by Stuart Weir
Christina Schwanitz, silver medal, shot put, photo by Getty Images/ European Athletics
The three days of 2019 European Athletics Indoor Champs had events for every athletic fan’s palates. From stories of great challenges to young athletes surprising to veteran athletes going out with class. Stuart Weir wrote about all, in his five days in Glasgow.
Radoslava Mavrodieva (Bulgaria) won the women’s shot with a PR of 19.12 from Christian Schwanitz (Germany) 19.11. Defending Champion, Anita Marton was third. As she pointed out she was an appropriate winner: “It is fantastic to win today, on 3 March, the national day of Bulgaria. So this medal is for all the Bulgarians who supported me. I didn’t look at the other distances. I just went out and competed”
She earned her gold having taken bronze in 2015 and silver in 2017.
Miltiadis Tentoglou won the men’s long jump with a world leading 8.38 from Thobias Nilsson Montler 8.17 (PR) with Strahinja Jovancevic (Serbia) third in 8.03, a new Serbian record. Tentoglou said of his victory: “I knew I could do well but it was a great competition and the others did well. The crowd was amazing. I knew I could jump well but I just needed to find my rhythm and get my run-up right. Finally I did that with my fifth jump. It is great now to add the indoor to my outdoor title last year”.
Ana Peleteiro, TJ champ, photo by Getty Images/ European Athletics
Ana Peleteiro won the triple jump with 14.73 from Paraskevi Papahristou (Greece) 14.50 with Olha Saladukha (Ukraine) third. A delighted winner said afterwards: “It´s so special. I am so happy. It´s my first (European) gold medal and it comes after I suffered from a little tendon injury. I haven´t jumped for a month. I trained a lot to do well. After two foul jumps, my coach said: ‘Just do it.’ And then I knew I could do it. It was difficult especially in my head. I told myself: ´Just enjoy it.´ Jumping the national record is a result of my full dedication and passion. It means everything to me.
The TJ medalists: Peletiero, Papahristou, Saldukha, photo by Getty Images/European Athletics
Incidentally her family call her ‘Kangaroo Girl’ because “I like kangaroos and I jump like them”. Can’ say I have ever seen a kangaroo triple- jumping
