Fajdek leaves his best to last...and just as well Poland's Pawel Fajdek proved what a true champion is all about by digging into his reserves of experience to reach the hammer final on a dramatic first session today at the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam.
Fajdek, the double world champion and runner-up in Zurich, had two fouls in qualifying and looked on the brink of a shock exit as he prepared for his last attempt.
'He needs all your support' roared the commentator on the public address as Fajdek walked to the ring, dragging his hammer device behind him but always looking composed.
It was never in doubt.
With a smooth spin and fine release, Fajdek went from zero to hero with a brilliant throw of 78.82m, the best from both qualifying groups and the type of effort that will send shivers down the spine of his rivals.
Wow
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) July 8, 2016
It took three attempts but Pawel Fajdek sets hammer qualifying standard with a throw of 78.82 #ECH2016 pic.twitter.com/HtQYVlEmXg
Still inside the ring, he turned to the crowd, raising both hands in delight and then clenched his right fist to celebrate his place in the final.
'Today I didn't want to waste any energy,' said Fajdek. 'I am able to throw way over 80 metres but I had some problems qualifying without extending myself too much. Even though my first two throws were faulty, I was never nervous and my third was just ok.'
It was a cold and rainy morning for the start of this third day and Ukraine's Olha Saladukha did enough to reach the final of the triple jump as she chases her fourth successive gold medal at the event.
With 14 metres guaranteed to qualify, she had a second round best of 13.85m, either side of jumps of 13.82m, which saw her progress in 10th as Poland's Anna Jagaciak Michalska led the way with 14.33m.
In the women's heptathlon, France's Antoinette Nana Djimou made a good start in her bid to win this title for the third time in a row as she ran a season's best of 13.26 in the third of the three heats of the 100m hurdles.
In the quickest of the races, she banked 1086 points, five more than the Netherlands' Anouk Vetter whose personal best of 13.29 saw her second from Katerina Cachova, of the Czech Republic, with 1075.
It all changed after the high jump, with the host nation in the gold medal position after two events as Vetter's 1.74m brought her 903 to lead with 1984 from Ukraine's Hanna Kasyanova (1978) and now in third, Great Britain's Morgan Lake (1972) who was the star of the discipline which she won with a clearance of 1.89m.
.@morgan_a_lake clears 1.89m in the high jump to move to third place in the heptathlon standings #ECH2016 pic.twitter.com/sT2iP1Hvzu
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) July 8, 2016
Lake, the European junior high jump champion, did not enter the discipline until 1.80m, when many of her rivals were out. Djimou had a best of 1.71m and slipped down to fifth with 1953 points.
When the rain worsened for the heats of the men's 110m hurdles, Milan Trajkovic thrived on the conditions by producing a superb run as he broke the Cypriot national record to win in 13.39, the quickest time of the day. And Denmark's Stina Troest is the athlete to beat in the 400m hurdles after she posted a season's best of 56.32 as the fastest from the four heats.
Meanwhile, Jenny Meadows has retired from athletics, bowing out here in Amsterdam after a brilliant career where she has stood on all three steps of the European medal podium.
The end for the British 800m runner came on Thursday night when she failed to make final, knocked out in the semis by finishing sixth as she suffered a hamstring injury in what was always set to be her final year in the sport.
'It is time to pass over to the next generation,' said Meadows, 35, speaking to the BBC. 'I did think my career would either end here or in Rio in a few week's time. I have done this sport for 28 years and I have given my all.'
After winning bronze at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona in 2010 (1:59.39), Meadows was then crowned the 2011 European Indoor champion just over seven months later with a brilliant victory in Paris in 2:00.50, a championships where she also won 4x400m silver.
This will certainly be Jenny Meadows' final Euro Champs. She runs in the 800m semi-finals in 10 minutes #ECH2016 pic.twitter.com/19wIMXitEf
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) July 7, 2016
2011 European indoor 800m champion Jenny Meadows has announced her retirement aged 35.
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) July 8, 2016
Enjoy your retirement! pic.twitter.com/iHG7rIS7Zt