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| Bohdan Bondarenko brought his season to an end with a victory at the last European Athletics Premium Meeting in Rovereto, Italy, on Tuesday. (Photo by Getty Images) |
Ukraine's 2013 world champion Bohdan Bondarenko brought his season to an end with a win at the 49th Palio Citta della Quercia meeting in the Italian city of Rovereto, the last European Athletics Premium Permit meeting of the summer, on Tuesday.
Bondarenko, one of the emerging stars of the sport this year and a candidate for the 2013 European Athlete of the Year, cleared 2.24m with his first attempt and then secured his victory when he went over 2.31m first time.
He then had two unsuccessful attempts at 2.36m, but was clearly tired in the aftermath of his Moscow win.
Rovereto was his 13th win of the season and his only loss came in Shanghai back in May.
Behind Bondarenko, Lithuania’s 2012 European Athletics Championships silver medallist Raivydas Stanys and Italy’s Silvano Chesani both cleared 2.28m and were second and third respectively on count-back.
Another Ukrainian athlete to come out on top was sprinter Mariya Ryemyen, who clocked a 200m meeting record of 22.67.
Bulgaria’s former world junior shot put champion Georgi Ivanov was another who achieved a meeting record when he reached 20.75m.
Russia's Yulia Kondakova notched up the third meeting record of the night in the women’s 100m hurdles when she sped over the barrier and stopped the clock in 12.80.
Germany’s Kristina Gadschiew cleared an outdoor personal best to win the women’s pole vault when she went over 4.61m, before bringing the bar down three times at 4.71m.
Another win for Ukraine came in the women’s 800m as 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships gold medallilst Natalya Lupu won in 1:59.92, just holding off Russia’s Yekaterina Kupina in a tight finish, with the latter finishing second in 1:59.99.
Russia’s Anna Pyatykh won the triple jump with 13.71m, the distances slightly restricted as the competitors had to run into a slight breeze on many occasions.
The one home victory on the night went to Matteo Galvan, who won the 400m in 45.55.