World and European hammer bronze medallist Bence Halasz approached his world leading mark of 78.86m in the hammer in Pardubice, Czech Republic on Wednesday (22).
In his first international competition of the season, Halasz sent the hammer out to 78.43m to defeat his teammate and 2012 Olympic champion Krisztian Pars by more than six metres with 72.19m.
European U20 400m silver medallist Lada Vondrova, 20, raced no fewer than three times yesterday evening. The Czech won the 400m in 52.60 and the 800m in 2:07.16 and also finished second in the 200m in 23.78.
Gudzius approaches 68 metre-line in Vilnius
After an injury-plagued 2019 season which left him short of form to defend his world discus title in Doha, Andrius Gudzius produced his fourth successive competition over the 67 metre-line in Vilnius on Tuesday (21).
The reigning European champion’s best throw was measured at 67.88m, the second longest throw of his season after his 68.68m which was set earlier this month.
Gudzius’ next competition will be the Lithuanian Championships in Palanga on 7-8 August and he will make his international debut at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku on 11 August when he is scheduled to face reigning world champion Daniel Stahl from Sweden and Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh.
Mykolas Alekna, the son of 2000 and 2004 Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna, won the U20 discus with 61.38m and Ieva Zarankaite set a lifetime best of 61.88m in the women’s discus.
Karidi breaks Greek U20 triple jump record in Athens
Reigning European U20 triple jump champion Spiridoula Karidi improved her Greek U20 record in Athens on Wednesday (22). Karidi, who jumped 14.00m to win the European U20 title in Boras twelve months ago, eclipsed that mark with 14.12m.
“We worked hard during the quarantine and we managed to stay in very good condition. She will participate in the Greek U20 Championship both in the triple and long jump and then the Greek Championships,” said her coach Pavlos Skordilis.
Fresh from clearing 4.70m on her season’s debut last weekend, Eleni-Klaoudia Polak cleared 4.55m in the pole vault and reigning world U20 champion Antonios Merlos cleared 2.20m in the high jump.
Elsewhere around the world…
European indoor 5000m record-holder Marc Scott stepped down in distance in Portland on Tuesday (21) evening to set a lifetime best and European leading 1500m time of 3:35.93.
Long-time Spanish international Esther Guerrero smashed Julia Vaquero’s long-standing national 2000m record in Olot on Tuesday (21). Racing for the first time since the indoor season, Guerrero set a national record and world leading mark of 5:41.30.
Kristiina Makela had six jumps in excess of the 14 metre-line in Orimattila on Tuesday (21). The Finn produced a wind-aided 14.33m and a wind legal mark of 14.30m, the second best jump by a European in 2020 behind Gabriela Petrova’s European lead of 14.38m.
Latvia’s Gatis Cakss also won the javelin in Orimattila with 83.45m.
Nooralotta Neziri broke the 13 second-barrier in the 100m hurdles in Tampere on Wednesday (22), clocking 12.92 ahead of Reetta Hurske with 13.03.