European Athletics (EAA) – News – Storl triumphs in shot put, Moen claims gold in 10000m at European Athletics U23 Championships

Ostrava 2011 European Athletics U23 Championships. In the shot Germany’s David Storl triumphed with a new championship best 20.45m while Norway’s Sondre Norstad Moen collected gold in the first track final of the championships in a personal best 28:41.66.

The evening heats of the men’s 100m saw Italy’s Francesco Basciani take heat one in 10.50. Fellow Italian, Michael Tumi crossed the line first in the second heat in 10.48, two metres clear of Latvia’s Elvijs Misans. Favourite James Alaka of Great Britain was 0.01 down on Tumi’s fastest of the round in heat three, but looked well in control.

Nigel Levine of Great Britain and Vladimir Krasnov of Russia  are heading for a serious head-to-head in the 400m final on Saturday after they were only separated by 0.03 in the heats, clocking 46.22 and 46.25 respectively.

In the men’s 800m, defending champion, Adam Kszczot of Poland, took heat one from fast finishing Mario Scapini of Italy. But fastest of the three rounds was Spain’s Kevin Lopez who clocked a swift 1:47.43 in heat two while Britain’s Mukhtar Mohammed won the third heat.

Elvijs Misans, also in the 100m, set a lifetime best in the long jump, hitting the sand at 7.81 to qualify in first place.

One of the men expected to compete for javelin gold, Fatih Avan of Turkey, needed just one attempt to clear the 76m qualification mark with a throw of 76.93. Germany’s Till Wöschler needed two goes but then went even further with 77.72. Furthest of all, though, was fellow-German, Thomas Röhler, whose one and only throw went out to a lifetime best 78.08.

After five events of the decathlon, Belarus’ Eduard Mikhan (4250) holds a slender 1-point lead over Serbia’s Mihail Dudas with the host country’s  Adam Sebastian Helcelet in bronze a further 36 points in arrears.

Anna Kielbasinska of Poland won the first semi-final of the women’s 100m in 11.66 from Ukraine’s Viktoriya Pyatachenko and France’s Emili Gaydu. The second semi went to Ukraine’s Darya Pizhankova in a much swifter 11.48 with Romania’s Andreea Ograzeanu closing fast just 0.01 down and Germany’s Leena Gunther safe in third.

The 400m final is almost certain to be another Russian exhibition with Olga Topilskaya and Yuliya Terekhova fastest to proceed to Saturday’s final.

In the women’s 800m Marve Aydin of Turkey looked comfortable coming through strongly to edge Lynsey Sharp of Great Britain and one of the favourites, Aleksandra Bulanova ofRussia, who  struggled to hold on to the final qualifying spot in heat one.

The second heat was won convincingly by Romania’s Mirela Lavric who put in an emphatic final 200m to cross the line with metres to spare over Katarzyna Broniatowska of Poland and Yelena Arzhakova of Russia. Germany’s Anne Kesselring faded in the straight, but went through as fastest loser.

Defending champion and favourite to retain the triple jump title, Paraskevi Papahristou of Greece, was the only athlete to go over 14m with 14.28 to go through to the final.

Finland’s Oona Sormunen and Netherlands’ Lisanne Schol chose a good time to set personal bests in the javelin qualifying. Sormunen’s spear landed at 58.72 while Schol hit 57.50. Favourite Vira Rebryk of Ukraine needed two throws to make sure with 57.06 for third best of the qualifiers.