17th March 2013 06:00
Day two of the European Cup Winter Throwing saw the under-23 athletes take centre stage in the morning with Iordan, Craft, Stahl and Tavernier all impressive.
Under – 23: Javelin - Men
The sport knows the ability and potential of Russian Valeriy Iordan, 21, after his silver medal at the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki, and 2013 is looking like it will be another spectacular year for the young Russian.
What a way to start the action on Sunday at the European Cup Winter Throwing, as not only did Iordan win gold with 82.89m but it was a championship record.
The previous best of 80.19m by Türkiye's Faith Avan had stood for two years but Iordan broke that in two rounds.
His second throw of the day took him into the history books and though it was not a personal best - his 83.56m from last month is that - it was an outstanding throw.
If these performances are the way he has started the year, who knows what lies ahead and what distances he can reach by the time of the European Athletics U23 Championships in Tampere in July and then his home World Championships in Moscow a few weeks later.
Iordan was so much in command that he did not throw again.
His opening effort of 80.23m would have brought victory anyway, such was his command over this event.
Ukraine's Oleksandr Nychyporchuk was second with 75.93m, from the first round, with Dejan Mileusnic, of Bosnia Herzegovina, third with 74.43m from the fifth round.
Under – 23: Discus - Women
Germany's Shanice Craft knows all about victory in Spain, as she showed last summer when she won the shot put gold medal at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona.
Now, 200 kilometres away today in Castellon, the 19-year-old field eventer swapped disciplines and still found herself on the top of the podium.
The multi-talented athlete won the discus on the second morning of the European Cup Winter Throwing with a season's best 60.14m, achieved in the last round of a competition where she was heading to victory anyway after her fourth round 58.35m.
Portugal's Irina Rodrigues had entered the event with the best distance of those here, but she could not build on the 59.76m that had taken her to second in the European Athletics rankings.
She did lead after round one with 56.99m as Craft threw 55.13m, but the German took over in the second round with 58.16m.
It became a close event after round five as Craft's 58.56m just led Rodrigues' 58.49m but the German confirmed her triumph in the last round as the Portuguese athlete had a no-throw.
With Rodrigues in second, Ukraine's Yuliya Kurylo was third, with 56.88m from the last round being her best distance.
Under – 23: Shot put - Men
Sweden's Daniel Stahl had only two efforts from six in Castellon today but his performance in round four was enough to give him victory.
In second place at the time after an opening 17.76m, he then delivered a superb 18.63m to secure a fine win.
His other four attempts were all recorded as fouls but it is another excellent win for Sweden after their six medals at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Göteborg just two weeks ago.
Russian Maksim Afonin had led with 18m and it proved his best of the day, but in the end he went down to third as Danijel Furtula completed a fine weekend with 18.18m in the final round to take second place. It was a personal best and went along his win in the Discus on Saturday morning.
The top three here move into the top three on the European Athletics under-23 rankings, all overtaking Israel's Itamar Levi, who had led the way with 17.99m. He could not repeat that display and was seventh with a fifth-round best of 17.57m.
Under – 23: Hammer - Women
Alexandra Tavernier warmed up for what she hopes will be a long hot summer of success by winning an event where is she is the best junior in the world.
The French thrower triumphed here in Spain on Sunday with 66.20m, a season's best for an athlete who was one of the stars of the World Junior Championships in Barcelona last year where she won gold with 70.62m.
Ahead lie the European Athletics Under-23 Championships and then the chance to once more test herself on the senior stage at the World Championships in Moscow.
Tavernier set the standard in the second round with 65.54m and the closest anyone came to her was in the final round when Ukraine's Alyona Shamotina confirmed herself in second place with 64.50m with Hanna Zinchuk, of Belarus, third with 63.78m.
Complete results