European Athletics (EAA) – News – Abakumova, De Zordo shine at Ostrava Golden Spike

Russia’s Mariya Abakumova overcame local hero Barbora Spotakova to register an impressive victory in the women's javelin throw at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting in the Czech city on Tuesday.

Abakumova threw a season's best 65.56m in the first round and never looked like losing thereafter. She improved further with the final throw of the competition, reaching 65.81m.

Spotakova, the Olympic champion and world record holder, came close in the second round with a season's best of her own, but that 64.78m effort was her best on the day. Sunette Viljoen of South Africa was third with a 61.72m throw.

Germany’s Matthias De Zordo produced a season best throw of 85.78m to win the men’s title ahead of former world champion Tero Pitkamaki of Finland, who reached 82.31m in the fifth round. Czech Petr Frydrych, the winner in the IAAF Diamond League opener in Doha, was third, reaching 81.81m, also in the fifth round.

In the men's high jump, European indoor and world indoor champion Ivan Ukhov of Russia sneaked past Germany’s Raul Spank after the duo were forced into a tie-break competition after nearly identical records through success at 2.32m and three misses apiece at 2.36m.

As the bar was gradually lowered, the Russian prevailed with another clearance at 2.32m, which the German missed.

Spank’s compatriot Silke Spiegelburg won the women's pole vault, clearing a season’s best 4.60m on her first attempt. The next four – Aleksandra Kiryashova of Russia, Briton Holly Bleasdale, Kristina Gadschiew of Germany, and Czech Kristina Ptacnikova – each topped out at 4.50m, with the Russian taking second place on count back.

In the women’s 400m, European indoor champion Denisa Rosolova of the Czech Republic clocked a personal best 50.64 to finish second behind 22-year-old American Francena McCorory and ahead of world champion Sanya Richards-Ross. McCorory clocked 50.64 to take the gold, while Richards-Ross finished in 50.99.

Australia's rising middle distance star Jeff Risely scored an impressive win in the 1000m, clocking 2:16.75, the fastest in the world this season over this rarely run distance.

European indoor 800m gold medallist Adam Kszczot of Poland was next with a national record 2:16.99.

 European Athletics (EAA) – News