by Stuart Weir
Sandi Morris takes PV in 4.81 meters, Bislett Games, photo by PhotoRun.net
A NR and PB for Tatsiana Khaladovich, Bislett Games, photo by PhotoRun.net
Tom Walsh responds to Ryan Crouser’s 22.21m, with his 22.29m throw! photo by PhotoRun.net
Andrius Gudzius has two big throws! photo by PhotoRun.net
The field events were pretty exciting as well in Bislett Oslo Games. Sold out crowds had a real track & field feast with the women’s PV, Triple jump, javelin and men’s shot put and discus, plus the snow ball throw. Here’s Stuart Weir’s take on the field events from Oslo on June 7, 2018.
Field summary
The women’s pole vault was an absorbing contest with eight quality competitors. The first shock of the evening was when the Olympic and World Champion, Katerina Stefanidi, failed three times at her opening height of 4.41, fully half a meter short of her PR. Then there was Yarisley Silva of Cuba, herself a former world champion going out at the same height – a height at which three vaulters passed. Local athlete Lene Retzius also departed at 4.41
The five remaining jumpers cleared 4.51 which only one failure between them. 4.61 proved more tricky with only Sandi Morris (USA) and Angelica Bengstsson (Sweden) clearing at the first attempt. Anzhelika Sidorova (ANA) cleared at the second attempt and Katie Nageotte (USA) at the third. Holly Bradshaw (GB) bowed out at 4.61 for fifth place.
4.71 was negotiated at the second attempt by Morris, by Sidorova for whom it was a season’s best at the third attempted, while Bengtsson failed to clear.
Sidorova failed at 4.81, which Morris cleared at the second attempt to bring a difficult week in which Air France lost her luggage, to a happy conclusion. Morris summed up her competition: “My winning jump was my best jump of the day. I got it right on the runway, was able to execute well a full jump. Last year 4.80 was rare. This year I’m more consistent. It’s a regular thing for me. I want to jump 5 meters soon, good things are coming. I stopped jumping at 4.87 because it was a tough day with lot of wind and I was tired and did not want to hurt myself”.
Tatsiana Khaladovich (Belarus) won the women’s Javelin Throw with a national record and a European lead in 2018 with a throw of 67.47m. She said of her win: “Today I was not really expecting such a great result. I knew I’m ready, but not for that. I’m really surprised in this wind lottery. But of course I’m taking it. My main goal is to succeed at European Championships and even without Spotakova or Kolak the battle will be tough. Before that I also want to throw well at Diamond Leagues and also we have the opening of the redeveloped stadium in Minsk where I want to throw well later in June”. Huihui Lyu (China) was second and Nikola Ogrodnikova (Czech Republic) third.
The men’s shot was a good competition with seven competitors throwing over 21 meters. Ryan Crouser (USA) led with 22.21 going onto the final round but – surprise, surprise – Tomas Walsh (New Zealand) found a 22.29 winning throw in the final round.
Caterine Ibarguen (Colombia) won the women’s triple jump with14.89 from Tori Franklin (USA) while Kimberley Williams (Jamaica) was third.
Andrius Gudzius (Lithuania) won the men’s discus with 69.04 from Ehsan Hadadi (Iran) with Daniel Stahl (Sweden) third. Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar) won the men’s high jump with 2.36 from Daniel Lysenko (ANA) with Donald Thomas (Bahamas) third. It is RunBlogRun’s understanding that as Barshim failed to reach 2.40, the Bislett Stadium gets to keep the bar.
Finally Christopher Becklund won the snowball throw with 58.56. It is not thought that snowball throwing is recognized as yet as a Diamond event as an insufficient number of countries have included it in their programs.
