Beijing Olympics Day One: majestic Majewski takes first Beijing gold – European Athletics (EAA) NEWS

Shot putter Tomasz Majewski caused a major upset in Beijing's National Stadium today to win the first gold medal of the 2008 Olympic Games athletics programme and put Poland on top of the track and field medal table.

Who would have thought it? Majewski did not even feature in the world's top ten before arriving at the ‘Bird's Nest', and had a best of 20.97m, more than a metre short of the three favourites – the fearsome US trio of Reese Hoffa, Adam Nelson and Christian Cantwell.

What's more, his only major honour before tonight was a World University Games title from 2005. But the pony-tailed Pole confounded all the predictions to win the final with a best of 21.51m, his third personal best of a personally magnificent day.

"I feel really glad," said Majewski, before dedicating his medal to "all Polish people". "I want to say I made it. I just beat everyone, and I made it."

He certainly did. The three Americans had publically declared they were after a clean sweep to get USA's track and field challenge off to a flying start on the first day. But it was Majewski, sporting his customary fluffy beard, and tight headband, who dominated the proceedings from the start.

The 26-year-old was in superb form all day. He threw down the gauntlet to his rivals in the morning qualifiers when he put a personal best of 21.04 to lead the list of finallists.

Another PB came in the third round of the final and he led at the half way stage with 21.21m when Nelson, the world number one, was eliminated without a mark against his name.
abeylegesse_elvan_olympics.jpg
Elvan Abeylegesse battled bravely to win Turkey's first ever Olympic silver and became one
of only three women to break the 30min mark for the 10,000m.
Photo by Picture Alliance.

But the best was yet to come for the Pole as he launched the put to 21.51 in the fourth round. No one came close.

Cantwell won the silver with a best of 21.09m, while Belarussian Andrey Mikhnevich took the bronze with 21.05m.

"Being a medallist is good, no matter what it is," said Mikhnevich. "But of course I came to Beijing for the gold medal."

So did Elvan Abeylegesse. The Turk made the bravest of attempts to snatch the 10,000m gold from World Champion Tirunesh Dibaba in the other final of the first night, a race which will surely be known as the greatest women's 10,000m ever seen.
dobrynska_natalya.jpg
Ukraine's Natalya Dobrynska threw a 17.29m PB in the
Heptatlon Shot Put to put her in second place.
Photo by Picture Alliance.

Abeylegesse was denied the title by the phenomenal Ethiopian but was rewarded for her hard front running with a silver medal and the distinction of being one of only three women ever to have broken 30 minutes.

Dibaba won in 29:54.66, an Olympic record and the closest any athlete has come to Wang Junxia's seemingly untouchable 1993 World record. Abeylegesse broke Paula Radcliffe's six-year-old European record with 29:56.34 and gave Turkey only its third ever Olympic track and field medal and its first silver.

It was Holland's Lorna Kiplagat who set the fast pace intially, leading the field through the first half in 9:03.83. Abeylegesse took over with eight laps to go and injected a burst of pace which split the field. In the end only Dibaba could hold on but Abeylegesse had played her part in a historic race.

A clutch of Europeans are in the hunt for medals in the Heptathlon, led after the first day by US champion Hyleas Fountain with 4060 points.

Ukraine's Natalya Dobrynska is in second place chiefly thanks to a massive Shot Put PB of 17.29m.

Dobrynska is 64 points behind the American with Kelly Sotherton, the Olympic bronze medallist from Athens, in third 122 off the lead. The Briton produced PBs in the Hurdles, and 200m, and leapt a season's best in the High Jump, to amass 3938 points.

Russia's Anna Bogdanova is fourth, just 16 behind Sotherton, while Ukraine's Lyudmila Blonska is fifth, another 10 adrift.

European medals look less likely in the men's 100m. Double European Champion Francis Obikwelu of Portugal and Britain's European Cup Champion Tyrone Edgar were the leading Europeans over the first two rounds.

Obikwelu was the quickest European with 10.09, while Edgar, fastest in the first round with 10.13, sealed his place in tomorrow's semis with 10.10. Frenchman Martial Mbandjock also qualified but Norway's Jaysuma Saidy Ndure missed out despite having a quicker time.
obikwelu_francis_olympic.jpg
Double European Champion Francis Obikwelu was the
fastest European in the first two rounds of the
100m (10.09).
Photo by Picture Alliance.

The second round was set alight by Jamaica's World record holder Usain Bolt. Bolt ran 9.92, the fastest 100m ever seen in China, despite gazing around at the steep banks of the Bird's Nest as if on a sight seeing tour. Asafa Powell was only slightly less impressive when winning his heat in 10.02.

British Champion Marilyn Okoro was the second fastest qualifier from the women's 800m heats this morning behind the Mozambique veteran Maria Mutola. Okoro clocked 1:59.01. Russia's Tatiana Andrianova also looked in good shape as she cruised through her heat, finishing second in 2:00.33.

Mehdi Baala of France was the top European in the men's 1,500m heats. He was fourth fastest after winning heat one in 3:35.87, while Britain's Andy Baddeley also looked comfortable as he strode from the back in heat 3 to finish fourth.

Former World Champion Rashid Ramzi was the quickest of the round in 3:32.89, just 0.82 outside the Olympic record. Ramzi sent a message to his rivals with a 50.19 last 400m.

History was made with the first ever women's 3,000m Steeplechase at an Olympics. Russia's World record holder Gulnara Galkina-Samitova immediately showed the Games what it's been missing all these years as she led from the gun to win the first heat in 9:15.17. It was the quickest time of the round by more than four and a half seconds.

Marek Plawgo gave Poland another little boost as he qualified for the semi-finals of the men's 400m Hurdles. He, Periklis Iakovakis of Greece and Russia's Alexander Derevaygin were the only Europeans to do so.

Europeans will dominate the final of the men's Hammer final though with seven among the nine-strong field. Krisztian Pars of Hungary led the qualifiers for Sunday's final with 80.07m. Triple World Champion Ivan Tikhon will be there seeking his first Olympic title.

Nicoleta Grasu looked impressive in qualifying for the final of the women's Discus. The Romanian threw 62.51m, the second furthest of the qualifying round.

Eight Europeans, including reigning Champion Hrysopiyi Devetzi, will contest the women's Triple Jump final. Devetzi had the second furthest qualifying jump, 14.92m.

European Athletics (EAA) NEWS

European Medal Table – Beijing Olympics 2008
Country	gold	silver	bronze	Total
1. Poland (POL)	1	0	0	1
2. Turkey (TUR)	0	1	0	1
3. Belarus (BLR)	0	0	1	1