European Athletics (EAA) – News – Britain’s 400m runners serve notice of medal intent

Britain’s female 400 metres runners offered early evidence of their ambition here –in both the individual and relay event – as Perri Shakes-Drayton and Eilidh Child won their opening heats in the European Athletics indoor Championship with ease, recording 51.70sec and 52.05 respectively, the two fastest times of the day. And Shana Cox joined them in Saturday’s semi-finals as one of the fastest losers in 52.99.

But the Britons will clearly not have it all their own way as the Czech Republic’s defending champion Denisa Rosolova, European outdoor silver medallist in the 400m hurdles, and Olympic 400m hurdles bronze medallist Zuzana Hejnova also moved through impressively, Rosolova following Child home in a season’s best of 52.50, and Hejnova easing to victory in the final heat in 53.20.

Russia’s challenge will be carried by Kseniya Ustalova, who ran 52.23 behind Romania’s Angela Morosanu, who recorded a season’s best of 52.07. National records of 52.37 and 53.15 for, respectively, Finland’s Ella Rasanen and Norway’s Line Kloster also earned semi-final places. They will be joined there by Sweden’s Moa Hjelmer, who ran a season’s best of 52.87.

Pavel Maslak of the Czech Republic was fastest qualifier in the men’s 400m, his 46.54sec leaving him ahead of Russia’s Pavel Trenkhin (46.65). But as in the women’s event, the British gave evidence of their likely challenge as Nigel Levine (46.68), Michael Bingham (46.92) and Richard Strachan (46.96) filled the next three qualifying positions.

An opening long jump of 6.52m by Russia’s Darya Klishina proved the best of the morning’s qualification round, sending the defending champion through to Saturday’s final in impressive fashion.

Her team-mate Olga Kucherenko, who leads this season’s world lists with 7.00, was in danger of missing the cut as she approached her final jump one place outside the eighth and last qualifying position, but an effort of 6.54 lifted her through.

Home long jumper Erica Jarder raised the biggest cheer of the morning with a personal best of 6.61 which proved the joint second furthest distance recorded along with Britain’s Shara Proctor. “It’s unbelievable to compete here in my home country,” Jarder. “All of my expectations have been fulfilled already.”

Russia’s Yuliya Kondakova, who heads this season’s European rankings in the 60m hurdles with 7.98sec, made a relatively conservative start in her heats with 8.07sec on a morning when her two most likely challengers, Nevin Yanit of Turkey and Alina Talay of Belarus, finished as first and second qualifiers for the afternoon’s semi-finals in, respectively, 8.01 and 8.02. Ireland’s Derval O’Rourke is also well in the mix having run a season’s best of 8.05.

Sergey Shubenkov, Russia’s 22-year-old European outdoor champion, dominated his 60m hurdles heat to finish well clear in the fastest time of the morning, 7.52sec, ahead of Portugal’s Rasul Dabo, who set a national record of 7.68. “I have a good feeling,” Shubenkov commented – not unreasonably.

The field in the fourth and last heat got away to a tentative start after being recalled once to their blocks, but Italy’s Paolo Dal Molin picked up speed best to finish in 7.59, equalling his personal best and earning him third place in qualifying behind France’s Pascal Martinot Lagarde, who ran 7.58.

Hayle Ibrahimov of Azerbaijan, who took 3000m silver in this competition behind Britain’s Mo Farah two years ago, staked his claim to a place on the top of the podium on Saturday evening as he posted the fastest qualifying time of 7min 50.55sec. Ibrahimov, who leads this season’s European rankings with 7:39.59, finished ahead of France’s Yoann Kowal, while the other heat was won by Ireland’s Ciaran Olionaird in 7:55.12 ahead of France’s Florian Carvalho.

An opening triple jump of 16.94m took Daniele Greco straight into Saturday’s final. The Italian was the only competitor to exceed the automatic qualifying mark of 16.90. Alexander Fyodorov of Russia was next best, with 16.82, ahead of Harold Correa of France (16.76) and Fabian Florant of the Netherlands (16.69).

European indoor and outdoor champion Antoinette Nana Djimou of France made an ideal start to the defence of her pentathlon title as she established a 34 point lead after recording the fastest 60m hurdles time of 8.12sec, just 0.01sec off her personal best.

Hannah Melnychenko of the Ukraine was second fastest, with 8.12, but Russia’s Ekaterina Bolshova, who leads this year’s world listings with 4851 points, made a relatively conservative start, recording 8.61, 0.02sec off her best and then had a disappointing high jump, managing only 1.78m, well below her personal best of 1.92 and the 1.89 she recorded in Volgograd last month.

Yana Maksimava of Belarus took maximum advantage, winning the high jump in 1.90, one centimetre below her best, to take overall lead after two events with 2095 points, nine ahead of Nadine Broersen of the Netherlands, who also jumped close to her best to record 1.84. Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium finished second with 1.87, thus moving up to fourth with 2056 points, one place behind Melnychenko, whose jump of 1.81 took her to 2059. Bolshova stood eighth on 1946.

Sofia Linde, the 18-year-old Swedish jumper who finished fourth in last season’s World Junior Championships, stirred the home support as she set successive personal bests in the 60m hurdles and high jump. Her opening time of 8.36sec was well inside her previous best of 8.42, and in the high jump her best of 1.76 was eclipsed by a clearance of 1.78 which sent her into the third event, the shot put, in seventh position.

An effort of 15.97m with her opening shot put – improving her indoor personal best by 43cm – left Germany’s Julia Machtig more than half a metre clear of her nearest challenger and propelled her from 14^th to eighth place overall.

But Maksimava retained her overall lead after a final throw of 14.65 took her total to 2932, leaving her just 30 points ahead of Nana Djimou, who narrowed the gap with a third attempt of 15.35m , six centimetres short of her best, earning second place in the shot.

Third after three events was the 18-year-old Thiam – who recently dispossessed Sweden’s own Carolina Kluft of the world junior indoor record – thanks to a best of 13.88. Linde also flourished, producing a last throw of 14.14 – her third straight personal best in her first international championship appearance – to finish the session in sixth place with 2804.

Meanwhile Bolshova, having registered 12.00 with her first round effort – well short of her indoor best of 13..79 – retired from the shot put and put in doubt whether she would continue in the competition.

European Athletics (EAA) – News