On a windy but clear morning at the x-bionic sphere in Samorin, Belarusian Tatsiana Khaladovich rekindled her form in style on the opening day of the 19th European Throwing Cup on Saturday (9).
Khaladovich stole the show with a world lead of 65.89m as she beat Germany’s Christin Hussong, the woman who succeeded her as European champion in Berlin last summer. Khaladovich had won the title in Amsterdam in 2016 and finished fifth in her defence of the crown as Hussong triumphed in front of her home fans.
A long year lies ahead with the IAAF World Championships not taking place until the end of September in Doha, Qatar but Khaladovich saved her best for last today.
She actually led after two rounds with 63.07m before Hussong reached 65.47m and that seemed like it would be enough for the victory. But Khaladovich secured victory with her final effort as Türkiye’s Eda Tugsuz was shunted down to third with 64.83m.
Khaladovich’s teammate Hanna Malyshik retained her title in brilliant style, winning the women’s senior hammer gold.
The Belarusian, who was also the U23 champion in 2016, triumphed with a world lead of 74.95m in the final round although she had secured the lead with a fourth round throw of 74.08m to move ahead of silver and bronze medallists from last summer’s European Championships in Berlin – France’s Alexandra Tavernier and Poland’s Joanna Fiodorow.
After three throws, Ukraine’s Iryna Klymets led with 70.28m from Fiodorow with 70.69m and Malyshik with 69.75m but the fourth round saw everything change as Malyshik took the lead with 74.08m from Klymets’ 72.53m and Fiodorow’s 72.22m.
The Polish star then jumped into second with a fifth round 73.22m but Malyshik could not be caught and her best was still to come with Klymets finishing third. Tavernier grew in strength as the event went on and ended up fifth with 71.83m from the last round.
Milanov makes a winning return to competition
After missing the European Championships in Berlin last summer due to injury, Belgium’s Philip Milanov turned back the clock to win the senior discus title.
Not since the European Championships in Amsterdam has Milanov made the podium in a big event but he took the title by defeating Germany’s Olympic champion Christoph Harting and Estonia’s Martin Kupper.
Harting made an impression with his first throw of 62.61m as Milanov started with 59.69m but in the fifth round, Milanov raised his game by moving into the lead with 62.63m and Harting could find no response.
He had a foul on his final attempt as Milanov reached 60.19m with Kupper ending his day with a best of 62.11m.
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In the second round of the men’s shot put final at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow last week, Portugal’s Francisco Belo broke his overall personal best with a distance of 20.97m to finish fourth.
A few days later, Belo landed the 7.26kg implement at 20.97m once again and this time it was sufficient for victory. He would have held his breath in the last round though as Authorised Neutral Athlete Maksim Afonin moved into second with 20.61m after recording 20.60m in the second and fourth rounds.
Luxembourg’s Bob Bertemes was third with 20.55m from round four.
Kokhan upsets Halasz in the U23 hammer
Hungary’s Bence Halasz lined up as the defending champion in the U23 hammer but it was not to be his morning as Myhaylo Kokhan from Ukraine continued his emergence.
Kokhan, who still has two full seasons in the U20 ranks, entered the event with a personal best of 76.24m behind Halasz’s 79.57m but the reigning European and world U18 champion now has a new mark to celebrate along with this victory.
Halasz led after round one with 73.75m but that changed with Kokhan recording 75.39m, 75.76m, 73.63m before breaking his lifetime best with 76.39m in the fifth round and then going even further with his last throw of 76.68m.
Halasz took second with 75.41m from round five with Aliaksandr Shymanovich from Belarus, third with a fourth round 72.36m.
In the last two summers, Jorinde Van Klinken from the Netherlands has made the podium in major U20 events and now she is the U23 shot put champion at the European Throwing Cup.
Van Klinken, who took silver at the 2017 European U20 Championships in Grosseto, took the lead in the first round with 15.94m, a distance she increased to 16.38m in the fifth round to beat Hungary’s Violetta Veiland with 15.81m and France’s Ashley Bologna with 15.50m.
Van Klinken also went out to 55.86m in the U23 discus to finish third behind Croatia’s Marija Tolj (57.76m) with Sweden’s Vanessa Kamga improving to 57.73m in the final round.
Belarusian Aliaksei Katkavets was never troubled as he won the men’s U23 javelin gold. Any of his first three throws would have been enough for victory - as he began with 82.40m followed by 82.31m and then 82.45m.
The closest challenger was Poland’s European U20 champion Cyprian Mrzyglod, who was second with 79.41m from round five, with Romania’s Alexandru Novac third with 78.74m from his opening throw.