World leads for Vesely and Müller – European Athletics (EAA) – News

It was a good day for some of Europe's top throwers on Saturday as the Czech Javelin thrower Vítězslav Veselý and German Discus thrower Nadine Muller produced world leads of 86.45m and 67.78m in their respective events.

Veselý, a 2008 Olympic Games finalist, made a massive improvement of more than five metres on his previous best of 81.20m, set in the Beijing qualifying rounds, at a meeting in the Czech city of Olomouc.

However, showing it was no fluke, the Jan Zelezny-coached athlete also produced two other throws further than his previous best.

Veselý's massive effort topped a trio of excellent performances from Czech throwers.

Petr Frydrych, who is also coached by the world record holder and Javelin legend Zelezny and who had an excellent 2009 as he made the World Championships final and got the 2009 European Athletics Under 23 Championships silver medal, was just short of his best with 84.77m for second place.

Jakub Vadlejch, still 19 although not a junior, added almost two metres to his previous best with 84.47m for third place. By contrast to the leading pair, Vadlejch is guided by Rudolf Cerny, who is the coach of women's world record holder Barbora Špotáková.

Jarmila Klimesova won the women's Javelin in Olomouc with 60.74m which, unlike the men's competition, had to be held in the rain.

At 15th Throwers Cup in the German city of Wiesbaden, Müller improved her personal best by the massive margin of more than three metres to a world-leading 67.78 m.

The 24-year-old from Halle's previous best of 64.30m was set when she won at the European Cup Winter Throwing in Arles, France, in March.

The 2009 world champion Robert Harting won the men's Discus with an impressive 66.62m, winning by more than two metres from his compatriot Markus Munch, who was second with 64.46m.

"However, I can't say that I'm happy with my mark. The conditions were ideal so I would have liked to have thrown further," reflected the ambitious Harding.

Martin Wierig emphasised the strength in depth of Discus throwing in Germany with 63.48m for third place.

Michael Salzer, still only 18, was another athlete who took advantage of the excellent conditions for Discus throwing and improved by more than five metres when he threw 65.42m with the junior 1.75kg implement.

The distance was the best in the world this year by a junior and moves him up to eighth on the world all-time list for juniors, although one of the men in front of him is Gordon Wolf, who set the German junior record of 66.45m last year.

Having crashed out in the qualifying round of the European Athletics Junior Championships last summer, Salzer will now be among the favourites at the World Junior Championships in Canada in two months time.

 European Athletics (EAA) – News