The first Athletics gold medal went to Hungary, as Benjamin Gabor Szalai spurted strongly 250 m before the finishing line in the Boys´ 2000m Steeplechase.
The first Athletics gold medal went to Hungary, as Benjamin Gabor Szalai spurted strongly 250 m before the finishing line in the Boys´ 2000m Steeplechase. - It was quite an easy run, but the last lap was difficult. This track the best I´ve ever run on, said very satistied Szalai, who ran his personal best of 5:53.31. France´s Romain Collenot-Spiret took the silver in 5:54.13. Germany´s Stephan Abisch kicked into the 3rd place passing Turkey´s Muhammed Emin Tan. Girls´ Sofie Gallein was souvereign in the Girls´ 2000m Steeplechase. She started the last lap in 3rd place, but came home 1st by a huge margin of 4,72 seconds. Gallein set her pb of 6:42.71, but said that the race was not easy: - I had a bad cough a couple of weeks ago, and today I felt bad two laps before the end of the race. The medallists will propably remember the prize giving ceremonies for the rest of their lives. They got their medals from Sergei Bubka, the best Pole Vaulter ever.
Tuesday was Great Britain´s but also Finland´s in the EYOF athletics competition number 2 at the Ratina Stadium.
Great Britain´s Jennifer Batten took the lead from the gun in the Girls´ 100m and gave no chance to her rivals.
Jennifer´s personal best of 11.73 gave her gold by a huge margin of 0.11 seconds before Switzerland´s Mujinga Kambundji, who left Hungary´s Anastazia Nguyen into the 3rd place only 0.01 behind. - In the heats I had a bad start, but in the final it was perfect, as the whole race was! I was a bit nervous, but I usually am before the competition, said Jennifer, who will run the 200m, too. Jennifer´s favourite sprinter is multiple medallist from the indoor championships, Jason Gardener. Also Callum Hawkins listened to British anthem "God Save The Queen" on the podium after kicking into a clear victory in the Boys´ 3.000m. Callum´s time was 8:23.62, Ireland´s Shae Quinn´s 8:30.12 and Russian´s Ilgizar Safiulin´s 8:32.53. - It was not easy - especially in the last 100m, because I was tired. In the future my main events on the track will be the 5k and 10k, but I think I´ll be even better in cross-country, said Callum, whose idol is Ethiopia´s Olympic Champion Kenenisa Bekele. Alberto Cavalda spurted the Boys´ 100m gold to Spain. He clocked 10.77 and Julien Watrin took silver to Belgium in 10.82, which was also Italy´s Giovanni Galbieri´s bronze time. - My start was not sparkling, but it was normal. I didn´t look around me, so I didn´t know if I had won, Cavalda said. Alesia again High Jump queen Italy´s Alesia Trost took her second international gold medal in one week. She was the best in front of her home crowd in Bressanone at the Youth World Champs and cleared now 1.85 at her first jump as her winning height.
Russian Marya Kuchina flew over 1.85, but did it at her second attempt and took silver. - I felt more nervous here than in Bressanone, because I was the favourite now. My technique was good until 1.85 and then I lost control, very happy Alesia said. Ukraine´s Viktoriia Klochko set only one marked throw in the Girls´ Discus final, but she didn´t need more: 48.32 guaranted her a clear victory by a 2.78m margin ahead of Dutch Corinne Nutger, who set her best at the last attempt. Bronze went to Germany´s Kristin Pudenz in 44.71. The competition was quite close: Finland´s Kaisa Ilonen lost the bronze position only by 1.20 metres when placing 7th. The Boys´ Discus final was a tight fight between Austria´s Lukas Weisshaidinger and the Czech Republic´s Marek Barta. Both did their best in the 4th round and Lukas was better 60.94 - 60.49. Barta set a new national record despite of strong tail wind, which is never ideal for discus throwing. - This is really important, because I threw badly at the World Champs. I could not expect a 60m throw in this wind, admitted Wiesshaidinger. Reetta and Kristiina Finland´s heroes
Finland got it´s first medal in Athletics in Tampere, as Reetta Hämäläinen took silver in the Pole Vault. She cleared 4.85 at her last attempt. Only Russian´s Tatiana Stetsyuk went higher than Hämäläinen: 3.90 at the second jump. Belgium´s Aurelie De Ryck was the bronze girl in 3.80. The second silver for Finland came one hour later, when Kristiina Mäkelä leapt 13.14 in the Girls´ Triple Jump. It is not only Kristiina´s personal best, but same as the National Record in U18 age group. Moldova´s Tatiana Cicanci jumped 13.37 and was a clear winner. Romania´s Andreea Maria Todereanu set the same mark as Mäkelä, but her second best jump was shorter. Serbia´s Amela Terzic came to Tampere to win gold, because she already had bronze from Bressanone. She fulfilled her dream in the Girls 3.000m after a crushing kick that started one kilometre to go. Terzic clocked 9:17.90 and was whole 12.92 seconds faster than silver medallist, Russian´s Gulshat Fazlitdinova. Bronze went to Ukraine´s Oleksandra Oliniyuk. - My tactic was just to follow the Russian girl and then go if I feel strong. Now I have gold and that´s most important, said Terzic. Nooralotta hungry for medals
Finnish athletes showed in the qualification rounds, that medals will be much possible during the following days. Nooralotta Neziri was the fastest in the Girls´ 100m Hurdles in 13,58 seconds. The second fastest, Russian´s Ekaterina Bleskina, clocked 13.82. Nooralotta placed 5th at the Youth World Champs last week, which meant a disappointment to her. - I´m hungry for medals now! In Bressanone I took the start in the heats too easy, but now I didn´t do that anymore, she said. Elina Uustalo placed 5th in the Girls´ Hammer in Bressanone. Now she went into the final very easily with her first throw of 54.97. Uustalo was 4th, and the longest throw was marked by the World Champion, Slovenia´s Barbara Spiler: 59.40.
