European Athletics (EAA) – News – European-leading marks for France’s Lemaitre and Italy’s Howe

France’s 2010 European Athlete of the Year and triple gold medallist at last summer’s European Athletics Championships Christophe Lemaitre clocked an impressive European-leading 200m time of 20.33 in St Etienne on Sunday.

What made the 20-year-old sprinter’s time particularly special was that he was running into a wind of 2.2mps and would surely have been close to his best, and his French record, of 20.16 in more helpful conditions.

Lemaitre was running for his Aix-les-Bains club at a French inter-club meeting and he also contributed the second leg to their 4x100m victory in 39.51, a performance which would leave many European national teams trailing in their wake.

Czech thrower Jan Marcell, the 2007 European Athletics U23 Championships discus silver medallist, confirmed his superb shape in Olomouc, which was part of Czech League meetings, sending the shot put out to a personal best of 20.76m and also equalling his recent best in the discus with 66.00m.

Marcell’s shot performance added over two metres to his outdoor best although he had thrown 20.20m indoors last year while his discus effort makes him the world’s third best performer this year.

Antonin Zalsy was second in the shot put with a more-than-useful 20.27m. The 2005 World Championships women’s discus bronze medallist Vera Cechlova opened her account for 2011 with 60.99m while Slovakia’s Jaroslav Dobrovodsky improved to 7.81m in long jump.

Italy’s 2006 European Athletics Championships long jump gold medallist Andrew Howe started in an unusual fashion by winning the 400m in a personal best of 45.70 at the 9th Graziano Della Valle meeting on Sunday.

It was also the fastest time by a European runner at this early stage in the season and a meeting record. The 2004 World Junior Championships 200m and long jump gold medallist’s previous best was 46.03 from 2006. Howe’s compatriot Marco Vistalli finished second in 45.94.

British athletes notched up two notable victories in Graziano Della Valle with former world junior champion Harry Aikines-Aryeetey winning the 100m in 10.28 while Nathan Woodward took the 400m hurdles in 50.34.

Switzerland’s Irene Pusterla won the women’s long jump with a meeting record of 6.63m, just beating Latvia’s Lauma Griva who leapt out to 6.59m.

European Athletics (EAA) – News