Shot putter Siarhei Bakhar and his hammer throwing namesake Siarhei Kalamoets both impressed when they won the under 23 competitions in their specialist events at the European Cup Winter Throwing last weekend and now the Belarus pair will be looking to do the same again at the European Athletics U23 Championships later this summer.
They are also good friends and are not only both 21, Bakhar being six weeks older, but know each other well after having gone through the Belarus youth system together, Kalamoets being born in the city of Grodno while Bakhar hails from nearby.
Bakhar won his gold medal in Sofia with an effort of 18.29m, although it was rather short of his personal best of 19.49m which he produced indoors on home territory in Minsk back in January.
“I went to the Cup as the favourite but I had problems with my technique. However, I collected myself and managed to win with my last throw,” reflected Bakhar, in a interview with the Belarus athletics federation website www.bfla.eu
“I expected to throw over 19 metres (in Sofia) but the weather conditions were a little difficult for my first outdoor competition of the year, it was cold and there was rain. However, it was not a stressful competition even though there were a few strong throwers.
“My big targets for the summer are the European Athletics U23 Championships and also the World University Games. They will be different from the Cup as there will be many, many contenders for medals at both events,” added the Bakhar, who just managed to finish in front of Ukraine’s Dmytro Savytskyy who produced an outdoor best of 18.27m for second place.
Outdoors, Bakhar threw 19.30m last year and was the second ranked under 23 shot putter in Europe, only behind Germany’s formidable former world junior champion David Storl, who took the silver medal at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Paris earlier this month.
Storl is still undecided whether he will compete at the European Athletics U23 Championships, although in Paris he indicated that it was a good possibility.
“I’ve been preparing for the Cup since the autumn, revealed Kalamoets, who threw a personal best of 73.05m in the Belarus winter throwing championships last month and was very close to that mark with 72.94m in Sofia.
“I enjoyed myself in Sofia, it was a very homely atmosphere, Perhaps my opponents were not the strongest but I still had to fight for the victory.
“Until my fifth attempt, I was actually in second place but then I woke up and produced the leading throw. I am very pleased to come home with my first medal at such a serious level,” added Kalamoets, whose best international performance until the weekend was finishing fifth at the 2008 World Junior Championships.
“I’ve had a few problems making the transition from the junior hammer of 6kg to the adult implement; it’s taken me almost two years. It’s not just a question of technique but also being physically ready to throw it. I needed to grow up in every respect. Like my friend Bakhar, I also plan to be in contention for the medals at the European Athletics U23 Championships and also the World University Games,” commented Kalamoets.
The 2011 European Athletics U23 Championships will be held in the Czech city of Ostrava from 14-17 July.