Denmark´s Andreas Trajkovski won a very exciting competition in the Boys´ Long Jump by leaping his pb 7.37 in the last round.
He was out of the medal positions before that, but found a perfect touch. He left Bulgaria´s Daniel Dobrev into the 2nd place by a margin of 7cm. France´s Jean-Pierre Bertrand was a fighter, as well. He leapt 7.30 in the 6th round and took silver, because his 3nd longest jump was better than Dobrev´s. - It was more mental than physical strength that I did it! I just followed Panama´s Irving Saladino, who jumped his winning jump at his last attempt at the Osaka World Champs two years ago, smiled Andreas. Andreas had heard that his grandmother, who is in Tampere, had fallen earlier on Tuesday. Andreas didn´t know that his granny had broken her arm and was taken into the first aid at hospital.
Yulia outstanding in the 400 metres
One of Wednesday´s most outstanding performances was Belarussian Yuliua Yurenia´s 400m final run. Yulia took an early lead and kept it easily. She improced her personal best by more than half a second into 53.90 and surprised even herself. - I could not expect a time like this! I always start fast, and so I did today. At the last 50m I heard somebody coming closer, but I didn´t know, who it was, said Yuliya. It was Germany´s Christina Zwirner, who took silver 0.69 seconds behind Yuliya. Adelina Dorina Pastor ran the bronze medal to Romania in 54.72. Chech Republik´s Martin Vins was strongest at the Boys´ 400m, although Germany´s Olufemi Atibioke came close. Vins clocked 48.23 and Atibioke 48.32. Davide Re took bronze for Italy in 48.57. - It was my tactic to start fast, but the home straight was hard, said Martin, who is focusing only into running in his home country that has long traditions in many ball sports. - Jeremy Wariner is my idol as a runner, said Martin from Prague. Ciara takes Ireland´s first gold
Ireland has always had great distance runners, and Ciara Mageean is ready to became one of them. She won the Girls´ 1500m with a very brave run. Ciara changed the rhytmn in the beginning of the last lap and escaped from the other girld. She clocked her pb of 4:15.46. Romania´s Ioana Raluca Doaga was as clearly 2nd in 4:18.44, and Serbia´s Amela Terzic, the winner in the 3000m added bronze into her medal collection. Mageean was not a surpriser, because she took the 800m silver at the Youth World Champs last week. - Both medals feel fantastic, but today I ran only for gold. My tactics was to stay in a good position before the last lap and then go. I wasn´t scared for Terzic, said Ciara, who bettered her pb by 3 seconds. The Boys 1500m was a more dramatic race, as Belgium´s Tarik Moukrime fell in 180m to go just when he was ready to attack. Portugal´s Rui Pinto had time to celebrate his victory 20 metres before the finishing line. - I knew something was happening in a pack behind me, but I only looked straight ahead. This was my planned tactic, and right now it seems like the 1500m is my best event, said Pinto. Hungary´s Laszlo Gregor was 0.54 seconds slower than Rui, and Germany´s Alexander Schwab kicked into hte 3rd place.
Nooralotta Neziri fullfilled Finnish dreams in the Girls´ 100m Hurdles at the Ratina Stadium and was, no doubt, the name of the day.
