JAVELIN WORLD LEADS BY PITKAMAKI AND ABAKUMOVA IN GERMANY

Javelin throwers Tero Pitkamaki and Maria Abakumova competed in two different meetings on German soil on Sunday (25), but the end result for both athletes was the same as they produced the best throws in the world since 2011.

World silver medallist Pitkamaki was throwing at the Werfertage meeting in Bad Kostritz. In the first round, Germany’s David Golling smashed his PB by more than three metres to take an early lead with 80.67m.

After a slow start, Pitkamaki eventually found his rhythm in the fourth round, sending his Javelin out to 89.03m to break Raymond Hecht’s meeting record of 87.87m from 2002.

Not only was it the Finn’s best mark since 2007 – the year in which he won the World title – but it was also the best mark in the world since August 2011.

“I’m very happy with the competition and the distance, even though the wind was not quite perfect,” said the 30-year-old.

Behind Pitkamaki and Golling, European under-23 silver medallist and World Championships representative Bernhard Seifert of Germany finished third with 79.01m.

Elsewhere in Bad Kostritz, Germany’s two-time World champion David Storl won the Shot but was pushed all the way by Argentina’s German Lauro.

The South American record-holder opened with 20.32m and it took Storl until the third round to take the lead with his 20.47m effort. But that was short-lived as Lauro responded with 20.61m in the fifth round, then improved further with 20.91m on his final attempt.

Storl had saved enough for the final throw of the competition, though, and sent his Shot out to a meeting record of 21.02m.

In the women’s event, Germany’s World silver medallist Christina Schwanitz was similarly tested against tough opposition. US champion Michelle Carter recorded 19.33m to Schwanitz’s 19.40m in the first round before the home favourite went on to improve with 19.71m and then 20.18m to secure the victory.