Joanna Fiodorow in Bydgoszcz (© Marek Biczyk)
This year’s edition of the European Athletics Festival in Bydgoszcz was seen by many as an attempt by Polish athletes to achieve Olympic qualification standards, but also featured some strong international fields. The major highlights included Vanya Stambolova running 54.08 to beat Natalya Antyukh in the one-lap hurdles race, hammer thrower Joanna Fiodorow’s huge personal best of 74.18m and Lukasz Michalski’s vault of 5.72m.
Big improvement for Fiodorow
Two years ago, the meet in Bydgoszcz saw Anita Wlodarczyk set a world record in the Hammer Throw. Wlodarczyk might have been absent this time, but even so, the audience were yet again treated to a world-class performance in this event. Poland’s Fiodorow, coming into this competition with a best of just 71.51m, shocked everyone by heaving the implement out to 74.18m in the first round.
Fiodorow, coached by Czeslaw Cybulski who in the past took Wlodarczyk and Szymon Ziolkowski to global titles, ended up winning the competition by over seven metres. Her series following the first throw also included another one beyond her previous PB, a 72.01m in the fourth round. Interviewed after her win, she sounded as surprised as anyone by her own performance, stressing that she was still in heavy training, and had not expected to be at her competitive best.
Michalski nabs London qualifier
The men’s Pole Vault, featuring Poland’s top stars, was pitched as an attempt at the Olympic A standard of 5.72m. It was Michalski, fourth in last year’s World Championships, who dealt best with the difficult wind conditions. It took him just four attempts – first-time clearances at 5.42m and 5.62m, followed by second-time success at 5.72m – to win and to become the first Polish vaulter with the qualifying mark this season.
World champion Pawel Wojciechowski did not have as good a day, although he, too, finished the competition with a season’s best. Still lacking technical consistency, he had to take three attempts to manage his opening height of 5.22m. He went on to clear 5.42m and 5.62m, both on second attempts and both by a significant margin. 5.72m proved beyond him on this occasion, although the last attempt was a relatively close one. With this performance, Wojciechowski finished third, losing on countback to Maksym Mazuryk of Ukraine.
In the women’s vault, Monika Pyrek was the comfortable winner with a season’s best of 4.40m, but she failed in her attempt to book herself an Olympic ticket, as her three attempts at 4.50m were unsuccessful. In a post-competition interview, however, Pyrek sounded optimistic about her chances to qualify for London, blaming her failure to go higher on the gusting wind in Bydgoszcz.
Stambolova runs down Antyukh
One of the strongest international fields of the meet was assembled for the women’s 400m Hurdles, and the race lived up to its promise. Vanya Stambolova, second on the world list this year, came close to her best, winning in 54.08. The Bulgarian had to work hard for it, as World Championships medalist Natalya Antyukh set a blistering pace and was still leading at the final hurdle. The tall Russian faded somewhat towards the very end, but nonetheless reduced her season’s best by a significant margin with 54.50.
Another Daegu finalist, Anna Yaroshchuk of Ukraine placed third with 55.28, but it was the fourth placer who was of more interest to the local spectators. Polish star Anna Jesien, returning from injuries which ruined her last two seasons, ran remarkably well to dip under the Olympic qualifying time with her 55.46.
In the men’s race, former World Championship medalist Marek Plawgo attempted a similar comeback, but was rather less successful, finishing down in fifth with 51.36 after struggling to maintain his rhythm throughout the race.
That race was won by the American Michael Tinsley in 49.55 with a late burst which took him to the finish line 0.03 ahead of the Briton Rhys Williams.
Urbanek upsets Malachowski
There was a shock result in the men’s discus throw, as the Polish star of the event Piotr Malachowski lost to younger compatriot Robert Urbanek. Malachowski struggled throughout the competition, and had only one valid throw, measured at 62.84m. Urbanek confirmed his recent consistent form with a series of six solid throws, the best of which was 64.28m in the fifth round.
European champion Marcin Lewandowski scored an expected win in the 800m race in 1:46.14, although he was run close by the surprising Briton Gareth Warburton, who set a lifetime best with 1:46.31.
In the women’s two-lapper, Marilyn Okoro won very comfortably, finishing nearly two seconds ahead in 1:59.75.
There was more British success in the 1500m race as newcomer Laura Weigtman pulled away steadily on the final lap and took a convicing win in 4:05.88 ahead of the Pole Angelika Cichocka, who herself came close to personal best with 4:06.79.
In the longest race of the meet, the 3000m Steeplechase dedicated to late Olympic champion Bronislaw Malinowski, the podium was an all-Kenyan affair. Hillary Yego led for most of the race, gradually pulling away to finish in 8:17.31, nearly six seconds ahead of Silas Kitum.
Jeff Porter of the US took the 110m Hurdles in 13.41, an impressive piece of running into a 2.2 mps headwind. Hungary’s Balazs Baji was a strong second in 13.54 ahead of the American Ty Akins’s 13.60, with Poland’s Olympic finalist Artur Noga the distant fourth.
Laverne Jones-Ferrette finished a full 0.2 seconds ahead of Mikele Barber in the women’s 100m with 11.37 into 0.6 mps headwind.
The Ukrainian youngster Olha Zemlyak took the 400m in 52.15 ahead of British veterans Lee McConnell and Nicola Sanders.
The program of the meet also included all Olympic relay distances with Polish national teams attempting to improve their positions in the Olympic qualifying rankings. The women’s 4x400m team did the most good to their cause as they won the race in 3:29.33, their fastest time in three years. None of the other Polish teams improved on their qualifying bests, with the men’s 4x100m team finishing in 39.12, the women’s team in 43.84 (behind 43.54 by the team from Belarus) and the men’s 4x400m in 3:04.45.
