German jumpers Friedrich, Otto, Moguenara and Bayer all in form | 29.05.2012
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| Germany's Ariane Friedrich cleared a season-best 1.92m at the traditional Pfingstmeeting in Rehlingen on Monday. |
Germany's 2012 World Indoor Championships silver medallist Björn Otto won the men's pole vault with 5.72m but Czech Republic's Jirina Ptacnikova took the honours over home favourite Silke Spiegelburg in the women's contest. Both women cleared 4.65m but Ptacnikova had fewer failures.
Esther Cremer, a member of Germany's 2010 European Athletics Championships 4x400m winning quartet, won over one lap of the track in a personal best of 51.76, just edging out France's Marie Gayot who was second in 51.78.
Great Britain's Samson Oni won the men´s high jump with 2.28 while Finland's Teemu Wirkkala came out on top in the javelin with 80.77m.
Ethiopia's Diro Neda won the women's steeplechase in 9:28.34 but there was a heartening return to form for the German record holder Antje Möldner, who crossed the line in 9:32.14, the second fastest time by a European runner this year.
Möldner was ninth at the 2009 World Championships on home soil in Berlin where she clocked her current German record 9:18.54, the fifth of her career.
However, she missed the entire 2010 season after being diagnosed with a serious lymphoid cell disorder.
Her only other race since then was last July, when she finished a relatively modest fourth at the German Championships.
Elsewhere in Germany on Monday, at the Wesel jumps meeting, Germany's 2011 European Athletics U23 Championships long jump bronze medallist Sosthene Moguenara leapt to a personal best of 6.88m while two-time European indoor champion Sebastian Bayer went out to 8.25m, the third best performance by a European this year. Alyn Camara was second with 8.20m while Katja Demut won the women's triple jump with 14.21m.
Silvio Schirrmeister, the 2007 European Athletics Junior Championships 400m hurdles winner, clocked a personal best over the barriers of 49.64 in Zeven on Sunday where Mark Frank also won the javelin with 80.33m.
At the special hammer meeting in Frankisch-Crumbach on Sunday, 2010 European Athletics Championships gold medallist and world record holder Betty Heidler extended her unbeaten streak to nine competitions when she threw 75.78m.
The last time Heidler was defeated was at last summer's World Championships. Markus Esser was the best in the men's competition with 76.62m.
