by Larry Eder
photo by PhotoRun.net.
David Greene and Rhys Williams went 1-2 in the men’s 400 meter
hurdles. Greene ran the 400 meter intermediate hurdles final
flawlessly, and he was rewarded with a time equal to the great
Dave Hemery, 1968 Olympic 400m hurdle champion!
PhotoRun.net.
Mo Farah completed his dream: the double at the European
Championships. Winning the 10,000 meter took brinksmanship,
winning the 5,000 meters took focus. Farah had lost to Jesus
Espana of Spain in 2006 by .09!. This year, running a gut wrenching
2:25.24 for the last 1,000 meters, (that is like run four minute pace
for two laps and dropping the peddle to the medal, with a 25.24 last
200 meters), and Farah won! Afterwards he was overcome with
emotions, at the enormity of his achievement.
Viktor Rothlin is a man possessed by the marathon. Rothlin has won
medals in the Europeans in 2006 (bronze) and World Championships
in 2007 (bronze). After nearly two years of injuries, Viktor Rothlin has
become the European Champion! He put two minutes on second place.
In his 19th marathon, Rothlin had a great quote about the heat in
Barcelona, ” Compared to Osaka, this was cold!”
EME NEWS (JUL 31 – AUG 1, 2010) EVENING SESSION+MORNING SESSION
QUOTE OF THE SESSION
“In my room I have 1263 on the wall and phone number of my coach ends with these digits,”
Nevin Yanit after 100m hurdles victory in 12.63.
“I just didn’t want to look behind, I just wanted to dig and dig and
push and push. At that point I was just thinking that I didn’t know how
much ground I had. I was so happy. Obviously my mind is on the Olympics
now but I’m already looking forward to the world championships next
year. I’m just training hard and want to keep injury free,” Mo Farah
after winning the 5000 m.
RESULT OF THE SESSION
David Greene european leader 48.12 in the 400 m hurdles (he aims for
Commonwealth Games, same time as David Hemery at Olympic Games 1968). Irish and Turkish record in the women 100 m
hurdles. Jessica Ennis scoring meet record 6823 (also , second Natalya
Dobrynska personal best 6778 for the olympic gold medalist. Another
European lead Olha Saladuha 14.81 in triple jump (+1.1).
SURPRISE OF THE SESSION
Myriam Soumare running for first time sub 23 in the 200 m, in lane 8
european leading 22.32. German Matthias De Zordo improving from 84.38
to 87.81 and winning silver medal in javelin.
FAVORITES FALLS
World medalist Romain Mesnil 8th in pole vault, European leader
Alemayehu Bezabeh 7th in 5000 m, Czech talent Petr Frydrych 10th in
javelin.
STATS (by Ken Nakamura)
M800m: First gold medal for POL at M800m in the European Championships,
POL also won two medals. Previously only GBR and Germany (FRG and GDR)
has
done so at 800m in Euro Champ.
MSP: First gold medal for BLR in the European Championships. Best marks
for places for 5th (20.57 replacing 20.55 by Sofin in 2006) and 6th
(20.56 replacing 20.49 by Block in 1982)
were reset for this event at Euro Champ.
W200m: Soumare won 200m as well as finishing 3rd at 100m earlier. She
thus became the first FRA woman to win medal in both events at European
Championships.
M400mH: For GBR, it was a first one-two finish (and only second time in history) since URS done so in 1954.
W100mH: 0.02 winning margin matched the smallest winning margin (Balzer
in 1971) at this event at the Euro champ. O’Rourke became two-time
silver medalist, matching her feat from four years
ago. It was also a first medal for TUR.
WTJ: 25cm is the largest margin of victory (previously it was 17cm in
2002) at WTJ in Euro Champ. It was first medal for both ITA and BEL,
and first gold medal for UKR.
Heptathlon: Best marks for place was set for 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The
difference between 3rd and 4th place, 171, is the largest ever at Euro
Champ It was first medal for UKR.