Neziri won Finland´s first gold medal and clocked an almost unbelieveble national record time of 13.23. She didn´t even believe herself that she could run so fast after the heats 13.58 and semis 13.52. - I looked at the pictures of our previous silver and bronze medallists on the wall of our accommodation. Then I said to myself that it would be nice to see me as the gold winner next to them, Nooralotta laughed. She had bad problems with her start at the Youth World Championships in Bressanone and placed "only" 5th. Now everything went well already from the gun. Russian Ekaterina Bleskina got even better start, and Portugal´s Eva Vital opened the race strongly, too. Bleskina lost only by 0.01 seconds, and Vital got the bronze 0.15 behind Nooralotta. - I think caught Ekaterina and Eva somewhere after 50 metres, Finland´s hero of the day remembered. Spain´s Arnau Erta was the favourite in the Boys´ 110m Hurdles and did his job perfectly: no problems on any hurdle and gold medal in 13.46 seconds. Haris Koutras took the silver medal to Cyprus in 13.57 and Ivan Mach Di Palmstein bronze to Italy in 13.72. - The Spanish Record holder Jackson Quinonez is my favourite and I even train with him home near Barcelona. He gives me a lot of motivation, said Arnau.
Vera and Stef too fast for the others
Russian´s Vera Rudakova was superb in the Girls´ 400m Hurdles. Shee took an early lead and found no rivals in the end, either: 58,01 and a winning margin of whole 1.53 seconds to Ireland´s Christine McMahon. Bianca Baak took bronze to the Netherlands in 1:00.31. - This was a perfect race from me, but the Youth Championships gold in Bressanone last week tastes sweeter, admitted Rudakova. - I don´t have any idol. Running is the thing just for myself, said she. Also Belgium´s Stef Vanhaeren was a clear winner in the Boy´s 400m Hurdles. He clocked 51.09, as Italy´s Jose Bencosme de Leon ran 52.27 and Estonia´s Rasmus Mägi 52.85. Vanhaeren started training running at the age of 6 - 7 years and hasn´t done any other sports seriously. - I like the Hurdles, because there is a certain challenge in it. The 400m flat is just running, but in my event one must think and run, said Stef, whose idol is legendary Ed Moses. Lukas takes the Shot Put, too
Austria´s Lukas Weisshaidinger became the first doublewinner in athletics when he won the Shot Put as he did the Discus. Lukas set 20.35 in the 3rd round. Silver medallist, Italy´s Daniele Secci put 19.08 in the 2nd and Russian´s Maxim Afonin 19.06 in the last round. - I put 20.19 in Bressanone and knew that I could improve here. My technique was good today, said Lukas, who could have chosen another sports, as well: - I was competing in gymnastics, too, but I grew up too tall, laughed Lukas - 1.98m. Girl´s Shot gold belongs to the Netherland´s Corinne Nutger with a toss of 14.58 metres. Russian´s Natalia Troneva set 13.84 and Turkey´s Elcin Kaya 13.71. Barbara hammers gold again
Slovenia´s Barbara Spiller added another gold medal into her collection. She won the Girls´ Hammer like she had done in Bressanone World Champs. Barbara´s winning result was 63.57 in the 2nd round Kivilcim Kaya gave Turkish team something to cheer for with her silver throw 60.30 and Bianca Lazar Fazecas from Romania took the 3rd place in 56.97. - World Championships gold tastes better. I´ ve get a lot motivation and self confidence from the Olympic Champion Primoz Kozmus, with whom I have the same coach, Vladimir Kevo, said Barbara. Slovakia´s Tomas Kruzliak fought the Boys´ Hammer gold to himself at his 6th attempt. He set 74.24 and that was too much even Russian´s Evgeny Korotovskiy, who had had the lead with 72.63 in the 4th round. Latvia´s Edgars Timermanis spinned 71.49 and was the bronze boy. In the Boys´ High Jump Daniil Tsyplakov of Russia cleared 2.21 at his first attempt, and that guaranteed the gold, as Youth World Champion, Israel´s Dmitri Kroytor dropped the bar. Kroytor moved the next two attempt into 2.23, but that was too much. So it was for Tsyplakov. Denmark got again a medal, as Janick Klausen flew over 2.14 and took bronze. Former Soviet Union was extremely strong in the Triple Jumps, and the skill is still there. Alexander Yurchenko leapt 15.30 despite of a headwind of 1.8 m/s and won Belarussian Aliaksandr Khryschanovich by 6 centimetres. Ukraine´s Yevgen Strokan placed 3rd in 15.19.
Lotta Harala had carried the Olympic Flame at the
Tampere Central Square in 8 June - only three days after it had been lit in
Athens in a traditional ceremony.
Lotta has also given her face to the games in many
other ways beforehand by posing in posters and so on.
