Ukraine’s Myhaylo Kokhan only turned 18 at the start of the year but the reigning world and European U18 hammer champion had a notable win over two reigning senior champions at the Jyvaskyla Games, a European Athletics Outdoor Area Permit Meeting, in Finland on Wednesday (19) evening.
Kokhan broke Bence Halasz’s world U18 best of 87.82m at the European Athletics U18 Championships in Gyor last July before taking a significant win over the aforementioned Hungarian in the U23 division at the European Throwing Cup in Samorin where he threw 76.68m with the senior implement.
Kokhan was slightly down on his lifetime best in Jyvaskyla but the teenager’s best throw of 75.42m proved sufficient for a narrow win over reigning Commonwealth champion Nick Miller although the Brit did come close to usurping the Ukrainian upstart with his final round throw of 75.33m.
Olympic champion Dilshod Nazarov from Tajikistan - who is nineteen years Kokhan’s senior - was third with 74.81m.
Poland’s Klaudia Siciarz continued her good run of form ahead of the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships with victory over a strong Finnish contingent in the 100m hurdles.
Siciarz, who won a bronze medal at the European U20 Championships, won her heat in a lifetime best of 12.87 before improving to an albeit marginally wind-aided 12.77 (2.3) in a high quality final.
Nooralotta Neziri was the best of the Finns last night in second in 12.82 ahead of Reetta Hurske (12.86) and Annimari Korte (12.90).
Teammate Elmo Lakka, who made the European indoor final over 60m hurdles in Glasgow, won the 110m hurdles in a slightly wind-aided 13.65 (2.4) and Hanna-Maari Latvala also took victory on home soil in the women’s 100m in a wind-legal 11.45.