Previews13 Jul 2015


Boys' hammer preview – IAAF World Youth Championships Cali 2015

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Hlib Piskunov at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games (© YOG LOC)

With a season’s best nearly six metres further than that of his closest rival, Ukraine’s Hlib Piskunov will start as one of the championships’ most prohibitive favourites.

The 16-year-old has 84.56m, 83.11m, 82.96m and 82.31m efforts to his credit, the latter nearly four metres better than the 78.58m best of team-mate Mykhaylo Havrylyuk, who comes in as his closest challenger.

Piskunov currently sits fourth on the world youth all-time list with the 5kg implement, and is within 82cm of moving up two more notches.

Havrylyuk meanwhile, still just 15, has been in Piskunov’s shadow but consistently thrown beyond 77 metres, giving Ukraine a strong 1-2 combination in Cali.

The best bets to break that potential gold-silver finish are Australia’s Ned Weatherly, who arrives in Cali with a 78.26m best, and Hungarian Peter Szentivanszky who holds a 78.02m best after producing a series of consistent performances beyond 76 metres this year.

Others who could reach the podium include the USA’s Robert Colantonio Jr (78.18m) and the Russian No.1 Daniil Danilo (78.01m).

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

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