Anita Wlodarczyk started her season with unexpected losses in Halle and Chorzow but the Pole returned to winning form in the Ostrava Golden Spike on Tuesday (12) evening, and is confident of regaining 80 metre-plus form before the end of the year.
Not only did the Pole win her first competition of the season in Ostrava in an event dedicated to her late friend and mentor Kamila Skolimowska, she also topped the 2018 European lists with 76.38m in the fourth round before improving to 76.43m in the fifth round. Both results surpassed the previous lead of 76.26m set by Belarus’ Hanna Malyshik in April.
“I’m really happy, I made my best today and I feel that my shape is good. It is a long way to break 80 metres but I think it could still happen during this season. The European Championships in Berlin start in two month so that’s enough time,” said Wlodarczyk, the winner in Ostrava for the fourth successive season.
Wlodarczyk turned the tables on world-leader Gwen Berry from the United States, who went out to a national record of 77.78m in Chorzow on Friday night to beat Wlodarczyk. Berry was second with a sixth round throw of 74.21m with former European U23 champion Alexandra Tavernier from France third with 73.97m.
Najlepszy wynik w sezonie 76,43m to juŌ 8 zwycięstwo w @ZlataTretra w konkursie poświęconym pamięci Kamili Skolimowskiej @PKN_ORLEN pic.twitter.com/viSR0lmim6
— anita wlodarczyk (@AnitaWlodarczyk) June 12, 2018
In the discus, world champion Andrius Gudzius couldn’t quite hit the distances he has reached in recent competitions but the Lithuanian got the better of Jamaica’s Fedrick Dacres who narrowly defeated Gudzius in the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday afternoon.
Competing for the fourth time in the space of six days, Gudzius - who extended his lifetime best to 69.30m in Chorzow and then to 69.59m in Stockholm - found his third round throw of 66.30m sufficient to beat Dacres (65.36m) and Germany’s Robert Harting (64.79m) who was competing in Ostrava for the very last time.
“I’m here for the last time, I’m going to end my career, my body doesn’t feel great. I have my dream medals at home, now there is a time for younger athletes,” said Harting.