Germany’s David Storl was back on the podium in a global event for the first time since the 2015 World Championships in Beijing with a silver medal in the shot put final at the IAAF World Championships in Birmingham.
In a brilliant competition for Europe, Storl won silver on countback from the Czech Republic’s Tomas Stanek, both with 21.44m, as Tomas Walsh of New Zealand triumphed with a championship record of 22.31m.
Twice a world outdoor champion, Storl has finished second in Istanbul in 2012, Sopot in 2014 and now here in Birmingham after a competition where Walsh set the standard from his opening effort of 22.13m.
Storl nudged ahead of Stanek for the 13th major senior medal of his career with a marginally superior second best effort: 21.18m to the Czech’s 21.12m.
'This is awesome,” said Storl. “Last year I changed my coach and I am so happy to get this medal. The last two years have been difficult with no medals, apart from at the European indoors. It is a great feeling to win this at such an important competition.”
Storl will be looking to go one step further at the European Championships in Berlin this year when he will be introduced to the crowd in the Olympic Stadium as the three-time reigning champion in the event.
13 major medals and counting for David Storl!
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) March 3, 2018
11 Euro Indoors
11 World Champs
12 World Indoors
12 Euro Champs
12 Olympics
13 World Champs
14 World Indoors
14 Euro Champs
15 Euro Indoors
15 World Champs
16 Euro Champs
17 Euro Indoors
18 World Indoors pic.twitter.com/UoHuXNn0ZW
Peleteiro comes of age with triple jump bronze
With tears in her eyes and a smile across her face, Spain’s Ana Peleteiro celebrated the greatest moment of her career as she won triple jump bronze.
A competitor who has consistently made the podium during her age-group progression, Peleteiro, 22, went out to a personal best of 14.40m as Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas retained her title with a world lead of 14.63m and Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams finished second with 14.48m.
'Happy, happy, happy, that is how I am feeling. I am so emotional,” said Peleteiro.
'I cannot believe there are so many people coming from Spain to support me. I want to thank them all. It was a wonderful experience but it was a hard competition. I prepared for this every day, mentally and physically. I feel delighted to be able to compete with these girls.'
Peleteiro was the world U20 champion in 2012, the European U20 bronze medallist in 2013 and then last summer she won silver in the European U23 Championships.
Having won medals at U18, U20 and U23 level, Spain's Ana Peleteiro claims her first medal at senior level with bronze in the triple jump with a lifetime best of 14.40m. pic.twitter.com/ntOUBn4c6F
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) March 3, 2018
Seventh at the World Championships in London, this was the moment she really introduced herself to the main stage in an event where did not look a contender for the opening two rounds. After 13.18m, Peleteiro improved to 13.82m but then a third round of 14.18m put her into third as Williams led with 14.48m from Rojas with 14.27m.
A fourth round 14.33m by Romania’s Andreea Panturoiu suddenly put her in the picture but not for long as Peleteiro then went to 14.40m, showing great balance on the final take-off for the jump that brought her a medal.
Rojas went to 14.63m in round five as only the top four competed in the last two rounds with Peleteiro and Panturoiu producing two fouls each.
In the men’s 1500m, Britain’s Jake Wightman reached tomorrow’s final by winning his heat in 3:47.23 and even though they did not progress, there were national indoor records for Kosovo’s Musa Hajdari with 3:47.68 and Gibraltar’s Harvey Dixon with 3:49.89.
Europe has two representatives in tomorrow’s women’s 800m final in Great Britain’s Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (2:01.76) and Switzerland’s Selina Buchel (2:01.84) after they finished first and second respectively in the second heat.