Pawel Jackowski for the IAAF
Click here for results
Big improvement for Fiodorow
Two years ago, the meet in Bydgoszcz saw Anita Wlodarczyk set a world record in the Hammer Throw. Wlodarczyk might have been absent this time, but even so, the audience were yet again treated to a world-class performance in this event. Poland’s Fiodorow, coming into this competition with a best of just 71.51m, shocked everyone by heaving the implement out to 74.18m in the first round.
Fiodorow, coached by Czeslaw Cybulski who in the past took Wlodarczyk and Szymon Ziolkowski to global titles, ended up winning the competition by over seven metres. Her series following the first throw also included another one beyond her previous PB, a 72.01m in the fourth round. Interviewed after her win, she sounded as surprised as anyone by her own performance, stressing that she was still in heavy training, and had not expected to be at her competitive best.
Michalski nabs London qualifier
The men’s Pole Vault, featuring Poland’s top stars, was pitched as an attempt at the Olympic A standard of 5.72m. It was Michalski, fourth in last year’s World Championships, who dealt best with the difficult wind conditions. It took him just four attempts – first-time clearances at 5.42m and 5.62m, followed by second-time success at 5.72m – to win and to become the first Polish vaulter with the qualifying mark this season.
World champion Pawel Wojciechowski did not have as good a day, although he, too, finished the competition with a season’s best. Still lacking technical consistency, he had to take three attempts to manage his opening height of 5.22m. He went on to clear 5.42m and 5.62m, both on second attempts and both by a significant margin. 5.72m proved beyond him on this occasion, although the last attempt was a relatively close one. With this performance, Wojciechowski finished third, losing on countback to Maksym Mazuryk of Ukraine.
In the women’s vault, Monika Pyrek was the comfortable winner with a season’s best of 4.40m, but she failed in her attempt to book herself an Olympic ticket, as her three attempts at 4.50m were unsuccessful. In a post-competition interview, however, Pyrek sounded optimistic about her chances to qualify for London, blaming her failure to go higher on the gusting wind in Bydgoszcz.
Stambolova runs down Antyukh
One of the strongest international fields of the meet was assembled for the women’s 400m Hurdles, and the race lived up to its promise. Vanya Stambolova, second on the world list this year, came close to her best, winning in 54.08. The Bulgarian had to work hard for it, as World Championships medalist Natalya Antyukh set a blistering pace and was still leading at the final hurdle. The tall Russian faded somewhat towards the very end, but nonetheless reduced her season’s best by a significant margin with 54.50.
Another Daegu finalist, Anna Yaroshchuk of Ukraine placed third with 55.28, but it was the fourth placer who was of more interest to the local spectators. Polish star Anna Jesien, returning from injuries which ruined her last two seasons, ran remarkably well to dip under the Olympic qualifying time with her 55.46.
In the men’s race, former World Championship medalist Marek Plawgo attempted a similar comeback, but was rather less successful, finishing down in fifth with 51.36 after struggling to maintain his rhythm throughout the race.
That race was won by the American Michael Tinsley in 49.55 with a late burst which took him to the finish line 0.03 ahead of the Briton Rhys Williams.
Urbanek upsets Malachowski
There was a shock result in the men’s discus throw, as the Polish star of the event Piotr Malachowski lost to younger compatriot Robert Urbanek. Malachowski struggled throughout the competition, and had only one valid throw, measured at 62.84m. Urbanek confirmed his recent consistent form with a series of six solid throws, the best of which was 64.28m in the fifth round.
European champion Marcin Lewandowski scored an expected win in the 800m race in 1:46.14, although he was run close by the surprising Briton Gareth Warburton, who set a lifetime best with 1:46.31.
In the women’s two-lapper, Marilyn Okoro won very comfortably, finishing nearly two seconds ahead in 1:59.75.
There was more British success in the 1500m race as newcomer Laura Weigtman pulled away steadily on the final lap and took a convicing win in 4:05.88 ahead of the Pole Angelika Cichocka, who herself came close to personal best with 4:06.79.
In the longest race of the meet, the 3000m Steeplechase dedicated to late Olympic champion Bronislaw Malinowski, the podium was an all-Kenyan affair. Hillary Yego led for most of the race, gradually pulling away to finish in 8:17.31, nearly six seconds ahead of Silas Kitum.
Jeff Porter of the US took the 110m Hurdles in 13.41, an impressive piece of running into a 2.2 mps headwind. Hungary’s Balazs Baji was a strong second in 13.54 ahead of the American Ty Akins’s 13.60, with Poland’s Olympic finalist Artur Noga the distant fourth.
Laverne Jones-Ferrette finished a full 0.2 seconds ahead of Mikele Barber in the women’s 100m with 11.37 into 0.6 mps headwind.
The Ukrainian youngster Olha Zemlyak took the 400m in 52.15 ahead of British veterans Lee McConnell and Nicola Sanders.
The program of the meet also included all Olympic relay distances with Polish national teams attempting to improve their positions in the Olympic qualifying rankings. The women’s 4x400m team did the most good to their cause as they won the race in 3:29.33, their fastest time in three years. None of the other Polish teams improved on their qualifying bests, with the men’s 4x100m team finishing in 39.12, the women’s team in 43.84 (behind 43.54 by the team from Belarus) and the men’s 4x400m in 3:04.45.
Pawel Jackowski for the IAAF
Click here for results
