European Athletics (EAA) – News – Day 1 wrap: Russia in pole position at European Team Championships, world leads for Obergföll, Rogowska and Demyanyuk

Russia only notched up five individual victories on the first day of the 2011 SPAR European Team Championships in Stockholm, compared to the eight they had 12 months ago in the Norwegian city of Bergen.

Nevertheless, their all round strength across all the 21 events on Saturday meant they lead by a massive 29.5 points over night.

Russia has 213 points, four points more than last year when they romped to victory by 62.5 points, with Germany holding second place with 183.5 and Great Britain third with 166.

The key to Russia’s success was having only one relatively bad event – the men’s 100m where they finished seventh – and they only finished outside of the top four on two other occasions.

Victories were achieved by 400m man Maksim Dyldin, long jumper Aleksandr Menkov, 800m and 3000m runners Mariya Savinova and Olesya Syreva as well as 3000m steeplechase world record holder Gulnara Galkina.

However, demonstrating the Russian team spirit and emphasising all the essential elements of the SPAR European Team Championships, perhaps the most pivotal performance for them was the second place of Valentin Smirnov in the men’s 1500m.

The 25-year-old Smirnov rose to the occasion and set a personal best of 3:38.86 – finishing just behind the Spanish winner Manuel Olmedo who crossed the line in 3:38.63 – in what is often a tactical event and picked up 11 points when many pundits had him down for perhaps six at the most.

Curiously, none of the top individual performances on Saturday came from Russian athletes.

Flying Frenchman Lemaitre

France’S 2010 European Athlete of the Year Christophe Lemaitre showed again that he currently has no equal among Europe’s sprinters as he sped to a new national record of 9.95, the fastest time by a European for seven years.

Helped by a 1.0mps following wind, Lemaitre got his long legs moving very quickly and was the fastest man out of his blocks.

“Everything was very good. I got a good start and accelerated for 50-60 metres before I got to my top speed. I didn’t think I was going to get a record here, but obviously I’m glad I did,” said the delighted Lemaitre, who turned 21 just a week ago.

It was also a Championships record and consolidated his position as the third fastest European sprinter ever, behind only Portugal’s European record holder Francis Obikwelu and Great Britain’s Linford Christie.

Britain’s Dwain Chambers, the winner at the Championships for the last two years, was a distant second on this occasion in 10.07.

Germany's Obergföll on form

Germany’s former European javelin record holder Christina Obergföll threw down the gauntlet with her very first throw, which she launched out to a world-leading mark of 66.22m.

Nobody could respond despite an impressive list of opponents.

Three other women went over 64 metres in a very good quality contest but Obergföll ended up winning by nearly two metres.

Great Britain’s Goldie Sayers was a slightly surprising second place finisher as she threw 64.31m in the first round and then 64.46m with her final attempt, which was a timely response to Czech Republic’s world record holder Barbora Špotáková after the latter had gone out to 64.40m two throws before which temporarily dropped her to third place.

Poland's Rogowska prevails

A terrific women’s pole vault contest saw a repeat of the outcome of 2011 European Athletics Championships with Poland’s 2009 world champion Anna Rogowska again prevailing over Germany’s Silke Speigelburg.

The gold and silver medallists from Paris were both over a world-leading height of 4.75m but Rogowska went clear at the first time of asking while her German rival needed two attempts.

Clearly feeling confident of taking 12 points, Rogowska then passed the next height of 4.80m, at which Speigelburg took two attempts before having to retire. She then had three failures at a Polish record of 4.86m

Ukrainian high jumper Dymtro Demyanyuk put behind him years of frustration to have the best competition of his life when he cleared a personal best and equalled the world-leading height of 2.35m.

A variety of injuries in recent years meant that he was rarely able to show his potential despite having a former best of 2.32m, which dated from four years ago.

“This is the first season for many years I’ve been injury-free and I’ve been training really well since March,” said Demyanyuk.

It showed in Stockholm.

Apart from one failure at 2.20m, he was clear throughout the competition before he finally came to earth with two failures at 2.39m.

At 2.31m, there were still four men left in the competition but only Demyanyuk and Russia’s Aleksey Dmitrik, who has also cleared 2.35m this season, went clear.

Dmitrik then failed at his first attempt at 2.33m before Demyanyuk then flew over for his first personal best.

The Russian then opted to take his next attempt at 2.35m but failed again.

However, Demyanyuk slithered over, gently touching the bar, and he clinched the win points just a few moments later when Dmitrik had another failure, this time at 2.37m.

Ukraine's Saladuha shows class

Ukraine’s 2010 European Athletics Championships triple gold medallist Olha Saladuha also impressed as she dominated her competition with all four of her jumps better than her nearest rival, Italy’s 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships gold medallist Simona La Mantia, bounding out to a best of 14.85m in the second round.

La Mantia had to settle for second with 14.25m.

Another performance to catch the eye was Zuzana Hejnová’s Czech 400m record of 53.87, the second fastest European performance of the year.

“I was very nervous beforehand because I knew it was going to be a tough race,” said Hejnová, although she didn’t look it.

Great Shakes

Great Britain’s Perri Shakes-Drayton, the 2010 European Athletics Championships bronze medallist who finished one place in front of Nejnová in Barcelona, was the fastest through the first 200m and helped tow her Czech rival to a fast time as she was one lane inside her.

Russia’s 2010 European Athletics Championships gold medallist Natalia Antyukh hasn’t been quite in the form that she showed last summer but had a good run over the final four barriers to finish second in a season’s best of 54.52 while Shakes-Drayton faded to third with 55.06.

Nevertheless, despite the plethora of great performances by other countries’ athletes, Russia still look well on their way to winning a second successive SPAR European Team Championships.

At the foot of the table at the end of the first day, Belarus, Portugal and hosts Sweden occupy the final three positions and will be battling on the second day to avoid relegation to the First League in 2013.

European Athletics (EAA) – News