European Athletics (EAA) – News – Woodward and Storl a class apart while Mikhan leads decathlon at European Athletics U23 Championships

On the opening morning of the Ostrava 2011 European Athletics U23 Championships on Thursday, the British 400m hurdler Nathan Woodward set the fastest time of 50.85 in the first round of his event, even though he jogged off the final hurdle to win with ease. Hugo Grillas of France and Emir Bekric of Serbia were next fastest on 50.96.

Raphael Holzdeppe of Germany was the only pole vaulter to go clear at the qualifying height of 5.35. Compatriot Karsten Dilla and Poland’s Pawel Wojciechowski found 5.20 sufficient to finish second and third on the morning.

David Storl heaved the shot out to 19.70 for the furthest put by well over a metre, accompanied by compatriot, Max Bedewitz and Ukraine’s Dmytro Savystskiyy who were the only others to go through by right.

Eduard Mikhan of Belarus leads the decathlon after three events. In both the 100m and long jump, the Belarussian set lifetime bests for a total of 2584, to end the session 54 points up on favourite, Jan Felix Knobel of Germany, who in turn holds a slender 1-point advantage over Mihail Dudas of Serbia.

The swirling wind in the stadium had a dramatic effect on the final heat of the decathlon 100m when Austrian Dominic Distelberger raced to a under-23 all-time record for the event of 10.54 scooted along by a 1.6m wind.

Contrast that with Czech champion Adam Helcelet who ran a lifetime best of 10.81 into a 1.9 headwind just minutes earlier.

Fastest qualifier in the women’s 100m was the favourite for gold, Andreea Ograzeanu of Romania, in 11.55 followed Anna Kielbasinska of Poland (11.58), with Emilie Gaydu of France and Darya Pizhankova of Ukraine, both on 11.60.

Turkey’s Gulcan Mingir put in an impressive final lap to win heat two of the steeplechase, but the fastest of the qualifiers was local favourite, Eva Krchova, who clocked a lifetime best of 9:55.99 in oppressive conditions. Medal shots, Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal of Norway and Britain’s Eilish McColgan also went through comfortably.

In the women’s 400m hurdles co-favourites Anna Titimets and Anna Yaroshchuk of Ukraine qualified with ease while Portugal’s Vera Barbosa established a new under-23 national record of 56.70. Medal hopefuls Meghan Beesley of Great Britain and Jessie Barr of Ireland also went through by right.

1.84 was enough to sort out the 12 qualifiers for the final of the women’s high jump. Marginal favourite, Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch of Germany needed two attempts to go clear at that height, while Ukraine’s Oksana Okuneva impressed the most by only needing three jumps to seal her place in the final.

In the discus Germany’s Julia Fischer needed just one attempt for 54.95m, while the only other contenders to breach 54m were Yekaterina Strokova of Russia and Nastassia Kashatanava of Belarus.

European Athletics (EAA) – News