The women of Fenerbahce maintained their amazing domination of the ECCC Track & Field U20 on Saturday (15) in Castellon, Spain. They took the Group A title for the seventh year in a row with one of the most sensational performances in competition history, winning by 31.5 points from hosts Playas de Castellon
The nature of age group competitions is such that team line-ups change every year but since 2012, Fenerbahce has been the dominant force regardless of who is competing for the team.
But rarely have they won like this, winning 11 of the 19 events, finishing second in one of the others and third in five more. Amazingly, the Turkish failed to make the top three in only two of the disciplines.
They proved untouchable as they achieved this big success in a match which saw relegation into Group B for Finland’s Tampereen Pyrinto, who were only promoted last year, and Italian side ASD Bracco Atletica, who were last.
Mizgin Ay and Leyla Yanardag were among the stars of the Turkish team, winning three events each.
Ay, who is probably better known for her exploits over 100m, sprinted to 200m and 400m glory and then ran the anchor leg of the 4x400m relay while Yanardag won the 400m hurdles – and was part of their victorious 4x100m and 4x400m teams.
Today, 2017 World U18 champ Mizgin Ay wins three races in just three hours in ECCC Junior.
— Atletizm Dünyası (@atletizmdunyasi) September 15, 2018
After 400m and 200m wins, she steals the show for Fenerbahçe in 4x400m race over Czech team Brno. One of the best ever performances in ECCC-J history. Look at this gasp! pic.twitter.com/ssN9980l3t
Ay banked the maximum eight points in the 400m midway though the afternoon with 54.80 from Blackheath & Bromley’s Louise Evans in 55.95 and won the 200m in 23.81 from Castellon’s Magdalena Stefanowicz (24.68) before joining forces with Melike Malkoc, Eda Solmaz and Yanardag to triumph in the 4x400m relay in 3:49.63.
World U20 finalist Sevval Ayaz had given Fenerbahce their first track win of the day in the 100m hurdles in 13.74 from Blackheath’s Anastasia Davies (13.85) before Yanardag won the 400m hurdles in 61.36.
Yanardag set the Turks on their way in the 4x100m, handing on to Ayaz, Nefise Karatay and Malkoc to win in 47.55 from Blackheath (47.60) and Castellon (48.35).
Malkoc had herself been third in the 100m in 12.44 as Stefanowicz, who was fifth in the 100m final for Poland at the World U20 Championships, enjoyed a fine afternoon as she won in 11.76.
But in the field, Fenerbahce, as expected, showed their authority as they won the pole vault with Mesure Tutku Yilmaz (4.00m), triple jump with Esra Yilmaz (12.45m), shot put with Aysel Yilmaz (14.63m), discus with Ozlem Becerek (46.99m) and javelin with Munevver Hanci (50.59m).
FINAL SCORES
1. Fenerbahce Sport Club (TUR) 134.5
2. Playas de Castellon (ESP) 103
3. AK Olymp Brno (CZE) 102
4. Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC (GBR) 93.5
5. Sparta AM (DEN) 75
6. PAC Rotterdam (NED) 71
7. Tampereen Pyrinto (FIN) 55
8. ASD Bracco Atletica (ITA) 49