M5000m: Mo’s 5000m-10000m double was the first since Antibo’s
successful double in 1990 (Split). The 1000m was covered in 2:25.24. It
was fastest ever last 1000m (or any
1000m for that matter) at 5000m in Euro Champ It was second medal for
Espana who won gold four years ago. It was also first medal for AZE at
5000m at the Euro Champ.
MPV: The best marks for place for 6th place (5.70 by Bubka in 1990 and
Tivontschik in 1994) was tied. Officially, the first medal was won by
UKR at MPV at the Euro champ.
MJT: 4.66m difference between 3rd and 4th place is the largest ever,
replacing 2.98 from 1950). Thorkildsen second European title at this
event. Of course Backley and
Lusis won four times.
MARATHON: Rothlin became the 10th runner to win a multiple medal (he
won silver 4 years ago) at the marathon in the European Championships.
Safronov won a bronze, giving RUS first medal at the marathon in the
European Championships.
BEST RESULTS
Leaders (IAAF scoring tables)
men: 1. Idowu 1244 (TJ), 2. Diniz 1219 (50km walk), 3. Greene 1216 (400mH)
women: 1. Ennis 1257 (Hep), 2. Antyukh 1239 (400mh), 3. Ostapchuk 1215 (SP)
Medals: 1. GBR 5-6-2, 2. FRA 5-1-3, 3. RUS 2-1-2, 4. POL 1-2-2, 5. ESP
1-2-1, 26 countries medalled.
Placings: 1. RUS 225, 2. GBR 141, 3. FRA 127, 4. GER 109, 5. UKR 81, 33
countries in top 8.
SPECTATORS
40 000, together 180 000.
OTHERS
DOUBLES: Mo Farah scored 5/10 km double, first since 1990.
MARATHON
In 1993 the people of Switzerland voted to make 1 August Swiss National
Day, a national holiday to celebrate the founding of the Swiss
confederacy in the 19th century. But this year they have something
extra to celebrate: the first Swiss athlete ever to win a European
Marathon title as Viktor Rothlin got 2:15:31 win. “My career might as
well have been over after today, but the only thing I can say now is
that I’m back!!” Röthlin exclaimed. “It feels great.” In March of 2009
after training at altitude in Kenya for London, Röthlin suffered a
pulmonary embolism that landed him in an intensive care unit of a Swiss
hospital. He said that he got the embolism from sitting in a cramped
plane seat on a long flight, also had to have a foot surgery last year
in which, according to his massage therapist Daniel Troxler, a piece of
bone was removed from his right heel. Today’s marathon was only his
first in nearly two years. Second Chema Martinez 2:17:50 and third
Russian Dmitriy Safronov 2:18:16. Only five went in hot and humid
conditions sub 2:20. European Cup went to Spain 6:58:00 ahead of Russia
7:01:29 and Italy 7:01:40. (RRW)
OTTEY
Legendary Merlene Ottey still not thinking about retirement. “Here I am
now, at 50, wanting to see how fast I can run. This is what actually
motivates me and I think when I get to 60, I’ll want to see what I can
do then.”
AGENTS RANKING (by gold medals after 37 events)
Pavel Voronkov 5, Ricky Simms 4, Rene Auguin 4, Aleksandr Porkhomovskiy
2, Vera Michallek 2, Mikhail Gusev 2, Ludmila Olijar 2, Daniel
Wessfeldt 2, °Patrick Magyar, Aivar Karotamm, Mark Block, Wilfried Meert, Miguel
Mostaza, Munir Yaras, Kerstin Pohlers, Jos Hermens, Rachid Esmouni,
Robert Wagner, Alibay Shukurov, Jane Cowmeadow, Alfons Juck 1 gold
medal. Decathlon winner Barras is not having an agent.
CORRECTION: Christoph Lemaitre was the seventh man to successfully win
both 100m and 200m at the European Championships, not sixth.
CORRECTION: Appendix surgery for shot putter Anna Avdeyeva (not Alminova, she is running the 1500 m final).
