Poland and Switzerland’s Simon Walter took the plaudits in the Decathlon at the European Cup Combined Events First League in Hengelo, the Netherlands, while Greece and the Netherlands’ Remona Fransen were the best in the Heptathlon on Sunday.
Walter, fifth in the First League last year, won with a personal best of 7820 points with Poland’s overnight leader Dawid Pyra second with 7759 points in the famous Fanny Blankers-Koen stadium.
Pyra maintained his lead after the 110m hurdles, running 14.78 with the Czech Republic’s Adam Nejedly being the fastest with 14.54, but dropped back to third behind his compatriot Krzysztof Plaskota and Italy’s William Frulliani after he could only throw 38.29m in the Discus.
Walter then started to move into gear. He went over 4.80m in the Pole Vault and then notched up two personal bests in the final two events, throwing the javelin almost four metres further than he had ever done before with 58.72m and then finishing with a 4:37.22 1500m.
However, with three men in the top five, Poland easily won the team competition with 22,884 points. Promoted alongside them to the Super League are the Czech Republic, who finished second with 22,123 points. Hungary and Romania were relegated to next year’s Second League.
Fransen was the overnight leader in the Heptathlon and extended her lead by producing the topping the Long Jump with a personal best of 6.20m.
The commemorative clogs – which were handed out to the winner of each individual event in Hengelo – in the Javelin went to Greece’s Sofía Ifadídou who threw 51.33m but Fransen stayed in front with a personal best of 36.61m, despite the relatively modest performance.
Fransen then ran the 800m in 2:15.24 to total a personal best of 5993 points.
“I am very satisfied. The Shot Put was not great and perhaps I could have scored more with a little less headwind on the first day, but I am very happy with my personal bests in the Long Jump and Javelin today,” reflected Fransen.
Belarus’ Yana Maksimava, the 2008 World Junior Championships silver medallist finished second with 5958 points, overtaking Ifadidou after running 2:12.24 from the last event, more than five seconds faster than her Greek rival.
Ifadidou finished third with 5931 points but had the consolation of leading her country to the team victory with 16,995 points.
The Netherlands beat Italy by 23 points to get second place in the team competition and secure their immediate return to the Super League, after getting relegated last year, with 16,728 points. Spain and Austria were relegated.
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European Athletics has uploaded video interviews with athletes from the European Cup Combined Events First League in Hengelo. Click here for all the interviews.