European champion Howe is back with 8.16m, Di Martino jumps 2.01m
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| Reigning European champion Andrew Howe signalled a return to form by winning the Long Jump at the Italian Championships with a leap of 8.16m in Grosseto on Wednesday. |
Howe, on the road to making a complete recovery from the injury problems which have plagued him for the last two years, had not jumped since last August and only previously competed in sprint races this summer.
His winning effort came in the last round and he also had an 8.05m effort earlier in the competition. However, he was pushed to the limit and had to show his best competitive instincts because, in second place, Emanuelle Formichetti improved his personal best from 7.84m to 8.10m in the last round.
“It was a good competition for me,” said Howe. “If Formichetti had not done that 8.10, I probably would not have done 8.16. I was just seeing how it went in with the first three jumps. At first, I was not pushing too hard but after I lost the lead, I had to commit everything and took my run up back. The rest, as they say, is history,” reflected Howe.
“When I was jumping, I was looking at the blue flag of the Italian record (8.47m, set when Howe won the silver medal at the 2007 World Championships), that is my record. I can improve it, maybe not this year, but I can do it.
“Physically it was tough competing after so long an absence but, as a start, it was more than good. Frankly, I do not feel too much pain now but we will see how my foot is in the next few days,” added Howe.
High jumper Antonietta Di Martino went over 2.01m on her third attempt, the second best European mark outdoors, and the 2007 World Championships silver medallist also had one good try at an Italian record of 2.04m.
"The 2.01 jump was just beautiful and I had the best effort at 2.04 I've ever done before. I now have more confidence jumping at these heights. After the Golden Gala (the IAAF Diamond League in Rome) last month, I was a bit stressed as I feared that I was suffering from the aftermath of the mononucleosis that I struggled with this winter. Fortunately, the analysis showed nothing strange,” commented Di Martino.
“Now I will be competing at the European Athletics Premium Meeting in Barcelona on July 9 to test out the surface for the European Athletics Championships,” she added.
There was a fast 100m victory for Simone Collio, who clocked 10.16 into a slight breeze, while 2008 Olympic Games 50km Walk winner Alex Schwazer had his first race since stomach problems forced his to withdraw from the IAAF World Race walking Cup in May and won the track 10000m in a fast 40.04.99, finishing well ahead of Giorgio Rubino who was second in 40.43.12.
Italy’s top female middle distance runner Elisa Cusma Piccione, the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships 800m bronze medallist, confirmed her good shape with a 1500m win in 4:09.93.
There were also good results in the women’s field events from Simona La Mantia, who won the Triple Jump with 14.02, while Silvia Salis took the Hammer title with a throw of 70.23m.