On Friday 24 June she fulfilled her tasks with a best
possible way: she won the bronze medal in the Girls´ Long Jump final after very
exciting moments.
Lotta, who lives in Tampere and represents club
Tampereen Pyrintö had difficulties in the beginning of the competition and
placed 7th before her 5th jump. Then everything changed: personal best and 3rd
place.
In the final round Lotta could not improve, but as
Latvia´s Laura Ikauniece had set only 6.11, the ting was crystal clear: the
bronze was Lotta´s.
- Pb feels fine, but I think I should have still
improved from this. This has been a wonderful week for me.
- No matter, that I´ve been living only 2 km from my
home with the Finnish team. We have had a wonderful spirit in the team, said
Lotta.
Lotta was not nervous - on the contrary, she enjoyed
competing in front of her friend and other Tampere people.
- I always do my best, if somebody that I know is
watching my competition. I also enjoy good music.
Romania´s Alina Rotaru took the silver in 6.24 from
the 4th round, but Germany´s Lena Malkus was too strong even for her.
- It was not a perfect jump, because I did´nt find
the board well, Lena said.
Jennifer fastest in the 200m, too
Great Britain´s Jennifer Batten took the gold medal
in the Girls´ 200m just like she had done in the 100m on Tuesday.
Jennifer clocked 23.80 - her best time ever, but
unfortunately the tail wind blew 2.7m/s.
- It doesn´t matter. I can´t say right now, which
could be my best event in the future.
What about the 400m?
- No, because it´s too long for me. It would take
different training, Jennifer said.
Imke Vervaert took the silver to Belgium in 24.35 and
Klaudia Konopko the bronze to Poland in 24.41.
In the Boy´s 200m it was Belgium´s turn to celebrate,
as Julien Watrin ran 21.06 in a legal wind of +0.6m/s. France´s Jeffrey Jones
came close to Julien in the final 30m, but lost by 0.09 seconds. Liam Clows
secured the bronze to Great Britain in 21.50.
- I can think the 400m in the future, but right now
the 200m is my main event. Yes, I felt Frencman coming strong, but I had
something extra, too, said Julien.
He got another medal in the 4x100m. It´s colour was
bronze, as Spain and France were a bit too fast.
Spain´s anchor Arnau Erta became a double champion.
He passed France´s Vincent Michalet by a margin of 0.11 seconds. Also Jose
Vizuete, Bertran Alcaraz and Alberto Cavalda made a good job in the legs 1 -
3.
Girl´s 4x100m was won by Switzerland. Cornelia
Halbheer sealed the gold medal 0.08 seconds in front of Hungary´s Lilla Lorand.
Other Swiss runners were Silja Muhlebach, Mujing a Kambundji and Nora Frey. Joan
Healy anchored Ireland into the 3rd place.
Halil souvereign in the 800m
The Boys´ 800m was tactically much different from the
Girls´ same event. Halil Kilic of Turkey ran away from his rivals at the last
back straight and left Czhech Republic´s Miroslav Burian by 0.68 seconds.
Spain´s Alejandro Estevez was third.
- This was my tactics, and I knew I´ll win at 700m
point, said Halil from Istanbul.
His victory was like extra bonus for Turkey and city
of Trabzon, that will host the EYOF summer games in 2011.
Girl´s two laps was a slow race. Romania´s Ioana
Raluca spurted strongest in 2:09.56. Then it was close: Great Britain´s Aelle
Tracey, Switzerland´s Andrina Schläpfer and Ukraine´s Anastasiya Tkachuk in only
0.02 seconds in that order.
Valeriy did not fail anymore
Russian Javelin thrower Valeriy Iordan was very
dissappointed in Bressanone after placing only 9th at the World Championships
final. That was not ok for a talent, who had set a new U18 World record in
june.
In Tampere Valeriy was on a class of his own. He set
75.59 in the 2nd round and would have won even with his 4th best throw of 73.05.
Latvia´s Arnolds Strenga´s silver result was 69.73, and Oleksandr Nychyporchuk
placed 3rd in 67.67.
- The wind was very difficult, because it changed its
direction all the time. I was nervous in Bressanone, but relaxed here, said
Valeriy.
Estonia´s Liina Laasma won the Girls´ Javelin and was
very happy with his performance of 53.66, which she produced in the 3rd round.
Serbia´s Marija Vucenovic in 51.46 and Nathalie Meier n 47.20 were the other
medallists.
The wind was not ideal for Pole Vault, either. Arnaud
Art completed Belgium´s fine day by winning gold after clearing 4.85 at his 2nd
attempt. Hungary´s Ivan Horvath and Austria´s Thomas Past went over 4.75.
