After capping their junior careers with medals at the European Athletics U20 Championships, Swiss combined eventers Annik Kalin and Simon Ehammer continued their progression through the age-group ranks with lifetime best performances in Amriswil on Sunday (19).
European U20 heptathlon bronze medallist Kalin, 20, set a European-leading mark of 6170 points in the heptathlon to move to second on the 2020 world list. Kalin impressed in the 100m hurdles (13.47), long jump (6.44m) and javelin (47.24m) and also set a lifetime best of 13.19m in the shot put.
'I'm very satisfied. It went really well here and I really enjoyed the competition. That was a successful test ahead of the Swiss Championships in Langenthal,” said Kalin who is likely to face Geraldine Ruckstuhl and Caroline Agnou at the Swiss Championships on 8-9 August.
In the decathlon, European U20 decathlon champion Ehammer, 20, broke the 8000 point-barrier for the first time in a senior decathlon with 8029 points, the second highest score in 2020 behind Taavi Tsernjavski’s world lead of 8086 points.
Ehammer excelled once again in the long jump with 8.11m, missing his individual Swiss U23 record by four centimetres. But notably this also matched the longest jump ever recorded by a European in a decathlon with Czech Republic’s Roman Sebrle also recording 8.11m en route to his world record in 2001.
Ehammer became just the sixth Swiss combined eventer to surpass the 8000 point-barrier in the decathlon and the first to do so since 2003. For posterity the Swiss record stands to Stephan Niklaus with 8334 points which has stood since 1983.
Polak clears lifetime best of 4.70m on her season's debut in Athens
One of three Greek pole vaulters to reach the final at the 2018 European Championships, Eleni-Klaoudia Polak made a significant breakthrough on her outdoor season’s debut in Athens on Saturday (18).
Polak improved her lifetime best to 4.65m during the course of the indoor season but the 23-year-old improved on that mark in her fist competition over four months in Athens on Saturday (18), clearing 4.70m on her third attempt. Her previous outdoor lifetime best stood at a rather modest 4.46m.
'I did not expect the competition to develop like this. I finally managed to find the motivation and make a good showing. I am very happy that I achieved this performance. I will continue to try and climb even higher,” said Polak whose next competition will be in Kallithea on Wednesday.
Polak also defeated Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou who cleared 4.60m on her season’s debut although Kiriakopoulou did take a very close attempt at 4.80m. Polak elected to retire after clearing 4.70m due to a minor injury.
In Thessaloniki, 17-year-old Elina Tzenggo surpassed the 60 metre-line in the javelin again. Less than a fortnight after recording 61.53m, Tzenggo recorded a best mark of 60.80m.
Klosterhalfen sets world leading 1000m in Portland; Burkard sets European 3000m lead
Germany’s world 5000m bronze medallist Konstanze Klosterhalfen stepped down in distance to contest the 1000m at the Bigger Friendly Meet in Portland, Oregon on Friday (17).
Klosterhalfen stopped the clock at a world leading time of 2:37.05 on her debut at the distance. The 23-year-old will be returning to familiar racing territory next month when she contests the 5000m in the Monaco Diamond League on 14 August against reigning world champions Hellen Obiri from Kenya and Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands.
Klosterhalfen also ran in a mixed 2x2x400m with Craig Engels.
Her teammate Elena Burkard set a European-leading 3000m time and lifetime best of 8:44.92 the following day in Winnenden, Germany.
In Wetzlar on Saturday (18), Lisa Marie Kwayie set a 100m lifetime best of 11.21 to move to second on the 2020 European list. Kwayie edged out Jennifer Montag who also came away with a lifetime best of 11.23.
Elsewhere around Europe…
The precocious 16-year-old Sandro Tomassini improved his Slovenian U18 and U20 high jump record to 2.22m in Novo Mesto on Sunday (19). Born in 2004, Tomassini is eligible to compete at the European Athletics U18 Championships in Rieti next August.
In Osterode, Germany on Saturday (18) 2012 Olympic discus finalist Lawrence Okoye’s comeback gathered pace as he threw 63.02m to defeat David Wrobel (61.35m) and Olympic bronze medallist Daniel Jasinski (60.88m). Okoye reached the Olympic final on home soil in London before switching his focus to American football.
Also in Osterode, Julia Ritter took a double in the shot put (18.14m) and discus (59.64m). David Storl won the men’s shot put with 20.63m.
Germany’s Mohamed Mohumed became the first European to break the 3:40-barrier in the 1500m outdoors in 2020. He clocked a European-leading 3:38.83 in Sonsbeck on Sunday (19).
Czech youngsters took the headlines in Kladno on Saturday (18). Having already set a lifetime best and European lead of 51.35 in the 400m, 20-year-old Lada Vondrova showed her range by setting lifetime bests in the 100m (11.97), 200m (23.40) and 800m (2:04.45).
Baja Sajdokova, 18, cleared a lifetime best of 1.91m in the high jump and world U20 champion Amalia Svabikova, 20, improved her lifetime best to 4.55m in the pole vault. A comparative veteran at 29, Pavel Maslak clocked 46.46 in his first 400m race since the indoor season.
In Balsta, Sweden on Saturday (18) Kim Amb threw 83.41m in the javelin.