behind Rudy Winkler from the United States with 81.98m.
Former world indoor champion Kamila Licwinko cleared a European leading height of 1.94m in the high jump and Marcin Krukowski also threw 79.61m in the javelin.
Hassan clocks world 5000m lead in Irvine
World 1500m and 10,000m champion Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands began her outdoor season with an unopposed and solo 5000m at the Sound Running Track Meeting in Irvine on Saturday (15) which yielded a world leading mark of 14:35.34.
European 1500m champion Laura Muir dropped down in distance to win the 800m in 1:58.71 and British teammate Daryll Neita won the 100m in 11.12 to equal her lifetime best.
There were some big throws in both the men’s and women’s discus competitions in a domestic version of the throwing event in Halle on Saturday (15) afternoon.
Clemens Prufer won the men’s event with 67.41m - just ten centimetres shy of the world lead held by Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh - ahead of David Wrobel (67.31m) and reigning Olympic champion Christoph Harting who returned to competition after a 20 month hiatus with 65.25m to finish third.
Kristin Pudenz won the women’s competition with 66.31m ahead of Marike Steinacker who set a lifetime best of 64.03m. The top five throwers all threw over 61 metres.
In Mannheim on Saturday (15), Lisa Mayer won a high quality all-domestic women’s 100m in 11.12 ahead of Rebekka Haase in 11.21. Haase did win the 200m in 22.97 ahead of Alexandra Burghardt in 23.00.