Chao-Tsui Cheng hurls javelin 91.36m, Hofmann retorts with 91.07 at World University Games!

TAIPEI (TPE, Aug 26): The fourth day of athletics at the World University Games was highlighted by a phenomenal men’s javelin competition which saw two throwers surpass the 91m line for just the second time in history, the first being the 2001 World Championships. Home favourite Chao-Tsun Cheng moved from third to first with his final round throw of 91.36m, an Asian record to move to 12th on the world all-time lists. Germany’s Andreas Hofmann responded with a huge throw but fell just short with a lifetime best of 91.07m. It was for second time in history of javelin that two throwers went over 91 meters in one competition after Edmonton 2001. Cheng’s teammate Shih-Feng Huang won bronze, also with a lifetime best of 86.64m. In the women’s hammer, Poland’s Malwina Kopron surpassed Betty Heidler’s championship record of 75.83m with her opening round throw of 76.85 PVB ahead of Belarus’ Hanna Malyshchyk (74.93m) and Poland’s Joanna Fiodorow (71.33m). On the track, world finalist Juander Santos from the Dominican Republic won the 400m hurdles title in 48.65 ahead of home favourite Chieh Chen 49.05 and Algeria’s Abdelmalik Lahoulou 49.30; heptathlon specialist Nadine Visser won the 100m hurdles title in 12.98 (-1.3) ahead of world U20 champion Elvira Herman from Belarus (13.17); Italy’s Irene Siragusa won the 200m in a 22.96 PB from Latvia’s Gunta Latiseva Cudare 23.15 with France’s Jeffrey John winning the men’s 200m in 20.93; and Turkey’s Tugba Guvenc won the 3000m steeplechase in 9:51.27 from Hungary’s Viktoria Gyuerkes 9:52.17. Elsewhere, Belarus’ Iryna Zhuk won the pole vault title on countback from three athletes at 4.40m; there were wins in the 20km walk from Japan’s Toshikazu Yamanishi (1:27:30) and Ukraine’s Inna Kashyna (1:39:44); and Austria’s Verena Preiner leads the heptathlon with 3586 points.